Rochelle Aytes
{{Short description|American actress and model}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Rochelle Aytes
| image = Rochelle Aytes on Real TV Films.jpg
| caption = Aytes interviewed by Real TV Films (2009)
| birth_date =
| birth_place = New York City, U.S.
| death_date =
| children =
| nationality = American
| education = State University of New York, Purchase (BFA)
| spouse = {{marriage|CJ Lindsey|2016}}
| occupation = Actress, model
| yearsactive = 1999–present
| website =
}}
Rochelle Aytes is an American actress and model. She is best known for her role as April Malloy on ABC drama series Mistresses (2013–16) and as the voice of Rochelle in the critically acclaimed video game Left 4 Dead 2 (2009). Aytes also starred in the auto-biography story film of TLC titled CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story as Perri "Pebbles" Reid, short-lived series Drive and The Forgotten (2009–10), as well as Criminal Minds and Work It. In film, Aytes has appeared in White Chicks, Madea's Family Reunion and Trick 'r Treat. Aytes also had a recurring role as Agent Greer, an ex-CIA officer, on the CBS television series Hawaii Five-0.{{Cite web|url=https://www.newsweek.com/hawaii-five-o-spoilers-mcgarrett-ex-bad-1088075|title=Rochelle Aytes will recur in 'Hawaii Five-0' Season 9 as McGarrett's ex-girlfriend|website=Newsweek|date=23 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180823175633/https://www.newsweek.com/hawaii-five-o-spoilers-mcgarrett-ex-bad-1088075 |url-status=live |archive-date=August 23, 2018}} Since 2019, Aytes has played Nichelle Carmichael in the CBS action series S.W.A.T.
Early life and education
Aytes was born in Harlem, New York City,[https://mobile.twitter.com/rochelleaytes?lang=en Twitter-Rochelle Aytes] and attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts from State University of New York at Purchase college.{{cite web |title=Rochelle Aytes Biography |publisher=Star Pulse |url=https://variety.com/article/VR1118048970?refCatId=14 |access-date=January 22, 2011}}{{Dead link|date=September 2024|fix-attempted=y}}{{cite web |url=https://tvguide.com/celebrities/rochelle-aytes/bio/267069 |title=Rochelle Aytes Biography |website=TV Guide |access-date=2014-06-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201061507/https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/rochelle-aytes/bio/267069/ |archive-date=2020-12-01 |url-status=dead}} She began her career as a model and has appeared in commercials for McDonald's, L'Oreal, Coca-Cola and Mercedes-Benz.
Career
She began her acting career doing commercials for Coca-Cola, McDonalds, L'Oreal and Mercedes Benz. In 2003, she made her television debut as a hostess on an episode of "Sex And The City," which led to small roles on the shows "Jonny Zero," "House of Payne" and "Half & Half."
Aytes made her film debut in the 2004 comedy White Chicks, as Denise Porter.{{cite news |last=Meyer |first=George |title=Lame comedy, bad makeup make this a real stinker flick |work=Sarasota Herald-Tribune |date=June 23, 2004 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YvIeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=XIUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5095,3035462&dq=rochelle+aytes&hl=en |access-date=January 22, 2011 |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription}} She is also known for playing Lisa Breaux in Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion, where Aytes plays a woman who is caught in a relationship in which her fiancé (Blair Underwood) beats and threatens her.{{cite news|last=Saucedo|first=Robert|title=Madea's Family Reunion – Blu-ray Review|publisher=Inside Puls|date=January 14, 2011 |url=http://insidepulse.com/2011/01/14/madeas-family-reunion-blu-ray-review |access-date=January 22, 2011}} In 2006, she played Nicole Jamieson in the test pilot episodes of Tyler Perry's House of Payne. She also provides the voice for Rochelle in Left 4 Dead 2. In 2007, Aytes guest starred in the Fox series Bones as Felicia Saroyan, the sister of Lab Supervisor, Cam. She starred in the independent film Trick 'r Treat. She played role Leigh Barnthouse in the 2007 Fox series Drive. She also played Tara Kole in the TV show NCIS from CBS. Aytes also appeared in the TNT drama series Dark Blue in 2010.
Aytes was a regular cast member in the ABC drama series The Forgotten from 2009 to 2010, playing Detective Grace Russell who teams up with a volunteer group, including former Chicago police detective, Christian Slater, to solve cases of missing or unidentified homicide victims.{{cite news |last=Hale |first=Mike |title=Amateur Detectives Meet Unidentified Victims |work=The New York Times |department=Television |date=September 22, 2009 |page=C4 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/22/arts/television/22forgotten.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=2024-09-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170929153706/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/22/arts/television/22forgotten.html |archive-date=2017-09-29 |url-status=live}} From 2010 to 2011, she had a recurring role in the ABC series Detroit 1-8-7 as prosecutor Alice Williams, until her character was murdered in the episode "Key to the City", which aired on January 11, 2011.{{cite web|title='Desperate Housewives' 7.13 Preview: Meet Keith's Ex |publisher=Ace's Showbiz |date=January 10, 2011 |url=http://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/00037806.html |access-date=January 22, 2011 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110113113920/http://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/00037806.html |archive-date=January 13, 2011 }} In 2011, Aytes guest starred in three episodes as Amber James, the former girlfriend of Keith Watson, in the seventh season of ABC comedy-drama Desperate Housewives. She also starred in the short-lived ABC sitcom Work It in 2012.{{cite web |first=Trevor |last=Kimball |title=Work It: Sitcom Cancelled, Cougar Town Return Impending |date=14 January 2012 |website=tvseriesfinale.com |url=https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/work-it-canceled-21813/ |access-date=2024-09-19}}
In 2012, Aytes was cast as one of the four leads, along with Alyssa Milano, Yunjin Kim and Jes Macallan, in the ABC drama series Mistresses about the lives of four female friends and their involvement in an array of illicit and complex relationships.{{cite web |title=ABC Series 'Mistresses' Casts 2 Leads |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |work=Deadline Hollywood |date=March 7, 2012 |url=https://deadline.com/2012/03/abc-series-mistresses-casts-2-of-its-leads-241027/ |access-date=2024-09-19}}{{cite magazine |title=Alyssa Milano's new soap 'Mistresses' gets a poster |last=Hibberd |first=James |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=April 16, 2013 |url=https://ew.com/article/2013/04/16/alyssa-milano-mistresses-poster/ |access-date=November 20, 2021}} The series premiered on June 3, 2013. Aytes played the role of Perri "Pebbles" Reid in the 2013 biographical film CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story about the R&B and hip hop musical trio TLC.{{cite web |title=Carl Payne Cast As 'L.A.' Reid & Rochelle Aytes Will Play Pebbles In VH1's TLC Biopic |website=Blavity |date=2023-09-19 |orig-date=2013-04-03 |url=https://blavity.com/carl-payne-cast-as-l-a-reid-rochelle-aytes-will-play-pebbles-in-vh1s-tlc-biopic |access-date=2024-09-19}}{{cite news |first=Brennan |last=Williams |title=Rochelle Aytes Talks 'Mistresses,' & TLC Biopic, ' Crazy, Sexy, Cool' |work=The Huffington Post |date=2013-06-17 |orig-date=2013-06-10 |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/rochelle-aytes-talks-mistresses-tlc-biopic-crazy-sexy-cool_n_3417412 |access-date=2021-11-20}} In 2013, she also began appearing as Dr. Savannah Hayes, the girlfriend of Special Agent Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore) on the CBS crime thriller series Criminal Minds. When Moore moved to S.W.A.T., her character was written out. However, Aytes was then cast as his character Hondo's girlfriend Nichelle on S.W.A.T. as well, starting in season 3.{{cite interview |first=Rochelle |last=Aytes |interviewer=Matt Weiss |title=Rochelle Aytes On Reuniting With Shemar Moore On 'S.W.A.T.': "I Was Just So Excited To Be Working With Him Again" |work=KCAL News |location=Los Angeles |date=2019-11-21 |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/rochelle-aytes-swat-shemar-moore-nichelle/ |access-date=2024-09-19}} She was promoted to the main cast in season 6.
In 2024, Aytes was cast as a lead in the CBS medical-mystery series Watson, playing Mary Morstan (Dr. Watson's ex-wife) from the Sherlock Holmes stories. As a result of her casting, she is expected to depart as a regular on S.W.A.T., although she may remain as a guest star.{{Cite web|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|title=Rochelle Aytes Joins CBS' 'Watson', Departing 'S.W.A.T.' As Series Regular|url=https://deadline.com/2024/06/rochelle-aytes-cast-watson-exit-swat-1235958116/|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=June 4, 2024|access-date=June 5, 2024}}
Filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! Notes |
|---|
| 1999
| A Hot Dog Program | Customer | |
| 2004
| Denise Porter | |
| rowspan="2"| 2006
| Lisa | |
| 13 Graves
| Karen | TV movie |
| 2007
| Maria | |
| 2011
| {{sortname|The|Inheritance|nolink=1}} | Lily | |
| rowspan="2"| 2013
| CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story | TV movie |
| Stupid Hype
| Tina | TV movie |
| 2015
| My Favorite Five | Hailey Colburn | |
| 2017
| Doomsday | Elle | TV movie |
| rowspan="2"| 2020
| Zoe Moses | |
| A Christmas Tree Grows in Colorado
| Erin | TV movie |
| rowspan="2"| 2021
| Redemption in Cherry Springs | Melanie Abrams | TV movie |
| The Men in My Life
| Tish Helms | |
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! Notes |
|---|
| 2003
| Hostess | Episode: "Great Sexpectations" |
| rowspan="2"| 2005
| Keisha | Episode: "I Did It All for the Nooky" |
| My Wife and Kids
| Nurse | Episode: "The 'V' Story" |
| rowspan="3"| 2006
| ER | Tamara | Episode: "Split Decisions" |
| CSI: NY
| Sienna | Episode: "Stuck on You" |
| Half & Half
| Yolanda | Episode: "The Big Who You Gonna Call Episode" |
| rowspan="4"| 2007
| Woman on Plane | Episode: "What If He's Free?" |
| Las Vegas
| Carley | Episode: "When Life Gives You Lemon Bars" |
| Bones
| Felicia Saroyan | Episode: "Intern in the Incinerator" |
| Drive
| Leigh Bartnhouse | Main Cast |
| rowspan="2"| 2008
| Dirt | Jasmine Ford | Recurring Cast: Season 2 |
| Shark
| Karla Ballantine | Episode: "Leaving Las Vegas" |
| 2009
| NCIS | Tara Kole | Episode: "Knockout" |
| 2009–2010
| Grace Russell | Main Cast |
| 2010
| Eva | Recurring Cast: Season 2 |
| 2010–2011
| Alice Williams | Recurring Cast |
| rowspan="2"| 2011
| Amber James | Recurring Cast: Season 7 |
| White Collar
| Isabelle Wilson | Episode: "As You Were" |
| 2012
| Work It | Vanessa Warner | Main Cast |
| rowspan="2"| 2013–2016
| Savannah Morgan | Recurring Cast: Season 9–11 |
| Mistresses
| April Malloy | Main Cast 52 episodes |
| 2017–2018
| Senator Cowling | Recurring Cast: Season 2 |
| 2018–2019
| Agent Greer | Recurring Cast: Season 9 |
| rowspan="2"| 2019
| Scarlett |
| The Purge
| Michelle Moore | Recurring Cast: Season 2 |
| 2019–2024
| S.W.A.T. | Nichelle Carmichael | Recurring Cast: Season 3–5, Main Cast: Season 6–7, Guest: Season 8 |
| 2022
| Monarch | Mackenzie | Recurring Cast |
| 2025–present
| Watson | Main Cast |
| class="wikitable"
|+Key |{{Pending|{{dagger|alt=Denotes series/miniseries that have not yet been released}}}} |Denotes series/miniseries that have not yet been released |
=Video games=
| class="wikitable"
! Year ! Title ! Role |
| 2009
| Rochelle |
| 2013
| Rochelle |
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist|3}}
External links
- {{Twitter}}
- {{IMDb name}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aytes, Rochelle}}
Category:21st-century American actresses
Category:Actresses from Manhattan
Category:State University of New York at Purchase alumni
Category:American film actresses
Category:American television actresses
Category:American video game actresses
Category:American voice actresses