Remember “Kim Reese” on A Different World? Her real name is Charnele Brown. One interesting thing about her is that before we came to know her as the cute girl at “Hillman College,” she walked away from a very promising career that many parents would have given her the side eye for stepping away from just because she got a shot at a then unknown TV show that didn’t involve a promising and consistent paycheck yet. Charnele didn’t feel that way though, and in 1987 when she got the call that the producers wanted to try her out for A Different World, her life changed and she immediately said ‘Peace out’ to a very promising career.

The Career She Quit For “Different World

Charnele instantly ended her career as a STOCK BROKER on Wall Street in New York City, packed her bags up, and headed to Los Angeles with the quickness! During her time as a stock broker, Charnele was also a struggling actress who was constantly looking for work and facing repeated rejection from casting calls because they would tell her that as a brown girl, her look wasn’t “in.” That is absolutely ridiculous, but Charnele never let the ignorance of the entertainment industry hamper her determination, nor her drive. So the day before Black Monday on Wall Street, she put it all on the line with the hopes that her role on A Different World would stick…and fortunately it did.

What Charnele Brown Is Doing Now

Nowadays Charnele is doing more work behind the scenes, writing several stage plays for the theatrical world in Houston, TX. She currently owns an acting school, Tri-Wen Productions.

Additionally, Charnele was working on developing a sitcom to give mainstream media more positive African American representations on television. Charnele doesn’t hold her tongue when it comes to voicing her dislike for the shows she sees on television today. This is what she said about today’s entertainment climate:

“Twenty years ago if someone would have told me we love to see black women on TV back biting and fighting, I would have laughed in their face. Now we have to bring back the wholesomeness in television. We can bring back dignity through reality TV.” Charnele is a Christian who is objective enough to understand that acting and entertainment is simply a job. Actors must make the decision within themselves to go as far as they want. “I don’t like that people talk about Beyonce. She is a light and a woman of God. Anyone who judges her and can’t see the light within her doesn’t have the light within themselves.”

[Source: Style Magazine]

We understand where Charnele is coming from. Although I don’t knock reality shows, I do think it’s time to bring more balance to the TV screen, just as we desperately need more balance with today’s music. We wish Charnele Brown much success with her attempt to contribute to helping to bring about that change.

Watch Interview With Charnele Brown:

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