Meagan Good

An African American film and television actress hailing from Panorama, California, Meagan Monique Good is known for starring in commercials as a child, for guest-starring in several different high-profile TV series, and for being nominated for a number of awards for her film work. 

Good was born on August 8, 1981, and just four years later got started in show business as a child star in commercials. She first broke out into television acting with a guest role in the short-lived Gabriel’s Fire, starring James Earl Jones in 1991, when she was ten. Three years later, Good landed her debut film role in House Party 3, starring Christopher Reid, Christopher Martin, Bernie Mac, and Chris Tucker in supporting roles, but Good only appeared as an extra. 

In a number of interviews, Good has mentioned she grew up in a predominantly Caucasian neighborhood and community, suffering through various degrees of racial tension, particularly at school, at the hand of her teacher. It is believed that Good left public school to become home schooled as she picked up more acting roles.

Good went on to take guest roles on a number of different television series, such as On Our Own, Pacific Blue, and Touched by an Angel. She also had minor roles on a few films, like Friday and Make a Wish, Molly, before landing her breakout role as Cisley Batiste in 1997’s critically acclaimed Eve’s Bayou. For this role, Good was nominated for an Image Award for Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress as well as a Young Star Award for Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Drama Film in 1998. Jurnee Smollett, Samuel L Jackson, Lynn Whitfield, Debbi Morgan, and Jake Smollett also starred as members of the Batiste family. 

After Eve’s Bayou, Good accepted more TV guest-starring and regular roles on series such as The Parent ‘Hood; Cousin Skeeter; Moesha; The Steve Harvey Show, starring Steve Harvey and Cedric the Entertainer; The Division; The Famous Jett Jackson; the one season-only Raising Dad, with Bob Saget; and The Jersey. She also appeared in the films The Secret Life of Girls  in 1999, as the young Kay, co-starring with Linda Hamilton, Eugene Levy, Majandra Delfino, and Kate Vernon; 3 Strikes in 2000; and the not-so-successful House Party 4: Down to the Last Minute in 2001, where instead of an extra she took the female lead as Tina. 

In 2003, Good snagged a role on Biker Boyz with Laurence Fishburne, and a role in Deliver Us From Eva, co-starring Gabrielle Union and LL Cool J. She also had a recurring role on Damon Wayans’ sitcom My Wife and Kids. 

The following year, Good starred as Max Brewer in the schoolgirls-turned-crime-fighting-spies flick D.E.B.S., a role which garnered her a nomination for a Black Movie Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role. Also in 2004, Good appeared in The Cookout, and two years later in the critically acclaimed films Miles From Home and Waist Deep—the former for which she finally won an award at the Independent Black Film Festival, and the latter for which she was nominated for a Teen Choice Award for Best Female Breakout.

YUDDY