Essence Atkins

Essence Uhura Atkins, born on February 7, 1972, is a renowned American actress who debuted in the industry with appearances on television sitcoms before securing a regular role in the African-American prime-time drama 'Under One Roof' (CBS, 1995). Essence gained considerable fame for her performances on various television comedies, including 'Smart Guy' from 1997 to 1999, the UPN sitcom 'Half & Half' (2002–2006), 'Are We There Yet?' (2010–2013), and 'Marlon' (2017–2018). She has also marked her presence in several films, including 'How High' (2001), 'Deliver Us from Eva' (2003), 'Dance Flick' (2009), 'A Haunted House' (2013), 'A Haunted House 2' (2014), and 'The Noel Diary' (2022).

Essence started her acting journey as a teenager, guest-starring on NBC sitcom 'The Cosby Show' in 1986. Over the next few years, she essayed numerous guest roles on sitcoms and landed a significant role in the African-American prime-time soap opera 'Under One Roof' in 1995. She also co-starred in the NBC teen soap opera 'Malibu Shores' and had a brief stint in the Saved by the Bell spin-off, 'Saved by the Bell: The College Years' in 1993. Her stellar career is evident in the several roles she has essayed, including the WB sitcom 'Smart Guy', the UPN sitcom 'Half & Half', and supporting roles in films like 'How High' and 'Deliver Us from Eva'. She continued her acting journey with TBS sitcom series 'Are We There Yet?' from 2010 to 2013 and later worked with Marlon Wayans in the parody films 'A Haunted House' and 'A Haunted House 2'. In 2019, she was given the main role in Oprah Winfrey Network's drama series 'Ambitions'.