Kadeem Hardison

Kadeem Hardison, born July 24, 1965 in the historic Bedford‑Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, is an American actor whose career has spanned over four decades. The son of pioneering runway model Bethann Hardison and antique collector Donald McFadden, he grew up surrounded by the vibrant arts and fashion scenes of the city, which helped shape his early interest in performance. Hardison’s breakout role arrived in 1988 when he was cast as the neuro‑geek Dwayne Wayne on the NBC sitcom A Different World, a spin‑off of The Cosby Show. The character’s iconic flip‑phone hair and charismatic sarcasm made Hardison a cultural touchstone, earning him a place in pop‑culture references ranging from NBA star Dwyane Wade’s 2012 homage to a “Kadeem Hardison method” joke on Psych. After A Different World concluded, he continued to diversify his résumé, appearing in guest spots on series such as Living Single, Girlfriends, Greek, and Parenthood, and taking on regular roles in Disney Channel’s K.C. Undercover and Showtime’s Black Monday.

Beyond television, Hardison has built a respectable filmography that includes School Daze, Def by Temptation, White Men Can’t Jump, and Panther, and he even lent his voice and likeness to the 2013 PlayStation 3 video game Beyond: Two Souls as Dr. Cole Freeman. His personal life has also attracted public attention; he married Grammy‑winning singer Chanté Moore in 1997, and the couple share a daughter, Sophia, born in 1996 before divorcing in 2000. A close friend of actor Darryl Bell, Hardison remains active in the industry, with recent casting announcements for the third season of HBO’s Euphoria in 2025, confirming his enduring relevance and appeal across generations.