Chandra Currelley-Young | |
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Born | Chandra Currelley August 30, 1961 Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. |
Occupation(s) | Actress, Singer |
Years active | 1986 – Present |
Known for | Tyler Perry's For Better Or Worse - Miss V Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family The Play - Shirley ContentsTyler Perry's Diary Of A Mad Black Woman - Chandra Band Member In The S.O.S. Band |
Spouse | Larry Young |
Children | Agape Young |
Website | www |
Chandra Currelley-Young (born August 30, 1961) is an American actress and singer. Currelley has done extensive work with director and writer Tyler Perry, and has played many roles in his various productions and several stage plays. [1] In all of her stage appearances she is known for doing her signature "Holy Shake" where she shakes her shoulders while singing and the audience responds in ovation.
Currelley-Young was a member of the SOS Band from the late 1980s up until 1992, when Chandra left the band to pursue a career in acting and theater. [2] Because of her background in theater, Currelley-Young was selected by Debbie Allen to be the featured soloist in her production "Soul Possessed" which debuted at the Alliance Theater in Atlanta, Georgia. [3]
Currelley-Young was asked to perform in the 1995 Apollo Revival of The Wiz as Evillene The Wicked Witch of The West and was then selectively chosen to act in David Petrarca's hit production, Dinah Was, the story of singer Dinah Washington. [4] She established her acting career by appearing in Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family and many other of his productions. [5]
Film | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Film | Role | Notes |
1999 | I Know I've Been Changed | Emma | Not Recorded |
2003 | Madea's Class Reunion | Emma | Direct-to-DVD release |
2005 | Diary of a Mad Black Woman | Herself | |
2007 | What's Done in the Dark | Brenda | Direct-to-DVD release |
2009 | Crowns | Mother Shaw | |
2009 | Laugh to Keep from Crying | Belinda | Direct-to-DVD release |
2010 | Madea's Big Happy Family | Shirley | Direct-to-DVD release |
2011 | Madea's Big Happy Family | Sister Laura | |
2011 | A Madea Christmas | Lillian Mansell | Direct-to-DVD release |
2013 | Madea Gets a Job | Barbra Nichols | Direct-to-DVD release |
2013 | The Samurai | Fran Wyman | |
Television | |||
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
2011–2017 | For Better or Worse | Miss V | Regular |
2020–present | Bruh [6] | Alice Watts | Regular |
Diary of a Mad Black Woman is a 2005 American romantic comedy drama film directed by Darren Grant and written by Tyler Perry. Inspired by the play of the same name, it marks Perry's feature film debut and is the first entry in the Madea film franchise. Starring Perry alongside Kimberly Elise, Steve Harris, Shemar Moore, and Cicely Tyson, it tells the story of a woman who is thrown out of her house by her husband on their 18th wedding anniversary and subsequently moves in with her grandmother, and is the only film written, but not directed, by Perry.
Tyler Perry is an American actor, filmmaker, and playwright. He is the creator and performer of Mabel "Madea" Simmons, a tough elderly woman, and also portrays her brother Joe Simmons and her nephew Brian Simmons. Perry's films vary in style from orthodox filmmaking techniques to filmed productions of live stage plays, many of which have been subsequently adapted into feature films. Madea's first appearance was in Perry's play I Can Do Bad All by Myself (1999) staged in Chicago.
Mabel "Madea" Earlene Simmons is a character created and portrayed by Tyler Perry. She is portrayed as a tough, street-smart elderly African-American woman.
Madea's Class Reunion is an 2003 American stage play created, written, produced and directed by Tyler Perry. The live performance released on VHS and DVD on October 2, 2003 was recorded live in Detroit at the Fox Theatre on September 13, 2003. The play stars Tyler Perry as Madea and Dr. Willie Leroy Jones, David Mann as Leroy Brown and Tamela Mann as Cora.
Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All by Myself is a 1999 American stage play written, directed, and produced by and starring Tyler Perry. The play marks the first official appearance of the well-known fictional character Madea, whom Perry portrays. Although the original production was not recorded, the live performance released on DVD and VHS was recorded in Washington, D.C., at the Lincoln Theatre in August 2002.
Tamela Jean Mann is an American gospel singer and actress. She began her career as a singer with the gospel group Kirk Franklin and the Family. Mann was a primary vocalist on several tracks while with Franklin's group, including "Now Behold the Lamb", and "Lean on Me", the latter of which also included Mary J. Blige, Crystal Lewis, and Bono. She began her solo career by releasing the albums Gotta Keep Movin (2005), and The Master Plan (2009).
Cheryl Bridget "Pepsii" Riley is an American singer and actress. Riley is best known for her music during the late 1980s through the early 1990s, most notable; 1988's R&B ballad "Thanks for My Child". Riley also starred in Tyler Perry's stage plays including; Madea's Class Reunion (2003) and Why Did I Get Married? (2006).
Tyler Perry's Diary of a Mad Black Woman is an 2001 American stage play written, directed and produced by Tyler Perry. The production starred Tyler Perry as Daddy Charles & Madea and Marva King as Helen Simmons-McCarter. The live performance released on DVD and VHS was recorded live in Atlanta at the Atlanta Civic Center in May 2001.
I Know I've Been Changed was the first successful play from playwright Tyler Perry. The play focuses on issues including child abuse and rape and how they can be overcome by a strong belief in God.
What's Done in the Dark (Will Come to the Light) is an 2007 American stage play written, directed and produced by Tyler Perry. The show first opened in September 2006. The play focuses on two nurses, one of whom is a single mother and the other of whom is having an affair with a doctor, and an eccentric hypochondriac patient, Mr. Brown. It stars Tamela Mann as Cora and David Mann as Mr. Brown. The live performance released on DVD on February 12, 2008 was taped in Charlotte at the Ovens Auditorium in May 2007.
Madea Goes to Jail is a 2009 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Tyler Perry, which was based on his 2006 play, and starring Perry, Derek Luke, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Ion Overman, RonReaco Lee, Sofía Vergara, Vanessa Ferlito, and Viola Davis. The film tells the story of Madea going to prison for her uncontrollable anger management problems as she befriends a young incarcerated prostitute that an assistant district attorney knows since college. The film was released on February 20, 2009. It is the fourth film in the Madea cinematic universe as it follows up from the cameo appearance of Madea in the previous film Meet the Browns and it features Cora and Mr. Brown from that film.
Cassi Davis-Patton is an American actress best known for her role as Ella Payne on Tyler Perry's House of Payne and its spin-off series The Paynes. She is also known as Aunt Bam in the Madea franchise since 2010. She has starred in several other productions under the direction of Tyler Perry.
Very Perry Productions, LLC, doing business as Tyler Perry Studios (TPS), is an American film production studio in Atlanta, Georgia founded by actor, filmmaker, and playwright Tyler Perry in 2006.
Laugh to Keep from Crying is an 2009 American stage play created, produced, written and directed by Tyler Perry. The show first opened in the fall of 2009. The play is set at an inner-city building in a predominantly African-American neighborhood. It stars Cheryl Pepsii Riley as Carol, Palmer Williams Jr. as Floyd and Chandra Currelley-Young as Belinda. The live performance released on DVD on August 30, 2011 was recorded live in Atlanta at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in July 2010.
Madea's Big Happy Family is a 2010 American stage play created, produced, written, and directed by Tyler Perry. It stars Tyler Perry as Mabel "Madea" Simmons and Cassi Davis as Aunt Bam. The play also marks the debut appearance of Aunt Bam played by Davis. Perry began writing the show after the death of his mother Willie Maxine Perry on December 8, 2009. The main character of Shirley is based on her. The live performance released on DVD on November 23, 2010 was recorded live in Atlanta at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in July 2010.
Madea's Big Happy Family is a 2011 American comedy-drama film based on Tyler Perry's 2010 play of the same name. It is the 11th film in the Tyler Perry film franchise and the sixth in the Madea cinematic universe. Tyler Perry reprised Madea and Joe, and the other cast members include Loretta Devine, Bow Wow, David Mann, Cassi Davis, Tamela Mann, Lauren London, Isaiah Mustafa, Natalie Desselle, Rodney Perry, and Shannon Kane. It tells the story of Madea finding out that her niece is dying from cancer. Madea gathers her niece's children and their family members together to deal with the news while contending with the different issues between them.
A Madea Christmas is a 2011 American stage play created, produced, written, and directed by Tyler Perry. It stars Tyler Perry as Mabel "Madea" Simmons and Cassi Davis as Aunt Bam. The play also marks the debut appearance of Hattie Mae Love, played by Patrice Lovely. The live performance released on DVD on November 22, 2011 was recorded live in Atlanta at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre on May 2011. This was Perry's first production that wasn't available on tour and had only 2 premiere performances.
A Madea Christmas is a 2013 American Christmas comedy film directed, written, produced by and starring Tyler Perry with the rest of the cast consisting of Kathy Najimy, Chad Michael Murray, Anna Maria Horsford, Tika Sumpter, Eric Lively, JR Lemon, Alicia Witt, Lisa Whelchel, and Larry the Cable Guy. This is the first Christmas-themed film from the writer-director as it tells the story of Madea going to the fictional town of Bucktussle, Alabama with her great-niece to spend Christmas with the great-niece's daughter as financial trouble involving a newly-constructed dam threatens the town. This is the seventeenth film by Perry, and the eighth film in the Madea cinematic universe. The film was released on December 13, 2013 by Lionsgate.
Madea Gets a Job is a 2012 American stage play created, written, produced, and directed by Tyler Perry. It stars Tyler Perry as Madea "Mabel" Simmons and Patrice Lovely as Hattie. The live performance released on DVD on February 5, 2013 was recorded live in Atlanta at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in June 2012.
Aeriél Christine Gabrielle "ARI" Miranda is an American actress and model. She is best known for her recurring role as Shana Fring on Freeform's series Pretty Little Liars (2013–2015). She was first introduced as Shana on the web series, Pretty Dirty Secrets (2012), prior to appearing on Pretty Little Liars. Miranda also recurred as Lana on The Nine Lives of Chloe King and The CW series The Tomorrow People. Other roles include Straight Outta Compton and the OWN comedy For Better or Worse.