Nia Peeples

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Nia Peeples
Nia Peeples.png
Peeples in 2013
Born
Virenia Peeples

(1961-12-10) December 10, 1961 (age 63)
Hollywood, California, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
Years active1981–present
Television The Party Machine with Nia Peeples
Fame
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1984;div. 1986)​
​
​
(m. 1989;div. 1993)​
Lauro Chartrand
​
​
(m. 1997;div. 2004)​
​
(m. 2004)​
Children2

Virenia "Nia" Peeples (born December 10, 1961) is an American R&B and dance music singer and actress. Peeples is known for playing Nicole Chapman on the TV series Fame ; Pam Fields on the drama Pretty Little Liars ; Karen Taylor Winters on The Young and the Restless ; Sydney Cooke on Walker, Texas Ranger ; and as Grace's mom, Susan, on The Fosters .

Contents

Early life

Peeples was born December 10, 1961, in Hollywood, California, [1] the daughter of Elizabeth Joan (née Rubic), a flamenco dancer, and Robert Eugene Peeples. [2] She was raised in West Covina. Her maternal grandparents were immigrants from the Philippines. [2] Her father, who was originally from Mississippi, was of Scottish, English, and Irish ancestry. [2] Peeples attended UCLA during which time[ when? ] she performed as Liberace's opening act in Las Vegas on weekends.[ citation needed ]

Personal life

Peeples used to live in Topanga Canyon and Malibu, California, and has one son, Christopher (b. 1989 with ex-husband Howard Hewett), and one daughter, Sienna (b. 1998), with her former husband, Lauro Chartrand.[ citation needed ]

She operates an internet based organization called Elements of Life, which promotes fitness, inspiration, healthy lifestyle changes and emotional well-being. She worked with business coach Amy Applebaum on its development. [3]

Career

Music

Peeples started her career as part of the performance group The Young Americans. In 1988 she hit #1 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart with "Trouble", [4] which climbed to #35 on the Billboard Hot 100. [5] Her most successful pop single is "Street Of Dreams", which hit #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1991. [5] She made a music video in 1986 for "All You Can Dream", directed by Alan Bloom and conceptualized by Keith Williams, for the purposes of promoting the values of UCLA. On February 4, 2009, Peeples presented Debbie Allen with a Lifetime Achievement Award at The Carnival: Choreographer's Ball tenth anniversary show. Peeples also attends and performs at the annual live Fame Reunion concerts overseas. [6]

Acting

Notably, Peeples portrayed performing arts student Nicole Chapman on the hit TV series Fame . In 1987, she was in the movie North Shore as Kiani. She also hosted the short-lived American version of Top of the Pops in 1987, a weeknight dance music program called The Party Machine with Nia Peeples (1991), and portrayed Texas Ranger Sydney Cooke in the CBS hit series Walker, Texas Ranger from 1999 to 2001. In 2004, she appeared in the Andromeda episode "The Spider's Stratagem", as arms smuggler and love-interest Rox Nava. Peeples joined the cast of The Young and the Restless in 2007, playing the role of Karen Taylor, and was released from the role in the spring of 2009. In 2010, she was cast in ABC Family's TV series Pretty Little Liars , based on the book series by Sara Shepard. [7] Peeples was featured on the July 7, 2013 episode of Celebrity Wife Swap , in which she traded places with singer Tiffany. [8]

Discography

Albums

Singles

YearSinglePeak chart positionsAlbum
US
[5] 		US
R&B
[10] 		US
Dan
[4] 		AUS
[11] 		CAN
[12]
1988"Trouble"35711——Nothin' But Trouble
"High Time"——10——
1989"I Know How (To Make You Love Me)"——28——
1991"Street of Dreams"1273—7423Nia Peeples
1992"Kissing the Wind"76——8676
"Faces of Love"88———59
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1981A Single LightDeaf GirlTV movie
1984FameNicole ChapmanShort
1987 North Shore Kiani
1989 DeepStar Six Scarpelli
SwimsuitMaria DetneyTV movie
Nasty Boys Serena CruzTV movie
1990 Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced SingerCathy ReddingTV movie
1992 I Don't Buy Kisses Anymore Theresa Garabaldi
1994My Name Is KateAnnieTV movie
Improper Conduct Bernie
XXX's & OOO'sSasha TownesTV movie
1995Deadlocked: Escape from Zone 14Allie ThompsonTV movie
Mr. Stitch Dr. Elizabeth EnglishTV movie
1996TerminalJanet ReardonTV movie
Bloodhounds IINikki CruiseTV movie
1997 Tower of Terror Jill PerryTV movie
Odd JobsAssassinTV movie
1998 Blues Brothers 2000 Lt. Elizondo
Poodle Springs AngelTV movie
Heroes: The Mystique, the Movies, the MenSpecial Guest HostTV movie
2000Alone with a StrangerBeth Jenkins
The RiffHeather Anderson
2001BruisedMichelleShort
2002 Half Past Dead 49er Six
The Chang Family Saves the WorldPearl EmpressTV movie
2005Inside OutMaria
Sub Zero Kelli ParisVideo
2006Connors' WarAmandaVideo
Special UnitTaraTV movie
House BrokenMs. HawkhauserTV movie
2007Arwin!Ms. HawkhauserTV movie
2009The OutsideJoanne Blakey
Citizen Jane EvelynTV movie
2011 Battle of Los Angeles Capt. Karla SmaithVideo
2012 Werewolf: The Beast Among Us VodamaVideo
23 Minutes to SunriseRachel
2013Dante's Hell AnimatedBeatrice (voice)Short
2014 Lap Dance Kelly
2015 Lavalantula Olivia WestTV movie
2017Alaska Is a DragLucy
MnemosyneClaudia
2018MistrustKristen Rhodes
2019The Untold StoryCatarina
Dying for a BabyBlancheTV movie
Badland WivesMadam RosieTV movie

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1981The Music ShoppeDarcieMain cast
1983 Tales of the Gold Monkey Zita HenriquesEpisode: "The Sultan of Swat"
Hardcastle and McCormick WaitressEpisode: "Flying Down to Rio"
Days of Our Lives MalloryRegular cast
General Hospital Carla EscobarRegular cast
1983–86 Fame Nicole ChapmanMain cast: season 4–6
1984 T.J. Hooker Maria DominguezEpisode: "Gang War"
1985 Dance Fever HerselfEpisode: "Don Stroud, Nia Peeples, Nicholas Campbell"
1987–88 Top of the Pops Herself/hostMain host: season 24
1988 Soul Train HerselfEpisode: "Johnny Mathis/Nia Peeples/Tracie Spencer"
1989 Matlock Morgan GerardEpisode: "The Starlet"
1989–90 Nasty Boys Serena CruzMain cast
1991 The Party Machine with Nia Peeples Herself/hostessMain host
1992 Soul Train HerselfEpisode: "Nia Peeples/Eric B. & Rakim"
1993 The New WKRP in Cincinnati Sierra SmithEpisode: "Treasure of Sierra Smith" & "Chicago Story"
Return to Lonesome Dove Augostina VegaMain cast
1994 Highlander: The Series'NefertiriEpisode: "Pharaoh's Daughter"
Touched by an Angel Angela EvansEpisode: "Fallen Angela"
ABC Afterschool Specials HerselfEpisode: "I Hate the Way I Look"
1995 Marker LisaEpisode: "The Pilot" & "Snowballs in Hawaii"
Courthouse Veronica GilbertMain cast
The Puzzle Place HerselfEpisode: "Gotta Dance"
1997 Crisis Center Lily GannonMain cast
Early Edition Sister MaryEpisode: "Angels and Devils"
1998Real LifeMayaEpisode: "Unaired Pilot"
1999–2001 Walker, Texas Ranger Sydney CookeMain cast: season 7–8
2002 Where Are They Now? HerselfEpisode: "Dance"
2004 Andromeda Rox NavaEpisode: "The Spider's Stratagem"
The Division Sandra PrestissEpisode: "Zero Tolerance: Part 1 & 2"
2005 Barbershop Det. HahannaRecurring cast
2007–09 The Young and the Restless Karen Taylor Regular cast
2010–17 Pretty Little Liars Pam FieldsMain cast: season 1, recurring cast: season 2-4 & 6, guest: season 5 & 7
2013 Celebrity Wife Swap HerselfEpisode: "Nia Peeples/Tiffany"
2014 Longmire Adele ChapmanEpisode: "Wanted Man"
2016 Unsung HerselfEpisode: "Howard Hewett"
2017–18 The Fosters Susan MullenRecurring cast: Season 5
2020Pretty Little Wine Moms Re-WatchNiaEpisode: "The Pilot"
Homeward Bound: Surviving the CoronavirusNiaEpisode: "Wet Suits, Mary Poppins and Pretty Little Wine Moms"

See also

References

  1. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2010). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits. New York: Billboard. p. 503. ISBN   9780823085545.
  2. 1 2 3 "Nia Peeples 2003 Philippine Daily Inquirer Interview - Fame Episode Guide" . Retrieved February 9, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Nia's Elements of Life |". Niaselementsoflife.com. Archived from the original on May 26, 2010. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
  4. 1 2 "Billboard > Artists / Nia Peeples > Chart History > Dance Club Songs". Billboard. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 "Billboard > Artists / Nia Peeples > Chart History > The Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
  6. ↑ "The Carnival: Getting The "Groove On" For 10 Years". Hollywire.com. February 2, 2009. Archived from the original on March 21, 2012. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
  7. ↑ "ABC Family Announces Pick-Up Of Dramas Huge And Pretty Little Liars" (PDF) (Press release). ABC Family. January 27, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 7, 2010. Retrieved January 28, 2010.
  8. ↑ "Nia Peeples, Tiffany". Celebrity Wife Swap . Season 2. Episode 6. July 7, 2013. ABC.
  9. ↑ "Billboard > Artists / Nia Peeples > Chart History > Billboard 200". Billboard . Retrieved October 25, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Billboard > Artists / Nia Peeples > Chart History > Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
  11. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 215.
  12. ↑ "RPM 100 Singles > Nia Peeples". RPM Magazine. Archived from the original on January 11, 2016. Retrieved June 30, 2013.
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