Stacey Dash (born January 20, 1966 in The Bronx, New York) is an American actress, most known as Dionne Davenport in the 1995 movie Clueless, as well as its television sequel, which ran from 1996 to 1999.
Biography
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Stacey Dash's first major movie role was in the
Richard Pryor comedy Moving in 1988. Before appearing in
Clueless, she had sizable roles in Mo' Money and
Renaissance Man. After the television version of
Clueless was canceled in 1999, she went on to play
Vanessa Weir in the television series The Strip.
However, it was not a success and was canceled after a
handful of episodes.
Recently, Stacey Dash was featured in Kanye West's music
video for the single "All Falls Down".
Dash is the cousin of Damon Dash, the former CEO and
co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records.
A strikingly pretty African-American young lead and character player, Dash garnered notice in the 1990s in a series of teen roles in both features and on TV. Of West Indian and Aztec Indian descent, with clear green eyes and a light complexion, the Bronx-born Dash decided to become an actor at an early age.
Early TV work included a small role in the crusading
lawyer TV-movie "Farrell for the People" (NBC, 1982) and
she later did guest spots on "The Cosby Show" in 1984,
as a friend of Denise Huxtable's with a secret to hide,
and "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" in 1994, as a pop star
who captivates the series hero. Her first try at a TV
series, "TV 101" (CBS, 1988-89), with Dash as a student
of an ambitious high school journalism teacher, only
lasted half a season, despite critical acclaim.
With Stacey Dash's youthful beauty and her early start
in acting, Dash has been cast most often as high school
students, daughters of the protagonist, or smart and
upwardly mobile ingénues. Feature work began with a role
in "Enemy Territory" (1987) and she soon thereafter
played Richard Pryor's rebellious daughter in the
formula-bound comedy "Moving" (1988). A first lead in
"Black Water/Tennessee Nights" (1989) only hit the US
market when it was released on video five years later.
Dash concentrated on TV for a while, but later appeared
as the romantic interest in the popular action comedy
"Mo' Money" (1992), although the film was centered on
the antics of Damon and Marlon Wayans.
After a supporting role in "Renaissance Man/By the Book" (1994), she enjoyed a breakthrough in features in the second lead of the surprise hit "Clueless" (1995). As Dionne, a Beverly Hills teen who shares with best friend Cher (Alicia Silverstone) a passion for fashion as well as a famous pop singer's name, Dash gave a winning performance in this satire of 90s materialism, one she reprised for the sitcom of the same name (ABC, 1996-97; UPN, 1997-99). She kept busy in features as well with a role in the crime drama "Cold Heart" (1997).
In 2003, Stacey Dash appeared in the comedy feature
"View From The Top," joining an A-list cast which
included Gwyneth Paltrow,
Christina
Applegate and
Kelly Preston. )