Karen Malina White

Karen Malina White portrays Nicolette Vandross, a flighty yet loyal friend to Malcolm and Eddie on UPN's comedy series "Malcolm & Eddie." In season three, Nicolette will give up her dreams of being a policewoman and will subsequently be adrift with a new vocation each week.

Born and raised in Philadelphia, White knew at an early age that her calling in life was to act. She enrolled in the Philadelphia School of Creative and Performing Arts and later transferred to Howard University to receive her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. She was voted "Miss Howard University" in her senior year and then discovered by a pageant judge. The judge gave her the first professional role of her career, as a Jamaican girl in "In Our Lives," a weekly drama about high school students. Upon graduation, she headed to New York to pursue an acting career.

She was soon cast as Charmaine on "The Cosby Show" and continued that role on its spin-off series, "A Different World." Her other television credits include guest-starring parts on "Chicago Hope"; "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"'; "Hangin'with Mr. Cooper"; and "My So-Called Life."

White also starred opposite Morgan Freeman in the feature film "Lean On Me."

Aside from her busy career, White is very active in a national organization called Court Appointed Special Advocates. The group is dedicated to representing children in foster care, following them through the system and speaking for them in court. She finds the work rewarding because it focuses on children who have no "voice" on their side.

White has a passion for Scrabble, a game at which she's tough to beat. She is single and makes her home in Los Angeles.

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