Tempestt Bledsoe (born August 1, 1973) is an American actress. She is best known for her childhood role as Vanessa Huxtable, the fourth child of Cliff and Clair Huxtable on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show (1984–92). In December 2010, it was announced that Bledsoe would be the host of Clean House on the Style Network, replacing Niecy Nash. From September 2012 to February 2013, she was one of the stars of the NBC TV sitcom Guys with Kids, portraying Marny.
Career In 1984, Bledsoe was cast in the role of Vanessa Huxtable on the sitcom The Cosby Show. She was a regular until its final season in 1992. She also made a one-time appearance as Vanessa on A Different World. In 1986, Tempestt played the role of Grace Wheeler in season 15, episode 4 "(The Gift of Amazing Grace)", of the ABC Afterschool Special program. In 1989 she was a national spokesperson for DARE.
In the mid-1990s, from 1995 to 1996, Bledsoe hosted a daytime talk show, The Tempestt Bledsoe Show, produced by Columbia TriStar Television and Dick Clark. She made a brief appearance in the sitcom The Parkers, and has been featured in the recurring role of a single mother on the ABC show The Practice.
She also appeared in the Lifetime show Strong Medicine, and South of Nowhere. Her most recent credits include the role of Nina in the Oxygen's original television movie Husband for Hire, Steven Bochco's Raising the Bar, and the role of Abby in the second season of Disney Channel's animated series The Replacements. She appeared on VH1's Celebrity Fit Club and NBC's Fear Factor.
It was announced on December 1, 2010 that Bledsoe would return to TV, replacing Niecy Nash as the host of Clean House on Style Network. Her first episode aired on January 26, 2011. In 2012, Bledsoe was heard as the voice of Sheriff Hooper in the Laika animated film ParaNorman.
From September 2012 to February 2013, she portrayed Marny in the NBC TV sitcom Guys with Kids.
In 2014, Bledsoe appeared in the Instant Mom episode "Not Your Mother's Day" in which she reprised her role as Vanessa Huxtable. In July 2019 Bledsoe appeared in the Netflix show Family Reunion episode 10 "Remember When Our Boys Became Men?".
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes 1987 Looking Good! Herself Exercise Video 1988 Dance til' Dawn Margaret 1998 Johnny B Good 2003 BachelorMan Janey 2010 N-Secure Jill 2012 ParaNorman Sheriff Hooper Voice 2018 Jingle Belle Jackie
Television Year Title Role Notes 1984–1992 The Cosby Show Vanessa Huxtable Main role – 157 episodes1985 NBC Special Treat Herself / Interviewee Season 9 episode 4: "Kids Just Kids" Andy Williams and the NBC Kids Search for Santa Herself Christmas special One to Grow On Herself Episode: "Making Money" 1986 Sesame Street Herself Recurring Guest 1986–1988 Hollywood Squares Herself / Panelist 2 episodes 1986–1994 ABC Afterschool Special Grace Williams / Herself 3 episodes1988 Dance 'til Dawn Margaret TV movie Monsters Dottie Season 1 episode 5: "My Zombie Lover"1989 A Different World Vanessa Huxtable Season 2 episode 13: "Risky Business" Dream Date Danni Fairview TV movie 1990 The Earth Day Special Vanessa Huxtable 1995 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Herself Season 5 episode 25: "For Whom the Wedding Bells Toll" 1995–1996 The Tempestt Bledsoe Show Host Also known as Tempestt 1997 Jenny Kaylene Episode 5: "A Girl's Gotta Live in the Real World" 1998 The Practice Roberta Baylor 3 episodes1999 The Parkers Neena Davis Season 1 episode 9: "And the Band Plays On" Santa and Pete Maria Dangola TV movie 2000 The Expendables Tanika TV movie 2001 Fire & Ice Pam Moore TV movie 2002 The Cosby Show: A Look Back Herself / Vanessa Huxtable 2003 Pet Star Herself / Celebrity Judge 3 episodes 2004 Rock Me Baby Chloe Episode 13: "Pretty Baby" 2005 Strong Medicine Season 6 episode 3: "Clinical Risk" 2006 South of Nowhere Cecily 3 episodes2008 Husband for Hire Nina TV movie Raising the Bar Camilla Hansen Season 1 episode 7: "A Leg to Stand On" 2008–2009 The Replacements Abbey / Claudia / Abbey-clone Voice 21 episodes Replaced Erica Hubbard for season 2 2009 Househusbands of Hollywood Herself 9 episodes 2009 The Wishing Well Enid Aired in the United Kingdom in 2009 and the United States in 2010 2010–2011 Clean House Host 12 episodes 2011 Vietnam in HD Elizabeth Allen Also known as Vietnam Lost Films 6 episodes 2012–2013 Guys with Kids Marny 2014 Instant Mom Vanessa Huxtable Season 1 episode 20: "Not Your Mother's Day" 2019 Family Reunion Katrina Episode 10: "Remember When Our Boys Became Men?"
Personal life Bledsoe earned a bachelor's degree in finance from New York University. Since 1993 she has been in a relationship with actor Darryl M. Bell, who co-starred in the NBC TV comedy A Different World, a spinoff of The Cosby Show. The couple appeared together in the Fox Reality Channel series Househusbands of Hollywood, which debuted August 2009. Bledsoe is a vegetarian.
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