This Day In History: June 28th
Pamela James, Rochelle Rock and Tina Butler are only a few of the characters actress Tichina Arnold has played over the course of her career. After getting her first television appearance in 1983, Arnold has since added more than five dozen acting credits to her name.
Tichina Arnold was born on June 28, 1969, in Queens, New York. At the age of four, Arnold performed for her family’s church congregation and realized her interest in the entertainment field. She attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. While in high school, she landed her first television appearance in the movie The Brass Ring (1983).
In 1986, Arnold was cast in the film Little Shop of Horrors alongside Tisha Campbell. She continued to secure roles in shows such as the soap opera, All My Children and Ryan’s Hope, which earned her a Daytime Emmy nomination. However, Arnold truly captured fans with her performance as the no-nonsense character Pamela James in the sitcom Martin (1992). She starred in the series with comedian Martin Lawerence and her former Little Shop of Horrors castmate.
The show ended in 1997, but Arnold remained an active talent and was featured in shows including The Jamie Foxx Show and One On One. She also found roles in plays and toured in the 2004 musical, If These Hips Could Talk. Two years later, Arnold recaptured viewing audiences with her portrayal of the stern matriarch, Rochelle Rock, in the sitcom Everybody Hates Chris. Once the series ended in 2009, Arnold booked smaller roles in Raising Hope, Happily Divorced and Hit The Floor. By 2014, she returned to television for another leading role in the Starz Network comedy-drama, Survivor’s Remorse. Arnold starred as Cassie Calloway until the show was canceled after its fourth season. Her delivery in Everybody Hates Chris, as well as Survivor’s Remorse, won her NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series.
Fans of the actress were soon able to see her appear opposite legendary comedian Cedric The Entertainer in The Neighborhood, which airs on CBS. Throughout her career, Arnold has been able to transcend the decades and become a highly sought after talent in the entertainment industry.
