Donald G. Reed
Encyclopedia
Donald Gene Reed often referred to as Don Reed, is an American television actor, writer, author and comedian.
and attended Fremont High School
.
s television spin-off, A Different World, which he played "Chip St. Charles", who Denise Huxtable
had a crush on, he left the show in 1989.
Reed was performing stand-up comedy
at NACA
and impressed Bill Cosby
who signed him for 2 episodes in 1987, when Reed made his television debut as Chip Saint Charles on A Different World, then Reed made his final appearance on the show in 1989. Then was cast as "Fingers" in a film called Dance to Win, which was released on December 1, 1989 in the United States
. Reed also appeared on the HBO
television program
, Dream On
in 1990, then he appeared on Robert Townsend's ventures: an HBO television special
Robert Townsend and His Partners in Crime (1991) and The Meteor Man
(1993) as a Drug worker.
Reed was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Award
s: one for Dream On, The Cosby Show and Robert Townsend and His Partners in Crime in 1989.
Reed was the Promo
-Executive at NBC
, for two years, and then he did voice-work for cartoons such as: Disney's Gargoyles, Spider-Man
and The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest
.
Reed's movie credits include: Fear of a Black Hat
and Once Upon a Forest
, Reed also joined the cast of The Rerun Show
, the series was canceled after six test-run episodes.
In 2008, he debuted a solo autobiographical show titled East 14th: True Tales of a Reluctant Player. In the fall of 2009, he became a warm-up comic for The Jay Leno Show
.
Early life
Reed grew up in Oakland, CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and attended Fremont High School
Fremont Federation of High Schools
The Fremont Federation of High Schools is a group of three high schools, located on the same campus in Oakland, California, formerly known as Fremont Senior High School....
.
Television career: 1987–present
In the summer of 1987, Don Reed made his first television debut on The Cosby ShowThe Cosby Show
The Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, which aired for eight seasons on NBC from September 20, 1984 until April 30, 1992...
s television spin-off, A Different World, which he played "Chip St. Charles", who Denise Huxtable
Lisa Bonet
Lisa Bonet , also known as Lilakoi Moon, is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Denise Huxtable Kendall on the long-running NBC sitcom The Cosby Show, and originally starring in its spinoff A Different World.-Early life:Bonet was born in San Francisco, California...
had a crush on, he left the show in 1989.
Reed was performing stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
at NACA
National Association for Campus Activities
National Association for Campus Activities is an organization designed to provide information and resources for campus activities programmers throughout the United States and Canada...
and impressed Bill Cosby
Bill Cosby
William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show, I Spy. He later starred in his own series, the...
who signed him for 2 episodes in 1987, when Reed made his television debut as Chip Saint Charles on A Different World, then Reed made his final appearance on the show in 1989. Then was cast as "Fingers" in a film called Dance to Win, which was released on December 1, 1989 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Reed also appeared on the HBO
Home Box Office
HBO, short for Home Box Office, is an American premium cable television network, owned by Time Warner. , HBO's programming reaches 28.2 million subscribers in the United States, making it the second largest premium network in America . In addition to its U.S...
television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
, Dream On
Dream On (TV series)
Dream On is an American adult-themed situation comedy about single New Yorker, Martin Tupper. The show used a gimmick where old black and white clips were used to punctuate the main character's feelings or thoughts...
in 1990, then he appeared on Robert Townsend's ventures: an HBO television special
Television special
A television special is a television program which interrupts or temporarily replaces programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Sometimes, however, the term is given to a telecast of a theatrical film, such as The Wizard of Oz or The Ten Commandments, which is not part of a regular...
Robert Townsend and His Partners in Crime (1991) and The Meteor Man
The Meteor Man (film)
The Meteor Man is a 1993 superhero film written, directed, and starring Robert Townsend, and featuring an ensemble cast. Townsend stars as a mild-mannered schoolteacher, who becomes a superhero after his neighborhood in Washington, D.C. is terrorized by street gangs.Although the film is set in...
(1993) as a Drug worker.
Reed was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Award
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
s: one for Dream On, The Cosby Show and Robert Townsend and His Partners in Crime in 1989.
Reed was the Promo
Promotion (marketing)
Promotion is one of the four elements of marketing mix . It is the communication link between sellers and buyers for the purpose of influencing, informing, or persuading a potential buyer's purchasing decision....
-Executive at NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, for two years, and then he did voice-work for cartoons such as: Disney's Gargoyles, Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
and The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest is an animated action-adventure television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Cartoons and broadcast on Cartoon Network from August 26, 1996 to April 16, 1997. A revival of the 1960s Jonny Quest franchise, it features teenage adventurers Jonny Quest, Hadji Singh,...
.
Reed's movie credits include: Fear of a Black Hat
Fear of a Black Hat
Fear of a Black Hat is a 1994 American mockumentary film on the evolution and state of American hip hop music. The film's title is derived from the 1990 Public Enemy album Fear of a Black Planet...
and Once Upon a Forest
Once Upon a Forest
Once Upon a Forest is an animated film produced by Hanna-Barbera in association with HTV Cymru/Wales, Ltd. and released on June 18, 1993 by 20th Century Fox....
, Reed also joined the cast of The Rerun Show
The Rerun Show
The Rerun Show was a short-lived sketch comedy television series that aired on NBC from August 1, 2002 until August 20, 2002. VH1 also aired the show on Friday nights at 11:30 P.M...
, the series was canceled after six test-run episodes.
In 2008, he debuted a solo autobiographical show titled East 14th: True Tales of a Reluctant Player. In the fall of 2009, he became a warm-up comic for The Jay Leno Show
The Jay Leno Show
The Jay Leno Show is an American comedy show created by and starring Jay Leno, that aired from September 14, 2009 to February 9, 2010 on NBC following the May 29, 2009 conclusion of Leno's first tenure as host of The Tonight Show...
.