Bern Nadette Stanis

Biography

BernNadette Stanis is best known as Thelma from Good Times (1974), but there's much more to her than that. In the 1970s she was the personification of black beauty. As sophisticated and graceful as she was, she still became TV's first black sex symbol or "It" girl. Thelma/BernNadette and the Evans family also proved many stereotypes wrong about the ghetto and the young black girl, such as that all black girls and black families in the ghetto had no hopes, dreams, or class. Thelma showed that a "ghetto girl" had hopes and dreams, intelligence, respect, dignity and grace, and it wasn't just acting--BernNadette was that naturally. She introduced a new definitive image of the young black girl and woman.

Known For

The Cosby Show

as Carolyn Thompson

The Love Boat

as Janet Reeves

Good Times

as Thelma Evans

The Wayans Bros.

as Thelma Evans

Girlfriends

Carl Weber's The Family Business

as Nee Nee Duncan

Live in Front of a Studio Audience: "All in the Family" and "Good Times"

as Self

N-Secure

as Dr. Heather

The Parent 'Hood

Good Times

as Peaches (voice)