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Name: Lela Rochon
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Date of Birth:
April 17, 1964
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Place of Birth:
Los Angeles, California, USA
Mini-bio:
Actress Lela Rochon started her career in show business as a bikini-clad party girl in Spuds MacKenzie beer commercials during the '80s. A trained dancer, she was in the background of Breakin', Breaki... read moren' 2: Electric Boogaloo, and Lionel Richie's music video for "All Night Long." In 1985, she starred in her first feature, A Bunny's Tale, a TV-movie starring Kirstie Alley as feminist activist Gloria Steinem during her Playboy Bunny days. Rochon went on to appear in the low-budget movies Stewardess Schooland Foxtrap, as well as the Eddie Murphy blockbusters Harlem Nights and Boomerang. Her big film breakthrough came in 1995, when her friendship with author Terry McMillan helped her to get an audition with director Forest Whitaker for the role of Robin in Waiting to Exhale. The film was a surprise Hollywood hit and Rochon was offered several new projects. After joining the cast of the WB series The Wayans Bros. as Shawn Wayans' girlfriend Lisa, she starred opposite Timothy Hutton in the made-for-cable movie Mr. and Mrs. Loving. She showed her versatility in her next few films as a wide array of characters: an exotic dancer in Gang Related, a government aide in The Chamber, a schoolteacher in Why Do Fools Fall in Love, a corporate vice president in Knock Off, and a kooky best friend in Labor Pains. In 2001, she joined the cast of the Lifetime original series The Division as Inspector Angela Reide. She and her husband, director Antoine Fuqua, have two children. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
Lela Rochon mini-bio: Haitian-American. Her mother is Zelma Staples and her father is Samuel Staples. Attended Cerritos High School, California. Graduated class of 1982. From 1984-1986 while in college, Lela was one of the Spudettes in over 20 spots for the famous Spud Mckenzie Budweiser/Bud Light TV commercials. Lela graduated from California State University with a BA in broadcast journalism in 1986. Chosen by People (USA) magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world. [1996] Became engaged to director Antoine Fuqua. Fuqua had son Zachary from a previous relationship. [1998] Measurements: 34C-23-36 (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine). Voted by the readers of Black Men Magazine as one of "The 10 Sexiest Women of the Year". [2000] Second child, son Brando born in May 2004. She also has an older stepson Zachary Fuqua, her husband's son from his previous relationship. Welcomed first child, daughter Asia Rochon Fuqua, on July 28th 2002. The baby weighed 6lbs. 
