Some may know this talented actress from the 90' s sitcom " A Different World" in which she played Whitley Gilbert, a spoiled, willful yet sensative college student who comes from generations of money. She played against a stereotype that African Americans were impoverished and lacked education. In fact her character's family owned slaves marking an historical point in the perception of African Americans as destitute and not owning slaves.Delivered with wit, charm and sass she made this character a favorite for the several years the show lasted.
That is only one phase of her talent. She was also a dancer for Alvin Aily as well and performed in many productions in New York that took her overseas as well. Taking on Broadway to new pursuits of directing Ntozake Shange’s groundbreaking 1975 choreopoem, “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf” at Atlanta's 14th Street Playhouse. Some may also remember her for role she played in Spike Lee's Skool Daze stepping and showing the inside lives of college students on an traditional African American college.
She blazed trails again as a dangerous contender on "Melrose Place" ,who booted famous villan Amanda off her throne, proving that despite the scarcity of roles for ethnic women in network television she could still deliver the goods.
Most recently she was Sheila, the grandmother and head witch, on the Vampire Diaries for the character Bonnie who just comes into her powers. According to the storyline Sheila comes from a line of Bennet witches that crossed paths with the vampires skulking around in the show. Sheila was a professor of Occult studies at a college and guided her granddaughter Bonnie into her ancestry and powers. This show is another popular genre integrating vampires, witches, werewolves, etc into populare culture. Jasmine Guy proves that talent can always find work and most importantly create it!
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