Persia White

Persia Jessica White (born October 25, 1972)[2] is an American actress, singer and musician. White is perhaps best known for her role as Lynn Searcy on the UPN sitcom Girlfriends which originally aired from 2000 until 2008.[3] White is also a member of the band XEO3, and a solo singer who released her debut album Mecca in 2009.

Persia White
Born (1972-10-25) October 25, 1972[1]
Miami, Florida, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Occupation
  • Actress
  • singer
  • musician
Years active1994–present
Known forLynn Searcy – Girlfriends
Spouse(s)
​
​
(m. 2008; div. 2009)​

​
​
(m. 2014)​
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Labels
  • Hybrid Music
Associated acts
Websitepersia-white.com

Early life

White was born in Miami, Florida, and was one of four children to an Irish-American mother and a Bahamian father.[4] Her early years were spent in the Bahamas. White's father was paralyzed in a car accident when she was three, and he later moved to Miami to seek better medical care. White's mother moved with her children to South Florida two years later, but did not reunite with White's father.[5] White later joined the Miami Coconut Grove Children's Theater. As a teen, she studied dance, acting, singing, and painting. After high school, White signed with the Ford Agency and obtained her Screen Actors Guild card. She then moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting.[6]

Career

White has appeared in various independent films, including Red Letters (opposite Peter Coyote) and the cult horror Blood Dolls. She starred in the made-for-TV movies Operation Sandman, opposite Ron Perlman, and Suddenly, opposite Kirstie Alley. Her television work includes appearances on Angel, NYPD Blue, The Steve Harvey Show, Brooklyn South, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as regular roles on Breaker High with co-star Ryan Gosling, Sister Sister as Anya and Girlfriends as Lynn. In 2008, White appeared in The Fall of Night in the role of Dawn. She can also be seen in Chrisette Michele's video for "Be OK."

In addition to acting, White also co-produced the award-winning documentary Earthlings, narrated by Joaquin Phoenix.[7] In July 2011, White won the award for Best Performance by an Actor in the American Black Film Festival for her work in Dysfunctional Friends.[8] She also appeared as Bonnie's mother on The Vampire Diaries in a semi-recurring role.

In 2019, she reunited with her Girlfriends co-stars Tracee Ellis Ross, Jill Marie Jones, and Golden Brooks in an episode of the ABC comedy series Black-ish.

Personal life

White is a vegan, a human and animal rights advocate, and environmentalist. She was honored by PETA as a 2005 Humanitarian of the Year.[9] She is a board member for the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.[10] On February 29, 2008, White became engaged to singer Saul Williams, her boyfriend of five years, and married in 2008. They met in 2003 when he made a guest appearance on the TV show Girlfriends.[11][12] On January 17, 2009, White announced via her Myspace blog that she and Williams were no longer together.[13]

After three years of dating, White married fellow Vampire Diaries actor Joseph Morgan in Ocho Rios, Jamaica on July 5, 2014.[14] White has a daughter, Mecca White, born c. 1995.[15]

Filmography
Film roles
Year Title Role Notes
1994 Blue Chips Uncredited
1996 Frankie D.
1999 Blood Dolls Black Baby
2000 Stalled Leanne
2000 Red Letters Vanessa Cody
2005 Earthlings Co-narrator Co-producer
2007 The Fall of Night Dawn
2007 Everyday Joe Gina Co-producer
2009 Spoken Word Shea
2011 Kiss the Bride Trina Direct-to-video
2011 Mafia Mel
2012 Dysfunctional Friends Trenyce
2012 The Marriage Chronicles Marcia Anson
2012 Guardian of Eden Clarke
2012 Black November Tracey
2012 No Mo Games Morgan
2014 Unity Narrator Documentary
2017 Miss Me This Christmas Millicent Williams
2017 You Can't Fight Christmas Millicent Williams
Television roles
Year Title Role Notes
1996 NYPD Blue Margie Episode: "These Old Bones"
1996 Malibu Shores Listener Episode: "Hotline"
1996 Saved by the Bell: The New Class Heather Episode: "Little Hero"
1996 Goode Behavior Trish Episode: "Goode Grades"
1996 Suddenly Trina Television movie
1997 Weird Science Kim Episode: "Gary Had a Little Cram"
1997 The Burning Zone Jenny Episode: "Critical Mass"
1997 Sister, Sister Anya Episode: "Three the Heart Way"
1997 The Parent 'Hood Alexia Episode: "Tango & Cash"
1997 Buffy the Vampire Slayer Aura 3 episodes
1997 Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction Molly Episode: "On the Road"
1997–1998 Breaker High Denise Williams Main role, 44 episodes
1998 Brooklyn South Cinnamon Episode: "Cinnamon Buns"
1998 Malcolm & Eddie Sharon Episode: "Bowl-a-Drama"
1999 The Steve Harvey Show Monique Episode: "All That Jazz"
1999 Clueless Veronica Episode: "My Best Friend's Boyfriend"
1999 Another World Kineisha 'K.C.' Burrell Recurring role
2000 Operation Sandman Private Winslow Television movie
2000–2008 Girlfriends Lynn Searcy Main role, 172 episodes
2001 Angel Agnes "Aggie" Belfleur Episode: "Over the Rainbow"
2005 Unscripted Flirty Girl Episode #1.8
2012–2013, 2017 The Vampire Diaries Abby Bennett Wilson Recurring role, 7 episodes
2019 Black-ish Lila Episode: "Feminisn't"

Award nomination
Year Award Category Title of work
2008 ALMA Award Outstanding Female Performance in a Comedy Television Series Girlfriends

Music
Mecca
Studio album by
Persia White
ReleasedOctober 31, 2009
Recorded2005–2009
Genre
Length36:30
LabelHybrid Music
Singles from Mecca
  1. "Wanting"
    Released: October 7, 2009

Mecca is Persia White's debut album. It was released digitally on October 31, 2009, and on CD on December 8, 2009. The title comes from the name of White's daughter. The final three songs on the album were all featured in several episodes of Girlfriends.

Track listing
  1. "Wanting" – 3:58
  2. "Perfect" – 3:15
  3. "Receive" (featuring Saul Williams) – 4:15
  4. "Pressed Against Gods Thoughts" – 2:02
  5. "Haunt" – 3:02
  6. "2 Sea" – 1:23
  7. "Danger" (featuring Saul Williams) – 3:25
  8. "Salvation" – 4:57
  9. "Tease" (featuring Tricky) – 3:22
  10. "Choices" (Girlfriends season 6 finale song) – 2:47
  11. "Past Mistakes" (featuring Tricky) – 4:10

References
  1. https://www.bigdreamsandsilverscreens.org/wiff-women-in-film
  2. https://www.bigdreamsandsilverscreens.org/wiff-women-in-film
  3. Crissy Calhoun (2014). Love You to Death – Season 3: The Unofficial Companion to the Vampire Diaries. ISBN 9781770903234. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
  5. Turner, Miki (February 23, 2004). "Persia's Edge". Sun-Sentinel. p. 1. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  6. Turner, Miki (February 23, 2004). "Persia's Edge". Sun-Sentinel. p. 2. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  7. "Earthlings: Cast and Crew". earthlings.com. Archived from the original on August 18, 2010. Retrieved November 2, 2008.
  8. "ABFF Announced 2011 Winners". abff.com. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
  9. "Persia White: Biography". cwtv.com. Archived from the original on April 23, 2008. Retrieved November 2, 2008.
  10. "SSCS Board of Directors: Persia White". seashepherd.org. Archived from the original on May 19, 2015. Retrieved November 2, 2008.
  11. "Feeding sheep : photo image" (JPG). I2.tinypic.com. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  12. "Persia White attending the 19th Annual Genesis Awards – Arrivals and VIP Reception held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA on 3/19/2005 | SGG-059590". Prphotos.com. March 19, 2005. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  13. "Love Life and Friendship". blogs.myspace.com. Retrieved January 18, 2009.
  14. "Joseph Morgan Marries Persia White in Jamaica". Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  15. Girl, L.A. (July 24, 2014). "Top 10 things about Persia White Vampires Diaries actor Joseph Morgan's Wife". Daily Entertainment News. Archived from the original on September 11, 2014. Retrieved July 23, 2016. White, who will turn 42 this year, is the mother of an 19-year-old daughter...
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