Haywood Nelson
Haywood Knowles Nelson Jr. (born March 25, 1960) is an American actor. He is best known for having portrayed Dwayne Nelson on the television series What's Happening!! from 1976–1979,[1] and its spin-off series What's Happening Now!! 1985–1988.
Haywood Nelson | |
|---|---|
 Nelson in 2007 | |
| Born | Haywood Knowles Nelson Jr. March 25, 1960 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1974–present |
| Spouse(s) | Sheryl Piland (1981–1984) Diana Ramos (1987–1998) Khnadya Skye (2014) |
Biography
Nelson, who grew up in Garden City Park, Long Island, New York, was a child star, appearing in many national commercials and in a movie, Mixed Company.[2] From 1973 to 1974, he performed on Broadway alongside Marlo Thomas in Thieves.[3] At the age of 14, he guest starred on Sanford and Son as Grady's grandson; at 15, he was in the cast of a spin-off of Sanford and Son called Grady (1975). The show was short-lived. The next year, in 1976, at the age of 16, he landed the role of Dwayne on What's Happening!!, the first Black teen sitcom.[4] As a "teenage heartthrob" on a popular television series, Nelson was one of the first Black teen idols.[4][5][6] In 1977, Nelson guest starred on Kojak in the episode "The Godson" as Bobby Moore.
Nelson has been married to Khnadya Skye since 2014, and is the main point advisor in her oil/petroleum technology corporation, Skyewood. The extremely private Nelson is rarely seen in public.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971–74 | As the World Turns | Jerry Smith | Unknown episodes |
| 1974 | Mixed Company | Freddie | Feature film |
| 1975 | Sanford and Son | Haywood Marshall | Episode: "The Family Man" |
| 1975–76 | Grady | Haywood Marshall | Main cast (10 episodes) |
| 1976–79 | What's Happening!! | Dwayne Nelson | Main cast (65 episodes) |
| 1977 | Kojak | Bobby Moore | Episode: "The Godson" |
| 1977 | The Brady Bunch Hour | Dwayne Nelson | Episode #1.8 |
| 1979 | The White Shadow | Randy Judd | Episode: "Sudden Death" |
| 1981 | Evilspeak | Kowalski | Feature film |
| 1983-84 | That Teen Show | Haywood Nelson | Co-host |
| 1985–88 | What's Happening Now!! | Dwayne Nelson | Main cast (66 episodes) |
| 1990 | Dragnet | Lyle Peters | Episode: "The Book" |
| 2000 | The Parkers | Himself (cameo) | Episode: "Whassup with Heyyy?" |
| 2003 | Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star | Himself (cameo) | Feature film |
References
- Byrd, Kenya N. (August 7, 2009). "Flashback Fridays: Haywood Nelson". Essence Magazine. Archived from the original on October 31, 2010.
- Kennedy, James (October 23, 1998). "Haywood You Remember Garden City Park". Mineola American. Archived from the original on 27 March 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
- Thomas, Marlo (2010). Growing Up Laughing: My Story and the Story of Funny. Hyperion. p. 223. ISBN 9781401323912. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
- "'What's Happening!!' Cast Reunion". Washington Examiner. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
The former teen idols revealed what it was like to be a part of the first Black teen sitcom
- "Haywood Nelson: Boy Crush". Essence. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
New York native Haywood Nelson, who played Dwayne Nelson on the 70's sitcom favorite What's Happening!!, was the teenage heartthrob of the show.
- Armstrong, Jenice (March 11, 2014). "On the go with Flo Anthony". Philly.com. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
teen heartthrob Haywood Nelson
External links
- Haywood Nelson at IMDb
- Haywood Nelson on the cover of Right On! magazine, February 1977.
- Ebony, Vol. Vol. 33, No. 8 (June 1978), p. 82.
- Interview with Haywood "Dwayne" Nelson, 1998-11-01, In Black America; KUT Radio, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (WGBH and the Library of Congress)
