Essence Atkins
Essence Uhura Atkins (born February 7, 1972) is an American actress and model. She is best known for the roles of Dee Dee Thorne on the UPN sitcom Half & Half and as Yvette Henderson on The WB sitcom Smart Guy. She has also starred in the TV series Are We There Yet? as Suzanne Kingston-Persons. In 2013 and 2014, Atkins appeared as "Kisha Davis" in the films A Haunted House and A Haunted House 2.
Career
Atkins has appeared in a variety of movies and TV shows, including How High, Deliver Us from Eva, Family Matters, Moesha, and The Cosby Show. One of her television roles was in the Saved by the Bell spin-off, Saved by the Bell: The College Years. She appeared in the pilot, but when Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, a regular from the original, opted to return, Atkins's character was written out. She also had a main role in Smart Guy as the older sister Tasha Yvette Henderson, as well as the starring role of Dee Dee Thorne in the series Half & Half, playing half-sister to Rachel True's character. Atkins has also appeared in "A Haunted House" and its sequel.