Kadeem Hardison is an American actor and director. He is best known for his role Dwayne Wayne on A Different World, a spin-off of the long-running NBC sitcom The Cosby Show. He also starred in the Disney Channel series K.C. Undercover as Craig Cooper, the title character's father. Hardison played Norman in OWN's Love Is before it was cancelled. As of 2019, he is starring in the Showtime drama, Black Monday.
Early life
Hardison was born in Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York, the son and only child of Donald McFadden, an antique and fine art collector and Bethann Hardison, pioneering African-American runway model and advocate for diversity in the fashion industry.
Career
Hardison was a starring cast member on the sitcom A Different World as Dwayne Wayne, and a regular cast member of K.C. Undercover and the short-lived sitcoms Abby and Between Brothers. His career was managed predominantly by his mother, Bethann Hardison. He has also guest starred on several other sitcoms, including Living Single, Girlfriends, Under One Roof, The Boondocks, Greek, Parenthood, and on Everybody Hates Chris as the judge. His movies include Rappin, School Daze, Def by Temptation, Vampire in Brooklyn, 30 Years to Life, Made of Honor, Escapee, The 6th Man, Drive, Renaissance Man, Panther, The Fantasia Barrino Story: Life Is Not a Fairy Tale, Bratz, Biker Boyz, Who's Your Daddy?, ', I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, Blind Faith, Showtime, White Men Can't Jump, and B.C. Butcher. He appears as an actor in the 2013 PlayStation 3 exclusive video game'' as Cole Freeman.
Personal life
Hardison was married to American singer Chanté Moore from 1997 until 2000; they have a daughter named Sophia. Hardison remains a close friend of actor Darryl Bell, who played his best friend Ron Johnson on A Different World; he made an appearance alongside Bell on FOX's Househusbands of Hollywood.
Filmography
Film
Television
Video games
Cultural influence
Linda Rosenkrantz and Pamela Redmond Satran credit Hardison for making the name "Kadeem" familiar.
Hardison was the subject of then-wife Chanté Moore's 1999 single "Chanté's Got a Man".
In a press conference following Game 4 of the 2012 NBA Finals, Dwyane Wade wore flip-up sunglasses and said he was, "paying a little homage to Dwayne Wayne tonight", referencing Hardison's popular character from A Different World.
In Season 2, Episode 7 of Psych, Gus references utilizing the "Kadeem Hardison method" to kiss a girl.
Hardison appears as the narrator on Add-2's 2019 album, Jim Crow: The Musical.