Nia Peeples

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Nia Peeples
Peeples in 2013
Born
Virenia Peeples

(1961-12-10) December 10, 1961 (age 62)
Hollywood, California, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
Years active1981–present
TelevisionThe Party Machine with Nia Peeples
Fame
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1984; div. 1986)​
​
​
(m. 1989; div. 1993)​
Lauro Chartrand
​
​
(m. 1997; div. 2004)​
​
(m. 2004)​
Children2

Virenia "Nia" Peeples (born December 10, 1961) is an American R&B and dance music singer and actress. Peeples is known for playing Nicole Chapman on the TV series Fame; Pam Fields on the drama Pretty Little Liars; Karen Taylor Winters on The Young and the Restless and Sydney Cooke on Walker, Texas Ranger. Her most recent television role was Grace's mom, Susan, on The Fosters.

Early life[edit]

Peeples was born December 10, 1961, in Hollywood, California,[1] the daughter of Elizabeth Joan (née Rubic), a flamenco dancer, and Robert Eugene Peeples.[2] She was raised in West Covina. Her maternal grandparents were immigrants from the Philippines.[2] Her father, who was originally from Mississippi, was of Scottish, English, and Irish ancestry.[2] Peeples attended UCLA during which time[when?] she performed as Liberace's opening act in Las Vegas on weekends.[citation needed]

Personal life[edit]

Peeples lives in Malibu, California, and has one son Christopher (b. 1989 with ex-husband Howard Hewett) and one daughter Sienna (b. 1998) with her former husband, Lauro Chartrand.[citation needed]

She operates an internet based organization called Elements of Life, which promotes fitness, inspiration, healthy lifestyle changes and emotional well-being. She worked with business coach Amy Applebaum on its development.[3]

On August 11, 2015, Peeples filed for divorce from her surfer husband Sam George.[citation needed] Peeples filed in Los Angeles County, 20 days before the couple's eighth wedding anniversary. Peeples is seeking[needs update] to keep the couple's home, a Malibu manufactured home with an ocean view that's valued at $875,000. Also listed among the couple's community assets is a Las Vegas condo worth $91,000.[citation needed]

Career[edit]

Music[edit]

Peeples started her career as part of the performance group The Young Americans. In 1988 she hit #1 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart with "Trouble",[4] which climbed to #35 on the Billboard Hot 100.[5] Her most successful pop single is "Street Of Dreams", which hit #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1991.[5] She made a music video in 1986 for "All You Can Dream", directed by Alan Bloom and conceptualized by Keith Williams, for the purposes of promoting the values of UCLA. On February 4, 2009, Peeples presented Debbie Allen with a Lifetime Achievement Award at The Carnival: Choreographer's Ball 10th anniversary show. Peeples also attends and performs at the annual live Fame Reunion concerts overseas.[6]

Acting[edit]

Notably, Peeples portrayed performing arts student Nicole Chapman on the hit TV series Fame. In 1987, she was in the movie North Shore as Kiani. She also hosted the short-lived American version of Top of the Pops in 1987, a weeknight dance music program called The Party Machine with Nia Peeples (1991), and portrayed Texas Ranger Sydney Cooke in the CBS hit series Walker, Texas Ranger from 1999 to 2001. In 2004, she appeared in the Andromeda episode "The Spider's Stratagem", as arms smuggler and love-interest Rox Nava. Peeples joined the cast of The Young and the Restless in 2007, playing the role of Karen Taylor, and was released from the role in the spring of 2009. In 2010, she was cast in ABC Family's TV series Pretty Little Liars, based on the book series by Sara Shepard.[7] Peeples was featured on the July 7, 2013 episode of Celebrity Wife Swap, in which she traded places with singer Tiffany.[8]

Discography[edit]

Albums[edit]

Singles[edit]

Year Single Peak chart positions Album
US
[5] 		US
R&B
[10] 		US
Dan
[4] 		AUS
[11] 		CAN
[12]
1988 "Trouble" 35 71 1 — — Nothin' But Trouble
"High Time" — — 10 — —
1989 "I Know How (To Make You Love Me)" — — 28 — —
1991 "Street of Dreams" 12 73 — 74 23 Nia Peeples
1992 "Kissing the Wind" 76 — — 86 76
"Faces of Love" 88 — — — 59
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1981 A Single Light Deaf Girl TV movie
1984 Fame Nicole Chapman Short
1987 North Shore Kiani
1989 DeepStar Six Scarpelli
Swimsuit Maria Detney TV movie
Nasty Boys Serena Cruz TV movie
1990 Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer Cathy Redding TV movie
1992 I Don't Buy Kisses Anymore Theresa Garabaldi
1994 My Name Is Kate Annie TV movie
Improper Conduct Bernie
XXX's & OOO's Sasha Townes TV movie
1995 Deadlocked: Escape from Zone 14 Allie Thompson TV movie
Mr. Stitch Dr. Elizabeth English TV movie
1996 Terminal Janet Reardon TV movie
Bloodhounds II Nikki Cruise TV movie
1997 Tower of Terror Jill Perry TV movie
Odd Jobs Assassin TV movie
1998 Blues Brothers 2000 Lt. Elizondo
Poodle Springs Angel TV movie
Heroes: The Mystique, the Movies, the Men Special Guest Host TV movie
2000 Alone with a Stranger Beth Jenkins
The Riff Heather Anderson
2001 Bruised Michelle Short
2002 Half Past Dead 49er Six
The Chang Family Saves the World Pearl Empress TV movie
2005 Inside Out Maria
Sub Zero Kelli Paris Video
2006 Connors' War Amanda Video
Special Unit Tara TV movie
House Broken Ms. Hawkhauser TV movie
2007 Arwin! Ms. Hawkhauser TV movie
2009 The Outside Joanne Blakey
Citizen Jane Evelyn TV movie
2011 Battle of Los Angeles Capt. Karla Smaith Video
2012 Werewolf: The Beast Among Us Vodama Video
23 Minutes to Sunrise Rachel
2013 Dante's Hell Animated Beatrice (voice) Short
2014 Lap Dance Kelly
2015 Lavalantula Olivia West TV movie
2017 Alaska Is a Drag Lucy
Mnemosyne Claudia
2018 Mistrust Kristen Rhodes
2019 The Untold Story Catarina
Dying for a Baby Blanche TV movie
Badland Wives Madam Rosie TV movie

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1981 The Music Shoppe Darcie Main cast
1983 Tales of the Gold Monkey Zita Henriques Episode: "The Sultan of Swat"
Hardcastle and McCormick Waitress Episode: "Flying Down to Rio"
Days of Our Lives Mallory Regular cast
General Hospital Carla Escobar Regular cast
1983–86 Fame Nicole Chapman Main cast: season 4-6
1984 T.J. Hooker Maria Dominguez Episode: "Gang War"
1985 Dance Fever Herself Episode: "Don Stroud, Nia Peeples, Nicholas Campbell"
1987–88 Top of the Pops Herself/host Main host: season 24
1988 Soul Train Herself Episode: "Johnny Mathis/Nia Peeples/Tracie Spencer"
1989 Matlock Morgan Gerard Episode: "The Starlet"
1989–90 Nasty Boys Serena Cruz Main cast
1991 The Party Machine with Nia Peeples Herself/hostess Main host
1992 Soul Train Herself Episode: "Nia Peeples/Eric B. & Rakim"
1993 The New WKRP in Cincinnati Sierra Smith Episode: "Treasure of Sierra Smith" & "Chicago Story"
Return to Lonesome Dove Augostina Vega Main cast
1994 Highlander: The Series' Nefertiri Episode: "Pharaoh's Daughter"
Touched by an Angel Angela Evans Episode: "Fallen Angela"
ABC Afterschool Specials Herself Episode: "I Hate the Way I Look"
1995 Marker Lisa Episode: "The Pilot" & "Snowballs in Hawaii"
Courthouse Veronica Gilbert Main cast
The Puzzle Place Herself Episode: "Gotta Dance"
1997 Crisis Center Lily Gannon Main cast
Early Edition Sister Mary Episode: "Angels and Devils"
1998 Real Life Maya Episode: "Unaired Pilot"
1999–2001 Walker, Texas Ranger Sydney Cooke Main cast: season 7-8
2002 Where Are They Now? Herself Episode: "Dance"
2004 Andromeda Rox Nava Episode: "The Spider's Stratagem"
The Division Sandra Prestiss Episode: "Zero Tolerance: Part 1 & 2"
2005 Barbershop Det. Hahanna Recurring cast
2007–09 The Young and the Restless Karen Taylor Regular cast
2010–17 Pretty Little Liars Pam Fields Main cast: season 1, recurring cast: season 2-4 & 6, guest: season 5 & 7
2013 Celebrity Wife Swap Herself Episode: "Nia Peeples/Tiffany"
2014 Longmire Adele Chapman Episode: "Wanted Man"
2016 Unsung Herself Episode: "Howard Hewett"
2017–18 The Fosters Susan Mullen Recurring cast: Season 5
2020 Pretty Little Wine Moms Re-Watch Nia Episode: "The Pilot"
Homeward Bound: Surviving the Coronavirus Nia Episode: "Wet Suits, Mary Poppins and Pretty Little Wine Moms"

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2010). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits. New York: Billboard. p. 503. ISBN 9780823085545.
  2. ^ a b c "Nia Peeples 2003 Philippine Daily Inquirer Interview - Fame Episode Guide". Retrieved February 9, 2013.
  3. ^ "Nia's Elements of Life |". Niaselementsoflife.com. Archived from the original on May 26, 2010. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
  4. ^ a b "Billboard > Artists / Nia Peeples > Chart History > Dance Club Songs". Billboard. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
  5. ^ a b c "Billboard > Artists / Nia Peeples > Chart History > The Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
  6. ^ "The Carnival: Getting The "Groove On" For 10 Years". Hollywire.com. February 2, 2009. Archived from the original on March 21, 2012. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
  7. ^ "ABC Family Announces Pick-Up Of Dramas Huge And Pretty Little Liars" (PDF) (Press release). ABC Family. January 27, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 7, 2010. Retrieved January 28, 2010.
  8. ^ "Nia Peeples, Tiffany". Celebrity Wife Swap. Season 2. Episode 6. July 7, 2013. ABC.
  9. ^ "Billboard > Artists / Nia Peeples > Chart History > Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
  10. ^ "Billboard > Artists / Nia Peeples > Chart History > Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
  11. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 215.
  12. ^ "RPM 100 Singles > Nia Peeples". RPM Magazine. Archived from the original on January 11, 2016. Retrieved June 30, 2013.

External links[edit]

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