Haywood Nelson
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Haywood Nelson | |
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Born | March 25, 1960 New York City, New York, United States |
Haywood Nelson (born March 25, 1960 in New York City) is an actor best known for playing Dwayne Nelson on the television series What's Happening!!.
Nelson started acting at an early age, appearing in the motion picture, Mixed Company (1974), on Broadway in Thieves (1974) opposite Marlo Thomas, and on such television shows as As the World Turns. A successful appearance in Sanford and Son landed him a starring role in the spin-off sitcom, Grady (1975). Though the show and his stint were short-lived, it wasn't long before he was cast as Dwayne Nelson on What's Happening!! For three seasons, Nelson portrayed the lovable yet gullible Dwayne. As one of the favorite characters on the show, Dwayne became a fixture of the 1970s along with his big afro, bell-bottoms, and his signature catchphrase "Hey, Hey, Hey!"(not to be confused with the similar "Hey, Hey, Hey!" used by Fat Albert).
With three seasons on the updated What's Happening Now!! under his belt, Nelson stepped behind the camera to become a camera assistant. After directing a few music videos, he moved on to pursue a career in writing. In 2003 Haywood (as himself) appeared in David Spade's comedy, Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star.
In 1998, James Kennedy of the Mineola American reported, "Recently Nelson, joined by fellow entertainers Isaac Hayes, Anne Archer and Chick Corea, honored eleven human rights activists who have fought for children, religion and individual rights at the 30th anniversary of Freedom Magazine, the Church of Scientology's investigative news journal at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C."[1]
[edit] References
- ^ James Kennedy, Haywood You Remember Garden City Park, Mineola American, October 23, 1998 (last accessed August 29, 2007)