# Tempestt Bledsoe
**Tempestt Bledsoe** (birth name Tempestt K. Bledsoe) is an American actress and producer, born in 1973 in Chicago, Illinois, best known for playing Vanessa Huxtable, the fourth child of Cliff and [Clair Huxtable](https://www.edgepedia.org/clair-huxtable), on the NBC sitcom *The Cosby Show* from 1984 until the series ended in 1992.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0088144/bio/) • [2](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/tempestt-bledsoe/bio/3000253266/) Her career has been built mainly in television, with a syndicated daytime talk show, hosting roles, guest appearances, and voice acting.[3](https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/tempestt-bledsoe-35082.php)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1973, Chicago, Illinois; birth name Tempestt K. Bledsoe[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0088144/bio/) |
| Defining role | Vanessa Huxtable on *The Cosby Show*, NBC, 1984–1992[4](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/bledsoe-tempestt-1973) |
| Early start | First acting job at age four, a Safeway grocery commercial; later commercials for Kellogg's Frosted Flakes[5](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/tempestt-bledsoe.html) • [2](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/tempestt-bledsoe/bio/3000253266/) |
| Education | Bachelor's degree in finance, New York University[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0088144/bio/) |
| Talk show | Host of the syndicated *The Tempestt Bledsoe Show*, 1995–96[4](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/bledsoe-tempestt-1973) |
| Later series lead | Marny, a working mother of four, on NBC's *Guys with Kids* (2012), produced by Jimmy Fallon[6](https://thegrio.com/2012/09/21/tempestt-bledsoe-on-why-there-will-never-be-another-cosby-show/) |
| Voice work | Sheriff Hooper in the animated film *ParaNorman* (2012)[2](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/tempestt-bledsoe/bio/3000253266/) |
| Partner | Actor Darryl M. Bell, in a relationship since 1993[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0088144/bio/) |
## The Cosby Show and Vanessa Huxtable
Bledsoe's first big break came at about age nine, when she auditioned for [Bill Cosby](https://www.edgepedia.org/bill-cosby)'s new sitcom and won the part of Vanessa Huxtable, the fourth child of the show's central couple, obstetrician Cliff Huxtable and attorney Clair Huxtable.[3](https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/tempestt-bledsoe-35082.php) *The Cosby Show* ran on NBC from 1984 to 1992 and dominated Thursday evenings, topping the ratings for five straight years and depicting an upper-middle-class Black family in a Brooklyn brownstone, a portrayal widely described as unlike other Black families previously seen on American television.[7](https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/shows/cosby-show-the) • [8](https://time.com/3388134/black-ish-cosby-show-cliff-huxtable-american-culture/) Vanessa, the sensible younger daughter, served as a foil to Cosby's child-rearing routines alongside her sister Rudy, played by [Keshia Knight Pulliam](https://www.edgepedia.org/keshia-knight-pulliam).[7](https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/shows/cosby-show-the)
Her education shaped the show's writing. Season 7 opens with Vanessa having attended summer school so she could graduate a year early and enroll at Lincoln College in Pennsylvania; the storyline was written because Bledsoe wanted to pursue her degree, and Cosby arranged the shooting schedule so she could attend school full-time, which is why Vanessa appeared only sporadically that season.[9](https://www.mentalfloss.com/entertainment/tv/20-things-you-might-not-know-about-cosby-show) She graduated from New York University with a degree in finance.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0088144/bio/)
Her work on the series brought industry recognition: a 1989 [Young Artist Award](https://www.edgepedia.org/young-artist-award) win for Best Young Actor/Actress Ensemble in a Television Comedy, Drama Series or Special, plus Young Artist Award nominations in 1985, 1987, and 1990, a 1988 Blimp Award nomination for Favorite TV Actress, a 1989 Image Award nomination for Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress, and a 2006 TV Land Award nomination for Favorite Singing Siblings, all for *The Cosby Show*; she also received the Clarence Muse Youth Award from the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 1992.[2](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/tempestt-bledsoe/bio/3000253266/) • [4](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/bledsoe-tempestt-1973)
## Television work after the series
Shortly after *The Cosby Show* ended, Bledsoe hosted her own self-titled daytime talk show, *The Tempestt Bledsoe Show* (also known as *Tempestt*), in syndication from 1995 to 1996.[4](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/bledsoe-tempestt-1973) She later hosted the interior design show *Clean House* on the Style Network.[3](https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/tempestt-bledsoe-35082.php) • [10](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/tempestt-bledsoe/)
Her acting credits in this period are largely guest and television-movie roles. She appeared in the NBC television movies *Dance 'til Dawn* (1988, as Margaret) and *Dream Date* (1989, as Danni Fairview, a role also billed under the title *Home by Midnight*), and in the series *Monsters* (1988), *A Different World* (1989, reprising Vanessa in the episode "Risky Business"), *The Practice* (1998, as Roberta Baylor in three episodes), *The Parkers* (1999), *South of Nowhere* (2006), and *Raising the Bar* (2008).[4](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/bledsoe-tempestt-1973) • [10](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/tempestt-bledsoe/) Her film appearances have been limited, including *BachelorMan* (2003), *N-Secure* (2010), and *The Wishing Well* (2010).[4](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/bledsoe-tempestt-1973) • [10](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/tempestt-bledsoe/)
In 2012 she returned to a starring series role as Marny, a working mother of four boys married to stay-at-home dad Gary ([Anthony Anderson](https://www.edgepedia.org/anthony-anderson)), on NBC's *Guys with Kids*, produced by [Jimmy Fallon](https://www.edgepedia.org/jimmy-fallon); she described the show as portraying a positive Black family on network television, in a vein similar to the series that made her famous.[6](https://thegrio.com/2012/09/21/tempestt-bledsoe-on-why-there-will-never-be-another-cosby-show/) • [11](https://globalnews.ca/news/263597/tempestt-bledsoe-one-of-cosby-show-kids-says-new-sitcom-portrays-positive-black-family/) The same year she voiced Sheriff Hooper in the animated film *ParaNorman*, a performance that earned her a 2013 Black Reel Award nomination for Best Voice Performance.[2](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/tempestt-bledsoe/bio/3000253266/) • [10](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/tempestt-bledsoe/) In 2023 she hosted and executive produced the special *Make Me Scream*.[10](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/tempestt-bledsoe/)
## Personal life and perspective
Bledsoe has been in a long-term relationship with actor Darryl M. Bell, known for playing [Ron Johnson](https://www.edgepedia.org/ron-johnson) on *A Different World*, since 1993; the two appeared together on the FOX reality series *Househusbands of Hollywood* in 2009.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0088144/bio/) • [6](https://thegrio.com/2012/09/21/tempestt-bledsoe-on-why-there-will-never-be-another-cosby-show/) Her mother, Willa Bledsoe, a teacher in Chicago, managed her early career after her parents divorced.[4](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/bledsoe-tempestt-1973) • [6](https://thegrio.com/2012/09/21/tempestt-bledsoe-on-why-there-will-never-be-another-cosby-show/)
Reflecting on her childhood in the industry, she has credited the show's protected environment and the example set by Cosby and [Phylicia Rashad](https://www.edgepedia.org/phylicia-rashad), saying the cast's parents were determined to see the children through the experience "whole and healthy."[6](https://thegrio.com/2012/09/21/tempestt-bledsoe-on-why-there-will-never-be-another-cosby-show/)
## References
1. [Tempestt Bledsoe – Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0088144/bio/)
2. [Tempestt Bledsoe Biography, Celebrity Facts and Awards – TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/tempestt-bledsoe/bio/3000253266/)
3. [Tempestt Bledsoe – Bio, Facts, Family Life of Actress, The Famous People](https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/tempestt-bledsoe-35082.php)
4. [Bledsoe, Tempestt 1973- – Encyclopedia.com (Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television)](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/bledsoe-tempestt-1973)
5. [Tempestt Bledsoe – Age, Bio, Family, Famous Birthdays](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/tempestt-bledsoe.html)
6. [Tempestt Bledsoe on why there will never be another 'Cosby Show' – theGrio](https://thegrio.com/2012/09/21/tempestt-bledsoe-on-why-there-will-never-be-another-cosby-show/)
7. [Cosby Show, The – Television Academy Interviews](https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/shows/cosby-show-the)
8. [Blackness, 'Black-ish' and 'The Cosby Show' – Time](https://time.com/3388134/black-ish-cosby-show-cliff-huxtable-american-culture/)
9. [20 Fun Facts About The Cosby Show – Mental Floss](https://www.mentalfloss.com/entertainment/tv/20-things-you-might-not-know-about-cosby-show)
10. [Tempestt Bledsoe – Actress, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/tempestt-bledsoe/)
11. [Tempestt Bledsoe, one of 'Cosby Show' kids, says new sitcom portrays 'positive black family' – Global News](https://globalnews.ca/news/263597/tempestt-bledsoe-one-of-cosby-show-kids-says-new-sitcom-portrays-positive-black-family/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames Be to Bo*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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