Holly Elizabeth Robinson Peete, born September 18, 1964, is an American actress and singer who’s been in the industry for decades. You might know her as Judy Hoffs from the Fox cop show 21 Jump Street, Vanessa Russell on the ABC sitcom Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper, or Dr. Malena Ellis on the NBC/WB sitcom For Your Love. She also helped kick off the CBS daytime talk show The Talk as one of the original co-hosts.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollyrpeete/

After high school, she went to Sarah Lawrence College in New York, studyin’ Psychology and French. When she graduated in 1986, she thought about grad school or workin’ in languages for the State Department, but decided to give actin’ a shot. It paid off quick – she landed roles on a TV series and in two films in no time.

She’s also an author – her kids’ book My Brother Charlie snagged an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work in March 2011 and the Dolly Gray Children’s Literature Award in 2012. In March 2016, her family’s reality show For Peete’s Sake dropped, givin’ a peek into their daily life. These days, she’s teamed up with GreatCall as a caregiver ambassador.