Early life

Arnold was born in Queens, New York, to a middle-class African-American family. Her mother was a sanitation department worker and her father was a police officer. She attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts.

Career

In 1986, Arnold appeared as Crystal, one of the three chorus girls who perform R&B numbers in Frank Oz's film musical Little Shop of Horrors along with future Martin co-star Tisha Campbell. Arnold was only 17 at the time, and her career continued steadily after that, with a role or two almost every year, including the films How I Got into College and the Paul Mazursky/Woody Allen collaboration Scenes from a Mall (1991). In February 1987 Arnold scored her first big break on television, with a permanent role on the soap opera Ryan's Hope. Her critically lauded role, as young heroine Zena Brown, landed her a Daytime Emmy Award nomination in 1988. She continued in the role until the series ended in January 1989. Later that year, Arnold was cast as Sharla Valentine, a high-school friend of Emily Ann Sago (played by Liz Vassey) on the ABC-TV daytime drama All My Children. She continued in the role until 1991.

Arnold's best-known television role was Pamela James on Martin Lawrence's sitcom Martin (1992-1997). She also played the recurring role of Nicole Barnes on the sitcom One on One. In 2000, she was reunited with Martin Lawrence in Big Momma's House. In 2007, she again reunited with Lawrence (this time as his character's wife) in the big screen road comedy/buddy film Wild Hogs. In 2003, she appeared in Civil Brand. In a departure from her normally comedic casting, she played the title role in The Lena Baker Story, which was about the first woman to be executed by the electric chair in Georgia. Arnold played the role of the matriarch, Rochelle, on the sitcom Everybody Hates Chris which premiered in September 2005 and ended in May 2009. She also played the voice of the friend in The Boondocks, episode "Attack of the Killer Kung-fu Wolf Bitch" which aired in 2007. Her most recent stage credits, include: The Wiz Revival at the NY City Center as the part of Evillene, The Wicked Witch of the West. In 2010 she guest starred in the one-hour episode premiere of the Disney XD Original Series Pair of Kings as Aunt Nancy, and also reprise her role for one more episode.

Although not as widely known for her work in music, Arnold has experienced success as a recording artist; she co-wrote and performed the duet, "Movin Up," which reached #2 on the Billboard Club Play chart with fellow high school alum and house music artist Inaya Day. Arnold is credited using the moniker China Ro, a pseudonym that was derived from the using only the latter part of her first name and the first two letters of her middle name. Tichina Arnold played the best friend of Fran Drescher in the TV Land sitcom Happily Divorced, which is based on Fran Drescher's real-life marriage and divorce to series co-creator Peter Marc Jacobson.

Personal life

In 1998, Arnold started her own company of designer headgear called "China Moon Rags". The headbands were Swarovski crystal-embroidered bandanas. Celebrities such as her best friend Tisha Campbell, Janet Jackson, Vivica A. Fox, Regina King, Christina Aguilera and LisaRaye McCoy have modeled and been seen wearing Arnold's designs. When her daughter was born, she stopped production.

Arnold has a daughter, Alijah Kai (born March 16, 2004), with music producer Carvin Haggins. On August 18, 2012, Arnold married St. Johns Men's Basketball assistant Coach and former Golden State Warrior's Assistant Coach, DaRico Hines in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Filmography

Film

Year	Film	Role	Notes
1983	The Brass Ring	Mary
1984	House of Dies Drear	Pesty
1986	Little Shop of Horrors	Crystal
1988	Starlight: A Musical Movie	Evelyn Ruth
1989	How I Got into College	Vera Cook
1991	Scenes From a Mall	Ticket Seller
1997	Fakin' Da Funk	Tracy
1999	A Luv Tale
2000	Dancing in September	Robber
2000	Big Momma's House	Ritha
2002	Civil Brand	Aisha
2002	Yo Alien	Ray Goods
2005	Preaching to the Choir	Desiree
2005	Getting Played	Woman in Restaurant
2007	Wild Hogs	Karen Davis
2008	Drillbit Taylor	Photography Teacher
2008	Hope & Redemption: The Lena Baker Story	Lena Baker
2009	Dance Flick	Ray's Mamma
2012	Stolen Child	Claudia	Television film
2012	The Great Divide	Tosha
2013	Summoned	Mylene	Television film
2014	More to Love	Margo
2014	A Day Late and a Dollar Short	Charlotte	Television film
2014	Top Five	Theatre Manager

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1987-1989	Ryan's Hope	Zena Brown
1989	The Cosby Show	Delores	Episode: "Theo's Women"
1989-1991	All My Children	Sharla Valentine
1990	Law & Order	Leona	Episode: "Out of the Half-Light"
1992-1997	Martin	Pamela 'Pam' James	Main Role (132 episodes)
1998	The Jamie Foxx Show	Carla	Episode: "Soul Mate to Cellmate"
1999	Pacific Blue		Episode: "Ghost Town"
1999	The Norm Show	Mrs. Murphy	Episode: "Norm vs. the Boxer"
2001-2005	One on One	Nicole Barnes	Recurring role (15 episodes)
2002	Soul Food	Adina	Episode: "Past Imperfect"
2004	Listen Up	Kiara	Episode: "Thanksgiving"
2005-2009	Everybody Hates Chris	Rochelle	Main role (88 episodes)
2007	The Boondocks	Nicole (voice)	Episode: "Attack of the Killer Kung-Fu Wolf Bitch"
2009	Sherri	Russell's Mamma	Episode: "Pilot"
2009	Brothers	Cynthia	3 episodes
2010	Pair of Kings	Aunt Nancy	2 episodes
2011	Raising Hope	Sylvia	3 episodes
2011	Are We There Yet?	Vicky Howard	Episode: "The Fight Party Episode"
2011-2013	Let's Stay Together	Dr. Knotts	2 episodes
2011-2013	Happily Divorced	Judi Mann	Main role
2014	Hit the Floor	Derek's Mother	2 episodes
2014-present	Survivor's Remorse	Cassie Calloway	Main role

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Nominated work	Result
1988	Daytime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Ingenue in a Drama Series	Ryan's Hope	Nominated
1989	Soap Opera Digest Awards	Outstanding Female Newcomer: Daytime		Nominated
1996	Image Awards	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series	Martin	Won
2006	BET Awards	Best Actress	Herself	Nominated
	Teen Choice Awards	TV - Choice Parental Unit	Everybody Hates Chris	Won
		TV - Choice Actress: Comedy		Nominated
	Image Awards	Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series		Won
2007				Nominated
2008				Nominated
2009				Nominated
2010				Nominated

[ Source: Wikipedia ]