Actor Vanessa Baden isn’t the cute little girl from Nickelodeon anymore. She has gone on to become a writer, producer and director for many shows, and she is also a mother.
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| Vanessa Baden, winner of the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Digital Daytime Drama Series at the 46th Annual Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards press room at Pasadena Civic Center on May 3, 2019, in Pasadena, California. (Photo: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images) |
The Emmy winner recently opened up to Atlanta Black Star about her childhood in Hollywood, how she discovered writing as a passion and a necessity, and the challenges of balancing work and her personal life.
Vanessa Baden, winner of the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Digital Daytime Drama Series at the 46th Annual Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards press room at Pasadena Civic Center on May 3, 2019, in Pasadena, California. (Photo: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)
Baden began her acting career on Gullah Gullah Island for Nick Jr., but she really hit her stride when she landed the role of Kyra Rockmore on Nickelodeon’s hit show Kenan & Kel. Alongside some true talent, as Kenan Thompson went on to become a household name, Baden’s energy and charm shone through as Kenan's on-screen sister Kyra, who had a massive crush on Kenan's best friend, Kel (Kel Mitchell).
“I can remember the general feel and tone and something that I was recently telling my son was that we still shot in front of a live studio audience on ‘Kenan and Kel,’” Baden told Atlanta Black Star.
“So, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday were rehearsal days. … We filmed Wednesday and Thursday and then we would get a few pick-up shots the top half of Friday. Then after lunch, they would load in the live studio audience and you would run the whole entire show almost like theater in front of the studio audience to get their real-time reactions.”
The entire experience was a blast for these Nickelodeon regulars. Like Baden, they got to mix and mingle with other kids in Hollywood.
“On an artistic level, I don’t think there’s anything better than performing in front of a live studio audience,” the 36-year-old said. “You’re truly doing theater week in and week out. And you’re learning, but I just remember the electricity of it. … You’re getting hyped and you’re trying to get your energy up and everybody’s dancing and everybody’s doing whatever.
The show also had former child actors as their directors. “When we were doing ‘Kenan and Kel,’ we had Malcom Jamal Warner from ‘The Cosby Show,’” she said. “We had Kim Fields from ‘Facts of Life’ and ‘Living Single.’ Ryan Robbins, who was one of our producers but also directed us often, was from ‘Head of the Class.’”
Those veterans offered the young actors some valuable advice. “And one of the things that they would always tell us is, ‘If you guys wanna have longevity in this arena, you’re going to have to do other things because there’s going to be times when age-wise you’re at a weird place and there are ebbs and flows in the creative part.’”
For Baden, the example those mentors set was taken to heart. “I really attached myself to Kim Fields. I loved her. I felt like I saw myself a lot in her and she was a director. So I thought essentially that that was going to be the path I took. I was going to be a director.”
After four years on Kenan & Kel, Baden would go on to be a panelist on Nickelodeon's hit game show, Figure It Out. She even broke into film and was cast as Lee-Ruth in the dark historical drama Rosewood.
Baden feels lucky to have been a part of the Hollywood child celebrity scene. She still bumps into people from her time on Nickelodeon and has remained close friends with Kenan Thompson long after their show wrapped.
While she saw success as a child actor, she decided to put acting on hold and go to college and attended Florida State. Once she graduated, she decided to go back to Hollywood, but noticed a change in the industry. She revealed that at that time, opportunities for Black actors were scarce.
“There were like seven things that had Black people in them and they were recycling the same three girls. It was Meagan Good, Jurnee Smollett or Lauren London. If they couldn’t get one of those three, someone new might pop in but [it was those three] who they were going for,” she claimed.
You can read Baden's fantastic interview with Atlanta Black Star in full at atlantablackstar.com!
Kenan & Kel and Gullah Gullah Island are available to stream on Paramount+. Visit ParamountPlus.com for a free trial!
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