Camille Winbush is one of those people who were simply born to be on TV. Described by many as a ‘natural-born talent’, the actress began startling audiences with her incredible talent when she was just about four years of age. Camille was indeed a natural as she has been able to keep her touch for so many years, growing into a renowned movie star who is widely admired for both her versatility as an actress and the stunning beauty she exudes as a person.
Winbush, who has since also launched a career as a recording artist, is best known for her portrayal of Vanessa Thomkins in the popular American sitcom, The Bernie Mac Show that made waves around the US and beyond. She is also celebrated for her work on Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, a crime film in which she played the role of Pearline.
What We Know About the Early Life of Camille Winbush
Camille Winbush was born on the 9th day of February 1990. She was born in the Los Angeles County city of Culver City, California, where she was raised by her parents. It is noteworthy that even though she is now more simply known as Camille Winbush, her full birth name is actually Camille Simoine Winbush.
Despite being under the spotlight for the most part of her life, details of where she received her elementary and high school education have remained unknown to the public. We, however, do know that she was very industrious as a young girl. According to reports, while she was still a teenager, she managed her own ice cream parlor which she called Baked Ice in Pasadena, California. This went on for 3 years before she moved on to other things.
A Timeline of Her Acting Career
As earlier mentioned, Camille Winbush was about four years old when she began acting. Her debut role was that of Lucy Wilkes in the action-adventure TV series, Viper. In the following year, the young girl landed a bigger role when she began to star as Emma Aimes in the 1995 sitcom, Minor Adjustments. Her work on the show received rave reviews as she was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress Under 10: Television at the Young Artist Awards. That same year, she appeared in the movie Dangerous Minds, and the sitcom Brotherly Love.
In 1996, Camille scored the role of Lynn Hamilton in the drama series 7th Heaven and played the role across 6 episodes from 1996 to 1999. In 1997, she was cast as Lil Hot Foot in the sitcom, Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper. She then landed a big role in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, a crime movie where she portrayed the character of Pearline. Her work in the movie earned her critical acclaim.
Camille Winbush’s big break eventually came in 2001 when she scored the role of Vanessa “Nessa” Thomkins in the very popular The Bernie Mac Show. She played this role across 104 episodes from 2001 to 2006, winning a lot of admiration from both critics and viewers alike. Her work on the show further earned her a number of awards, including three NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series and a Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Leading Young Actress.
Since landing her role on The Bernie Mac Show, Camille has gone on to star in other movies and series, including Grey’s Anatomy in 2007, The Secret Life of the American Teenager (2008-2013), The Choir in 2015, Everything But a Man in 2017, Bachelor Lions in 2018, and Muna in 2019, among others. The actress is obviously not one to rest on her oars. We have watched a lot of child stars go into oblivion after a short stay in the spotlight either because they couldn’t keep up with the industry or simply lost their relevance. Nevertheless, Camille Winbush has continued to build a robust career in the very competitive industry that is Hollywood.
Meet Her Parents
The actress was born to a father identified as Anthony Winbush and a mother named Alice Winbush. From the obvious, Camille is very fond of her parents as she often shares their photos online. Despite her busy schedule, she always makes out time to be with her folks, especially during the holidays. She is also often seen going out with them. The family, which includes her only sibling, a brother named Troy, is a close-knit one.
But while details about Camille’s life is readily available to the public, not much is known about the day to day lives of her parents other than that they were never in the entertainment business. Going by their daughter’s recent tweet, however, her dad appears to be in the delivery business.
Shoutout to all the mail carriers (like my dad) who are still out in these streets working and delivering checks (like those $1200 we’re supposed to get)
— Camille Winbush (@camilleSwinbush) March 27, 2020
Camille Winbush’s Brother is also an Actor
Camille grew up with an older brother named Troy Winbush. Just like his sister, Troy is also doing well in the movie industry and has starred in a handful of TV series. He played Denny on The Cosby Show from 1987 to 1991 and this has remained his most remarkable role thus far. Other TV series he has appeared in include Law & Order, NYPD Blue, The Parkers, CSI: Miami, and Touched by an Angel.
Aside from his roles on television, Troy has also appeared in feature films, including The Replacements in 2000, John Q in 2002, The Last Shot in 2004, Backwoods in 2008, as well as Meet my Mom in 2010. He played the role of Travis Harris in Tyler Perry’s House of Payne and appeared in one episode of The Big Bang Theory Season 6.
Where is Camille Winbush Now?
The actress currently lives in the USA where she continues to work on both her acting career and her singing one. She is regarded as a great singer by many in the music business, however, not much of her work is known to the public or has been able to make the charts. One of her most famous songs is on the soundtrack of the Disney musical production of Geppetto. She also recorded songs such as One Small Voice and The Night Before Christmas Song.
