Desreta Jackson - Wikipedia Desreta Jackson Desreta Jackson ( 1975 - 04 - 19 ) April 19, 1975 ( age 42 ) Tortola, British Virgin Islands Occupation Actress Years active 1985 to Present Known for Actress Founder, Black Silk Products Notable work The Color Purple Website http://desretajackson.com/ Desreta Jackson ( born April 19, 1975 ) is a Virgin Islander actress, producer and entrepreneur. She is best known for her role as Young Celie in the movie The Color Purple. Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Acting career 2.1 Filmography 2.2 Theater 3 Personal life 4 References 5 External links Early life and education Jackson was born in Tortola in the British Virgin Islands and immigrated to the United States at the age of nine. Her family settled in a skid row area of Los Angeles and her mother collected cans to support her. After two years, her mother found housing in South Central Los Angeles. After acting in a scene in a school play, she told her mother that she wanted to take drama classes. Her mother enrolled her in acting classes to keep her away from gang activity where they lived in California. After landing various roles in television and movies, Jackson earned a degree in Directing from Los Angeles City College. Acting career Jackson 's career began after only a short time in acting school. She was at a casting call for the movie The Color Purple when she was spotted by Producer Reuben Cannon. She was called back for more casting calls after her first audition. She landed the role of the young Celie Harris ( with Whoopi Goldberg as adult Celie ), who is forced to marry a wealthy young local widower ( Danny Glover ) who abuses her. Jackson continued her career while landing roles in both television and film. Filmography Year Title Role Notes 2008 Creating Celebrity Self / Producer Sister Act Teenage Girl Minor Role Mancuso, F.B.I. Appeared in episode 2 ( Racial Matters ) which aired on October 19, 1989. Mighty Pawns Lucy Made for TV movie starring Rosalind Cash, Shawn Harrison, and Desreta Jackson. 1985 The Color Purple Young Celie Theater Andie ( 1995 ) Alien Garden ( 1996 ) Personal life Jackson is the founder of BlackSilk Products, a hair care product company that she launched in 2011. She began the business from home in 2002, making her own hair care products such as oils, hair treatments, as well as shampoos and conditioners. References ^ Jump up to : Cane, Clay ( 16 November 2010 ). `` Exclusive : Desreta Jackson Talks Behind The Scenes Of Oprah 's The Color Purple Reunion ''. BET. Retrieved 30 April 2013. ^ Jump up to : `` Whoopi Goldberg And 25 Years Later : The Color Purple Reunion ''. The Oprah Winfrey Show. Chicago, IL. 15 November 2010. Syndicated. Jump up ^ `` Actors enrich roles with personal experiences ''. The Gazette ( Cedar Rapids - Iowa City ). November 1, 1996. Retrieved 3 May 2013. ^ Jump up to : `` Poetic Justice -- This Actress From The Movie The Color Purple Creates A Beauty Innovation To Protect Women 's Health ''. Innotech Breakthroughs. Retrieved 30 April 2013. Jump up ^ Carr, Jay ( 19 July 1987 ). `` Purple Powerful ''. The Boston Globe. HighBeam Research. Retrieved 30 April 2013. Jump up ^ `` Film : `` The Color Purple, '' from Steven Spielberg ``. NY Times. Retrieved 3 May 2013. Jump up ^ Bogle, Donald ( 1989 ). Blacks in American films and television : an encyclopedia. Fireside. pp. 61, 150. ISBN 0671675389. Jump up ^ `` THEATER REVIEW : A Funny Social Study at Theatre Center ''. LA Times. Retrieved 3 May 2013. Jump up ^ `` ' Alien Garden ' enthralls, disturbs ''. The Gazette ( Cedar Rapids - Iowa City ). November 9, 1996. Retrieved 3 May 2013. External links Official website Desreta Jackson on IMDb Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Desreta_Jackson&oldid=798514061 '' Categories : 1975 births American film actresses Actresses from Los Angeles Living people African - American actresses American actresses British Virgin Islands emigrants to the United States Hidden categories : Articles with hCards Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia Talk Contents About Wikipedia Italiano Edit links This page was last edited on 2 September 2017, at 09 : 34. About Wikipedia

Question: who played celie as a child in the color purple
Answer: Desreta Jackson