# Kadeem Hardison

Kadeem Hardison (born July 24, 1965) is an American actor. The son of fashion model Bethann Hardison, he rose to prominence after landing the role of Dwayne Wayne on the television series A Different World, a spin-off of the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show. He is also known for playing Craig Cooper, the title character's father, in the Disney Channel series K.C. Undercover. Hardison has also appeared in the first season of the Showtime comedy Black Monday and starred as Bowser in the Netflix series Teenage Bounty Hunters. On February 14, 2025, Hardison was announced as a cast member in the 3rd season of the HBO series Euphoria.

## Early life

Hardison was born in Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York, the only child of Donald McFadden, an antique and fine art collector, and Bethann Hardison, a pioneering African-American runway model and advocate for diversity in the fashion industry.

## Career

Hardison was a starring cast member on the sitcom A Different World as Dwayne Wayne, and a regular cast member of K.C. Undercover and the short-lived sitcoms Abby and Between Brothers. His career was managed predominantly by his mother, Bethann Hardison. He has also guest starred on several other sitcoms, including Living Single, Girlfriends, Under One Roof, The Boondocks (as himself), Greek, Parenthood, and on Everybody Hates Chris as the judge. His films include Escapee, Rappin', School Daze, Def by Temptation, Vampire in Brooklyn, 30 Years to Life, Made of Honor, The 6th Man, Drive, Renaissance Man, Panther, The Fantasia Barrino Story: Life Is Not a Fairy Tale, Bratz, Biker Boyz, Who's Your Daddy?, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, Blind Faith, Showtime, White Men Can't Jump, and B.C. Butcher. He appears in the 2013 PlayStation 3 video game Beyond: Two Souls as Cole Freeman, a doctor at the United States Department of Paranormal Activity.

## Personal life

Hardison was married to American singer Chanté Moore from 1997 until 2000; they have a daughter named Sophia (b. 1996). Hardison remains a close friend of actor Darryl Bell, who played his best friend Ron Johnson on A Different World; he made an appearance alongside Bell on FOX's Househusbands of Hollywood.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1984 | Beat Street | High School Student | |
| 1984 | The House of Dies Drear | Mac Darrow | Television film |
| 1984 | Go Tell It on the Mountain | Royal | |
| 1985 | Rappin' | Moon | |
| 1987 | Enemy Territory | A-Train | |
| 1988 | School Daze | Edge | |
| 1988 | I'm Gonna Git You Sucka | Willie | |
| 1989 | Dream Date | Jim Parker | Television film |
| 1990 | Def by Temptation | 'K' | |
| 1992 | White Men Can't Jump | Junior | |
| 1994 | Gunmen | Izzy | |
| 1994 | Renaissance Man | Pvt. Jamaal Montgomery | |
| 1995 | Panther | Judge | |
| 1995 | Vampire in Brooklyn | Julius Jones | |
| 1997 | The 6th Man | Antoine Tyler | |
| 1997 | Drive | Malik Brody | |
| 1998 | Blind Faith | Eddie Williams | |
| 2000 | Dancing in September | Winston | |
| 2001 | 30 Years to Life | Bruce | |
| 2001 | Fire & Ice | Michael Williams | Television film |
| 2001 | Instinct to Kill | Lance Difford | |
| 2001 | Thank Heaven | Billy Ferrell | |
| 2002 | Showtime | Kyle | |
| 2002 | Red Skies | Riley | Television film |
| 2002 | Who's Your Daddy? | Andy Brookes | Video |
| 2003 | Biker Boyz | T.J. | |
| 2003 | Dunsmore | Walter Taylor | |
| 2004 | Face of Terror | Jefferson | |
| 2006 | The Cassidy Kids | Dennis Peabody | |
| 2006 | Love Hollywood Style | Ice Pop | |
| 2006 | Life Is Not a Fairytale: The Fantasia Barrino Story | Joseph Barrino | Television film |
| 2007 | Bratz | Sasha's Dad | |
| 2008 | Made of Honour | Felix | |
| 2008 | The Sweep | Tyrone | |
| 2010 | Ashes | Matthew | |
| 2011 | Escapee | Detective Pars | |
| 2011 | The Hop Off | Charles Lee | Short |
| 2011 | Ricochet | Bob Worley | Television film |
| 2013 | The Dark Party | Jeff | |
| 2013 | Zerosome | Cyrus Wainwright | |
| 2014 | Android Cop | Sgt. Jones | |
| 2014 | Rescuing Madison | Steven | Television film |
| 2015 | Sister Switch | Gregory Cole | |
| 2016 | B.C. Butcher | Narrator | |
| 2016 | Queen of Hearts | Book | Short |
| 2018 | The Christmas Pact | Sadie's Dad | Television film |
| 2019 | Paddleton | David | |
| 2020 | Psych 2: Lassie Come Home | Wilkerson | Television film |
| 2020 | Playing with Beethoven | Ted | |
| 2024 | ClearMind | Tom | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1981 | ABC Afterschool Specials | - | Episode: "The Colour of Friendship" |
| 1984 | The Cosby Show | Phillip Washington | Episode: "A Shirt Story" |
| 1985 | American Playhouse | Royal | Episode: "Go Tell It on the Mountain" |
| 1987 | Spenser: For Hire | Bobby Waters | Episode: "My Enemy, My Friend" |
| 1987–93 | A Different World | Dwayne Cleofis Wayne | Main Cast |
| 1988 | TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes | Himself | Episode: "Corbin Bernsen/Kadeem Hardison/Morton Downey Jr." |
| 1990 | Saturday Morning Videos | Himself/Host | Main Host |
| 1990 | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Himself | Episode: "Someday Your Prince Will Be in Effect: Part 2" |
| 1991 | Sesame Street | Himself | Episode: "Episode #22.42" |
| 1992 | CBS Schoolbreak Special | Henry Brooks | Episode: "Words Up!" |
| 1992 | Out All Night | Dean | Episode: "Smooth Operator" |
| 1992 | Roc | Rev. Adams | Episode: "Dear Landlord" |
| 1994 | Captain Planet and the Planeteers | Goki (voice) | Episode: "Gorillas Will Be Missed" |
| 1995 | Living Single | Marcus Hughes | Episode: "Who's Scooping Who?" |
| 1997 | Touched by an Angel | Marc Hamilton | Episode: "Smokescreen" |
| 1997–99 | Between Brothers | Charles Gordon | Main Cast |
| 1998 | Love Boat: The Next Wave | Perry | Episode: "Smooth Sailing" |
| 1998 | Linc's | - | Episode: "Gangsta Rap" |
| 1998 | Fantasy Island | Michael Wilkinson | Episode: "Wishboned" |
| 1998–99 | The Crow: Stairway to Heaven | Skull Cowboy | Recurring Cast |
| 2000 | Just Shoot Me! | Tad Gallow | Episode: "Blackjack" |
| 2000 | Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | Clown (voice) | Episode: "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" |
| 2001 | Intimate Portrait | Himself | Episode: "Jasmine Guy" |
| 2001 | What About Joan? | Ben | Episode: "Joan Sets Up Alice" |
| 2002–03 | Livin' Large | Himself/Host | Main Host |
| 2003 | Abby | Will Jefferies | Main Cast |
| 2000–04 | Static Shock | Adam Evans/Rubberband Man (voice) | Recurring Cast: Seasons 1–2 & 4 |
| 2005 | One on One | Director | Episode: "Venice Boulevard of Broken Dreams" |
| 2006 | Just for Kicks | Charles Atwood | Recurring Cast |
| 2006 | My Name is Earl | Owner | Episode: "Born a Gamblin Man" |
| 2006–07 | House | Lawyer Howard Gemeiner | Recurring Cast: Season 3 |
| 2007 | Girlfriends | Eldon Parks | Recurring Cast: Season 7 |
| 2007–09 | Everybody Hates Chris | Judge Harry Watkins | Guest Cast: Seasons 3–4 |
| 2008 | Under One Roof | Jamal | Episode: "Cell Out" |
| 2009 | Greek | Brian Howard | Episode: "Our Fathers" |
| 2009 | Cold Case | Andrew 'Huxtable' Garrett '09 | Episode: "Read Between the Lines" |
| 2010 | Ghost Whisperer | Dean Olson | Episode: "Dead Air" |
| 2010 | The Boondocks | Himself/Bald Actor (voice) | Episode: "Pause" |
| 2012 | Parenthood | Richard Gilchrist | Episode: "Remember Me, I'm the One Who Loves You" |
| 2012 | Family Guy | NBA Player (voice) | Episode: "Ratings Guy" |
| 2013 | Cult | Paz | Recurring Cast |
| 2015 | Unsung Hollywood | Himself | Episode: "A Different World" |
| 2015–18 | K.C. Undercover | Craig Cooper | Main Cast |
| 2016 | Unsung Hollywood | Himself | Episode: "Jasmine Guy" |
| 2016 | Supernatural | Russell Lemmons | Episode: "Rock Never Dies" |
| 2017 | 9JKL | Terrance | Episode: "The Key to Life" |
| 2017 | K.9. Undercover | Craig Cooper (voice) | Episode: "Infinite Loop" |
| 2018 | Love Is | Norman | Recurring Cast |
| 2019 | Black Monday | Spencer | Recurring Cast: Season 1 |
| 2020 | Teenage Bounty Hunters | Bowser Jenkins | Main Cast |
| 2021 | Reunion Road Trip | Himself | Episode: "It's a Different World" |
| 2022 | The Lincoln Lawyer | Detective Kinder | Recurring Cast: Season 1 |
| 2022 | Moonhaven | Arlo | Main Cast |
| 2022–24 | Grown-ish | Carnegie P. Miller | Guest: Seasons 4–5, Recurring Cast: Season 6 |
| 2023–24 | The Chi | Professor Gardner | Recurring Cast: Season 6 |
| 2024 | That 90's Show | Marcus | Episode: "I Can See Clearly Now" |
| TBA | Criminal | Gnarley | |

### Music videos

| Year | Song | Artist |
| 1991 | "Monster in the Mirror" | Sesame Street |
| 1995 | "Just tah Let U Know" | Eazy-E |
| 2001 | "Careful (Click, Click)" | Wu-Tang Clan |

### Video games

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2013 | Beyond: Two Souls | Cole Freeman | Voice acting and motion capture |

## Cultural influence

* Linda Rosenkrantz and Pamela Redmond Satran credit Hardison for making the name "Kadeem" familiar.
* Hardison is the model for the title character Michael "The Cool" Young History in the inserts of the album The Cool by Lupe Fiasco.
* Hardison was the subject of then-wife Chanté Moore's 1999 single "Chanté's Got a Man".
* In a press conference following Game 4 of the 2012 NBA Finals, Dwyane Wade wore flip-up sunglasses and said he was, "paying a little homage to Dwayne Wayne tonight", referencing Hardison's popular character from A Different World.
* In Season 2, Episode 7 of Psych ("If You're So Smart, Then Why Are You Dead"), Gus references utilizing the "Kadeem Hardison method" to kiss a girl.
* Hardison appears as the narrator on Add-2's 2019 album, Jim Crow: The Musical.