Caryn Michelle Ward Ross (née Ward) is an American actress, dancer, choreographer and producer.
Ward was born in Los Angeles, California, Ward's mother is a lawyer and her father is a medical doctor. She attendedHoward University where she graduated with a degree in psychology.[1] Ward also studied dance at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York City. She performed with various artists including Janet Jackson, Arsenio Hall, and Rosie Perez.
Ward began her career as a child actor in the 1980s, appearing in a recurring role in the musical-dance drama series Fame from 1985 to 1986. She later appeared in Webster, Paradise and Family Matters. From 1990 to 1991, she co-starred in the short-lived CBS sitcom You Take the Kids, starring Nell Carter.[2] Ward later took ten year-break from acting and in 2000s, began appearing in episodes of Friends, Strong Medicine, The Shield, and Lincoln Heights. In 2004, she made her movie debut appearing in an supporting role in the thriller Motives, opposite Vivica A. Fox and Shemar Moore. She later appeared in several featuring films, including Boss'n Up (2005), Traci Townsend (2006), and N-Secure (2009). From 2006 to 2015, she had a recurring role in the CW/BET comedy series, The Game.
Ward starred and produced films The Affair (2014) and Zodiac Sign (2015). She starred in the short-lived Bounce TV sitcom Grown Folks in 2017, which was canceled after 13 episodes.[3] In 2018, she received Indie Series Awards nomination for her performance in the Victoria Rowell comedy series The Rich and the Ruthless.[4] [5] Later in 2018, she so-created alongside her husband Craig Ross Jr., starred and produced Urban Movie Channel drama series Monogamy.[6]
On June 26, 2011, Caryn Ward married television and film director Craig Ross, Jr.[7] [8]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | David | Jennifer | TV movie |
| 1992 | The Boys | Tap Dancer | TV movie |
| 2001 | The Heart Department | Shondra Adaire | TV movie |
| 2004 | Motives | Gwendolyn | Video |
| 2005 | Boss'n Up | Dominique | |
| 2006 | Sarang Song | Nessa | Short |
| Traci Townsend | Lynn | ||
| 2007 | Tournament of Dreams | Nessa | |
| Stompin | Camille Turner | ||
| Blood River | Sheila | ||
| 2009 | Think Twice | Jennifer | Short |
| Breaking News | Kendra Davis | Short | |
| Sideline Confessions | Jade | Short | |
| Steppin: The Movie | Actor | ||
| 2010 | Backyard Wedding | Jane | TV movie |
| N-Secure | Kim | ||
| 2011 | The Blackest Swan | Lily | Video |
| The Bachelor Party | La-La | Video | |
| He's Mine Not Yours | Mandy | ||
| 2012 | The Marriage Chronicles | Sabel Jones | |
| If You Really Love Me | - | TV movie | |
| Air Collision | Presidential Purser Joan Watts | Video | |
| 2014 | Patterns of Attraction | Dr. Flowers | |
| Daddy's Home | -Stacy | TV movie | |
| Crossed the Line | Kyra | ||
| The Affair | Simone Waite | ||
| 2015 | Zodiac Sign | Diana | |
| 2016 | 36 Hour Layover | Tammy | |
| For the Love of Christmas | Diana | ||
| LAPD African Cops | - | ||
| 2017 | Message from a Mistress | Jamie Hall | |
| 2023 | Back on the Strip | Eve | |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Days of Our Lives | Tracy | Regular Cast | |
| 1985-86 | Fame | Tina | Recurring cast: season 5, guest: season 6 | |
| 1986 | Webster | Tony | Episode: "The Big Sleepover" | |
| 1987 | Disneyland | Emily | Episode: "The Liberators" | |
| 1988 | What's Happening Now!! | Joyce | Episode: "The Fabulous Fortunes" | |
| 1989 | Paradise | Role unknown | Episode: "All the Pretty Little Horses" | |
| 1990 | Family Matters | Susie | Episode: "Dedicated to the One I Love" | |
| 1990-91 | You Take the Kids | Lorette Kirkland | Main cast | |
| 2002 | Friends | Waitress | Episode: "The One Where Joey Dates Rachel" | |
| 2004 | The Bold and the Beautiful | Insomnia Waitress | Episode: "Episode #1.4389" | |
| Strong Medicine | - | Episode: "Selective Breeding" | ||
| 2005 | The Shield | Queenie | Episode: "String Theory" | |
| Full Plate | Host | Episode: "The Nanny" | ||
| 2006-15 | The Game | Erica Harrison | Recurring cast: season 1-4 & 8 | |
| 2007 | Lincoln Heights | Layla | Episode: "House Arrest" & "The 'F' Word" | |
| Entourage | Hostess | Episode: "Sorry, Harvey" | ||
| 2010 | Love That Girl! | Sexy Lexi | Episode: "Keep It in the Closet" | |
| 2012-14 | Roomieloverfriends | Calista | Recurring cast: season 1-3 | |
| 2014 | One Love | Jenika | Recurring cast | |
| 2015 | Liv and Maddie | Cindy Dippledorf | Episode: "Neighbors-A-Rooney" | |
| Sexless | Calista | Episode: "Surfboard" | ||
| 2016 | Jane the Virgin | Customer #2 | Episode: "Chapter Forty-One" | |
| Pitch | Reporter #2 | Episode: "San Francisco" | ||
| 2017 | Grown Folks | Brenda Finley | Main cast | |
| 2017-21 | The Rich and the Ruthless | Roxanne | Recurring cast: season 1, main cast: season 4 | |
| 2018 | Lucifer | Emily Armantrout | Episode: "High School Poppycock" | |
| 2018–21 | Monogamy | Sincere | Main cast |