Amanda Seales

Renaissance woman might be the term to best describe Amanda Seales' career. At the age of 12, she kicked off her acting career with an appearance in the Burt Reynolds-starring "Cop and a Half" (1993), followed shortly after by a recurring role on the Nickelodeon show "My Brother and Me" (Nickelodeon 1994-95). Seales receded from the spotlight after that, focusing primarily on attending SUNY Purchase for her undergraduate degree and then going to Columbia University to complete her Master's in African-American Studies, wrapping up in 2005. Along the way, she did appear on "Def Poetry Jam" (HBO 2002-07). After graduating, Seales became an MTV VJ, using the name Amanda Diva. Around the same time, she started creating music, first joining the duo Floetry in 2007. She self-released five EPs and mixtapes from 2007 to 2012, while also appearing on tracks with artists such as Q-Tip and Johnny Polygon. By 2011, she retired the Amanda Diva moniker, instead going back to her real name. After the name change, she dabbled in the world of stand-up comedy, which seemed to open up more doors for her, garnering her a hosting gig for the "Empire After Show" (Fox 2016- ) and at the recurring live show called "Smart Funny & Black" in Los Angeles. 2016 ended up being a big year for Seales, as she started hosting the show "Greatest Ever" (truTV 2016- ) and also was a part of the recurring cast on the acclaimed HBO show "Insecure" (HBO 2016- ). In 2017, she became the spokesperson for TheTruth.com, speaking out against tobacco usage.