Golden Ameda Brooks (born December 1, 1970) is an American actress. She is best known for her nine-year role as Maya Wilkes on the UPN/CW comedy Girlfriends.
Biography[]
As a child she was a figure skating competitor and won several trophies. Brooks is also a classically trained dancer; she studied and taught ballet, jazz, and modern dance.
Brooks studied literature and sociology, and is a graduate of UC Berkeley. Her concentration was Media Representation of Minorities; her minor was Theater. She earned a Masters degree from Sarah Lawrence College. She has a daughter with her former boyfriend D.B. Woodside, Dakota Tao Brooks-Woodside, born on September 1, 2009.
Career[]
Girlfriends[]
Brooks is best known for her portrayal of the character Maya Wilkes (Joan's former sharp-tongued secretary and now acclaimed author) on the The CW situation comedy|sitcom Girlfriends, in which she starred from 2000-2008.
She directed the 2006 episode titled "Hustle & Dough,"and wrote the 2007 episode titled "Snap Back,"which featured guest star Erykah Badu.
The character Maya is portrayed to be several years younger than the other characters Joan, Toni, and Lynn, but in reality Brooks is the eldest among the actors.
Other achievements[]
Brooks has been featured in many films and television shows. She was also featured in the 50 Cent music video for "Straight to the Bank."
On television, she appeared in a 2000 episode of The Jamie Foxx Show as a girl named Nancy, whom Jamie confuses with Fancy. In 2001, she appeared in an episode of Moesha, portraying her Girlfriends character Maya Wilkes. She also appeared in an episode of Pete and Pete, playing big Pete's love interest Heather.
In the film Beauty Shop, she appeared alongside Queen Latifah, Alicia Silverstone, and Kevin Bacon. She was also featured in the movie Motives, co-starring with Vivica Fox and Shemar Moore. In April 2011, the straight-to-DVD movie The Inheritance was released. Brooks co-stars in the horror/thriller along with Darrin Dewitt Henson, D.B. Woodside, Keith David and Rochelle Aytes. Additional projects include the 2009 films Polish Bar and My Place in the Horror.
Brooks volunteers with the Pediatric AIDS Foundation and AIDS Project Los Angeles. She is active with actors such as Danny Glover in the Robey Theater Company.
Filmography[]
- Girl 6 (1996)
- Linc's (1998)
- Timecode (2000)
- Impostor (2002)
- Motives (2004)
- Beauty Shop (2005)
- Something New (2006)
- A Good Man Is Hard to Find (2008)
- Polish Bar (2009)
- The Inheritance (formerly titled My Place in the Horror) (2010)
- In Sickness and In Health (2011)
- The Exes TV Series Episode 1, Season One, as Bree Miller (2011)
- The Perfect Gift (2011)
- Hart of Dixie (2012–present)
- The Marriage Lover (2013)