Daphne Maxwell Reid

Daphne Maxwell Reid, born Daphne Etta Maxwell on July 13, 1948, in New York City, is an American actress, comedian, designer, and former model. She is the daughter of Rosalee and Green Maxwell. She attended The Bronx High School of Science and later earned a degree in interior design and architecture from Northwestern University, which she attended on a scholarship. During her time at Northwestern, she became the first African-American woman named homecoming queen.

While attending Northwestern, Reid began her modeling career and signed with Ford Models. She achieved a major milestone by becoming the first African-American woman featured on the cover of Glamour magazine.

In her early acting career, Reid appeared on various television programs, including WKRP in Cincinnati, The A-Team, Hill Street Blues, T.J. Hooker, Hardcastle and McCormick, Cagney & Lacey, Murder, She Wrote, and The Cosby Show. Between 1983 and 1987, she had a recurring role on the CBS detective series Simon & Simon. She subsequently co-starred with her husband, actor Tim Reid, on two CBS series: Frank's Place from 1987 to 1988 and Snoops from 1989 to 1990.

Reid's best-known role came in 1993 when she replaced Janet Hubert-Whitten as Vivian Banks on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, playing the character until 1996. She later played the recurring role of Frances Hunter on the UPN sitcom Eve and appeared as Juanita Lawrence on the BET sitcom Let's Stay Together. In 2022, she guest-starred as Art Council executive director Janice in the ninth episode of Bel-Air, a dramatic reimagining of the original sitcom.

Beyond her acting career, Reid is a photographer, designer, and clothing creator. During the 1980s and 1990s, she served on the advisory board of the National Student Film Institute. Her career achievements have earned her accolades, including the Women of Vision Award from Women in Film & Video.

Reid married Robert Tubbs in 1968, and they had one son, Chris, before divorcing in 1979. She married Tim Reid in 1982, becoming stepmother to his two children. Together, they owned and operated New Millennium Studios in Petersburg, Virginia, until 2014. Additionally, she was appointed to the board of visitors at Virginia State University in July 2008, serving for eight years, and became an honorary member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority in 2010.