Rhonda Ross Kendrick

Rhonda Ross Kendrick (born 14 August 1971) is an American actress, singer-songwriter, and real-estate broker noted for her role as "Toni Burrell" in NBC's TV series Another World. She is the daughter of celebrated singer Diana Ross.

Early life

Rhonda Ross Kendrick was born as Rhonda Suzanne Silberstein on August 14, 1971, in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, to singer Diana Ross and Motown record producer Berry Gordy. Gordy was her biological father but was not married to Ross. When Kendrick was born, Ross was married to music executive Robert Ellis Silberstein. The two raised Kendrick in New York City and Kendrick didn't know who her biological father was until she was almost 13 years old.

Kendrick is the eldest of Ross' five children and the seventh of Gordy's eight biological children.

Her maternal half-siblings are:

• Tracee Joy Silberstein (sister; born October 29, 1972; known as Tracee Ellis Ross)
• Chudney Lane Silberstein (sister; born November 4, 1975; known as Chudney Ross)
• Ross Arne Naess (brother; born October 7, 1987)
• Evan Olav Naess, (brother; born August 26, 1988; a musician, known as Evan Ross). Evan is married to singer/songwriter Ashlee Simpson, the younger sister of singer/actress Jessica Simpson.

Her paternal half-siblings are:

• Hazel Joy Gordy (sister; born August 24, 1954)
• Berry Gordy IV (brother; born October 1955)
• Terry James Gordy (brother; born August 1956)
• Kerry Ashby Gordy (brother; born June 25, 1959)
• Sherry Gordy (sister; born May 23, 1960)
• Kennedy William Gordy (brother; born March 15, 1964) (sang briefly under the stage name Rockwell)
• Stefan Kendal Gordy (brother; born September 3, 1975). Stefan is also known as Redfoo. He and SkyBlu (Kendrick's nephew) form the popular electronic duo LMFAO. Stefan is Kendrick's only younger paternal sibling.

In 1985, when Kendrick was 14, Ross married Norwegian businessman and mountaineer Arne Næss Jr. Through this marriage, she gained three step-siblings, Katnika, Christoffer, and folk singer Leona Naess; before her half-brothers Evan and Ross Naess were born to the couple.

Kendrick graduated from Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, in 1993. She also studied at a boarding school in Switzerland.

Career

Acting

Before pursuing a career in acting, Kendrick was a songstress.

Kendrick made her acting debut in 1985, with a minor role as a dancer in director Michael Schultz's action-comedy The Last Dragon, starring Taimak and Vanity. After almost 9 years, she was next seen in 1994 Larry Elikann's TV movie Out of Darkness. She did not have a speaking role in the movie; she was only seen in a photograph as young "Pauli Cooper," which was played by her mother Diana Ross.

In 1997, she was seen in an episode each of Oddville, MTV and Cosby. Also in 1997, she landed her most memorable recurring role of "Toni Burrell" in the TV series Another World. She was seen in 9 episodes of the series, through 1999. For the role, she was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in 1998.

In 1998, Kendrick was seen in two episodes of the TV mini-series The Temptations, which starred Bianca Lawson portraying Diana Ross. Barry Gordy was portrayed by Obba Babatundé.

Kendrick was last seen on the silver screen in 2018, starring as "Reta" in Paul DeSilva's drama Crackdown Big City Blues, opposite Stu 'Large' Riley and Jim Hill.

She is also producing an action film titled Protector of the Gods in which she will act alongside Phyllis Yvonne Stickney, Tobias Truvillion, and Sawandi Wilson. The release date of the film is not confirmed yet (August 2020.)

Real-estate

In 2005, Kendrick ventured into the real-estate business, becoming an agent with the New York City-based real-estate firm Citi Habitats. After working for two years as an agent, she founded Ross Realty International, a real-estate brokerage firm in New York City in 2008.

Personal life

Kendrick has been married to jazz musician Rodney Kendrick since September 13, 1996. On 7 August 2009, their son Raif-Henok Emmanuel Kendrick was born. She became an aunt in September 2012 when her younger sister Chudney gave birth to daughter Calloway Lane.

Discography

• Rhonda Ross Live Featuring Rodney Kendrick (2004)
• In Case You Didn't Know (2016)

Filmography