Quick Facts
Biography
Kali Hawk (born October 4, 1986) is an American actress, comedian and model. She has starred in films such as Fifty Shades of Black, Couples Retreat, Bridesmaids and Tyler Perry Presents Peeples. She recurs as Shelby in New Girl and currently co-stars in the Adult Swim series Black Jesus.
Life and career
Hawk was raised in Manhattan. Her father was in merchandising and her mother was a buyer for Bloomingdale's. She is of African-American, Native American, and German Jewish ancestry. She attended State University of New York at Purchase.
She has appeared in several commercials and music videos, and she competed in the fifth season of Last Comic Standing in 2007.
She appeared as Trudy in Couples Retreat with Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau, the Judd Apatow comedy Get Him to the Greek, and the films Bridesmaids, Answers to Nothing, Tyler Perry Presents Peeples, and Answer This!.
In 2012, she was added to the cast of the In Living Color reboot pilot, which did not go forward. She also recurred in the sitcom New Girl as Shelby.
She stars opposite Marlon Wayans and Jane Seymour in the 2016 comedy Fifty Shades of Black from Open Road Films.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Mighty Times: The Children's March | Lenore | Documentary short |
| 2006 | Where Is Love Waiting | Faith | |
| 2006 | Holla | Caprices | |
| 2007 | Lovers & Haters | The One | Short film |
| 2007 | Caregiver | Tania | Video |
| 2008 | Killer Sound | Short film | |
| 2009 | Pushing Thirty | Rio | Video |
| 2009 | Couples Retreat | Trudy | |
| 2010 | Get Him to the Greek | Kali | |
| 2011 | Bridesmaids | Kahlua | |
| 2011 | Answer This! | Shelly | |
| 2011 | Black and Jewish (Black and Yellow Parody) | Short film | |
| 2011 | Answers to Nothing | Allegra | |
| 2011 | Let Go | Angela | |
| 2012 | Crispus Attucks: Today Was a Good Day | Video short | |
| 2013 | Tyler Perry Presents Peeples | Gloria Peeples | |
| 2013 | Another Happy Anniversary | Susan | Short film |
| 2013 | Little Horribles | Short film | |
| 2015 | "November Rule" | Theresa | |
| 2016 | Fifty Shades of Black | Hannah Steele | |
| 2016 | The Bounce Back | Jessica Williams |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Untold Stories of the E.R. | L. Montana EMT | Episode: "Motorcycle Runs Over" |
| 2008 | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | Nurse | Episode: "6.94" |
| 2011 | Are We There Yet? | Danielle | Episode: "The Play Dates Episode" |
| 2012 | NTSF:SD:SUV:: | Minutes | Episode: "Time Angels" |
| 2012 | New Girl | Shelby | Recurring role (7 episodes) |
| 2012-2013 | Let's Stay Together | Connie | Episodes: "No Weddings and a Funeral", "Creepers", "See, What Happened Was" |
| 2013 | In the Meantime | Jazz | TV film |
| 2014 | Psych | Emanuelle | Episode: "COG Blocked" |
| 2014 | Black Jesus | Maggie |