Biography Karen Malina White

Philadelphia native Karen Malina White first caught audiences' attention when she took on the role of Charmaine Brown on The Cosby Show in 1989. She would also make waves in the film Lean on Me, but would continue to get mileage out of the role of Charmaine, playing it again on the spin-off A Different World, which she remained with until 1993. White would go on to make appearances on shows like Chicago Hope and My So-Called Life, in addition to appearing in a number of productions on-stage.