Maia Campbell is an American former actress known for her roles as Tiffany Warren on the NBC/UPN sitcom In the House (1995–1999), and Nicole on the 1994 Fox comedy-drama series South Central.

Maia Campbell
Born
Maia Campbell

Alma materSpelman College
OccupationActress
Years active1993–2017
Known forTiffany Warren – In the House
Children1
Parent(s)Bebe Moore Campbell
Tiko Campbell

Early life and career

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Born in Takoma Park, Maryland, Campbell is the daughter of author Bebe Moore Campbell (1950–2006) and Tiko Campbell (1947–2012), an architect and author from Washington, D.C.[1][2] She was raised in the Ladera Heights section of Los Angeles. She briefly attended New York University before transferring to Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia.[citation needed]

At age 16, Campbell made her first on-screen appearance in John Singleton's 1993 romantic drama Poetic Justice, playing the role of Lucky's (played by Tupac Shakur) cousin, Shante.[3]  She was featured in a regular role in the short-lived Fox series South Central, portraying Larenz Tate's girlfriend, Nicole. In 1995, Campbell began portraying the principle role of Tiffany Warren on the NBC sitcom In the House. The show ran for five seasons before being cancelled in 1999.[4] Between 1996 and 1998, she guest starred in Beverly Hills, 90210, Moesha, and Sister, Sister.[3] In March 1999, she was the leading lady in Tyrese's music video for "Sweet Lady".[5] The same year, she appeared in the coming-of-age comedy film Trippin' as Cinny Hawkins, the most beautiful and intelligent girl in school and love interest.[6] In 2000, Campbell played the role of Ashley in the Showtime television film Seventeen Again, alongside Tia, Tamera, and Tahj Mowry. Her last on-screen acting credit came in 2008's low-budget film, The Rimshop.

Personal life

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After an incident while on the set of In the House in 1998, Campbell was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Two years later in 2000, Campbell gave birth to her daughter Elisha, but since she refused to take her psychiatric medication, she lost custody.[7][8]

In 2009, a YouTube video was uploaded to the internet of Campbell exhibiting erratic behavior, causing fans to become concerned. In a statement to Essence, Campbell's stepfather Ellis Gordon Jr. stated "As a family, we have been struggling with Maia in her illness for quite some time," he continued, "We continue to hold fast to our faith and hope that some day she will realize that healing will begin when she decides to reach out and accept the help and treatment that have been offered to her."[3]

In a 2012 sit-down with inspirational speaker Iyanla Vanzant, Campbell stated that in 2010, she was arrested for petty theft and sent to jail, however her stepfather, Ellis, requested that she be moved to a mandatory mental health facility where she spent a year and a half before voluntarily moving to a residential treatment center.[9]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1993 Poetic Justice Shante Film debut
1998 Kinfolks Lissa
1999 Trippin' Cinny Hawkins
2000 Seventeen Again Ashley TV Movie
2002 The Trial Tracy
2003 With or Without You Teresa
2004 Sweet Potato Pie Kadja Direct-to-video
2005 Friends and Lovers Lisa Direct-to-video
The Luau Shyann
Envy Tommie
2007 Sorority Sister Slaughter Rose Direct-to-video
2008 The Rimshop Misty
2017 Doctor Impostor Doreen DuVernay

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1993 Thea Alison Episode: "Dirty Laundry"
1994 South Central Nicole Recurring cast
1995–99 In the House Tiffany Warren Main cast
1996–97 Beverly Hills, 90210 Mariah Murphy Episode: "Remember the Alamo" & "Heaven Scent"
1997 Moesha Tammy Episode: "Double Date"
1998 Sister, Sister Shayla Episode: "The Grass Is Always Finer"
2012 Iyanla, Fix My Life Herself Episode: "Fix My Celebrity Life"
2013 Life After Herself Episode: "Maia Campbell: In the House"
2016 From the Bottom Up Herself BET Docu-series

Music videos

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Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Title of work Result
1996 Young Artist Award Best Performance by a Young Actress – TV Comedy Series In the House Nominated

References

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  1. Concepcion, Mariel (November 28, 2006). "Journalist Bebe Moore Campbell Dies". vibe.com. Archived from the original on January 12, 2011. Retrieved August 6, 2008.
  2. Fox, Margalit (November 28, 2006). "Bebe Moore Campbell, Novelist of Black Lives, Dies at 56". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 4, 2024. Retrieved August 6, 2008.
  3. 1 2 3 Kwateng-Clark, Danielle (July 11, 2017). "Triumph And Tragedy: A Timeline Of Maia Campbell's Career". Essence. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  4. Sengwe, Stephanie (February 4, 2026). "18 of the Most Underrated Black-Led TV Shows". People.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. "Tyrese And A Sweet Lady". Billboard. March 6, 1999. Retrieved July 28, 2011.
  6. Van Gelder, Lawrence (May 12, 1999). "'Trippin': Prom Queens, Evidently, Go for the Scholarly Type". archive.nytimes.com. Retrieved February 28, 2026.
  7. "Iyanla Fix My Life EP 112 'Fix My Celebrity Life'". youtube.com. YouTube. January 3, 2022.
  8. "Maia Campbell and Her Daughter Look to Their Future". Oprah.com. Retrieved November 17, 2012.
  9. "Iyanla Fix My Life EP 112 'Fix My Celebrity Life'". youtube.com. YouTube. January 3, 2022.
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