Valarie Pettiford, 60

Known for her jazzy voice, Valarie Pettiford made her biggest impact on stage when she put in a Tony-nominated performance in a Broadway production called Fosse. She has also had acclaimed supporting roles in big productions like West Side Story and Show Boat.

But the stage isn’t the only place she has made a name for herself. She also gained fame for her roles as “Big Dee Dee” Thorne in the sitcom Half & Half, while she also had roles in Tyler Perry’s House of Payne. She also dabbled films with roles in Glitter with Mariah Carey Jumping The Broom. She recently starred in a 2021 movie called Senior Moment.