Toukie Smith

Toukie Smith
Born Doris Smith
(1955-04-25) April 25, 1955
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Nationality American
Other names Tookie Smith
Occupation Actress, model
Years active 1970–present
Known for Eva Rawley – 227
Partner(s) Robert De Niro (1988–96)
Children 2
Family Willi Smith (brother)

Toukie "Doris" A. Smith (born April 25, 1955) is an American actress and model.[1] Smith is best known for her role as Eva Rawley on the NBC sitcom 227 (1989–90). She is the sister of late fashion designer Willi Smith.[2]

Early life

Smith was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to a mother who worked at a factory and a father who was a butcher. She had two brothers, Willi Smith, the designer, and Norman Smith.[3]

She attended Fashion Institute of Technology.[3]

Career

Smith started her career in 1970 as a model, working for such brands as Chanel, Versace, Geoffrey Beene, Issey Miyake, Norma Kamali, Thierry Mugler, and Patrick Kelly.[3] She also modeled for her brother's line.[4]

She also had a successful print career, including a photo campaign for Yves St. Laurent as well as appearances in Vogue, ELLE, Ebony, Cosmopolitan, Redbook, and Seventeen magazines. In 1978, Smith was named Bloomingdale's Model of the Year and became the first African–American model to have a mannequin designed in her likeness.

Besides 227, Her other credits include Talkin' Dirty After Dark (1991), Joe's Apartment (1994), and The Preacher's Wife (1996).

Smith had a restaurant in the West Village neighborhood of New York City called Toukie's.[5][6]

Personal life

From 1988–1996, Smith's long–term partner was actor Robert De Niro, with whom she have twin sons (Aaron Kendrick De Niro and Julian Henry De Niro; born 1995).[7][8] conceived by in vitro fertilization and delivered by a surrogate mother.

Smith said that the name "Toukie" comes from her grandmother, who used to play her a song about a fire engine that had a lot of energy.[2]

Filmography

References

  1. ↑ Stark, John; Koffler, Kevin (18 December 1989). "The Worst of Times Are Over for 227's Red-Hot Toukie Smith". People (Vol. 32 No. 25). Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  2. 1 2 Hawkins, Timothy (23 February 1990). "Toukie Smith Puts New Angles on Style". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 Servin, James (28 June 1992). "Woman About Town". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  4. ↑ Morris, Bernadine (18 November 1981). "Black Designers and Students Honored". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  5. ↑ Als, Hilton (19 September 1994). "Tou-Tou-Toukie, Hello". The New Yorker. p. 44. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  6. ↑ Fabricant, Florence (14 September 1994). "Off the Menu". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  7. ↑ Brozan, Nadine (3 November 1995). "Chronicle". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  8. ↑ Gugliemi, Jodi (28 March 2016). "Robert De Niro Reveals His Son Has Autism: Inside His Life as a Father". People. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
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