Chico Benymon

Chico Benymon
Born
Theron Benymon

(1974-08-07) August 7, 1974 (age 50)
Occupations
  • Actor
  • singer
  • musician
  • fashion designer
Years active1999–present

Chico Benymon (born August 7, 1974) is an American actor, singer, musician, and fashion designer best known for his role as Andre "Spencer" Williams on the UPN comedy Half & Half. He also starred in the Nickelodeon TV series The Haunted Hathaways.

Career

Chico began his career in 1999 as part of a R&B/Hip hop vocal trio named Trā-Knox, who were Will Smith's protégé and appeared on his studio albums Willennium and Born to Reign as well as the Wild Wild West and Men In Black II soundtracks. Their most notable featured single Black Suits Comin' (Nod Ya Head) peaked at number 77 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in June 2002. Trā-Knox was signed to Will Smith label Overbrook Entertainment/Westbrook in 2000 with Chico Benymon, Ramon Adams and Tony Brisby who completed the vocal group. The band was short lived as the members decided to separate and venture off into other endeavors before the EP album production was to be completed.

Before the group's disbandment, he sought opportunity into television and film, making a brief appearance on Moesha before his most notable role on the sitcom Half & Half. Benymon then furthered his career into television films and starred alongside Fantasia playing her boyfriend in the 2006 television biopic film Life Is Not a Fairytale: The Fantasia Barrino Story based on the memoir of the same name. He began to return to music in the early 2010s as he began writing and producing his own music releasing music as singles on over the internet with hopes of releasing a studio album. In 2013, he became part of the cast of the Nickelodeon's family series The Haunted Hathaways for two seasons playing a father of two children who are all haunted ghosts residing where new tenants moved in. Years later, he teamed with Redman to collaborate on a single titled "Good Time"[1] and after a long process of finding a platform to release his music, he distributed his debut independent album Don't Talk, Just Listen in 2019 on streaming platforms, from his previous recordings.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2000, 2001 Moesha Lamont Episodes: "Paying the Piper", "The Player"
2001 Ali Hampton House Announcer Credited as Theron Benymon
2002–06 Half & Half Andre "Spencer" Williams Main role
2005 Love on Layaway Reggie
2006 Where Is Love Waiting James
Life Is Not a Fairytale: The Fantasia Barrino Story Rodney Birks TV movie
2007 The Game Damon Ainsley Episodes: "Media Blitz", "The Truth Hurts"
2008 Cuttin Da Mustard Jury
Nite Tales: The Movie Mitch "Storm" role
2009 See Dick Run Bash
Steppin: The Movie Bryan
2010 Perfect Combination Suave
Speed-Dating Dog
2011 The Trap Door Bruce
Streets Detective Alba
2012 Let's Stay Together Bakari Episode: "U Say He's Just a Friend"
House Arrest Chris
Guardian of Eden Rahim
Because I Love You Adam TV Movie
In Sickness and in Health Norman TV movie
Hollywood Heights Rick Episodes: "The Text Spoof", "Loren Talks Business"
2013 24 Hour Love Chance
Act Like You Love Me Russell
2013–15 The Haunted Hathaways Ray Preston Main role
2014 The Thundermans Ray Preston Crossover episode: "The Haunted Thundermans"
Blood Lines Stanley
One Love Nate Winters 8 episodes
2015 Death's Door Bruce
The Cheater John Short film
2016 Soul Ties Anthony
2018 Do's and Don't's of Dating Scott Hall
When It Comes Around Randal
2019 Bunk'd Randy Episode: "Lake Rancid"
2019 A Second Chance Darius Cole Tubi original film
2020 The Perfect Mate Jesse James
2021 Lazarus Twitch

Music

Studio album

  • Don't Talk, Just Listen (Finao Music Group, 2019)

Unreleased singles

as solo artist

  • "I Need Your Love" - (single produced by Tim & Bob)
  • "Good Time" - (single featuring Redman)
  • "Want It" - (single featuring Fabolous)
  • "Weakness"
  • "Mixed Up"
  • :"All of It"

*All selected tracks appear on YouTube, but didn't make the final official album release, majority of songs from the debut album also appear on the unofficial "Good Time" EP

as Trā-Knox

  • "All I Do" (cover)
  • "Special" (written by Wanya Morris)
  • "A Lil' While"
  • "Something's Got To Give"
  • "Believe N My Love"
  • "Goodbye" (a father's dedication to Trā-Knox members, written by Chico Benymon)

*All selected track were unreleased, featured on Chico Benymon's official YouTube channel

Vocal appearances

Featured as Trā-Knox

Featured as solo artist

  • "Stay the Night" - K. Smith featuring Chico Benymon
  • "Streets" - Naam Brigade featuring Chico Benymon (appeared in the film "Streets" soundtrack - 2011)
  • "You're All I Want" Maurice Benymon featuring Chico Benymon - 2019 (Music video appearance and background vocals)

Tours and appearances

Music Videos

as independent artist

Year Title Album
2012 All of It Unreleased single
2016 Love Affair Don't Talk, Just Listen (2019)
2018 Good Time feat. Redman Unreleased single
2019 Nympho Don't Talk, Just Listen (2019)
I Love You
My Day 1
My Love is Real
2021 Lies About Us

References

  1. ^ D-Money (2018-03-27). "Chico Benymon Is Here For A 'Good Time'". SoulBounce. Retrieved 2023-03-29.