Celebrating the Many Talents of Actress/Writer Ta-Tanisha (From TV's 1st Hit Dramedy 'Room 222')

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Groundbreaking actress Ta-Tanisha was born Shirley Cummings on January 15, 1953 in The Bronx New York. She is best known for her groundbreaking performance as Pam Simpson on TV's benchmark half-hour dramedy Room 222 (ABC, 1969-1974).

Ta-Tanisha later appeared in the 1973 film The Sting, while she had made her TV debut on The Mod Squad (in 1969).

That appearance was followed by others on TV shows like Mission: Impossible, The New Dick Van Dyke Show, The Partridge Family, Cannon, Barnaby Jones, The Jeffersons, Sanford and Son (as "The Sanford Arms" tenant Janet Lawrence), Good Times (as three separate characters in three separate episodes), What's Happening!!, Lucas Tanner, The Women of Brewster Place, and several others.

Talents Beyond Acting

Ta-Tanisha's strong media presence inspired to ignite TechniVision, a Media literacy program for inner-city youth that was produced as an after school program in conjunction with Los Angeles City Schools and Girls, Inc.

Following the racial civil unrest in Los Angeles in the early 1990s, Ta-Tanisha the City of Los Angeles awarded her for the program for “helping to heal the city.”

Today

Alligned with the Repertory Dance Theater of Los Angeles, and part of a team that conducts an after school performance programs, Ta-Tanisha has recently penned a play, titled, Miz Biddy. The story is based on Biddy Mason, an enslaved African American woman who never learned to read or write.

Since 1971, Ta-Tanisha has been married to veteran actor Lee Weaver. They have one daughter, Leis La-Te Weaver, and reside in The Bronx.