Joyful Drake

Joyful Drake starred as Tasha in the highly rated BET comedy series "Let’s Stay Together," produced by Queen Latifah. Joyful’s character Tasha is sophisticated, smart and owns two successful baby boutiques. She and her husband Jamal, played by Ron Renaco Lee, are parents of adorable twins.

Joyful next stars opposite Ryan Phillipe in "Shreveport." Phillipe also directs the feature and Joyful’s character is a divorcee who has a fling with his Hollywood bad boy character. The film was shot on location in Louisiana. Joyful was also cast as Sean “P. Diddy” Combs’ girlfriend in Judd Apatow’s "Get Him To the Greek." Her other notable film roles include "Beauty Shop" with Queen Latifah, "Phat Girlz" with Mo’Nique, and she starred as a woman trying to escape an abusive relationship in the independent drama feature "Bad Ass" opposite Danny Trejo and Ving Rhames. She has also guest starred in television episodes of "One on One," "Cut’s," "The Game" and more.

Joyful founded The Dream Big Foundation, which is dedicated to rewarding young women who are determined to accomplish their dreams. Joyful issued a challenge to five students from South Atlanta High School to write an essay about their dreams and the path to achieving those dreams. These inner city students are working hard to beat the odds and find a way to fund their college educations. The winner with the most compelling story was rewarded with a glamorous prom makeover produced by Joyful and the “BET Dream Team.” The first recipient of this exciting prom experience was Lauren Poe. She received hair, make-up and styling from members of the "Lets Stay Together" glam team. The result was a beautiful experience of a lifetime. Joyful created this foundation because in her words, “Once you stop dreaming, you stop living.”

Born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, one of four girls, she was nicknamed “The Hurricane” by her family because of her high energy and zest for life. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin, she is also a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. While in college, Joyful experienced her first brush with the entertainment industry. For two and a half years she had an exciting time as a dancer for the NBA Milwaukee Bucks. She remains an avid fan and also loves the NFL’s Green Bay Packers.

After graduation, she moved to New York to pursue an acting career. Her first job was a recurring role on the hit Showtime series "Soul Food." While in New York, she co-starred in several independent features and Off-Broadway productions before relocating to Los Angeles. She began studying with acting coach Ivana Chubbuck who encouraged her to embrace her quirkiness and unique sense of humor. She had never thought of herself as a comedic actress and the results have been rewarding.