# Shavar Ross > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Shavar_Ross > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Shavar_Ross.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shavar_Ross > Source revision: 1345048758 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American actor and filmmaker}} {{BLP sources|date=August 2023}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Shavar Ross | caption = Shavar Ross in 2011 | birth_name = | birth_date = | birth_place = [Bronx, New York](/source/Bronx%2C_New_York), U.S. | education = [Pasadena City College](/source/Pasadena_City_College) ([AA](/source/Associate_of_Arts)) | years_active = | website = | death_date = | death_place = | other_names = | children = | spouse = | occupation = {{hlist|Actor|film director|Entrepreneur|Spiritual Mentor/Teacher}} }} '''Shavar Ross''' is an American actor, film director, screenwriter, film producer, [editor](/source/Film_editing), photographer, author, online retail entrepreneur, and spiritual mentor and teacher. He is known for his recurring television role as Dudley Johnson, Arnold Jackson's ([Gary Coleman](/source/Gary_Coleman)'s) best friend in the [NBC](/source/NBC) sitcom ''[Diff'rent Strokes](/source/Diff'rent_Strokes)'', Alex "Weasel" Parks in the [ABC](/source/American_Broadcasting_Company) sitcom ''[Family Matters](/source/Family_Matters)'', and as "Reggie the Reckless" in the fifth installment of the ''[Friday the 13th](/source/Friday_the_13th_(franchise))'' movie series ''[Friday the 13th: A New Beginning](/source/Friday_the_13th%3A_A_New_Beginning)''. ==Early life== Ross was born in the South Bronx, New York.{{Cite web |title=Shavar Ross {{!}} Actor, Director, Writer |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0743834/ |access-date=2025-07-31 |website=IMDb |language=en-US}} His parents separated when he was seven years old. His mother took Shavar and his sister to [Macon, Georgia](/source/Macon%2C_Georgia), while his father went to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. ==Career== While visiting his father in California during his school's Christmas vacation, Shavar was discovered by top children's agent Evelyn Shultz. Ross landed his first recurring television role on [NBC](/source/NBC)'s ''[Diff'rent Strokes](/source/Diff'rent_Strokes)'' as Dudley Johnson, the best friend of [Gary Coleman](/source/Gary_Coleman)'s character Arnold Jackson. Shavar appeared in the TV film ''[Scout's Honor](/source/Scout's_Honor_(1980_film))'', also with Gary Coleman. Ross became a voice actor for [Hanna-Barbera](/source/Hanna-Barbera) and voiced ''[Our Gang](/source/Our_Gang)'' kid [Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas](/source/Billie_%22Buckwheat%22_Thomas) from the animated TV series version of ''[The Little Rascals](/source/The_Little_Rascals_(animated_TV_series))''. He also appeared in season 2 of the television show ''[Benson](/source/Benson_(TV_series))'', episode 11 "Big Buddy" and episode 17 "Easy Kid Stuff".{{Citation|title=Resolutions: Part I|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0639719/|access-date=June 11, 2019}} Ross also had a recurring role on the series ''[Family Matters](/source/Family_Matters)'' as Alex "Weasel" Parks. Ross has appeared in over 100 film and episodic television projects throughout his career, including such films as the fifth installment of the ''[Friday the 13th](/source/Friday_the_13th_(franchise))'' movie series ''[Friday the 13th: A New Beginning](/source/Friday_the_13th%3A_A_New_Beginning)'' as Reggie "Reggie the Reckless" Winter and as Bryant Calvin, T.C.'s ([Roger E. Mosley](/source/Roger_E._Mosley)) son in the television series ''[Magnum, P.I.](/source/Magnum%2C_P.I.)'' After completing four years of Bible School at The Ministry Training Institute, an auxiliary of [Crenshaw Christian Center](/source/Crenshaw_Christian_Center), Ross founded The Alive Church, a [non-denominational Christian church](/source/Nondenominational_Christianity) in Los Angeles, and was its pastor for four years. Shavar is founder and CEO of Tri-Seven Entertainment, Inc., a film, television and online retail company which produces, develops, acquires and distributes inspirational products for a global audience.[http://www.tri7entertainment.com Tri-Seven Entertainment - Film and Television, Production Services, Actor Services] As a director, his first short film, ''Soul to Take'' (2003), garnered him an Internet distribution deal with [Russell Simmons](/source/Russell_Simmons)' media company Simmons/Lathan Media Group. His second short film, ''A Taste of Us'' (2004), dealt with the civil unrest of the 1960s segregation in the south and was originally made as a pilot presentation for the [TV One](/source/TV_One_(US_TV_network)) Network. ''Lord Help Us''{{IMDb title|0418223|Lord Help Us}} (released nationally in May 2007 through [Image Entertainment](/source/Image_Entertainment)), an inspirational urban romantic comedy starring ''American Idol''‘s [Nadia Turner](/source/Nadia_Turner), Oscar nominee [Margaret Avery](/source/Margaret_Avery) (''The Color Purple''), [Debra Wilson](/source/Debra_Wilson) (''MADtv'', ''Scary Movie 4''), comedian [Joe Clair](/source/Joe_Clair) ([BET](/source/Black_Entertainment_Television)'s ''Rap City'', ''Take the Cake''), Grammy-Award winning singer [Al Jarreau](/source/Al_Jarreau) and many others marked his feature film directorial debut. In May 2006, Ross appeared on an [E!](/source/E!) Child Stars Special, ''Geeks, Freaks, and Sidekicks'', where he revealed that during the taping of the [very special episode](/source/very_special_episode) of ''[Diff'rent Strokes](/source/Diff'rent_Strokes)'' in which he was [molested](/source/Child_sexual_abuse), he was going through a similar experience in real life; he was being "touched" by a family friend inappropriately while he was asleep.[https://shavarblog.blogspot.com/2006/05/on-e-entertainment-tomorrow.html Shavar Ross' Blog: On E! Entertainment Tomorrow] In 2008, he played a "prosperity preacher" on [David Alan Grier](/source/David_Alan_Grier)'s show ''[Chocolate News](/source/Chocolate_News)'' on [Comedy Central](/source/Comedy_Central). In 2009, he appeared in a documentary film ''[His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th](/source/His_Name_Was_Jason%3A_30_Years_of_Friday_the_13th)'' and in 2013 in a documentary film ''[Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th](/source/Crystal_Lake_Memories%3A_The_Complete_History_of_Friday_the_13th)''.{{Cite web |title=Shavar Ross |url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/shavar-ross/credits/3000496626/ |access-date=2025-08-14 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}} ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== * {{IMDb name|0743834}} * [https://shavar-ross-online-academy.teachable.com/ ShavarRossAcademy.com] {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Ross, Shavar}} Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century African-American male actors Category:20th-century American male actors Category:21st-century African-American male actors Category:21st-century American male actors Category:African-American Christians Category:African-American male child actors Category:American male child actors Category:American male film actors Category:American male television actors Category:American male voice actors Category:Male actors from the Bronx --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Shavar Ross](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shavar_Ross) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shavar_Ross?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.