Shavar Ross

Shavar Malik Ross (born March 4, 1971) is an American actor, film director, screenwriter, film producer, editor, photographer, author, and retail entrepreneur. He is known for his recurring television role as Dudley Johnson, Gary Coleman's best friend in the NBC sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, Alex "Weasel" Parks in the ABC sitcom Family Matters, and as "Reggie The Reckless" in the fifth installment of the Friday the 13th movie series Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985). 2Biography Ross was born in the South Bronx, New York. His parents separated when he was 6 years old. His mother took Shavar and his sister to Macon, Georgia, while his father went to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. In 1979, while visiting his father in California during his school's Christmas vacation, Shavar was discovered by top children's agent Evelyn Shultz. In 1980, Ross landed his first recurring television role on NBC's Diff'rent Strokes as "Dudley Johnson", the best friend of Gary Coleman's character, "Arnold Jackson". Also in 1980, Shavar appeared in the TV film Scout's Honor, also with Gary Coleman. Two years later, Ross became a voice actor for Hanna-Barbera and voiced Our Gang kid Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas from the animated TV series version of The Little Rascals. He also appeared in the television show Benson, as part of a "big brother/little brother"-type charity imposition that the governor made the employees participate in (season 2 e