She was named among VH1’s Top 100 Child Actors for her portrayal as Rudy Huxtable of The Cosby Show. Read about her career and Keshia Knight Pulliam net worth.
Keshia Knight Pulliam is probably one of the youngest people who ever received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in 1986 at just seven years old.
She received the nomination for her role as the youngest daughter of the Huxtable family on The Cosby Show. Keshia was part of the family sitcom from its pilot in 1984 until 1992.
Today, Keshia is a respected entrepreneur and philanthropist. Her cause is similar to that of Jessica Jackley; Keshia dedicates herself to empowering African-American women and their families through education, awareness, and fundraising to support small businesses.
As of this year, Keshia Knight Pulliam net worth is estimated at no less than $2 million. Though her focus is more on her business ventures and nonprofit projects, Keshia never quit from acting. Her latest was a TV movie in 2020 called, Tempted By Danger.
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Keshia Knight Pulliam – Short Bio
Keshia Knight Pulliam was born on April 9, 1979 in Newark, New Jersey. At nine months old, she was chosen for a Johnson & Johnson print ad, and displayed throughout the US.
At three years old, Keisha already had a steady career as a commercial model for big brands like Pepsi, Del Monte, and other major companies in the country.
In September of 1984, Keira appeared on the pilot episode of The Cosby Show.
Early Television and Film Career
The Cosby Show
The role of Rudy Huxtable was originally made for a boy. But, when the five-year-old Keshia came came for an audition, producers believed that Keshia was the best fit for the role. So on September 20, 1984, Keshia appeared as Rudy on the show’s pilot episode.
The sitcom was an instant hit from day one; Keshia impressed her much older colleagues with her natural talent in acting and professionalism. She worked hard to remember her lines and even more so when she had barely learned how to read.
This didn’t hinder her very young career from progressing. She also debuted with her first feature movie, The Last Dragon, in 1985 at the age of 6.
Growing Up With The Show
In 1986, Keshia Knight Pulliam became the youngest Emmy Award nominee on record. To be considered for such a prestigious award at seven years old was more than enough confirmation that the child actress was on the right track, surrounded by the best influences in the business. Her achievements permanently earned the 27th spot on VH1’s list of 100 Greatest Kid Stars.
The world watched her grow up in the sitcom. The tiny, adorable, Rudy, who made the world laugh from her cheeky comebacks, was just as enjoyable to watch when it was her turn to be shadowed around when 3-year-old Raven Symone joined the bunch.
Keshia Knight Pulliam had just turned thirteen in the same month when the Bill Cosby Show aired its last episode, on April 30, 1992. She completed a total of 177 episodes in all 8 seasons, that ran for over 10 years. Those served as her formative years in the industry.
Moving Forward
Celebrity TV Game Shows
After the sitcom, Keshia focused more on her education but not entirely breaking away from the spotlight. Her next big appearance was in 2001, on the TV Child Stars Edition of the game show Weakest Link. She also took part in Fear Factor’s celebrity edition in 2002. Keshia won both events. She also took part in Splash, Celebrity Mole 2, The Apprentice, and Big Brother.
In the succeeding years, Keshia also took roles in several big films like Beauty Shop and Madea Goes To Jail. With television movies, she played roles in Christmas At Water’s Edge, Jingle Belle, Radio Christmas, Pride and Prejudice: Atlanta, Tempted By Danger, and many more.
Of course, she also took part in a few TV series, appearing as a guest on hit shows like Psych and r. Box Office. She plays one of the main roles in Tyler Perry’s House of Payne from 2007 to this day.
Business and Philanthropy
In 2008, Keshia Knight Pulliam started PullPenn, a television and film production company. It was really a move towards her interest to be involved with directing and the production side of the industry she grew up with. She also runs Keshia’s Kitchen, a business selling spice and seasonings.
During her participation in season 7 of Celebrity Apprentice, Keshia expressed that she was satisfied despite being eliminated from the show. She was more than happy to walk away with $25,000 for Kamp Kizzy, a youth organization she started while still attending Spelman College.
Together with business partner Arian Simone, Keshia co-founded the Fearless Fund foundation, pooling $5 million just between the pair. The foundation aims to help small businesses owned by African-American women in pre-seed, seed, and Series A funding start-ups.
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Keshia Knight Pulliam Net Worth – Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Is Keshia Knight Pulliam Net Worth?
Keshia Knight Pulliam net worth is $2 million this year. she has a long, successful career in television with one of the best family sitcoms in the US, that ran from 1984 to 1992. Her wealth comes from being an established businesswoman, investment entrepreneur, and producer.
How Much Did The Cosby Show Cast Earn From Reruns?
For an old but classic series like The Cosby Show, its main casts were supposedly earning at least 5% of their rate. And though the show went off air in 1992, the sitcom had many reruns through the years. But due to the Cosby controversy, the royalties were paused.
What Is Keshia Knight Pulliam Doing Now?
The 42-year-old actress plays one of the main roles in TBS’ comedy-drama series Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne. Aside from her acting career, her life revolves around raising her daughter, promoting Kamp Kizzy and the Fearless Fund foundation, and expanding her ventures.
Keshia Knight Pulliam Net Worth – Final Thoughts
How many child actors managed to progress into the entertainment business after they’ve become adults? Keshia is one of the few who successfully re-integrated herself into the world of show business by creating new openings for herself, as an adult, through hard work and dedication. Now she is known for many great achievements outside of Hollywood.
Keshia took her time and invested in education; we can assume that she was able to store a fortune from her earnings in the ten years she was part of The Cosby Show, along with the long list of projects she received as a child. Keshia gained the knowledge on how to use her hard-earned resources and worked her way towards the success she currently has.
A big part of her life is dedicated to helping others, especially the Black-American community. For years, Keshia has been sharing her recipe to financial independence, and recently, it was announced that she will be joining the Historically Black College University (HBCU) to lead, teach and inspire the next generation of Black-American entrepreneurs in the country.
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