Kim Coles

Known for bringing a loopy, perky quality to the zany characters she plays, Kim Coles got her start in show business as first runner-up in the Big Beautiful Woman beauty pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey. After a successful career as a "large-size" model, a desire to bring more glamour to her act inspired Coles to shed a few pounds. Appearances as a club performer led to her first break as a warm-up comic for NBC's "The Cosby Show." Coles also appeared on "Yo! MTV Laffs" and "Star Search" and performed as an opening act for musicians Luther Vandross, Bobby Brown, and The O'Jays, among others, and comedian Sinbad. An original ensemble member on Fox's pioneering comedy show "In Living Color," Coles also brought her unique brand of humor as the naive Synclaire James, one of the housemates, on "Living Single" (Fox, 1993-97), the hit sitcom about young "buppie" love and aspirations.

After the demise of the sitcom, Coles published a book of humor about dating, "I'm Free But It Will Cost You" (Hyperion, 1997) and co-wrote and starred in the one-person autobiographical stage show "Homework." She eventually became a host of the Lifetime series "New Attitudes" (1999) before returning to regular series work as one of the star's friends in the ABC sitcom "The Geena Davis Show" (2000-01).