- Born
- Birth nameSymba Berae Smith
- Nickname
- Sammy
- Height5′ 8½″ (1.74 m)
- Originally from Gulfport, Mississippi, Symba realized at a very early age that she wanted to be an actress - and her first break came after winning the "Miss Teen All-American" pageant in Miami. A New York-based modeling agent spotted her there and asked her to move to the Big Apple. Later, in 1991, her "big break" came after winning $100,000 as the Spokesmodel Winner on Star Search (1983). Although she loved New York, finally she could afford to move to Hollywood to further pursue her long-held dream of becoming a working actress. She made her acting debut on the comedy series Blossom (1990) and followed up with guest appearances on over 50 television shows such as Veronica's Closet (1997), Friends (1994), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993), Star Trek: Voyager (1995), CSI: Miami (2002), CSI: NY (2004), Dexter (2006), Mr. Sunshine (2011), Better with You (2010), Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008), Life (2007), The West Wing (1999), Will & Grace (1998), That's So Raven (2003), The Bold and the Beautiful (1987), Days of Our Lives (1965), and Girlfriends (2000), among many others. She has also booked Lead and Supporting roles in several films, such as L.A. Confidential (1997), All About Steve (2009) (in which, by sheer coincidence, she booked a scene with her ex-boyfriend, Thomas Haden Church - which was later cut before the film was released), First Finish, Beverly Hills Cop III (1994), and Abandoned Minds. And she has Hosted many shows, as well - from Co-Hosting the poker pilot Final Table Challenge, with John Daly, to The Bikini Open and The Geraldo Rivera Show (1987) - to numerous live and Internet events.
Booking many national and regional commercials, throughout the years, has helped allow Symba to remain focused on her craft. For 7 years, she also starred in the eye-catching and comical "Remarkable Mouth" TV commercials in which she lip-syncs to incredibly fast montages promoting radio stations. During her stint as The Remarkable Mouth, she filmed almost sixty spots for around the United States, as well as for several countries around the globe, including Lithuania, Portugal, Australia, and Brazil - often in different languages. A few of these spots can now be seen on YouTube. Symba also made personal appearances all over the country meeting fans of these award-winning commercials.
Symba writes, directs, and produces, as well. She mainly writes screenplays - but has also written spec pilots for TV, created commercial campaigns, and written for the thereat, too. Her smash hit play, the outrageous comedy "Lana's Pupil, (Every Woman's Guide to Golddigging)", had audiences rolling - and asking for more.
Aside from the entertainment business, she is working on getting a design patent for an invention that she hopes will revolutionize an entire industry.
Symba has never been married and has no children. She resides in Los Angeles, California, (2011).- IMDb Mini Biography By: A. Nonymous
- Spouse?(August 2014 - present)
- ChildrenNo Children
- RelativesSibling(Sibling)Sibling(Sibling)Sibling(Sibling)Sibling(Sibling)
- A vintage, black & white photo of Symba's mother in a swimsuit appeared in L.A. Confidential (1997) on the cover of "Hush Hush" magazine.
- She played the very first "sexy" alien on Star Trek: Voyager (1995), as a jeweled bikini-clad bar dancer.
- The name "Symba Berae" was actually made up by Symba's older sister while their Mother was pregnant with Symba. Her Mother had chosen the name, "Sheila Renae", for her unborn baby - if the child turned out to be a little girl. Symba's older sister - who was five years old and had only two older brothers at the time - wanted a little sister so badly that she chanted her version of "Sheila Renae" - "Symba Berae" - again and again to "make it be a little girl". Their Mother decided she liked the name. And when she did indeed have a baby girl, she named her "Symba Berae". Not being aware of the African word, "simba", at the time - which means "lion", "strength" or "a good heart" - her Mother made up her own definition for "Symba" - "SYMphony BAby". Symba later played the flute and piccolo in her school's symphony and orchestra, so her Mom says the definition fit her well.
- She directed, co-wrote, and co-produced the comedic play "Lana's Pupil, (Every Woman's Guide to Golddigging)" in LA.
- In 1991, Symba won $100,000 as the Spokesmodel Winner on Star Search (1983). She appeared in a total of seven shows - winning the last five "regular" shows of that season, then proceeding straight to the Semi-Finals and Finals.
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