Christy Knowings rose to fame on Nickelodeon’s hit sketch comedy show All That
Christy Knowings, an actress known for playing funny, over-the-top characters on the 1990s Nickelodeon show All That, has died aged 46.
Her father, Charles Dunn, said she went into cardiac arrest after a severe asthma attack and died in a hospital.According to New York Times, All That was a family-friendly version of Saturday Night Live, that ran for 10 seasons and mixed sketch comedy with music from hip-hop and R&B stars like TLC, Aaliyah and Usher. The show launched several stars, including Nick Cannon, Amanda Bynes and Kenan Thompson.Christy Knowings was born on February 25, 1980, in the Bronx, she attended the Professional Performing Arts School in Manhattan and loved singing and dancing as a child. Her father said she realized a career in entertainment while in high school.When she was 17, a casting agent noticed her while she was an extra on a Nickelodeon pilot hosted by Rosie O’Donnell. Her twin brother, Christopher, encouraged her to show the accents and voices she could do. Soon after, she flew to Los Angeles.She joined All That in 1997 and stayed for three seasons. Her popular characters included Brenda Stone, a news anchor with a strong accent; Jessica, a boy-crazy TV host; and Gloria Bankhead, an exaggerated Martha Stewart type. Christy said she usually got the script on Friday and used the weekend to create each character’s voice and personality, Yahoo News reports.Christy also appeared with her brother on Sesame Street and guest-starred on New York Undercover. She worked as a singer, musician, and voice actor for commercials and digital books.She is survived by her father; her mother, Rénee Knowings Dunn; her twin brother Christopher; and siblings Charles Jr., Ashley, Yavonka, Tamea and Lee. Reportedly, while alive her fans told her over the years that her work on All That brought them joy during hard times, and she said those messages meant a great deal to her.
