Haywood Nelson


Haywood Knowles Nelson, Jr. is an American actor. He is best known for having portrayed Dwayne Nelson on the television series What's Happening!! from 1976–1979, and its spin-off series What's Happening Now!! 1985–1988.

Biography

Nelson, who grew up in Garden City Park, Long Island, New York, was a child star, appearing in many national commercials and in a movie, Mixed Company. From 1973 to 1974, he performed on Broadway alongside Marlo Thomas in Thieves. At the age of 14, he guest starred on Sanford and Son as Grady's grandson; at 15, he was in the cast of a spin-off of Sanford and Son called Grady. The show was short-lived. The next year, in 1976, at the age of 16, he landed the role of Dwayne on What's Happening!!, the first African-American teen sitcom. As a "teenage heartthrob" on a popular television series, Nelson was one of the first African-American teen idols. In 1977, Nelson guest starred on Kojak in the episode "The Godson" as Bobby Moore.
Nelson who is the main point advisor in his wife's oil/petroleum technology corporation, Skyewood. His wife Khnadya Skye, who is Arabic Egyptian, is listed as Nelson's attorney at SAG-AFTRA and IMDb. She is directly related to the Royal Family of Saudi Arabia and Dubai. The extremely private Nelson is rarely seen in public.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1971–74As the World TurnsJerry SmithUnknown episodes
1974Mixed CompanyFreddieFeature film
1975Sanford and SonHaywood MarshallEpisode: "The Family Man"
1975–76GradyHaywood MarshallMain cast
1976–79What's Happening!!Dwayne NelsonMain cast
1977KojakBobby MooreEpisode: "The Godson"
1977The Brady Bunch HourDwayne NelsonEpisode #1.8
1979The White ShadowRandy JuddEpisode: "Sudden Death"
1981EvilspeakKowalskiFeature film
1983-84That Teen ShowHaywood NelsonCo-host
1985–88What's Happening Now!!Dwayne NelsonMain cast
1990DragnetLyle PetersEpisode: "The Book"
2000The ParkersHimself Episode: "Whassup with Heyyy?"
2003Himself Feature film