Lisa Nicole Carson

Lisa Nicole Carson is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Carla in ER (1996–2001), and Renee Raddick in Ally McBeal (1997–2002). Carson has also starred in films, most notably as Marti in Jason's Lyric (1994), Coretta in Devil in a Blue Dress (1995), Josie in Love Jones (1997), and Sylvia in Life (1999). Following her struggles with bipolar disorder, for which she was hospitalized while starring in Ally McBeal, Carson went on hiatus until 2012, when she reprised her role as Renee Raddick in the final episode of Harry's Law. Most recently, Carson starred as Mae Bell in the miniseries The New Edition Story (2017). Early life Carson was born in Brooklyn, New York; her father is a journalism professor at the University of Florida, and her mother was a kindergarten teacher in New York. She spent her adolescence in Gainesville, Florida and attended F. W. Buchholz High School. Her parents separated when she was 14, and her mother moved back to New York alone. In 1986, she entered the Regional competition sponsored by the "America's Junior Miss" talent show, taking second place for the region held in Gainesville. After graduating in 1987, Carson returned to New York and decided that she wanted to be an actress. She began her career by appearing in a number of After School Specials and HBO short films. Career Carson appeared in productions at the famed Negro Ensemble Company. Her first notable credit came in 1991, when she appeared in Law & Order and in 1992 she had a non-speaking, minor role in the comedy series, The Cosby Show. She was a regular on The Apollo Comedy Hour before appearing in film in Let's Get Bizzee (1993), Jason's Lyric (1994) and Devil in a Blue Dress (1995). She has appeared in Love Jones and Life. She also performed as an R&B singer in the 1995 television movie Divas. She had a role in the 1997 movie Eve's Bayou, as Mattie Mereaux.