Skip to main content

LisaRaye McCoy is an actress, a model, a fashion designer, and a podcast host, who became a familiar face in movies and TV during the 1990s and 2000s. She recently celebrated her 59th birthday and fans have been praising her for age gracefully and maintaining the same vibrant energy and confidence that made her a star decades ago in films like The Players Club.

Here are a few things you may not know about the star including, the reason she only wears and isn’t looking to add color to her wardrobe anytime soon.

LisaRaye was born on Sept. 23, 1967, to businessman David Ray McCoy and former model Katie McCoy. She is the paternal half-sister of Da Brat. LisaRaye grew up on Chicago’s South Side and attended grade school and hish school on the city. After graduation, attended Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois, before pursuing a career in entertainment. In 1996, she appeared in Tupac Shakur’s video “Toss It Up.”

LisaRaye appeared in dozens of other music videos over the years including Ginuwine’s “Last Chance,” Ludacris’ “Number 1 Spot,” Sisqó’s “Incomplete,” “Unpredictable” by Jamie Foxx, and ”Ooohhhwwweee” by Master P.

Her early acting credits included appearances on shows such as In the House and Moesha. Her major breakthrough came when she starred in the 1998 film The Players Club, written and directed by Ice Cube. LisaRaye portrayed an exoctic dancer named Diana “Diamond” Armstrong. The role became one of the defining performances of her career and helped establish her as a recognizable actress.

LisaRaye also appeared in the filmsBeauty Shop, The Wood, Civil Brand, and The Proud Family Movie.

She also expanded her television résumé. From 2003 to 2007, she played Neesee James on the sitcom All of Us, a role that earned her a 2007 NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

Another significant television role came with VH1’s Single Ladies. LisaRaye played Keisha Greene, one of the series’ principal characters, during its run from 2011 to 2015. Single Ladies followed relationships and the personal lives of three women in Atlanta. She also starred in the reality television series LisaRaye: The Real McCoy about her own professional and personal life.

Outside of acting, LisaRaye has pursued fashion and business ventures. In 2005, she introduced fashion lines including Luxe & Romance, a lingerie collection and Xraye, a women’s jeans line.

Something else to know about LisaRaye is that she only wears white these days. The actress discussed her reasons for that in the past explaining that white makes her feel “crisp and clean” whereas black feels too dark and heavy for her spirit, and is associated with death. She has stated that wearing a single color simplifies things, removing the need to spend time matching and color-coordinating her outfits.

When asked again about that during a recent appearance on the Mama I Made it podcast hosted by Samantha Chatman, LisaRaye has some fun joking “I’m not a virgin but I might be an angel.” She added that it’s true that her entire wardrobe is all white and said, “I was born to wear white, not everybody can.”

LisaRaye’s life away from the camera has received considerable public attention too. She was married to singer Tony Martin from 1992 to 1994 and later wed Michael Misick, who served as the first Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands. They were together from 2006 to 2008 and their marriage made LisaRaye the First Lady of Turks and Caicos during that period. She has one daughter, Kai Morae Pace.

Best in News