One of the most memorable aspects of the sitcom Martin is the rivalry between Martin and Pam. Pam, played by Tichina Arnold, was the best friend of Martin’s (Martin Lawrence) wife Gina (Tisha Campbell), but that connection didn’t mean that the two characters got along, and their jokes about each other were some of the funniest of the series.
Arnold starred on the show for its entire run, from 1992 to 1997, and she recently reunited with her co-stars for a Martin reunion special. But, while she will always be associated the role—she joked to Kelly Clarkson that people call her Pam so much she doesn’t “answer to [her] own name anymore”—it’s far from the only popular show she’s been a part of. Read on to find out more about Arnold’s career and about her ongoing connection with her Martin castmates.
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After starring on Martin, Arnold went on to appear in other series and in movies. For example, she reunited with Lawrence for 2000’s Big Momma’s House and also had a recurring role on One on One. Then, in 2005, Arnold began starring on the sitcom Everybody Hates Chris as the family’s matriarch, Rochelle. Later, she had another regular role on a sitcom from 2011 to 2013 with Happily Divorced.
Some of Arnold’s more recent projects include the 2019 movie The Last Black Man in San Francisco and the 2020 movie The Main Event. Since 2018, she’s starred on the sitcom The Neighborhood.
Arnold is still close with Martin co-star Campbell, with whom she’s been friends since they were teens. The two met when they were both cast in 1986’s Little Shop of Horrors. And they’re still working together, serving as co-hosts of the Soul Train Music Awards for four years running.
Arnold and Campbell spoke about their decades-long friendship in an interview with Essence‘s Yes, Girl! podcast in 2020.
“I’ve tried to teach [my daughter] to culminate her relationships that she has now,” Arnold said. “I said, think about it, Alijah. You’re only fourteen and you’ve got really cool friends. So, imagine when you guys are all fifty and sixty years old. You will have known these same people, who you love now, and can love fifty years from now. So, that’s kind of what Tisha and I have build our lives upon. [Things like] camaraderie, respect….and we’ve never had a fight.”
Arnold, Campbell, and their Martin co-stars reunited earlier this year for a special that premiered on BET+ in June.
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Speaking of her daughter, Arnold welcomed Alijah Haggins in 2004 with then-partner, music producer Carvin Haggins. Today, Alijah is 18 and a performer herself. In June, she and her mother appeared together as part of Arnold’s musical residency with her band at SLS Beverly Hills. When Alijah released her first single, “Ultimatums,” in June, Arnold wrote on Instagram, “I am so proud of my baby @alijahkai! Here is her first dope single of many more to come. Enjoy!”
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In 2013, Arnold co-founded the We Win Foundation with her sister, Zenay Arnold, who has lupus. According to its website, the foundation “was formed to help individuals, as well as the families and caregivers who support those suffering with the ‘Cruel Mystery’ (Lupus) and other related autoimmune diseases.” A portion of the proceeds from Arnold’s recent residency went towards the foundation.