‘Taina’: An Update on the Nickelodeon Show’s Teen Cast
The 90s and early 2000’s Nickelodeon fanatics flocked to watch their favorite tween and teen programs. If you were a growing teenage girl, you probably enjoyed Taina. Led by Life With Mikey alum Christina Vidal, the show followed a young Latina girl attending a performing arts high school with dreams of being a singer. It’s been 15 years since the show’s end. But, the show remains a classic. While fans hold out hope for a reunion, some of the show’s stars have gone on to do other projects. Here’s an update on what they’ve been up to since the show’s end.
Christina Vidal
Vidal starred as the title character and the glue of her group of friends. There were rumors that her diva attitude was the reason the show was canceled, and also suspicion that because the show had a core female audience, it was canned. According to Vidal, there were several reasons the show was canceled.
She told the LA Times: “They [network executives] didn’t really say anything…just that they’d replace it with a show about Master P and his son, Vidal revealed to LA Times. “But I think it had something to do with me getting a record deal.”
Vidal also admit that she did have some behavior issues. “I was just partying, I was late at times – sometimes unprepared,” she told Entertainment Tonight in 2020. “My attitude wasn’t great, I was exhausted, and I was a kid trying to be responsible at work, but also being a teenager and going through normal teenager things.”
Since the show’s end, she’s continued acting, with guest appearances on Girlfriends and Being Mary Jane. She also had a record deal with MCA for a brief time and turned down an offer to lead The Pussycat Dolls. Vidal is now a married mother.
Khaliah Adams
Adams starred as Renée Aretha Jones, Taina’s best friend and the comic of the bunch. She also appeared on The Nick Cannon Show and did voiceover work for the network’s animated children’s series, Dora the Explorer. Per Nickelodeon Fandom, her last known acting credit was on the NBC series Lipstick Jungle in 2008.
While her Instagram account is private, her LinkedIn account details what she’s been up to. It appears she has transitioned from acting to life as an educator, with roles in alumnae affairs, enrollment, counseling, and more in the New York area.
Chris Knowings
Knowings starred as Lamar Carlos Johnson, an aspiring filmmaker. Before Taina, he appeared in the Spike Lee film Crooklyn as Nate Carmichael. He’s also appeared in Law & Order, New York Undercover, and 100 Centre Street.
After Taina, he joined the cast of Sesame Street in its 38th season in 2007 as the character Chris Robinson. His work on the show was well received, earning him a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Performer in a Children’s Series in both 2009 and 2010. He currently stars in the series Nature Cat.
David Oliver Cohen
Cohen starred as Daniel Nathaniel McDaniel, a fellow musician. After the show, he appeared on the daytime soap opera As the World Turns, and performed in the national tour for Rent, before pursuing other passions.
He journeyed into the literary world, becoming a New York Times bestselling author with his first novel White Girl Problems, published in 2012 under the alias, Babe Walker. Cohen has continued to write other novels.
LaTangela Newsome
Newsome played Maritza Hogg, a rival singer, yet a frenemy of Taina. She was the diva of the friend group. She’d already had experience in the business before the show, appearing in music videos throughout the 90s, including Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy,” Jodeci’s “Get On Up,” Subway’s “I’ll Make Your Dreams Come True,” and Deborah Cox’s “Where Do We Go From Here.” She also appeared on Showtime in Harlem singing Chaka Khan’s “Through the Fire.”
Newsome also appeared on Shark Tank. Her LinkedIn profile lists her as an author and publisher, as well as an owner of the company BioRemix products.
