What Is the Cast of Classic Sitcom ‘The Game’ Doing Now?
Popular drama-comedy series, The Game, a spin-off from a Girlfriends’ episode, revolved around first-year medical student Melanie Barnett (Tia Mowry) who passed on medical school to follow her boyfriend, professional football player Derwin Davis to the San Diego Sabers.
She meets Tasha Mack (Wendy Raquel Robinson), the mother of the quarterback Malik Wright (Hosea Chanchez) and Kelly Pitts (Brittany Daniel), the then-wife of the Sabers’ captain, Jason Pitts (Coby Bell).
The show premiered on the CW before the channel canceled it after three seasons. BET picked up the sitcom, and the Season 4 premiere became the most-watched premiere in cable television history.
On August 5, 2015, after nine seasons, The Game came to an end. However, there is currently has a reboot in the works and will return to CW with a few original cast members and an-hour long format.
The show creator, Mara Brock Akil, has signed on as the executive producer with Devon Gregory as the showrunner. OG stars, including Hosea Chanchez and Pooch Hall, have already celebrated the news on their respective social media accounts.
What have the main cast members been up to since the show ended in 2015?
Tia Mowry-Hardict as Melanie Barnett
After portraying Dr. Melanie Barnett-Davis, M.D. for the first five seasons, Tia Mowry-Hardict announced she would not return to the show as a regular cast member in 2012.
Since leaving the show, the actress continued to star in her reality series with twin sister, Tamera Mowry-Housley for a total of three seasons before it ended in December 2013.
She also published her first book, Oh Baby: Pregnancy Tales and Advice from One Hot Mama to Another and portrayed step-mother Stephanie Turner-Phillips in Instant Mom until 2015.
Additionally, the actress made a guest appearance on The Game for the final season and landed in her own cooking show, Tia Mowry at Home. Most recently, she appeared in Indivisible (2018) and Netflix comedy series, Family Reunion.
Outside of acting, Mowry-Hardict and Cory Hardict have been married for over ten years and parent two children. She is also the head coach of the Entertainment Basketball League celebrity team, whose players include The Game co-star Pooch Hall and her husband.
Pooch Hall as Derwin Davis
The actor starred as the wide receiver for the San Diego Sabers for the first five seasons of the sitcom and returned as a guest in Season 6 and 9.
After moving on from The Game in 2013, he appeared in USA Network series, Necessary Roughness (2013), basketball sports film Carter High (2015), biographical movie Chuck (2016), comedy A Dog’s Purpose (2017), and currently stars in Showtime drama crime series Ray Donovan as Daryll.
Wendy Raquel Robinson as Tasha Mack
Tasha Mack, the assertive mother of Malik Wright, portrayed by Wendy Raquel Robinson, remained a cast member throughout all nine seasons of The Game.
The talented actress continued to act after the show. She appeared in several television shows including, The Mayor (2017), Netflix original Dear White People (2018), Disney Channel’s Raven’s Home (2018), and currently stars in Grand Hotel as Mrs. P.
For the past 23 years, Robinson has helped thousands of young people, including singer Elle Varner, with the Amazing Grace Conservatory. It is an arts and media school that mostly serves children from the ages of eight to 18 years old from disenfranchised backgrounds.
Brittany Daniel as Kelly Pitts
Former President of the Sunbeams, Kelly Pitts, portrayed by Brittany Daniel, appeared in all seasons of The Game except for the fifth and sixth. She famously dated actor Keenen Ivory Wayans in 2007, but the relationship ended after seven years, and Daniel married Adam Touni in 2017.
During her time on The Game, Daniel was diagnosed with stage IV non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and underwent chemotherapy in 2011. Three years later, she revealed she is cancer-free. Her acting appearances after The Game ended include comedy Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser and award-winning sitcom, Blackish.
Hosea Chanchez as Malik Wright
Malik Wright, portrayed by Hosea Chanchez, lasted the entire nine seasons as the cocky star quarterback of the San Diego Sabers. He continued appearing in productions including television series, Major Crimes (2016), superhero drama Black Lightning (2019), and a few movies such as Let the Church Say Amen, Down for Whatever, and Fanatic.
Coby Bell as Jason Pitts
The most recent head coach of the San Diego Sabers, Jason Pitts, portrayed by Coby Bell, also appeared in every season of The Game, although he was a recurring member during Season 4 and 5.
Since the sitcom ended, Bell has landed roles in several television series, including Mad Dogs (2016), The Quad (2017), SEAL Team (2019), and currently stars in superhero series, The Gifted as Jace Turner.
The actor is also a husband to Aviss Pinkney-Bell, father to two sets of twins (girl twins and girl/boy twins), a musician in a reggae band, and mentors disenfranchised youth in the non-profit organization, Big Brothers of America.
Brandy as Chardonnay
The famous singer starred as Chardonnay, the ex-wife of Jason Pitts, from Season 5 until the finale. After the show ended, she made her Broadway debut in the musical Chicago as Roxie Hart in 2015.
Brandy then landed her first lead role since Moesha in a BET sitcom she co-created and co-executive produced, titled Zoe Ever After. Even though the first season, consisting of eight episodes, garnered decent ratings and positive reviews, Brandy decided not to return to the series.
A month later, in February 2016, the singer announced her first headlining tour in eight years, the Slayana World Tour, but had to end it early after she landed in the hospital with exhaustion.
In 2018, she became a series regular on Fox’s Star, as Cassie, Carlotta’s (Queen Latifah) younger sister. Brandy continues to sing, act, and help the youth through various campaigns.
Lauren London as Keira Whitaker
Keira Michelle Whitaker, portrayed by Lauren London, was a former child star and introduced in the sixth season. When the show ended, she continued to act and landed roles in Rebel (2017) as well as Games People Play (2019).
The actress began dating rapper Nipsey Hussle in 2013 until his untimely death in 2019. She has a three-year-old son with him and a ten-year-old son with rapper Lil Wayne.
Jay Ellis as Blue Westbrook
New character Bryce “Blueprint” Westbrook, portrayed by Jay Ellis, was San Diego Saber’s first draft pick and replaced Derwin Davis as the leading cast member from Season 6 until the finale.
After the wrapped, he portrayed Lawrence Walker opposite Issa Rae in hit HBO comedy, Insecure. His performance on the show earned him a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
He’s also starred in movies including dance drama Breaking Through (2015), Like Cotton Twines (2016), romantic drama In a Relationship, and horror film, Escape Room (2019).
Additionally, Ellis landed a leading role in the upcoming Hulu original series, Mrs. America. Outside of acting, Ellis works with HIV/AIDS research organization, amfAR, to help eradicate the stigma of HIV in the black community.
