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Renn Woods is a celebrated figure in stage, television, and film, renowned for her exceptional vocal talent and emerging skills as a playwright. Born in Chicago and raised in Portland, Oregon, she formed the girl group Sunday's Child at age 10. The trio gained local recognition before appearing on national TV and touring with Bob Hope in Vietnam.
Known as a child star and teenage heartthrob, Renn is most famous for her role as "Fanta" in the Emmy-winning TV mini-series Roots (1977). Her memorable performance of "Aquarius" in Miloš Forman's musical film Hair (1979) remains a classic.
Her portrayal of "Dorothy" in the first national Broadway tour of The Wiz earned critical acclaim, setting a new standard for young performers in musical theatre. She returned to the same Los Angeles theatre, The Ahmanson, in 2006 to perform as "The Moon" in Caroline or Change, receiving similar praise. Renn's musical, Sold: Renn Woods in Concert, has established her reputation as a published playwright. The Kennedy Center's Writers Program selected her play from over 2,000 submissions for development. Initially a one-woman show at the Juneteenth Festival, it was soon produced at the Music Center under Gordon Davidson. The most recent production, staged in November 2013, was recognized in Pittsburgh's "Best of Pittsburgh" as an autobiographical tour de force.
As a songwriter and lyricist, Renn was invited to compose a tribute song for the late Robert Altman at The Malibu Celebration of Film, where she performed "Ode to Altman" in 2006 for him and 150 guests at the Magic Castle. Disney CEO Robert A. Iger selected her to sing at the prestigious Legends Awards Ceremony honoring Sir Elton John. Renn began singing at age six, and by ten, alongside two friends, she captivated the entertainment world with Sunday's Child, admired by celebrities like Bill Cosby, Sammy Davis Jr., and Johnny Carson.
The group toured globally, including Bob Hope's final USO tour in Vietnam. A photo of Renn and Bob Hope from that Christmas performance was featured in Robert Zemeckis's acclaimed film Forrest Gump (1994), which has grossed over $329 million.
Her film credits include Crazy World (1996), Walker (1987), Juvie, 9 to 5 (1980) with Jane Fonda, Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986) with Whoopi Goldberg, The Jerk (1979), A Perfect Couple (1979), Marshal Law (1996), Xanadu (1980), The Brother from Another Planet (1984), Hair (1979), Car Wash (1976), Youngblood (1978), Beer (1985), Sparkle (1976), and Forrest Gump (1994) (TV clip with Bob Hope).
Television appearances feature starring roles in Detention: The Siege at Johnson High (1997, ABC Movie of the Week), series regular or recurring roles in Beauty and the Beast (1987), We've Got Each Other (1977), Roc (1991), Gabriel's Fire (1990), Relativity (1996), Comedy Rush, and guest spots on NYPD Blue (1993), That's Life (2000), Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996), High Incident (1996), and Monsters (1988).
In 2014, Renn began recording her third solo CD as a songwriter and vocalist.
