Darla Davenport

Darla Davenport is an actress, singer, poet and professional drummer. She was born and raised in Columbia, S.C., and is the daughter of the late William Earl and Dorothy Mae Davenport. Darla discovered her voice and talent at an early age. She was known to have memorized long Easter speeches and recited them with confidence and poise. She exhibited that same confidence when singing in the choir and playing drums; a born performer. She was featured in the movie, "Maybe Next Week Sometime) at 13, playing drums for the local gospel group, Big Betty and the Spiritualites. Throughout her youth, she auditioned and landed roles in school and regional plays. At 18, Darla published her first book of poetry, entitled, Ipothia (In Pursuit of the Highest in All). She attended Columbia High School, where she took part in drama, music and poetry clubs. It was at Hampton Institute (University) where Darla perfected her acting chops as a member of The Hampton Players appearing in Ntozake Shange's "For Colored Girls," Lorraine Hansberry, "A Raisin in the Sun," and "God's Trombones" by James Weldon Johnson. Darla played the role of Samantha Simmons in "House of Cards" and has been featured in several commercials (AstraZeneca, The Toy Box, American Inventor, and McCollum Myers Mortuary. Darla's latest project is "The Bell Affair"(2020) where she booked the role of Lucy Bell, the matriarch in the family. The film will tell the story of Daniel and the Bell family who sued for their freedom in the courts and then lead one of the largest escape attempts in American history. set for release in 2021 Darla is married to Eric Wayne Powell and has 3 children and 3 grandchildren.