Career
He is best known for having portrayed Dwayne Nelson on the television series What"s Happening!! from 1976-1979, and its spin-off series What"s Happening Now!! 1985-1988.
Nelson was a child star, appearing in many national commercials and in a movie, Mixed Company. From 1973 to 1974 he performed on Broadway alongside Marlo Thomas in Thieves. The show was short-lived.
The next year, in 1976, at the age of 16, he landed the role of Dwayne on What"s Happening!!, the first African-American teen sitcom.
As a "teenage heartthrob" on a popular television series, Nelson was one of the first African-American teen idols. Nelson still works in entertainment, although mainly behind the scenes.
He has worked in talk shows, television shows and interview programs.