Actress Kianna Underwood, best known for her childhood role on Nickelodeon’s All That, has died following a hit‑and‑run crash in Brooklyn.
She was 33.
Her father’s heart‑wrenching words
Underwood was struck early Friday morning, Jan. 16, while crossing the intersection of Watkins Street and Pitkin Avenue in the Brownsville neighborhood, according to the New York Police Department and People.
Authorities say a black Ford SUV hit her around 6:50 a.m., after which she was struck a second time by a black‑and‑gray sedan.
She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Both vehicles fled, and police confirmed neither driver has been identified. No arrests have been made, and the NYPD Highway District’s Collision Investigation Squad is continuing its probe.
Her father, Anthony Underwood, posted a devastating message on social media after her death, questioning whether anyone showed his daughter compassion in her final moments.
In a Facebook post early Saturday, he compared his daughter’s death to an incident he once saw involving a fox struck on the road, expressing anguish over whether Kianna was treated with dignity as she lay injured.
“Did anyone try to comfort my baby as she lay dying in the street alone, or did they just stand around with their phones,” he wrote.
A child star on Nickelodeon
Underwood rose to fame as a child performer on All That, the popular Nickelodeon sketch comedy series that helped launch the career of Kenan Thompson. She also spent five years as a voice actor, portraying Fuschia Glover on Little Bill from 1999 to 2004.
As she matured, Underwood continued working in film, television, and theater. Her screen credits included The 24 Hour Woman, where she appeared alongside Rosie Perez, Marianne Jean‑Baptiste, and Patti LuPone, and a small role in Death of a Dynasty, a satirical comedy about the hip‑hop industry starring Kevin Hart. She also found success on stage.
Underwood spent a year touring nationally with Hairspray, performing as Little Inez in the show’s first national tour.
Born in New York City, she later moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting. Her death has shocked fans and the entertainment community, especially those who grew up watching her on Nickelodeon during its late‑1990s and early‑2000s heyday.
Homeless
In the wake of Underwood’s death, more heartbreaking details have emerged.
Local outlet PIX11 reported a neighbor described her as “down on her luck” in recent years, before people realized she was the former child star. “It’s sad, I know who she is. I used to see her all the time,” the neighbor said.
A video resurfaced from late 2023 in which Angelique Bates publicly pleaded for support for Underwood and sharply criticized those connected to All That for not intervening.
According to TMZ, Bates alleged Underwood was struggling financially and lacked stable housing in New York at the time.
Bates expressed frustration at the lack of action from people who once worked alongside Underwood, questioning why no one stepped in to help.
“Like I said, she’s [Kianna Underwood] one of us and she needs help, but she’s not getting it…and nobody is speaking on Kianna Underwood. Nobody. But people are doing interviews making it very loud and clear that ‘I’ve got so and so’s back’ if they say they need anything,” she said in the emotional clip shared on social media.
Although Bates did not name specific individuals, her message made clear she believed those tied to the former children’s sketch series had ignored cast members most in need.
Rest in peace, Kianna Underwood.
Sending heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, and loved ones.
