Cherie Johnson (born November 21, 1975)[1] is an American actress, writer, film producer, and author.

Johnson's beginnings in show business are attributed to her maternal uncle, David W. Duclon,[3] a successful screenwriter and TV producer, who was known for his work on Happy Days in the 1970s.

In 1984, after two seasons as executive producer of NBC's Silver Spoons, Duclon successfully pitched a new pilot to the network about an orphaned young girl who is taken in by a curmudgeonly older man.

The concept won the approval of NBC programming chief Brandon Tartikoff, who named the titular character, and series, Punky Brewster (after a girl he had known in his youth).

Johnson was cast by NBC in the role of Punky's (Soleil Moon Frye) best friend, the character modeled and named after herself.

Punky Brewster was an immediate success among young audiences, and Johnson continued as the fictional Cherie throughout the series' run (1984–86 on NBC, and 1987–88 in first-run syndication).

Duclon was again her employer, as he served as one of the executive producers of Family Matters during Johnson's run on the show.

[5] Johnson has also explained that she is a big sports fanatic; her favorite team is the Pittsburgh Steelers, and she is a fan of former NBA player Paul Pierce.