Cherie Johnson. Actress: Punky Brewster. Cherie Johnson (born November 21, 1975 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA), is an American actress, author, columnist, executive producer, producer, and writer. She is of African American and Puerto Rican descent. Johnson first rose to fame, at age eight, when she appeared on Punky Brewster (1984) as the fictional character, "Cherie", and the show aired from 1984-1988 in first-run syndication on NBC (National Broadcasting Corporation). "Punky Brewster"...