Townsend began her acting career in 1984, appearing in the video Be Somebody... or Be Somebody's Fool!. She appeared in episodes of television sitcoms such as Diff'rent Strokes and Charles in Charge. From 1994 to 1996, she played Wendy Reardon on the NBC daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives. From 1995 to 1998, Townsend played the recurring role of Greta McClure in the ABC sitcom Family Matters. In 1997, she played the female leading role in the comedy film The Pest starring John Leguizamo.[3] She has played guest-starring roles in Quantum Leap,In The Heat of The Night, Living Single, The Practice, Felicity, Walker, Texas Ranger, Friends, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Townsend again appeared in a recurring role on the short-lived UPN sitcom Grown Ups with Family Matters star Jaleel White.
Townsend was a regular cast member on the short-lived sitcoms Rock Me, Baby (2003–04) and Sherri (2009). She also played recurring roles on Lincoln Heights, Switched at Birth, and The Client List. In 2015, Townsend began starring as Kira Cooper, the mother of Zendaya's lead character, on the Disney Channel sitcom K.C. Undercover.[4][5]