Vanessa Bell Calloway
Vanessa Bell Calloway is an American actress and dancer. She is known for her film roles as Princess Imani Izzi in the 1988 comedy Coming to America, as well as for her roles in What's Love Got to Do with It, The Inkwell, Crimson Tide, and Daylight. She is a nine-time NAACP Image Award nominee. She began her acting career in the ABC daytime soap opera, All My Children in 1985. After moving to Los Angeles in 1986, she began appearing in episodes of prime time shows such as The Colbys, Falcon Crest, 227, China Beach, A Different World, and L.A. Law. She made her film debut on Number One with a Bullet (1987), before supporting role of Eddie Murphy's character's arranged wife in the 1988 comedy Coming to America. In 1990, she co-starred alongside Joe Morton in the ABC drama series, Equal Justice. During the 1990s, she had a number of supporting roles in films, including What's Love Got to Do with It (1993) opposite Angela Bassett, The Inkwell (1994), and Crimson Tide (1995) as Denzel Washington's character wife. She also voiced main role in the 1992 animated comedy, Bébé's Kids. She had a number of leading and supporting roles in made for television movies. In 1995, she co-starred opposite James Earl Jones and Joe Morton in the short-lived CBS prime time soap opera, Under One Roof, the first drama series that featured African-American lead characters. For her role on the series, Calloway was nominated for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series. She had leading roles on the short-lived NBC sitcom Rhythm & Blues (1992–93), and starred alongside Larry Hagman as his girlfriend in the CBS drama Orleans (1997). In the 2000s, she had recurring roles on Boston Public and The District. She co-starred in films including The Brothers, All About You, Dawg, Biker Boyz, Love Don't Cost a Thing, and Cheaper by the Dozen. She has guest starred on The Division, Strong Medicine, The Closer, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Dexter, Rizzoli & Isles, Castle, and Grey's Anatomy. From 2010 to 2011, she had the recurring role in the TNT medical drama, Hawthorne. In 2011, she began appearing in the Showtime comedy-drama, Shameless. In 2016, she was cast as lead character in the Bounce TV first prime time soap opera, Saints & Sinners. Also in 2016, she co-starred as president Obama's future mother-in-law, Marian Shields Robinson, and in the comedy-drama film Southside with You. In 2018, she appeared in the Christian drama film Unbroken: Path to Redemption and the crime thriller Dragged Across Concrete. In 2019, she played abolitionist Harriet Tubman's mother in the biographical drama film Harriet. She reprised her role as Imani Izzi in the 2021 sequel Coming 2 America.
Known For
Credits
- 2025 · One of Them Days as
- 2024 · Queens of Christmas as
- 2024 · Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch as Idella Landy
- 2024 · The Vince Staples Show as
- 2023 · Under the Boardwalk as Val (voice)
- 2023 · Black Girl, Erupted as Dr. Rebecca Francis
- 2022 · Wicked City as Tabitha
- 2022 · Sherri as Self - Guest
- 2022 · The Black Hamptons as Carolyn Britton
- 2022 · Mosquito as Eve
- 2022 · The Devil You Know as Della Cowans
- 2022 · Starkeisha as The Voice
- 2021 · Baby as Jackie
- 2021 · A Holiday Chance as Sheryl
- 2021 · Coming 2 America as Imani Izzi
- 2021 · Kenan as Bobbi
- 2021 · Saints & Sinners: Judgment Day as Ella
- 2019 · Harriet as Rit Ross
- 2019 · Unbelievable as Sarah
- 2019 · American Skin as Bernice
- 2019 · A Black Lady Sketch Show as Kiley's Mother
- 2019 · Dragged Across Concrete as Jennifer Johns
- 2019 · Black Monday as Ruth
- 2018 · Throwback Holiday as Mildred Anderson
- 2018 · The Conners as Carrie Langham
- 2018 · Her Only Choice as Dr. Bailey
- 2018 · Thriller as Mrs. Jackson
- 2018 · Unbroken: Path to Redemption as Lila Burkholder
- 2018 · Love, Once and Always as Isabel
- 2017 · Message From a Mistress as Heather
- 2017 · The Preacher's Son as Elena
- 2016 · This Is Us as Edie
- 2016 · This Is Us as Edie (uncredited)
- 2016 · Southside with You as
- 2016 · Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story as Josephine
- 2016 · Saints & Sinners as Lady Ella Johnson
- 2016 · The Bounce Back as Ellen
- 2014 · To Hell and Back as
- 2014 · The Divorce as Eva
- 2013 · Holla 2 as Marion
- 2013 · Between Sisters as Lillian
- 2012 · Go On as Joyce
- 2012 · The Obama Effect as Molly Thomas
- 2012 · A Beautiful Soul as Guardian Angel
- 2012 · The Last Fall as
- 2012 · The Undershepherd as Deaconess Carter
- 2011 · Let's Stay Together as
- 2011 · Shameless as Carol Fisher
- 2010 · Rizzoli & Isles as Assistant District Attorney
- 2009 · Good Hair as Self
- 2009 · Castle as Beryl Wickfield
- 2008 · Lakeview Terrace as Aunt Dorrie
- 2007 · Stompin' as Mrs. Jackson
- 2006 · Dexter as Crisis Counselor
- 2005 · The Closer as Lynn Talmadge
- 2005 · Grey's Anatomy as Lucinda Gamble
- 2005 · Black in the 80s as Self
- 2003 · Cheaper by the Dozen as Diana Philips
- 2003 · Love Don't Co$t a Thing as Vivian Johnson
- 2003 · Cold Case as Geraldine Watkins (1970)
- 2003 · 10-8: Officers on Duty as
- 2003 · Joan of Arcadia as
- 2003 · NCIS as Sally Hammond
- 2003 · Biker Boyz as Anita
- 2002 · CSI: Miami as Tonya Washington
- 2002 · The Red Sneakers as Berniece
- 2001 · One on One as Michelle McCall
- 2001 · All About You as
- 2001 · The Brothers as Dr. Thelma Woolridge
- 2001 · The Division as
- 2000 · Love Song as Evie Livingston
- 2000 · Boston Public as Mrs. Michelle Ronning
- 2000 · The District as Gwen Hendrix
- 2000 · CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as Judge Himmel
- 2000 · A Private Affair as Nikka
- 2000 · Strong Medicine as Melanie Rhodes
- 1999 · The Parkers as
- 1998 · The Temptations as Johnnie Mae Matthews
- 1998 · Archibald the Rainbow Painter as Diana
- 1998 · Prey as
- 1997 · The View as Self
- 1997 · Orleans as Rosalee Clark
- 1996 · The Cherokee Kid as Abby Holsopple
- 1996 · Daylight as Grace Calloway
- 1996 · Malcolm & Eddie as
- 1996 · America's Dream as Miss Williams (segment "The Boy Who Painted Christ Black")
- 1996 · Moesha as
- 1995 · Crimson Tide as Julia Hunter
- 1995 · Under One Roof as Maggie Langston
- 1995 · Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child as Princess Katusha (voice)
- 1994 · Touched by an Angel as Debra Willis
- 1994 · The Inkwell as Francis Phillips
- 1993 · Diagnosis: Murder as Mrs. Calender
- 1993 · The Sinbad Show as
- 1993 · What's Love Got to Do with It as Jackie
- 1993 · Where I Live as
- 1992 · Rhythm & Blues as
- 1992 · Bebe's Kids as Jamika (voice)
- 1992 · Stompin' at the Savoy as Dorothy
- 1992 · Memphis as Martha Kinship
- 1992 · Why Colors? as
- 1991 · The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage as
- 1990 · Polly: Comin' Home! as Nancy Dodds
- 1990 · Dream On as Jeanette
- 1989 · Polly as Nancy
- 1988 · Death Spa as Marci Hewitt
- 1988 · Coming to America as Imani Izzi
- 1988 · China Beach as
- 1988 · The Return of Desperado as Molly Pickett
- 1987 · A Different World as Lily Connors
- 1987 · A Different World as Danielle Vinson
- 1987 · Number One with a Bullet as Woman
- 1986 · L.A. Law as Robyn Edwards
- 1985 · The Colbys as
- 1985 · 227 as
- 1981 · Falcon Crest as Nurse
- 1981 · Simon & Simon as