Vanessa Williams
An American pop-R&B recording artist, producer, dancer, model, and actress. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America, but a scandal involving nude photographs caused her to relinquish her title early. Williams rebounded by launching a career as an entertainer, earning Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Award nominations. Williams released her debut album The Right Stuff in 1988, which spawned the hits "The Right Stuff," a #1 on Hot Dance Songs, and "Dreamin'," a #1 on R&B and #8 on Billboard Hot 100. Her second studio album, The Comfort Zone, in 1991 topped the Billboard R&B Album Chart, and spawned the number-one hit, "Save the Best for Last." In 1994 she debuted on Broadway in the musical Kiss of the Spider Woman. In 1995 she recorded the Oscar-winner for Best Original Song, "Colors of the Wind," from the Disney animated feature film Pocahontas. It went on to reach #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Williams's first major movie role was as the star of the feature film Eraser in 1996. She also starred in the movies Soul Food, Dance with Me, The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland, Shaft and Johnson Family Vacation. From 2006 to 2010 she played the role of self-absorbed diva and former supermodel Wilhelmina Slater in the ABC comedy series Ugly Betty. In 2009, Williams released her eighth studio album, The Real Thing. In 2010 she joined the ensemble cast of the series Desperate Housewives as spoiled rich woman Renee Perry.
Known For
Credits
- 2024 · Happy Clothes: A Film About Patricia Field as
- 2023 · Tripped Up as Patricia Chamberlain
- 2023 · Celebrating 50 Years of Broadway's Best as Self
- 2023 · Zora Neale Hurston: Claiming a Space as Narrator (voice)
- 2023 · Velma as Dr. Perdue (voice)
- 2022 · The Jennifer Hudson Show as
- 2022 · Sherri as Self - Guest
- 2021 · Queen of the Universe as Self - Judge
- 2021 · Girls5eva as Nance Trace
- 2021 · Bad Hair as Zora
- 2021 · Name That Tune as Self - Contestant
- 2020 · Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas with Vanessa Williams as Self - Host
- 2020 · Vanessa Williams: Live From the West Side as
- 2020 · Secret Celebrity RuPaul's Drag Race as Self - Special Guest / Vanqueisha De House
- 2020 · Calling All T.O.T.S. as Captain Beakman (voice)
- 2020 · Singleholic as Jackie Chisolm
- 2020 · Stars in the House as Self
- 2020 · Stars in the House as Self - Special Guest
- 2019 · Miss Virginia as Sally Rae
- 2019 · Tamron Hall as Self - Guest
- 2019 · A Black Lady Sketch Show as Delilah
- 2019 · Batman: Hush as Amanda Waller (voice)
- 2019 · T.O.T.S. as Captain Beakman (voice)
- 2019 · American Style as Self
- 2018 · The Legend of Hallowaiian as Fire Goddess (voice)
- 2018 · Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay as Amanda Waller (voice)
- 2017 · The Man from Earth: Holocene as Carolyn
- 2017 · Daytime Divas as Maxine Robinson
- 2017 · Not Black Enough as Self
- 2016 · VH1 Divas Holiday: Unsilent Night as Self
- 2016 · The Secret She Kept as Beverly
- 2016 · The $100,000 Pyramid as Self
- 2016 · Match Game as Self - Panelist
- 2015 · Show Boat as Julie LaVerne
- 2014 · The Librarians as Cynthia Rockwell
- 2014 · The Trip to Bountiful as Jessie Mae Watts
- 2014 · Broad City as Elizabeth Carlton
- 2013 · He's Way More Famous Than You as Vanessa Williams
- 2013 · Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor as Janice
- 2012 · RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars as Self - Guest Judge
- 2012 · 666 Park Avenue as Olivia Doran
- 2012 · The Mindy Project as Dr. Phillips
- 2012 · Bethenny as Self - Guest
- 2011 · A Mother's Love as Rochelle Richardson
- 2010 · Who Do You Think You Are? as Self
- 2009 · Modern Family as Rhonda
- 2009 · The Good Wife as Courtney Paige
- 2009 · Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen as Self - Guest
- 2009 · Hannah Montana: The Movie as Vita
- 2009 · RuPaul's Drag Race as Self - Special Guest
- 2009 · RuPaul's Drag Race as
- 2009 · RuPaul's Drag Race as Self - Judge
- 2009 · RuPaul's Drag Race as Self - Judge (archive footage)
- 2008 · The Wendy Williams Show as
- 2007 · Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies as Mama Mirabelle (voice)
- 2007 · Shear Genius as
- 2007 · The Graham Norton Show as Self
- 2007 · And Then Came Love as Julie
- 2006 · Ugly Betty as Willhelmina Slater
- 2006 · Rehearsing a Dream as Self
- 2006 · South Beach as Elizabeth Bauer
- 2006 · My Brother as L'Tisha Morton
- 2005 · The Reichen Show as Self
- 2005 · Broadway's Lost Treasures III: The Best of The Tony Awards as Witch (segment "Into the Woods") (archive footage)
- 2005 · The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson as Self
- 2004 · Christmas in Washington as
- 2004 · The 7th Annual Soul Train Christmas Starfest as Self
- 2004 · Desperate Housewives as Renee Perry
- 2004 · The Tony Danza Show as Self - Guest
- 2004 · Johnson Family Vacation as Dorothy Johnson
- 2004 · On Air with Ryan Seacrest as Self
- 2003 · The Ellen DeGeneres Show as Self
- 2003 · Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives as
- 2003 · Jimmy Kimmel Live! as Self
- 2003 · The Bachelorette as Self
- 2002 · Boomtown as Detective Katherine Pierce
- 2002 · Keep the Faith, Baby as Hazel Scott
- 2002 · It's Black Entertainment as Self - Host
- 2001 · Santa, Baby! as Alicia (voice)
- 2001 · Good Day Live as Self
- 2001 · The Proud Family as Debra (voice)
- 2001 · WW3 as M.J. Blake (as Vanessa L. Williams)
- 2000 · A Diva's Christmas Carol as Ebony Scrooge
- 2000 · Christmas is Coming: Rob Mathes & Very Special Friends as Herself
- 2000 · Afrocentricity as Self
- 2000 · Shaft as Carmen Vasquez
- 2000 · Don Quixote as Dulcinea / Aldonza
- 2000 · The Courage to Love as Mother Henriette Delille
- 2000 · Shaft: Still the Man as Self
- 1999 · Light It Up as Audrey McDonald
- 1999 · The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland as Queen of Trash
- 1999 · Futuresport as Alexandra 'Alex' Torres
- 1998 · L.A. Doctors as Dr. Leanne Barrows
- 1998 · Dance with Me as Ruby Sinclair
- 1998 · Pavarotti & Friends - For the Children of Liberia as Self
- 1998 · VH1 Divas as
- 1998 · LateLine as
- 1997 · Soul Food as Teri
- 1997 · Hoodlum as Francine Hughes
- 1997 · The View as Self
- 1997 · The View as Self - Guest
- 1997 · The Odyssey as Calypso
- 1996 · Jungle Cubs as
- 1996 · Eraser as Lee Cullen
- 1996 · The Rosie O'Donnell Show as Self - Guest
- 1995 · Bye Bye Birdie as Rose Alvarez
- 1995 · Nothing Lasts Forever as Dr. Kathy 'Kat' Hunter
- 1995 · Nothing Lasts Forever as Dr. Kathy 'Kat' Hunter
- 1995 · MADtv as Self
- 1995 · Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child as Beauty (voice)
- 1994 · Chicago Hope as
- 1994 · Score with Chicks as
- 1993 · Intimate Portrait as Self (archive footage)
- 1993 · Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as Arandis
- 1992 · The Jacksons: An American Dream as Suzanne de Passe
- 1992 · Stompin' at the Savoy as Pauline
- 1991 · Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man as Lulu Daniels
- 1991 · Another You as Gloria
- 1990 · The Kid Who Loved Christmas as Lynette Parks
- 1990 · The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as Danny Mitchell
- 1990 · Seriously... Phil Collins as Rachel - TV Executive
- 1990 · Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer as Terri Knight
- 1989 · Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes Scandal as Valentine Hayward
- 1988 · American Experience as Narrator (voice)
- 1988 · LIVE with Kelly and Mark as
- 1988 · LIVE with Kelly and Mark as Self - Guest
- 1988 · Under the Gun as Samantha Richards
- 1987 · The Pick-up Artist as Rae, Girl with Dog
- 1984 · Partners in Crime as
- 1982 · T. J. Hooker as
- 1980 · A Capitol Fourth as Self
- 1975 · Saturday Night Live as Self - Musical Guest
- 1965 · Days of Our Lives as Valerie Grant
- 1962 · The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as Self
- 1956 · Tony Awards as Self - Performer
- 1953 · The Oscars as Self