CineScope
Vanessa Williams picture

Vanessa Williams

Acting
Known For

62 Years Old

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.

Born

Tarrytown, New York, USA on 18th March 1963

All Credits

The Kelly Clarkson Show Image
The Kelly Clarkson Show
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson Image
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
Self
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen Image
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Self - Guest
The Wendy Williams Show Image
The Wendy Williams Show
LIVE with Kelly and Mark Image
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
Self - Guest
Jimmy Kimmel Live! Image
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Image
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Arandis
Sherri Image
Sherri
Self - Guest
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson Image
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self
The View Image
The View
The View Image
The View
Self - Guest
The View Image
The View
Self
No Image
The Tony Danza Show
Self - Guest
The Mindy Project Image
The Mindy Project
Dr. Phillips
The Graham Norton Show Image
The Graham Norton Show
Self
No Image
Good Day Live
Self
The Good Wife Image
The Good Wife
Courtney Paige
Modern Family Image
Modern Family
Rhonda
Desperate Housewives Image
Desperate Housewives
Renee Perry
On Air with Ryan Seacrest Image
On Air with Ryan Seacrest
Self
RuPaul's Drag Race Image
RuPaul's Drag Race
Self - Judge (archive footage)
RuPaul's Drag Race Image
RuPaul's Drag Race
Self - Guest Judge
RuPaul's Drag Race Image
RuPaul's Drag Race
RuPaul's Drag Race Image
RuPaul's Drag Race
Self - Special Guest
The Reichen Show Image
The Reichen Show
Self
The Ellen DeGeneres Show Image
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Self
T. J. Hooker Image
T. J. Hooker
Officer Pat Williamson
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Image
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars
Self - Guest Judge
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child Image
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
Beauty (voice)
Broad City Image
Broad City
Elizabeth Carlton
The Proud Family Image
The Proud Family
Debra (voice)
Stars in the House Image
Stars in the House
Self - Special Guest
Stars in the House Image
Stars in the House
Self
The Jonathan Ross Show Image
The Jonathan Ross Show
Self - Guest
Match Game Image
Match Game
Self - Panelist
Intimate Portrait Image
Intimate Portrait
Self (archive footage)
Saturday Night Live Image
Saturday Night Live
Self - Musical Guest
Girls5eva Image
Girls5eva
Nance Trace
American Experience Image
American Experience
Narrator (voice)
The Librarians Image
The Librarians
Cynthia Rockwell
Elsbeth Image
Elsbeth
Roslyn Bridwell
The Bachelorette Image
The Bachelorette
Self
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Image
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Danny Mitchell
The Jennifer Hudson Show Image
The Jennifer Hudson Show
Tamron Hall Image
Tamron Hall
Self - Guest
Secret Celebrity RuPaul's Drag Race Image
Secret Celebrity RuPaul's Drag Race
Vanquisha Da House - Contestant
Chicago Hope Image
Chicago Hope
T.O.T.S. Image
T.O.T.S.
Captain Beakman (voice)
Jungle Cubs Image
Jungle Cubs
The Oscars Image
The Oscars
Self
Tony Awards Image
Tony Awards
Self - Performer
Ugly Betty Image
Ugly Betty
Willhelmina Slater
Days of Our Lives Image
Days of Our Lives
Valerie Grant
Name That Tune Image
Name That Tune
Self - Contestant
Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies Image
Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies
Mama Mirabelle (voice)
The $100,000 Pyramid Image
The $100,000 Pyramid
Self
The Odyssey Image
The Odyssey
Calypso
No Image
LateLine
Velma Image
Velma
Dr. Perdue (voice)
The Rosie O'Donnell Show Image
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
Self - Guest
A Black Lady Sketch Show Image
A Black Lady Sketch Show
Delilah
Queen of the Universe Image
Queen of the Universe
Self - Judge
L.A. Doctors Image
L.A. Doctors
Leanne Barrows
Who Do You Think You Are? Image
Who Do You Think You Are?
Self
666 Park Avenue Image
666 Park Avenue
Olivia Doran
Daytime Divas Image
Daytime Divas
Maxine Robinson
Partners in Crime Image
Partners in Crime
Difficult People Image
Difficult People
Trish
Ally McBeal Image
Ally McBeal
Sheila Hunt
South Beach Image
South Beach
Elizabeth Bauer
MADtv Image
MADtv
Self
Nothing Lasts Forever Image
Nothing Lasts Forever
Dr. Kathy 'Kat' Hunter
Calling All T.O.T.S. Image
Calling All T.O.T.S.
Captain Beakman (voice)
Bethenny Image
Bethenny
Self - Guest
American Style Image
American Style
Self
Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas with Vanessa Williams Image
Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas with Vanessa Williams
Self - Host
A Capitol Fourth Image
A Capitol Fourth
Self
Boomtown Image
Boomtown
Detective Katherine Pierce
Shaft Image
Shaft
Carmen Vasquez
The Jacksons: An American Dream Image
The Jacksons: An American Dream
Suzanne de Passe
No Image
Shear Genius
Eraser Image
Eraser
Lee Cullen
Hannah Montana: The Movie Image
Hannah Montana: The Movie
Vita
Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay Image
Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay
Amanda Waller (voice)
Hoodlum Image
Hoodlum
Francine Hughes
Johnson Family Vacation Image
Johnson Family Vacation
Dorothy Johnson
Batman: Hush Image
Batman: Hush
Amanda Waller (voice)
The Man from Earth: Holocene Image
The Man from Earth: Holocene
Carolyn
101 Most Shocking Moments in Entertainment Image
101 Most Shocking Moments in Entertainment
Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man Image
Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man
Lulu Daniels
Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor Image
Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor
Janice
The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland Image
The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland
Queen of Trash
Don Quixote Image
Don Quixote
Dulcinea / Aldonza
Dance with Me Image
Dance with Me
Ruby Sinclair
Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer Image
Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer
Terri Knight
Not Black Enough Image
Not Black Enough
Self
VH1 Divas Image
VH1 Divas
The Pick-up Artist Image
The Pick-up Artist
Rae, Girl with Dog
Soul Food Image
Soul Food
Teri
Another You Image
Another You
Gloria
Bad Hair Image
Bad Hair
Zora
Happy Clothes: A Film About Patricia Field Image
Happy Clothes: A Film About Patricia Field
Self
Light It Up Image
Light It Up
Audrey McDonald
Futuresport Image
Futuresport
Alexandra 'Alex' Torres
WW3 Image
WW3
M.J. Blake (as Vanessa L. Williams)
Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives Image
Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives
The Courage to Love Image
The Courage to Love
Mother Henriette Delille
Bye Bye Birdie Image
Bye Bye Birdie
Rose Alvarez
Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes Scandal Image
Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes Scandal
Valentine Hayward
Show of Titles Image
Show of Titles
"Dear World" Performer
Tripped Up Image
Tripped Up
Patricia Chamberlain
The Legend of Hallowaiian Image
The Legend of Hallowaiian
Fire Goddess (voice)
The Trip to Bountiful Image
The Trip to Bountiful
Jessie Mae Watts
He's Way More Famous Than You Image
He's Way More Famous Than You
Vanessa Williams
Singleholic Image
Singleholic
Jackie Chisolm
Broadway's Lost Treasures III: The Best of The Tony Awards Image
Broadway's Lost Treasures III: The Best of The Tony Awards
Witch (segment "Into the Woods") (archive footage)
My Brother Image
My Brother
L'Tisha Morton
Nothing Lasts Forever Image
Nothing Lasts Forever
Dr. Kathy 'Kat' Hunter
The Little Pageant That Could Image
The Little Pageant That Could
Self (archive footage)
A Diva's Christmas Carol Image
A Diva's Christmas Carol
Ebony Scrooge
And Then Came Love Image
And Then Came Love
Julie
The Kid Who Loved Christmas Image
The Kid Who Loved Christmas
Lynette Parks
Miss Virginia Image
Miss Virginia
Sally Rae
Seriously... Phil Collins Image
Seriously... Phil Collins
Rachel - TV Executive
It's Black Entertainment Image
It's Black Entertainment
Self - Host
Under the Gun Image
Under the Gun
Samantha Richards
Santa, Baby! Image
Santa, Baby!
Alicia (voice)
Sesame Street: What's the Name of That Song? Image
Sesame Street: What's the Name of That Song?
Self (archive footage)
The 7th Annual Soul Train Christmas Starfest Image
The 7th Annual Soul Train Christmas Starfest
Self
The Secret She Kept Image
The Secret She Kept
Beverly
Stompin' at the Savoy Image
Stompin' at the Savoy
Pauline
Zora Neale Hurston: Claiming a Space Image
Zora Neale Hurston: Claiming a Space
Narrator (voice)
A Mother's Love Image
A Mother's Love
Rochelle Richardson
Some Enchanted Evening: Celebrating Oscar Hammerstein II Image
Some Enchanted Evening: Celebrating Oscar Hammerstein II
Self
Show Boat Image
Show Boat
Julie LaVerne
Celebrating 50 Years of Broadway's Best Image
Celebrating 50 Years of Broadway's Best
Self
No Image
Shaft: Still the Man
Self
Pavarotti & Friends - For the Children of Liberia Image
Pavarotti & Friends - For the Children of Liberia
Self
Keep the Faith, Baby Image
Keep the Faith, Baby
Hazel Scott
Gift for the Living Image
Gift for the Living
Narrator
Score with Chicks Image
Score with Chicks
Christmas in Washington Image
Christmas in Washington
No Image
Afrocentricity
Self
No Image
Christmas is Coming: Rob Mathes & Very Special Friends
Herself
VH1 Divas Holiday: Unsilent Night Image
VH1 Divas Holiday: Unsilent Night
Self
There She Is Image
There She Is
No Image
Rehearsing a Dream
Self
Vanessa Williams: Live From the West Side Image
Vanessa Williams: Live From the West Side