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Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
March 18, 1963
Place of Birth
Tarrytown, New York, USA
Also Known As
- Vanessa L. William
- Vanessa Lynn Williams
- ونسا ویلیامز
Vanessa Williams
2.1 Popularity
Biography
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
0.0
Self
Happy Clothes: A Film About Patricia Field
2024
0.0
Self (archive footage)
The Little Pageant That Could
2024
6.9
Roslyn Bridwell
Elsbeth
2024
5.0
Patricia Chamberlain
Tripped Up
2023
2.0
Self
Celebrating 50 Years of Broadway's Best
2023
5.0
Narrator (voice)
Zora Neale Hurston: Claiming a Space
2023
3.4
Dr. Perdue (voice)
Velma
2023
5.6
The Jennifer Hudson Show
2022
3.0
Self - Guest
Sherri
2022
4.2
Self - Judge
Queen of the Universe
2021
Credits
Happy Clothes: A Film About Patricia Field
as Self
2024
0.0
The Little Pageant That Could
as Self (archive footage)
2024
0.0
Elsbeth
as Roslyn Bridwell
2024
6.9
Tripped Up
as Patricia Chamberlain
2023
5.0
Celebrating 50 Years of Broadway's Best
as Self
2023
2.0
Zora Neale Hurston: Claiming a Space
as Narrator (voice)
2023
5.0
Velma
as Dr. Perdue (voice)
2023
3.4
The Jennifer Hudson Show
2022
5.6
Sherri
as Self - Guest
2022
3.0
Queen of the Universe
as Self - Judge
2021
4.2
Show of Titles
as "Dear World" Performer
2021
0.0
Girls5eva
as Nance Trace
2021
6.1
Bad Hair
as Zora
2021
5.8
Name That Tune
as Self - Contestant
2021
7.1
Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas with Vanessa Williams
as Self - Host
2020
0.0
Vanessa Williams: Live From the West Side
2020
0.0
There She Is
2020
0.0
Secret Celebrity RuPaul's Drag Race
as Vanquisha Da House - Contestant
2020
5.8
Calling All T.O.T.S.
as Captain Beakman (voice)
2020
7.0
Singleholic
as Jackie Chisolm
2020
2.0
Stars in the House
as Self
2020
0.0
Stars in the House
as Self - Special Guest
2020
0.0
Miss Virginia
as Sally Rae
2019
8.2
First Wives Club
as Nancy
2019
8.0
The Kelly Clarkson Show
as Self
2019
6.3
Tamron Hall
as Self - Guest
2019
4.9
A Black Lady Sketch Show
as Delilah
2019
7.0
Batman: Hush
as Amanda Waller (voice)
2019
7.2
T.O.T.S.
as Captain Beakman (voice)
2019
7.3
American Style
as Self
2019
1.0
The Legend of Hallowaiian
as Fire Goddess (voice)
2018
7.7
Celebrity Catchphrase
as Self - Contestant
2018
0.0
Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay
as Amanda Waller (voice)
2018
7.1
The Man from Earth: Holocene
as Carolyn
2017
5.5
Daytime Divas
as Maxine Robinson
2017
3.7
Not Black Enough
as Self
2017
7.8
VH1 Divas Holiday: Unsilent Night
as Self
2016
0.0
The Secret She Kept
as Beverly
2016
6.8
The $100,000 Pyramid
as Self
2016
7.0
Match Game
as Self - Panelist
2016
6.4
Show Boat
as Julie LaVerne
2015
0.0
Difficult People
as Trish
2015
6.2
The Librarians
as Cynthia Rockwell
2014
7.2
The Trip to Bountiful
as Jessie Mae Watts
2014
6.0
Broad City
as Elizabeth Carlton
2014
7.1
He's Way More Famous Than You
as Vanessa Williams
2013
4.3
Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor
as Janice
2013
6.6
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars
as Self - Guest Judge
2012
7.3
666 Park Avenue
as Olivia Doran
2012
6.1
The Mindy Project
as Dr. Phillips
2012
6.3
Bethenny
as Self - Guest
2012
0.0
The Jonathan Ross Show
as Self - Guest
2011
5.3
A Mother's Love
as Rochelle Richardson
2011
0.0
Who Do You Think You Are?
as Self
2010
6.6
Modern Family
as Rhonda
2009
7.9
The Good Wife
as Courtney Paige
2009
7.6
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
as Self - Guest
2009
5.1
Hannah Montana: The Movie
as Vita
2009
6.6
RuPaul's Drag Race
as Self - Special Guest
2009
7.5
RuPaul's Drag Race
2009
7.5
RuPaul's Drag Race
as Self - Guest Judge
2009
7.5
RuPaul's Drag Race
as Self - Judge (archive footage)
2009
7.5
The Wendy Williams Show
2008
5.5
Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies
as Mama Mirabelle (voice)
2007
8.0
🎬
Shear Genius
2007
5.0
The Graham Norton Show
as Self
2007
7.2
And Then Came Love
as Julie
2007
5.9
Ugly Betty
as Wilhelmina Slater
2006
6.4
🎬
Rehearsing a Dream
as Self
2006
0.0
South Beach
as Elizabeth Bauer
2006
5.7
My Brother
as L'Tisha Morton
2006
4.7
The Reichen Show
as Self
2005
4.8
Gift for the Living
as Narrator
2005
0.0
Broadway's Lost Treasures III: The Best of The Tony Awards
as Witch (segment "Into the Woods") (archive footage)
2005
7.2
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
as Self
2005
6.7
Christmas in Washington
2004
2.0
The 7th Annual Soul Train Christmas Starfest
as Self
2004
0.0
Desperate Housewives
as Renee Perry
2004
7.9
🎬
The Tony Danza Show
as Self - Guest
2004
6.1
Johnson Family Vacation
as Dorothy Johnson
2004
5.5
Sesame Street: What's the Name of That Song?
as Self (archive footage)
2004
0.0
On Air with Ryan Seacrest
as Self
2004
9.5
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
as Self
2003
5.6
Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives
2003
4.8
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
as Self
2003
5.5
The Bachelorette
as Self
2003
4.1
Boomtown
as Detective Katherine Pierce
2002
6.2
Keep the Faith, Baby
as Hazel Scott
2002
5.0
It's Black Entertainment
as Self - Host
2002
8.0
Santa, Baby!
as Alicia (voice)
2001
4.3
🎬
Good Day Live
as Self
2001
3.0
The Proud Family
as Debra (voice)
2001
7.7
WW3
as M.J. Blake (as Vanessa L. Williams)
2001
5.3
A Diva's Christmas Carol
as Ebony Scrooge
2000
6.2
🎬
Christmas is Coming: Rob Mathes & Very Special Friends
as Herself
2000
10.0
🎬
Afrocentricity
as Self
2000
0.0
Shaft
as Carmen Vasquez
2000
6.0
Don Quixote
as Dulcinea / Aldonza
2000
6.3
The Courage to Love
as Mother Henriette Delille
2000
6.4
🎬
Shaft: Still the Man
as Self
2000
6.0
Light It Up
as Audrey McDonald
1999
6.7
The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland
as Queen of Trash
1999
6.4
Futuresport
as Alexandra 'Alex' Torres
1999
4.3
L.A. Doctors
as Leanne Barrows
1998
7.0
Dance with Me
as Ruby Sinclair
1998
6.9
Pavarotti & Friends - For the Children of Liberia
as Self
1998
0.0
VH1 Divas
1998
7.5
Soul Food
as Teri
1997
6.2
Ally McBeal
as Sheila Hunt
1997
6.6
Hoodlum
as Francine Hughes
1997
6.4
The View
as Self
1997
4.3
The View
as Self - Guest
1997
4.3
The Odyssey
as Calypso
1997
7.2
Jungle Cubs
1996
6.4
Eraser
as Lee Cullen
1996
6.1
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
as Self - Guest
1996
3.9
Bye Bye Birdie
as Rose Alvarez
1995
6.1
Nothing Lasts Forever
as Dr. Kathy 'Kat' Hunter
1995
0.0
Nothing Lasts Forever
as Dr. Kathy 'Kat' Hunter
1995
6.0
MADtv
as Self
1995
7.0
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
as Beauty (voice)
1995
6.0
Some Enchanted Evening: Celebrating Oscar Hammerstein II
as Self
1995
0.0
Score with Chicks
1994
0.0
Intimate Portrait
as Self (archive footage)
1993
4.5
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
as Arandis
1993
7.9
The Jacksons: An American Dream
as Suzanne de Passe
1992
6.6
Stompin' at the Savoy
as Pauline
1992
0.0
Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man
as Lulu Daniels
1991
6.3
Another You
as Gloria
1991
5.4
The Kid Who Loved Christmas
as Lynette Parks
1990
6.6
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
as Danny Mitchell
1990
7.9
Seriously... Phil Collins
as Rachel - TV Executive
1990
8.0
Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer
as Terri Knight
1990
7.3
Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes Scandal
as Valentine Hayward
1989
4.2
American Experience
as Narrator (voice)
1988
6.9
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
as Self - Guest
1988
5.4
Under the Gun
as Samantha Richards
1988
6.6
The Pick-up Artist
as Rae, Girl with Dog
1987
5.6
Partners in Crime
1984
6.2
T. J. Hooker
as Officer Pat Williamson
1982
6.4
A Capitol Fourth
as Self
1980
0.0
Saturday Night Live
as Self - Musical Guest
1975
7.0
Days of Our Lives
as Valerie Grant
1965
6.0
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
as Self
1962
7.5
Tony Awards
as Self - Performer
1956
5.9
The Oscars
as Self
1953
7.0