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Vanessa Lynn Williams (born March 18, 1963) is an American singer, actress, and fashion designer. She gained recognition as the first African-American woman to receive the
Miss America Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 17 and 25. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is now judged on competitors' talent performances and interviews. As ...
title when she was crowned
Miss America 1984 Miss America 1984, the 57th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 17, 1983 on NBC Network. Debra Maffett (Miss California 1982) crowned her successor, Miss New York 1983, Vanessa Williams at ...
. She resigned her title amid a media controversy surrounding nude photographs of her being published on ''
Penthouse Penthouse most often refers to: *Penthouse apartment, a special apartment on the top floor of a building *Penthouse (magazine), ''Penthouse'' (magazine), a British-founded men's magazine *Mechanical penthouse, a floor, typically located directly u ...
'' magazine. Thirty-two years later, Williams was offered a public apology during the
Miss America 2016 Miss America 2016, the 89th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Sunday, September 13, 2015. It was broadcast on ABC and streamed to mobile devices and Xbox 360 consoles via the WatchABC app. Ticket ...
pageant for the events. Williams rebounded from the scandal with a successful career as a singer and actress. In 1988, she released her debut studio album '' The Right Stuff'', whose title single saw moderate success as well as " Dreamin' which peaked at number 8 in the United States in 1989. With her second and third studio albums, '' The Comfort Zone'' (1991) and ''
The Sweetest Days ''The Sweetest Days'' is the third studio album by American singer Vanessa Williams, released on December 6, 1994, by Wing Records and Mercury Records. The album peaked at number 57 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 and at number 25 on the Top R&B/Hip ...
'' (1994), she saw continued commercial success and received multiple
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
nominations; this included her number-one single and
signature song A signature (; from la, signare, "to sign") is a Handwriting, handwritten (and often Stylization, stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and ...
, " Save the Best for Last", which she performed live at the 1993 Grammy Awards ceremonies. Her later studio albums include ''
Everlasting Love "Everlasting Love" is a song written by Buzz Cason and Mac Gayden, originally a 1967 hit for Robert Knight and since remade numerous times, most successfully by Love Affair, as well as Town Criers, Carl Carlton, Sandra Cretu, and Gloria Estef ...
'' (2005) and ''
The Real Thing The Real Thing or Real Thing may refer to: Film and television * The Real Thing (film), ''The Real Thing'' (film) or ''Livers Ain't Cheap'', a 1996 American film * ''The Real Thing'', a 1980 television documentary by James Burke (science historian) ...
'' (2009). As an actress, Williams enjoyed success on stage and screen. She made her
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
debut in 1994 with '' Kiss of the Spider Woman''. In 2002 she starred as The Witch in the revival of
Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March 22, 1930November 26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. One of the most important figures in twentieth-century musical theater, Sondheim is credited for having "reinvented the American musical" with sho ...
's ''
Into the Woods ''Into the Woods'' is a 1987 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story ...
'' which earned her a
Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical is awarded to the best actress in a musical, whether a new production or a revival. The award has been given since 1948, but the nominees who did not win have only been publicly ...
nomination. She starred in the revival of
Horton Foote Albert Horton Foote Jr. (March 14, 1916March 4, 2009) was an American playwright and screenwriter. He received Academy Awards for his screenplays for the 1962 film ''To Kill a Mockingbird'', which was adapted from the 1960 novel of the same name ...
's ''
The Trip to Bountiful ''The Trip to Bountiful'' is a 1985 American drama film directed by Peter Masterson and starring Geraldine Page, John Heard, Carlin Glynn, Richard Bradford and Rebecca De Mornay. It was adapted by Horton Foote from his 1953 play of the same na ...
'' in 2013, and the ensemble political farce '' POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive'' in 2022. She is also known for her appearances in television, with her best known roles being
Wilhelmina Slater Wilhelmina Vivian Slater (born Wanda Slater) is a fictional character in the American dramedy series ''Ugly Betty''. She is played by Vanessa Williams, who received a supporting actress award at the 2007 and 2008 NAACP Image Awards, a Best TV Vil ...
on ''
Ugly Betty ''Ugly Betty'' is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which was originally broadcast on ABC. It premiered on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian t ...
'' (2006–2010), for which she was nominated three times for the
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. In early Primetime Emmy Award ceremonies, the supporting categories were not always genre-, or even gender-, specific. Begin ...
; and
Renee Perry Renee Perry is a fictional character created by television producer and screenwriter Marc Cherry for the ABC television series '' Desperate Housewives''. She is portrayed by Vanessa Williams, and is the second African-American housewife to be a ...
on ''
Desperate Housewives ''Desperate Housewives'' is an American comedy-drama soap opera television series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Marc Cherry, Cherry Productions. It aired for eight seasons on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from Octobe ...
'' (2010–2012).


Early life and education

Vanessa Lynn Williams was born in
the Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
, New York City, with a birth announcement that read: "Here she is: Miss America". She was raised in
Millwood, New York Millwood is a hamlet and census-designated place located in the town of New Castle, New York, United States in Westchester County. It was originally settled as Sarlesville. The area now known as Millwood appears on 19th century maps as Merritt's ...
. A paternal great-great grandfather was
William A. Feilds William A. Feilds (between c. 1846 and 1852 – September 9, 1898) was an American schoolteacher and principal who served one term as a Republican legislator in the Tennessee House of Representatives from 1885 to 1886. He was also elected a ...
, an African-American legislator in the
Tennessee House of Representatives The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee. Constitutional requirements According to the state constitution of 1870, this body is to consis ...
. Williams is also of
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
,
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
,
Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
,
Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...
,
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
, and
Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...
descent. Her mother Helen Tinch met her father Milton Augustine Williams Jr. (1935–2006) while both were
music education Music education is a field of practice in which educators are trained for careers as elementary or secondary music teachers, school or music conservatory ensemble directors. Music education is also a research area in which scholars do origina ...
students at Fredonia State Teachers College in the late 1950s. They both became elementary school music teachers after marriage, though their teaching positions were in separate districts. Milton also served as the assistant principal of his school for an extended period of time. Williams was raised Catholic, the religion of her father. Her mother, who had been raised Baptist, converted to Catholicism when she got married. Williams was baptized at Our Lady of Grace Church in the Bronx. Her mother played the organ at St. Theresa's Church in
Briarcliff Manor Briarcliff Manor () is a suburban village in Westchester County, New York, north of New York City. It is on of land on the east bank of the Hudson River, geographically shared by the towns of Mount Pleasant and Ossining. Briarcliff Manor inc ...
for weddings and at Mass, and Williams used to assist her mother by turning the pages of sheet music. Williams and her younger brother
Chris Chris is a short form of various names including Christopher, Christian, Christina, Christine, and Christos. Chris is also used as a name in its own right, however it is not as common. People with the given name * Chris Abani (born 1966), N ...
(who would later become an actor) grew up in
Westchester County Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population o ...
, a predominantly white middle to upper-class suburb of New York City. Williams believes she may have been the first African-American student to go from the first grade to the 12th grade in the
Chappaqua Central School District The Chappaqua Central School District is a K-12 public school district serving students in Chappaqua, New York, Millwood, as well as parts of Pleasantville, and Mount Kisco. The current superintendent of schools is Dr. Christine Ackerman. C ...
. She attended Robert E. Bell Middle School, as did her children years later. Williams revealed that the shop and home economics teachers (Mr. and Mrs. Fink) were still there when her children attended. A child of music teachers, Williams grew up in a musical household, studying classical and jazz dance, French horn, piano, and violin. She was offered the Presidential Scholarship for Drama to attend
Carnegie Mellon University Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. One of its predecessors was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools; it became the Carnegie Institute of Technology ...
during the college application period, (one of 12 students to receive it) but decided instead to attend
Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...
on a different scholarship. Thus, in 1981, Williams joined Syracuse's College of Visual and Performing Arts, Department of Drama as a musical theater major. She stayed at Syracuse through her second year until she was crowned
Miss America 1984 Miss America 1984, the 57th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 17, 1983 on NBC Network. Debra Maffett (Miss California 1982) crowned her successor, Miss New York 1983, Vanessa Williams at ...
in September 1983. In May 2008, Syracuse granted Williams a
Bachelor of Fine Arts A Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is a standard undergraduate degree for students for pursuing a professional education in the visual, fine or performing arts. It is also called Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA) in some cases. Background The Bachelor ...
degree. According to ''Syracuse News'', "Williams earned the remaining credits for her degree through industry experience and her substantial performances on stage and screen." Williams also delivered the 2008 convocation address, telling Syracuse seniors to "treasure this moment. These days are irreplaceable and are the beginning of the rest of your life."


Name

Williams is most often publicly recognized simply as "Vanessa Williams". There is, however, occasional confusion with the similarly named actress
Vanessa E. Williams Vanessa Estelle Williams (sometimes professionally credited as Vanessa A. Williams) is an American actress and producer. She is best known for her roles as Maxine Chadway, Maxine Joseph–Chadway in the Showtime (TV network), Showtime drama seri ...
. It has been reported that Vanessa L. first became aware of Vanessa E. in the 1980s when her
New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...
registrar told her that another, similarly aged student with the same name and from the same state had applied.Hobson, Louis B. (August 16, 1998)
"Vanessa dancing up a storm"
, Canoe.ca
When Williams appeared as Miss America in a
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade in New York City presented by the U.S.-based department store chain Macy's. The Parade first took place in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States with ...
, Vanessa E. accidentally received her check for the appearance, which she returned. In the area of acting, the two ran into name conflict when
Screen Actors Guild The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was an American labor union which represented over 100,000 film and television principal and background performers worldwide. On March 30, 2012, the union leadership announced that the SAG membership voted to m ...
rules prohibited duplicate stage naming. Vanessa E. had registered the name "Vanessa Williams" first, so as a compromise, Williams was occasionally credited as "Vanessa L. Williams" in acting credits. To compound the confusion, both actresses starred in versions of the drama ''
Soul Food Soul food is an ethnic cuisine traditionally prepared and eaten by African Americans, originating in the Southern United States.Soul Food originated with the foods that were given to enslaved Black people by their white owners on Souther ...
'' (Williams in the film version, and Vanessa E. in its TV series adaptation). The Screen Actors Guild eventually took the issue to
arbitration Arbitration is a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) that resolves disputes outside the judiciary courts. The dispute will be decided by one or more persons (the 'arbitrators', 'arbiters' or 'arbitral tribunal'), which renders the ' ...
and decided both actresses could use the professional name "Vanessa Williams".


Miss America

Williams was the first
African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
recipient of the
Miss America Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 17 and 25. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is now judged on competitors' talent performances and interviews. As ...
title when she was crowned
Miss America 1984 Miss America 1984, the 57th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 17, 1983 on NBC Network. Debra Maffett (Miss California 1982) crowned her successor, Miss New York 1983, Vanessa Williams at ...
in September 1983. Several weeks before the end of her reign, however, a scandal arose when ''
Penthouse Penthouse most often refers to: *Penthouse apartment, a special apartment on the top floor of a building *Penthouse (magazine), ''Penthouse'' (magazine), a British-founded men's magazine *Mechanical penthouse, a floor, typically located directly u ...
'' magazine bought and published unauthorized nude photographs of her. Williams was pressured to relinquish her title and was succeeded by the first runner-up:
Miss New Jersey The Miss New Jersey competition is an annual pageant held to select the representative for the state of New Jersey in the Miss America pageant. Two Miss New Jersey winners have gone on to hold the title of Miss America: Bette Cooper who won in ...
1983,
Suzette Charles Suzette Charles (born Suzette DeGaetano, March 2, 1963) is an American singer, entertainer, and actress. She was Miss New Jersey in 1983, and served as Miss America 1984 for seven weeks after Vanessa L. Williams resigned from the position that Ju ...
. Thirty-two years later in September 2015, when Williams served as head judge for the
Miss America 2016 Miss America 2016, the 89th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Sunday, September 13, 2015. It was broadcast on ABC and streamed to mobile devices and Xbox 360 consoles via the WatchABC app. Ticket ...
pageant, former Miss America CEO Sam Haskell made a public apology to her for the events of 1984.


Career


Music

Williams first received public recognition for her musical abilities when she won the preliminary talent portion of the
Miss America Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 17 and 25. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is now judged on competitors' talent performances and interviews. As ...
pageant with her rendition of "
Happy Days Are Here Again "Happy Days Are Here Again" is a 1929 song with music by Milton Ager and lyrics by Jack Yellen. The song is a standard that has been interpreted by various artists. It appeared in the 1930 film '' Chasing Rainbows'' and was the campaign song for ...
" (Williams would later be crowned
Miss America 1984 Miss America 1984, the 57th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 17, 1983 on NBC Network. Debra Maffett (Miss California 1982) crowned her successor, Miss New York 1983, Vanessa Williams at ...
). Four years later in 1988, Williams released her debut album, '' The Right Stuff''. The first single, "The Right Stuff", found success on the R&B chart, while the second single, " He's Got the Look", found similar success on the same chart. The third single, " Dreamin'", was a pop hit, becoming Williams' first top 10 hit on the 1989 ''Billboard'' Hot 100, peaking at No. 8, and her first number one single on the
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart. The album reached platinum status in the U.S. and earned her an NAACP Image Award and three
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
nominations, including one for
Best New Artist The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967. The official guidelines are as ...
. Her second album '' The Comfort Zone'' became the biggest success in her music career. The lead single "
Running Back to You "Running Back to You" is the lead single from American singer and actress Vanessa Williams' second studio album, '' The Comfort Zone'' (1991). It features samples from The J.B.'s "The Grunt" (1970) and John Davis and the Monster Orchestra's "I Can ...
" reached top twenty on the Hot 100, and the top position of Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart on October 5, 1991. Other singles included " The Comfort Zone" (#2 R&B), " Just for Tonight" (#26 Pop), a cover of
The Isley Brothers The Isley Brothers ( ) are an American musical group originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, that began as a vocal trio consisting of brothers O'Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley and Ronald Isley in the 1950s. With a career spanning over seven decades, ...
' "
Work to Do "Work to Do" is a 1972 funk song by the Isley Brothers, released on their T-Neck imprint. The song, written and produced by the group, was issued on their 1972 album, '' Brother, Brother, Brother'', and charted at #51 pop and #11 R&B upon its ...
" (#3 R&B), and the club-only hit "Freedom Dance (Get Free!)". The most successful single from the album, as well as her biggest hit to date, is " Save the Best for Last". It reached No. 1 in the United States, where it remained for five weeks, as well as No. 1 in Australia, the Netherlands, and Canada, and was in the top 5 in Japan, Ireland and the United Kingdom. The album sold 2.2 million copies in the U.S. at its time of release and has since been certified triple platinum in the United States by the
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
, gold in Canada by the
CRIA A ''cria'' (pronounced ) is a juvenile llama, alpaca, vicuña, or guanaco. Etymology The term comes from the Spanish word cría, meaning "baby". Its false cognate in English, ''crya'' (pronounced ), was coined by British sailors who explored C ...
, and platinum in the United Kingdom by the BPI. Williams performed the song live at the 1993 Grammy Awards Ceremony. ''The Comfort Zone'' earned Williams five Grammy Award nominations. ''
The Sweetest Days ''The Sweetest Days'' is the third studio album by American singer Vanessa Williams, released on December 6, 1994, by Wing Records and Mercury Records. The album peaked at number 57 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 and at number 25 on the Top R&B/Hip ...
'', her third album, was released in 1994 to highly-favorable reviews. The album saw Williams branch out and sample other styles of music that included
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
, hip hop, rock, and
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
-themed recordings such as "Betcha Never" and "You Can't Run", both written and produced by
Babyface Babyface or Baby Face can refer to: Nicknames * Lester Joseph Gillis a.k.a. Baby Face Nelson, an infamous 1930s bank robber * Roosevelt "Baby Face" Willette (1933–1971), an American hard bop and soul-jazz musician * "Baby Face", Jimmy McLarnin ...
. Other singles from the album included the adult-contemporary and dance hit "
The Way That You Love "The Way That You Love" is a song by American singer and actress Vanessa Williams, released in January 1995 as the second single from her third album, ''The Sweetest Days'' (1995). Several remixes are available for the song, which became a top-10 ...
" and the title track. The album was certified platinum in the U.S. by the RIAA and earned her two Grammy Award nominations. Other releases include two Christmas albums, '' Star Bright'' in 1996, and ''
Silver & Gold Silver and Gold may refer to: Chemistry Electrum, also called white gold, is gold that has silver added to it. Music * ''Silver & Gold'' (Vanessa Williams album), also featuring the song by Burl Ives * ''Silver & Gold'' (Neil Young album), ...
'' in 2004; ''
Next Next may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film * ''Next'' (1990 film), an animated short about William Shakespeare * ''Next'' (2007 film), a sci-fi film starring Nicolas Cage * '' Next: A Primer on Urban Painting'', a 2005 documentary film Lit ...
'' in 1997, ''
Everlasting Love "Everlasting Love" is a song written by Buzz Cason and Mac Gayden, originally a 1967 hit for Robert Knight and since remade numerous times, most successfully by Love Affair, as well as Town Criers, Carl Carlton, Sandra Cretu, and Gloria Estef ...
'' in 2005, and ''
The Real Thing The Real Thing or Real Thing may refer to: Film and television * The Real Thing (film), ''The Real Thing'' (film) or ''Livers Ain't Cheap'', a 1996 American film * ''The Real Thing'', a 1980 television documentary by James Burke (science historian) ...
'' in 2009, along with a greatest-hits compilation released in 1998, and a host of other compilations released over the years. Chart performances from subsequent albums, motion picture and television soundtracks have included the songs " Love Is", which was a duet with
Brian McKnight Brian Kelly McKnight (born June 5, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, radio host and multi-instrumentalist. He is most recognized for his strong head voice, high belting range and melisma. McKnight is known for h ...
, the Golden Globe- and Academy Award-winning "
Colors of the Wind "Colors of the Wind" is a song written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz for Walt Disney Pictures' 33rd animated feature film, ''Pocahontas'' (1995). The film's theme song, "Colors of the Wind" was originally recorded by Amer ...
", " Where Do We Go from Here?", and "
Oh How the Years Go By "Oh How the Years Go By" is a song written by Simon Climie and Will Jennings. It was originally included on Climie's debut solo album ''Soul Inspiration'' in 1992 and released as a single in 1993, but failed to chart. Cover versions Amy Grant cov ...
". In 1996, Williams performed the national anthem at
Super Bowl XXX Super Bowl XXX was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
. In April 2018, she announced she was working on a new studio album due in the Fall which would incorporate her R&B, pop & Broadway influences.


Television and film

Williams has had a successful career in television. Her first television appearance was on a 1984 episode of ''
The Love Boat ''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy/drama television series that aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986; in addition, four three-hour specials aired in 1986, 1987, and 1990. The series was set on the luxury passenger cruise ship MS ''Pac ...
'' followed by guest appearances in a number of popular shows. In 1995, Williams starred as Rose Alvarez in a television adaptation of the 1960 Broadway musical ''
Bye Bye Birdie ''Bye Bye Birdie'' is a stage musical with music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Lee Adams, based upon a book by Michael Stewart. Originally titled ''Let's Go Steady'', ''Bye Bye Birdie'' is set in 1958. The short story "Dream Man", authored ...
'' and portrayed the nymph Calypso in the 1997
Hallmark Entertainment Halcyon Studios, LLC., formerly known as Sonar Entertainment, RHI Entertainment, Hallmark Entertainment, Qintex Entertainment, HRI Group and Robert Halmi Inc., is an American entertainment company specializing in the production and distribution ...
miniseries ''
The Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; grc, Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia, ) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Iliad'', the ...
.'' In 2001, Williams starred in the Lifetime cable movie about the life of
Henriette DeLille Henriette Díaz DeLille, SSF (March 11, 1813 – November 16, 1862) was a Louisiana Creole of color and Catholic nun from New Orleans. Her father was a white man from France, her mother was a "quadroon", and her grandfather came from Spain. She ...
, ''The Courage to Love'' and in 2003, Williams read the narrative of Tempie Herndon Durham from the WPA slave narratives in the
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
documentary ''Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives''. In 2006, Williams received considerable media attention for her comic/villainess role as former model/magazine creative director turned editor-in-chief
Wilhelmina Slater Wilhelmina Vivian Slater (born Wanda Slater) is a fictional character in the American dramedy series ''Ugly Betty''. She is played by Vanessa Williams, who received a supporting actress award at the 2007 and 2008 NAACP Image Awards, a Best TV Vil ...
in the
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
comedy series ''
Ugly Betty ''Ugly Betty'' is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which was originally broadcast on ABC. It premiered on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian t ...
''. Her performance on the series resulted in a nomination for outstanding supporting actress at the
59th Primetime Emmy Awards The 59th Primetime Emmy Awards were held on Sunday, September 16, 2007, honoring the best in U.S. prime time television programming at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. The ceremony was televised live on Fox at 8:00 p.m. ...
and in 2008 and 2009, she was nominated in the outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series category for ''Ugly Betty''. Williams next joined the cast of ''
Desperate Housewives ''Desperate Housewives'' is an American comedy-drama soap opera television series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Marc Cherry, Cherry Productions. It aired for eight seasons on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from Octobe ...
'' for its seventh season, where she portrayed
Renee Perry Renee Perry is a fictional character created by television producer and screenwriter Marc Cherry for the ABC television series '' Desperate Housewives''. She is portrayed by Vanessa Williams, and is the second African-American housewife to be a ...
, an old college "frenemy" of
Lynette Scavo Lynette Scavo is a fictional character on the series ''Desperate Housewives''. The character is played by actress Felicity Huffman, who won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for the role in 2005, and was nominated for ...
(
Felicity Huffman Felicity Kendall Huffman (born December 9, 1962) is an American actress. Huffman began her acting career in theatre, and in the 1990s also had many supporting roles in film and television. She starred as Dana Whitaker in the comedy-drama '' Spor ...
). In 2016, she joined the cast of '' The Librarians'', as recurring villainess General Rockwell. She starred as Maxine in the VH1 television series ''
Daytime Divas ''Daytime Divas'' is an American satirical comedy-drama television series developed by Amy and Wendy Engelberg for VH1. It is based on the 2011 book ''Satan's Sisters'' by former co-host of '' The View'' Star Jones. The show stars Vanessa Williams ...
'' during its one season in 2017. Williams has appeared in a number of feature films. She received a
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture This article lists the winners and nominees for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture. The award has also been called Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture. Out of 12 films which featured African-Americans in le ...
for her portrayal of
Teri Joseph ''Soul Food: The Series'' is an American drama series that aired Wednesday nights on Showtime from June 28, 2000, to May 26, 2004. Developed for television by Felicia D. Henderson, the series was an adaptation of George Tillman's 1997 drama f ...
for the 1997 feature film ''
Soul Food Soul food is an ethnic cuisine traditionally prepared and eaten by African Americans, originating in the Southern United States.Soul Food originated with the foods that were given to enslaved Black people by their white owners on Souther ...
''. In 2007, she starred in the independent film '' My Brother'', for which she won Best Actress honors at the
Harlem International Film Festival The Harlem International Film Festival (Hi) is an annual five-day film festival in Harlem, New York. The first festival took place in 2005. Michael Franti's ''I Know I'm Not Alone'' was named Best International Documentary at the festival that ye ...
, the African-American Women in Cinema Film Festival, and at the Santa Barbara African Heritage Film Festival. She also notably co-starred with
Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...
in ''
Eraser An eraser (also known as a rubber in some Commonwealth countries, including South Africa from the material first used) is an article of stationery that is used for removing marks from paper or skin (e.g. parchment or vellum). Erasers have a ...
'',
Samuel L. Jackson Samuel Leroy Jackson (born December 21, 1948) is an American actor and producer. One of the most widely recognized actors of his generation, the films in which he has appeared have collectively grossed over $27 billion worldwide, making him ...
in the 2000 soft reboot of '' Shaft'', the characters from ''
Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) a ...
'' in ''
The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland ''The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland'' is a 1999 American musical adventure comedy film directed by Gary Halvorson in his feature film debut. This was the second film to be based on the children's television series ''Sesame Street'', after '' ...
'' (as the Queen of Trash), and with
Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( ; born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans across varied styles and genres, including pop, country, rock, hip hop ...
in '' Hannah Montana: The Movie.''


Theatre

Williams began her career on stage in the 1985 production, ''One Man Band,'' as one of "the women". She followed it in 1989 as "Laura" in ''Checkmates.'' In 1994, she broadened her ascendant music career into a theatrical role when she replaced Chita Rivera as Aurora in the Broadway production of '' Kiss of the Spider Woman''. In 1998, she portrayed Della Green in the revival of ''St. Louis Woman,'' and Carmen Jones in the 2002 Kennedy Center Special Performance of ''Carmen Jones.'' In the same year, she was also featured in the Tony/Drama Desk Award-winning revival production of
Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March 22, 1930November 26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. One of the most important figures in twentieth-century musical theater, Sondheim is credited for having "reinvented the American musical" with sho ...
's ''
Into the Woods ''Into the Woods'' is a 1987 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story ...
'', for which she was nominated for a
Tony Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leagu ...
and
Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Fo ...
for her performance as the Witch. This production included songs revised for her. In 2010, Vanessa starred in a new Broadway musical revue entitled ''
Sondheim on Sondheim ''Sondheim on Sondheim'' is a musical revue consisting of music and lyrics written by Stephen Sondheim for his many shows. It is conceived and directed by James Lapine. The revue had a limited run on Broadway in 2010. Background The revue is b ...
'', a look at
Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March 22, 1930November 26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. One of the most important figures in twentieth-century musical theater, Sondheim is credited for having "reinvented the American musical" with sho ...
through his music, film and videotaped interviews. ''Sondheim'' ran from March 19 to June 13 at
Studio 54 Studio 54 is a Broadway theater and a former disco nightclub at 254 West 54th Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Operated by the Roundabout Theatre Company, Studio 54 has 1,006 seats on two levels. The theater was ...
in New York City. In 2013, she starred as Jessie Mae Watts in the
Horton Foote Albert Horton Foote Jr. (March 14, 1916March 4, 2009) was an American playwright and screenwriter. He received Academy Awards for his screenplays for the 1962 film ''To Kill a Mockingbird'', which was adapted from the 1960 novel of the same name ...
play ''
The Trip to Bountiful ''The Trip to Bountiful'' is a 1985 American drama film directed by Peter Masterson and starring Geraldine Page, John Heard, Carlin Glynn, Richard Bradford and Rebecca De Mornay. It was adapted by Horton Foote from his 1953 play of the same na ...
'', which was later turned into a 2014 television film. In 2014, she starred in the Broadway musical, '' After Midnight'' and in 2015 she appeared in a PBS production of ''
Show Boat ''Show Boat'' is a musical with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based on Edna Ferber's best-selling 1926 novel of the same name. The musical follows the lives of the performers, stagehands and dock worke ...
'' as Julie La Verne. Williams will star as Margaret in '' POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive'' on Broadway, with performances beginning on April 14, 2022 at the Shubert Theatre.


Additional roles

Williams served as the host of the 1994 ''Essence'' Awards, co-host of ''Carnegie Hall Salutes the Jazz Masters: Verve Records at 50'', host of the 1998
NAACP Image Awards The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ( NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...
, host of the 2002 documentary, ''It's Black Entertainment,'' host of The 6th Annual
TV Land Awards The TV Land Icon Awards was an American television awards ceremony that generally commemorates shows now off the air, rather than in current production as with the Emmys. Created by Executive Producer Michael Levitt, the awards were hosted and broa ...
in 2007, host of the 36th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards in 2009, and finally host of the documentary ''Dreams Come True: A Celebration of Disney Animation'' (2009). Williams is a spokesmodel for
Proactiv Solution Proactiv is an American brand of skin-care products developed by two American dermatologists, Katie Rodan and Kathy A. Fields, and launched in 1995 by Guthy-Renker, a California-based direct marketing company, that is endorsed by famous celebr ...
, and was the first African-American spokesmodel for
L'Oréal L'Oréal S.A. () is a French personal care company headquartered in Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine with a registered office in Paris. It is the world's largest cosmetics company and has developed activities in the field concentrating on hair color, sk ...
cosmetics in the 1990s. In 2018, Williams returned as a spokesmodel for L'Oréal as part of their 'Age perfect' campaign alongside fellow ambassadors
Helen Mirren Dame Helen Mirren (born Helen Lydia Mironoff; born 26 July 1945) is an English actor. The recipient of numerous accolades, she is the only performer to have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting in both the United States and the United Kingdom. ...
,
Julianne Moore Julie Anne Smith (born December 3, 1960), known professionally as Julianne Moore, is an American actress. Prolific in film since the early 1990s, she is particularly known for her portrayals of emotionally troubled women in independent films, a ...
and
Jane Fonda Jane Seymour Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is an American actress, activist, and former fashion model. Recognized as a film icon, Fonda is the recipient of various accolades including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, sev ...
. She appeared on ''
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire ''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'' (often informally called ''Millionaire'') is an international television game show franchise of British origin, created by David Briggs, Mike Whitehill and Steven Knight. In its format, currently owned and ...
'' in 2000 as a contestant, and once again on August 10, 2009, as a celebrity guest during the show's tenth anniversary prime-time special editions, winning $50,000 for her charity. In a commercial that began running during
Super Bowl XLVI Super Bowl XLVI was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
in 2012, Williams voiced the new character Ms. Brown, a brown M&M. In 2020 Williams was the winner of episode 2 of ''
RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race ''RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race'' is an American reality competition series that premiered April 24, 2020 on VH1. A spin-off of ''RuPaul's Drag Race'', the series features celebrities competing for charity, mentored by alumni of the ''Dra ...
'', and donated her prize of $20,000 to the LBGTQ charity
The Trevor Project The Trevor Project is an American nonprofit organization founded in 1998. Focused on suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth, they offer a toll-free telephone number wher ...
.


Fashion

In March 2016, Williams launched her own clothing line, ''V. by Vanessa Williams'', for
EVINE Live ShopHQ (formerly ValueVision, ShopNBC, Evine Live, and Evine) is an American cable, satellite and broadcast home shopping television network and multi-channel video retailer owned by iMedia Brands Inc., in which Comcast holds a 12.5% stake in ...
.


Personal life

Williams and her mother Helen co-authored a memoir titled ''You Have No Idea'', published in April 2012. In the book, Williams discusses her childhood, rise to fame, and personal struggles (including life with type 1 diabetes), including the fact that she was sexually molested by a woman when she was ten years old. She also spoke candidly about having an
abortion Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pregn ...
while she was in high school. Williams is a practicing
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, something she spoke about on the
ABC News ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include Breakfast television, morning ...
program ''Focus on Faith'' with Fr. Edward L. Beck. Williams is involved with a number of humanitarian causes. She is a supporter of
LGBT rights Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality. Notably, , 33 ...
and
same sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting ...
, and in 2011 participated in the
human rights campaign The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for LGB ...
New Yorkers for Marriage Equality. She is partnered with '' Dress For Success,'' an organization that provides professional attire for low-income women seeking employment. Williams is also involved with The San Miquel Academy of Newburgh, a school for boys at risk. Williams has been married three times. She married Ramon Hervey II at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in 1987 just a few years after giving up her Miss America crown, and gave birth to her first child at that time. Hervey was a public relations specialist who was hired to resuscitate her career after her resignation. They had three children, Melanie, Jillian, and Devin, and divorced in 1997. She married
NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
basketball player
Rick Fox Rick may refer to: People *Rick (given name), a list of people with the given name *Alan Rick (born 1976), Brazilian politician, journalist, pastor and television personality *Johannes Rick (1869–1946), Austrian-born Brazilian priest and mycol ...
in 1999. They had one daughter, Sasha Gabriella Fox, and divorced in 2004. In 2015, she married Jim Skrip, a businessman from
Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...
at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church, after receiving a Church
annulment Annulment is a legal procedure within Law, secular and Religious law, religious legal systems for declaring a marriage Void (law), null and void. Unlike divorce, it is usually ex post facto law, retroactive, meaning that an annulled marriage is c ...
of her first marriage. Her daughter
Jillian Hervey Jillian Kristin Hervey (born June 19, 1989) is an American dancer, singer and member of the group Lion Babe. She is the daughter of Ramon Hervey II and singer, actress and former Miss America Vanessa Williams. Early life In addition to parents He ...
is an American singer, dancer and member of the group
Lion Babe Lion Babe is an American R&B duo from New York City, consisting of singer Jillian Hervey and record producer Lucas Goodman. Following their meeting through a mutual friend, the pair released the single "Treat Me Like Fire" in 2012, which raised ...
.


Honors and awards

Williams is the recipient of many awards and nominations including
Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
nominations for hits such as " The Right Stuff", " Save the Best for Last", and "
Colors of the Wind "Colors of the Wind" is a song written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz for Walt Disney Pictures' 33rd animated feature film, ''Pocahontas'' (1995). The film's theme song, "Colors of the Wind" was originally recorded by Amer ...
". In addition, she has earned multiple
Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
nominations, a
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...
nomination, seven
NAACP Image Award The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...
s, and four
Satellite Awards The Satellite Awards are annual awards given by the International Press Academy that are commonly noted in entertainment industry journals and blogs. The awards were originally known as the Golden Satellite Awards. The award ceremonies take place ...
. She received a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...
on March 19, 2007. In December 2017, Vanessa L. Williams participated at COAF Gala fundraising event, delivering a special performance of her
Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
and Academy Award-winning song "
Colors of the Wind "Colors of the Wind" is a song written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz for Walt Disney Pictures' 33rd animated feature film, ''Pocahontas'' (1995). The film's theme song, "Colors of the Wind" was originally recorded by Amer ...
" and paid tribute to
Patricia Field Patricia Field (born February 12, 1942) is an American costume designer, stylist and fashion designer. Early life Field was born in 1942 in New York City to an Armenian father and a Greek mother, who emigrated from Plomari, Lesbos, Greece. Fi ...
, with whom she worked on the set of the TV series ''
Ugly Betty ''Ugly Betty'' is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which was originally broadcast on ABC. It premiered on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian t ...
''.


Discography

* '' The Right Stuff'' (1988) * '' The Comfort Zone'' (1991) * ''
The Sweetest Days ''The Sweetest Days'' is the third studio album by American singer Vanessa Williams, released on December 6, 1994, by Wing Records and Mercury Records. The album peaked at number 57 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 and at number 25 on the Top R&B/Hip ...
'' (1994) * '' Star Bright'' (1996) * ''
Next Next may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film * ''Next'' (1990 film), an animated short about William Shakespeare * ''Next'' (2007 film), a sci-fi film starring Nicolas Cage * '' Next: A Primer on Urban Painting'', a 2005 documentary film Lit ...
'' (1997) * ''
Silver & Gold Silver and Gold may refer to: Chemistry Electrum, also called white gold, is gold that has silver added to it. Music * ''Silver & Gold'' (Vanessa Williams album), also featuring the song by Burl Ives * ''Silver & Gold'' (Neil Young album), ...
'' (2004) * ''
Everlasting Love "Everlasting Love" is a song written by Buzz Cason and Mac Gayden, originally a 1967 hit for Robert Knight and since remade numerous times, most successfully by Love Affair, as well as Town Criers, Carl Carlton, Sandra Cretu, and Gloria Estef ...
'' (2005) * ''
The Real Thing The Real Thing or Real Thing may refer to: Film and television * The Real Thing (film), ''The Real Thing'' (film) or ''Livers Ain't Cheap'', a 1996 American film * ''The Real Thing'', a 1980 television documentary by James Burke (science historian) ...
'' (2009)


Filmography


Film

{, class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" , - !scope="col", Year !scope="col", Title !scope="col", Role !scope="col" class="unsortable", Notes , - , 1987 ! scope="row", '' The Pick-up Artist'' , Rae , , - , 1988 ! scope="row", ''Under the Gun'' , Samantha Richards , , - , 1989 ! scope="row", ''Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes Scandal'' , Valentine Hayward , rowspan=4, Television film , - , rowspan=3, 1990 ! scope="row", '' Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer'' , Terri Knight , - ! scope="row", ''Seriously...
Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English singer, musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and lead singer of the rock band Genesis and also has a career as a solo performer. Between 1982 and ...
'' , Rachel , - ! scope="row", ''The Kid Who Loved Christmas'' , Lynette Parks , - , rowspan=2, 1991 ! scope="row", ''
Another You ''Another You'' is a 1991 American comedy film directed by Maurice Phillips and produced and written by Ziggy Steinberg. The film stars Richard Pryor, Gene Wilder, Mercedes Ruehl, Vanessa Williams and Kevin Pollak. The film was released in the U ...
'' , Gloria , , - ! scope="row", ''
Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man ''Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man'' is a 1991 American neo-Western biker film starring Mickey Rourke and Don Johnson, with a supporting cast including Chelsea Field, Tom Sizemore, Daniel Baldwin, Giancarlo Esposito, and Vanessa Williams who ...
'' , Lulu Daniels , , - , 1992 ! scope="row", ''Stompin' at the Savoy'' , Pauline , rowspan=3, Television film , - , rowspan=2, 1995 ! scope="row", ''Nothing Lasts Forever'' , Dr. Kathy "Kat" Hunter , - ! scope="row", ''
Bye Bye Birdie ''Bye Bye Birdie'' is a stage musical with music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Lee Adams, based upon a book by Michael Stewart. Originally titled ''Let's Go Steady'', ''Bye Bye Birdie'' is set in 1958. The short story "Dream Man", authored ...
'' , Rose Alvarez , - , 1996 ! scope="row", ''
Eraser An eraser (also known as a rubber in some Commonwealth countries, including South Africa from the material first used) is an article of stationery that is used for removing marks from paper or skin (e.g. parchment or vellum). Erasers have a ...
'' , Dr. Lee Cullen , , - , rowspan=2, 1997 ! scope="row", ''
Soul Food Soul food is an ethnic cuisine traditionally prepared and eaten by African Americans, originating in the Southern United States.Soul Food originated with the foods that were given to enslaved Black people by their white owners on Souther ...
'' , Teri Joseph , , - ! scope="row", ''
Hoodlum A hoodlum is a thug, usually in a group of misfits who are associated with crime or theft. Early use The earliest reference to the word "hoodlum" was in the December 14, 1866, ''San Francisco Daily Evening Bulletin'' after the Hoodlum Band was ...
'' , Francine Hughes , , - , rowspan=2, 1998 ! scope="row", '' Dance with Me'' , Ruby Sinclair , , - ! scope="row", ''
Futuresport ''Futuresport'' is a 1998 American made-for-television sports film directed by Ernest Dickerson, starring Dean Cain, Vanessa Williams, and Wesley Snipes. It originally aired on ABC in October 1998, and was released on VHS and DVD in March 1999. ...
'' , Alejandra 'Alex' Torres , Television film , - , rowspan=2, 1999 ! scope="row", ''
The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland ''The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland'' is a 1999 American musical adventure comedy film directed by Gary Halvorson in his feature film debut. This was the second film to be based on the children's television series ''Sesame Street'', after '' ...
'' , Queen of Trash , , - ! scope="row", '' Light It Up'' , Detective Audrey McDonald , , - , rowspan=4, 2000 ! scope="row", ''
The Courage to Love ''The Courage to Love'' is a 2000 television history film starring Vanessa L. Williams, who was also the producer. The premiere was held 24 January 2000 on Lifetime. The film also stars Vanessa's children: Jillian Hervey, Melanie Hervey, Devin ...
'' , Mother
Henriette DeLille Henriette Díaz DeLille, SSF (March 11, 1813 – November 16, 1862) was a Louisiana Creole of color and Catholic nun from New Orleans. Her father was a white man from France, her mother was a "quadroon", and her grandfather came from Spain. She ...
, rowspan=2, Television film , - ! scope="row", ''
Don Quixote is a Spanish epic novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615, its full title is ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'' or, in Spanish, (changing in Part 2 to ). A founding work of Wester ...
'' ,
Dulcinea Dulcinea del Toboso is a fictional character who is unseen in Miguel de Cervantes' novel ''Don Quijote''. Don Quijote believes he must have a lady, under the mistaken view that chivalry requires it. As he does not have one, he invents her, mak ...
/Aldonza , - ! scope="row", '' Shaft'' , Carmen Vasquez , , - ! scope="row", ''
A Diva's Christmas Carol ''A Diva's Christmas Carol'' is a 2000 VH1-original Christmas television film starring Vanessa Williams, Vanessa L. Williams, Rozonda Thomas, Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas, Brian McNamara and Kathy Griffin. The film is based on Charles Dickens' classi ...
'' , Ebony Scrooge , rowspan=4, Television film , - , rowspan=2, 2001 ! scope="row", ''WW3'' , M.J. Blake , - ! scope="row", ''Santa, Baby!'' , Alicia (voice) , - , 2002 ! scope="row", ''Keep the Faith, Baby'' ,
Hazel Scott Hazel Dorothy Scott (June 11, 1920 – October 2, 1981) was a Trinidad-born American jazz and classical pianist and singer. She was an outspoken critic of racial discrimination and segregation. She used her influence to improve the representat ...
, - , rowspan=2, 2004 ! scope="row", ''
Johnson Family Vacation ''Johnson Family Vacation'' is a 2004 American road comedy film directed by Christopher Erskin. It stars Cedric the Entertainer, Vanessa Williams, Bow Wow, Gabby Soleil, Shannon Elizabeth, Solange Knowles, and Steve Harvey. The story revolves aro ...
'' , Dorothy Johnson , , - ! scope="row", ''Beck and Call'' , Zoe , TV Short , - , 2006 ! scope="row", '' My Brother'' , L'Tisha Morton , , - , rowspan=2, 2007 ! scope="row", ''The Beautiful World of Ugly Betty'' ,
Wilhelmina Slater Wilhelmina Vivian Slater (born Wanda Slater) is a fictional character in the American dramedy series ''Ugly Betty''. She is played by Vanessa Williams, who received a supporting actress award at the 2007 and 2008 NAACP Image Awards, a Best TV Vil ...
, Television film , - ! scope="row", '' And Then Came Love'' , Julie Davidson , , - , 2009 ! scope="row", '' Hannah Montana: The Movie'' , Vita , , - , 2011 ! scope="row", ''
Delhi Safari ''Delhi Safari'' (also known as ''Jungle Safari'') is a 2012 Indian computer-animated musical comedy film written and directed by Nikkhil Advani. The film traces the journey of five animals from Mumbai to Delhi as they struggle against an oppress ...
'' , Beggum (voice) , , - , rowspan=2, 2013 ! scope="row", ''
He's Way More Famous Than You ''He's Way More Famous Than You'' is a 2013 American comedy film written by and starring Halley Feiffer and Ryan Spahn, and directed by Michael Urie, who also costars. The film also stars Jesse Eisenberg, Ben Stiller, Mamie Gummer, Ralph Macchio, ...
'' , Herself , , - ! scope="row", '' Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor'' , Janice , , - , rowspan=2, 2014 ! scope="row", ''
The Trip to Bountiful ''The Trip to Bountiful'' is a 1985 American drama film directed by Peter Masterson and starring Geraldine Page, John Heard, Carlin Glynn, Richard Bradford and Rebecca De Mornay. It was adapted by Horton Foote from his 1953 play of the same na ...
'' , Jessie Mae Watts , Television film , - ! scope="row", ''
When Marnie Was There is a 2014 Japanese animated psychological drama film co-written and directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, produced by Studio Ghibli and distributed by Toho. It is based on Joan G. Robinson's 1967 novel of the same name. The film follows Anna Sas ...
'' , Hisako (voice) , , - , 2015 ! scope="row", ''Fantasy Life'' , Terry , Television film , - , 2017 ! scope="row", '' The Man From Earth: Holocene'' , Carolyn , , - , rowspan=3, 2018 ! scope="row", '' Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay'' ,
Amanda Waller Amanda Blake Waller (née White), also known as "the Wall", is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''Legends'' #1 in 1986 and was created by John Ostrander, Len Wein, and ...
(voice) , Direct-to-DVD , - ! scope="row", ''
The Legend of Hallowaiian ''The Legend of Hallowaiian'' (also known as ''Hallowaiian: Adventure Hawaii'', and ''Halloween Island'') is a 2018 Canadian computer-animated adventure comedy film directed by Sean O'Reilly. It was released on DirecTV on September 20, 2018, foll ...
'' , Fire Goddess (voice) , , - ! scope="row", ''False Profits'' , Suzanne , Television film , - , rowspan=3, 2019 ! scope="row", '' Batman: Hush'' , Amanda Waller (voice) , Direct-to-DVD , - ! scope="row", ''
Miss Virginia The Miss Virginia competition is a scholarship pageant for women, with the titleholder representing Virginia in the Miss America pageant. The competition was founded in 1953 as a scholarship contest for young women, although women had represente ...
'' , Sally Rae , , - ! scope="row", ''Happy Accident'' , Sherri , Television film , - , 2020 ! scope="row", '' Bad Hair'' , Zora ,


Television

{, class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" , - ! scope="col", Year ! scope="col", Title ! scope="col", Role ! scope="col", Notes , - , 1979 ! scope="row", ''
Live from Lincoln Center ''Live from Lincoln Center'' is a seventeen-time Emmy Award-winning series that has broadcast notable performances from the Lincoln Center in New York City on PBS since 1976. The program airs between six and nine times per season. Episodes of ''L ...
'' , Graduates / Off Stage Voices , Episode: "New York City Opera: Street Scene" , - , 1984 ! scope="row", '' Partners in Crime'' , Roselle Robins , Episode: "Celebrity" , - , rowspan=3, 1986 ! scope="row", ''
The Redd Foxx Show ''The Redd Foxx Show'' is an American television sitcom that premiered January 18, 1986 on ABC. The show was cancelled after 3 months, partly due to low ratings in its Saturday-night timeslot (the eighth episode aired in a Friday-night slot). Alth ...
'' , Jessica , Episode: "The Prodigal Son" , - ! scope="row", ''
T.J. Hooker ''T. J. Hooker'' is an American police drama television program starring William Shatner in the title role as a 15-year veteran police sergeant. The series premiered as a mid-season replacement on March 13, 1982, on ABC and ran on the network un ...
'' , Officer Pat Williamson , Episode: "Partners in Death" , - ! scope="row", ''
The Love Boat ''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy/drama television series that aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986; in addition, four three-hour specials aired in 1986, 1987, and 1990. The series was set on the luxury passenger cruise ship MS ''Pac ...
'' , Pearl , Episode: "My Stepmother, Myself/Almost Roommates/Cornerback Sneak" , - , rowspan=2, 1992 ! scope="row", '' The Jacksons: An American Dream'' ,
Suzanne de Passe Suzanna Celeste de Passe (born July 19, 1946, 1947 or 1948) (sources differ) is an American businesswoman, television, music and film producer. De Passe serves as the co-chairwoman of de Passe Jones Entertainment, de Passe Jones Entertainment Gr ...
, Episodes: "Part I" and "Part II" , - ! scope="row", ''
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' is an American television sitcom created by Andy and Susan Borowitz for NBC. It aired from September 10, 1990, to May 20, 1996. The series stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart t ...
'' , Danny Mitchell , Episode: "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way Home from the Forum" , - , 1995 ! scope="row", '' Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child'' , Beauty (voice) , Episode: "Beauty and the Beast" , - , 1996 ! scope="row", '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' , Arandis , Episode: " Let He Who Is Without Sin..." , - , 1997 ! scope="row", ''
The Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; grc, Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia, ) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Iliad'', the ...
'' , Calypso , Episode: "Part I" and "Part II" , - , 1999 ! scope="row", ''
L.A. Doctors ''L.A. Doctors'' is an American medical drama television series set in a Los Angeles primary care practice. It ran on CBS from September 21, 1998 to May 10, 1999. It replaced ''Brooklyn South'' after its cancellation in May 1998. Premise Four L ...
'' , Dr. Leanne Barrows , 3 episodes , - , rowspan=2, 2002 ! scope="row", '' Ally McBeal'' , Sheila Hunt , Episode: "Another One Bites the Dust" , - ! scope="row", ''
The Proud Family ''The Proud Family'' is an American animated television series created by Bruce W. Smith that originally ran on Disney Channel from September 15, 2001, to August 19, 2005. A revival, known as '' The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder'', was announ ...
'' , Debra Williams (voice) , Episode: "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thingy, Baby" , - , 2003 ! scope="row", ''
Boomtown A boomtown is a community that undergoes sudden and rapid population and economic growth, or that is started from scratch. The growth is normally attributed to the nearby discovery of a precious resource such as gold, silver, or oil, although ...
'' , Detective Katherine Pierce , Recurring Cast (season 2) , - , 2006 ! scope="row", ''
South Beach South Beach, also nicknamed colloquially as SoBe, is a neighborhood in Miami Beach, Florida. It is located east of Miami between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The area encompasses Miami Beach south of Dade Boulevard. This area was the fi ...
'' , Elizabeth Bauer , rowspan=3, Main Cast , - , 2006–10 ! scope="row", ''
Ugly Betty ''Ugly Betty'' is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which was originally broadcast on ABC. It premiered on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian t ...
'' ,
Wilhelmina Slater Wilhelmina Vivian Slater (born Wanda Slater) is a fictional character in the American dramedy series ''Ugly Betty''. She is played by Vanessa Williams, who received a supporting actress award at the 2007 and 2008 NAACP Image Awards, a Best TV Vil ...
, - , 2007–08 ! scope="row", ''
Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies ''Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies'' is an animated educational wildlife children's television series. The live action footage comes from the BBC Natural History Unit archives, as well as the National Geographic Society. The series originally aired o ...
'' , Mama Mirabelle (voice) , - , 2010–12 ! scope="row", ''
Desperate Housewives ''Desperate Housewives'' is an American comedy-drama soap opera television series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Marc Cherry, Cherry Productions. It aired for eight seasons on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from Octobe ...
'' ,
Renee Perry Renee Perry is a fictional character created by television producer and screenwriter Marc Cherry for the ABC television series '' Desperate Housewives''. She is portrayed by Vanessa Williams, and is the second African-American housewife to be a ...
, Main Cast (seasons 7-8) , - , 2011 ! scope="row", ''
RuPaul's Drag Race ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, VH1 (season 9–14) and, beginning with the f ...
'' , Guest Judge , Episode: "The Queen Who Mopped Xmas" , - , 2012 ! scope="row", ''
Phineas and Ferb ''Phineas and Ferb'' is an American animated musical-comedy television series created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh for Disney Channel and Disney XD. Produced by Disney Television Animation, the series was originally broadcast as a ...
'' , Flight Attendant (voice) , Episode: "Where's Perry? Part I" , - , 2012–13 ! scope="row", ''
666 Park Avenue ''666 Park Avenue'' is an American supernatural drama television series that aired on ABC from September 30, 2012, to July 13, 2013. The series was developed and produced by David Wilcox, and was loosely based upon the novel of the same name by ...
'' , Olivia Doran , Main Cast , - , rowspan=4, 2015 ! scope="row", ''
The Mindy Project ''The Mindy Project'' is an American romantic comedy television series created by and starring Mindy Kaling that began airing on Fox in September 2012 and finished its run of six seasons on Hulu in November 2017. The series was co-produced by Uni ...
'' , Dr. Philips , Episode: "Danny Castellano Is My Nutritionist" , - ! scope="row", ''
Royal Pains ''Royal Pains'' (stylized ℞oyalPains) is an American comedy-drama television series that ran on the USA Network from 2009 to 2016. The series was based in part on actual concierge medicine practices of independent doctors and companies. The ca ...
'' , Olympia Houston , Episodes: "The Prince of Nucleotides" and "Voices Carry" , - ! scope="row", ''
The Good Wife ''The Good Wife'' is an American legal and political drama television series that aired on CBS from September 22, 2009, to May 8, 2016. It focuses on Alicia Florrick, the wife of the Cook County State's Attorney, who returns to her career in law ...
'' , Courtney Paige , Recurring Cast: (
season 7 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and po ...
) , - ! scope="row", ''
Live from Lincoln Center ''Live from Lincoln Center'' is a seventeen-time Emmy Award-winning series that has broadcast notable performances from the Lincoln Center in New York City on PBS since 1976. The program airs between six and nine times per season. Episodes of ''L ...
'' , Julie LaVerne , Episode: "Kern and Hammerstein's Show Boat" , - , 2016 ! scope="row", ''
Broad City ''Broad City'' is an American television sitcom created by and starring Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson. It was developed from their independent web series of the same name, which was produced between 2009 and 2011. The sitcom, like the web series ...
'' , Elizabeth Carlton , Episode: "Game Over" , - , 2016–17 ! scope="row", '' The Librarians'' , General Cynthia Rockwell , 4 episodes , - , 2016–18 ! scope="row", ''
Milo Murphy's Law ''Milo Murphy's Law'' is an American animated television series created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh for Disney Channel and Disney XD. The series premiered on October 3, 2016 on Disney XD. It revolves around the title character, Milo ...
'' , Dr. Eileen Underwood (voice) , Supporting Cast , - , rowspan=3, 2017 ! scope="row", ''
Daytime Divas ''Daytime Divas'' is an American satirical comedy-drama television series developed by Amy and Wendy Engelberg for VH1. It is based on the 2011 book ''Satan's Sisters'' by former co-host of '' The View'' Star Jones. The show stars Vanessa Williams ...
'' , Maxine Robinson , Main Cast , - ! scope="row", ''
Difficult People ''Difficult People'' is an American dark comedy streaming television series created by Julie Klausner. Klausner stars alongside Billy Eichner as two struggling and jaded comedians living in New York City; the duo seemingly hate everyone but each ...
'' , Trish , Episode: "Strike Rat" , - ! scope="row", ''
Modern Family ''Modern Family'' is an American family sitcom television series created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan for the American Broadcasting Company. It ran for 11 seasons, from September 23, 2009, to April 8, 2020. It follows the lives of thr ...
'' , Rhonda , Episode: "The Long Goodbye" , - , rowspan=2, 2018 ! scope="row", '' Me, Myself & I'' , Kelly Frasier , Episodes: "Field Trip", "Thanksgiving" and "There She Goes" , - ! scope="row", '' RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars'' , Guest Judge , Episode: "Divas Lip Sync Live" , - , rowspan=2, 2019 ! scope="row", ''
Doc McStuffins ''Doc McStuffins'' is an American educational computer-animated children's television series created and executive produced by Chris Nee (an Irish-American who was an associate producer for international versions of Sesame Street) and produce ...
'' , Delilah (voice) , Episode: "Adventures in Baby Land" , - ! scope="row", '' First Wives Club'' , Nancy , Episode: "Something Blue" , - , 2019–22 ! scope="row", '' T.O.T.S.'' , Captain Candace Beakman (voice) , Main Cast , - , 2020 ! scope="row", ''
RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race ''RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race'' is an American reality competition series that premiered April 24, 2020 on VH1. A spin-off of ''RuPaul's Drag Race'', the series features celebrities competing for charity, mentored by alumni of the ''Dra ...
'' , Herself (as Vanqueisha De House) , Episode: "Rusical" (WINNER) , - , 2020–21 ! scope="row", '' Twenties'' , Angela , 3 episodes , - , 2020–22 ! scope="row", ''
Stars in the House ''Stars in the House'' is a daily live streamed web series created and hosted by Seth Rudetsky and his husband James Wesley to support The Actors Fund and its services. Created in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, ''Stars in ...
'' , Herself , 6 episodes; Special guest , - , rowspan=3, 2021 ! scope="row", ''
Kenan Kenan (also spelled Qenan, Kaynan or Cainan) (; ar, كِنَاْنْ, Keynān; grc-x-biblical, Καϊνάμ, Kaïnám) is an Antediluvian patriarch first mentioned in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. In scriptures According to Gen ...
'' , Tasha Noble , Episode: "Hair Show" , - ! scope="row", ''
Girls5eva ''Girls5eva'' is an American musical comedy television series created by Meredith Scardino that premiered on May 6, 2021, on Peacock. The series centers on four women who were part of a girl group named Girls5eva, which was briefly popular aroun ...
'' , Nance Trace , Episodes: "A.I.R.P.I.G." and "Separ8 Ways" , - ! scope="row", '' Marvel's Wastelanders: Old Man Star-Lord'' ,
Emma Frost Emma Grace Frost is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men. The character first appeared in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #129 (Jan. 1980), and was created by writer ...
(voice) , Podcast series , - , 2021–present ! scope="row", '' Queen of the Universe'' , Herself , Judge , - , 2022 ! scope="row", ''
A Black Lady Sketch Show ''A Black Lady Sketch Show'' is an American television sketch comedy series created by Robin Thede for HBO. The show consists of comedy sketches performed by a main cast of Black women, currently consisting of producer and creator Thede, Gabrielle ...
'' , Delilah , Episode: "It’s a New Day, Africa America!"


Theatre

{, class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" , - ! scope="col", Year ! scope="col", Title ! scope="col", Role ! scope="col", Venue , - , 1994 ! scope="row", '' Kiss of the Spider Woman'' , Spider Woman / Aurora Replacement ,
Broadhurst Theatre The Broadhurst Theatre is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 235 West 44th Street (Manhattan), 44th Street in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1917, the theater was designed ...
, Broadway debut , - , 2002 !scope="row", ''
Into the Woods ''Into the Woods'' is a 1987 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story ...
'' , The Witch , Broadhurst Theatre , - , 2010 !scope="row", ''
Sondheim on Sondheim ''Sondheim on Sondheim'' is a musical revue consisting of music and lyrics written by Stephen Sondheim for his many shows. It is conceived and directed by James Lapine. The revue had a limited run on Broadway in 2010. Background The revue is b ...
'' , Performer ,
Studio 54 Studio 54 is a Broadway theater and a former disco nightclub at 254 West 54th Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Operated by the Roundabout Theatre Company, Studio 54 has 1,006 seats on two levels. The theater was ...
, Broadway , - , 2013 !scope="row", ''
The Trip to Bountiful ''The Trip to Bountiful'' is a 1985 American drama film directed by Peter Masterson and starring Geraldine Page, John Heard, Carlin Glynn, Richard Bradford and Rebecca De Mornay. It was adapted by Horton Foote from his 1953 play of the same na ...
'' , Jessie Mae Watts ,
Stephen Sondheim Theatre The Stephen Sondheim Theatre, formerly Henry Miller's Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 124 West 43rd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Owned by the Durst Organization and managed by the Roundabout Theatre C ...
, Broadway , - , 2013 !scope="row", '' After Midnight'' , Special Guest Star ,
Brooks Atkinson Theatre The Lena Horne Theatre (previously the Mansfield Theatre and the Brooks Atkinson Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 256 West 47th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1926, it was designed by Herbert J ...
, Broadway , - , 2022 !scope="row", '' POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive'' , Margaret , Shubert Theatre, Broadway


Bibliography

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See also

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List of artists who reached number one in the United States This is a list of recording artists who have reached number one on ''Billboard'' magazine's weekly singles chart(s). This list spans from the issue dated January 1, 1955 to the present. Prior to the creation of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, ''Bill ...
*
List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. dance chart This is a list of recording artists who have reached number one on ''Billboard magazine's'' Dance Club Songs chart. ''Billboard'' began ranking dance music on the week ending October 26, 1974, and this is the standard music popularity chart in th ...
*
Children of Armenia Fund The Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) (Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Ar ...


References


External links

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