Vanessa Lynn Williams (born March 18, 1963) is an American singer, actress, model, producer, and dancer. 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, but resigned her title amid a media controversy surrounding nude photographs of her being published in ''

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 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' that 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'' (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'' (2009). As an actress, Williams enjoyed success on stage and screen. She made her Broadway 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 ...

'' that 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's '' The Trip to Bountiful'' 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 maj ...

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 Tarrytown, New York, 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. Fields, 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 ...

and

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 ...

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 became elementary school music teachers in separate districts after marriage. 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 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 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 (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. Cha ...

. 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 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 misattribution

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. became aware of Vanessa E. in the 1980s when the

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

title when she was crowned Miss America 1984 on September 17, 1983. Several weeks before the end of her reign, however, a scandal arose when ''

'' 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 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 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

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). 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 gold status in the U.S. and earned her an NAACP Image Award and three

nominations, including one for Best New Artist. 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' "

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, 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'', 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. 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'' 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, ''

'' in 2005, and '' The Real Thing'' 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, the

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 The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

-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 that 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'' 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'' and portrayed the nymph Calypso in the 1997 Hallmark Entertainment miniseries '' The Odyssey.'' In 2001, Williams starred in the

Lifetime Lifetime may refer to: * Life expectancy, the length of time a person is expected to remain alive Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Lifetime (band), a rock band from New Jersey * ''Life Time'' (Rollins Band album), by Rollins Band * ...

film 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

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 ''

''. 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 ''

'' for its seventh season, where she portrayed

, an old college "frenemy" of Lynette Scavo (

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 VH1 (originally an initialism of Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network based in New York City and owned by Paramount Global. It was created by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Commun ...

television series '' Daytime Divas'' 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 ''

''. In 2007, she starred in the independent film ''

My Brother My Brother may refer to: * ''My Brother'' (book), a biography of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan * ''My Brother'' (2004 film), a Korean film starring Won Bin * ''My Brother'' (2006 film), a film starring Vanessa L. Williams and Tatu ...

'', 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 Shaft may refer to: Rotating machine elements * Shaft (mechanical engineering), a rotating machine element used to transmit power * Line shaft, a power transmission system * Drive shaft, a shaft for transferring torque * Axle, a shaft around whi ...

'', 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'' (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

's ''

'', 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

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 play '' The Trip to Bountiful'', 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'' 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, 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 celebri ...

, 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 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'' 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'', and donated her prize of $20,000 to the LGBTQ 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 Type 1 diabetes (T1D), formerly known as juvenile diabetes, is an autoimmune disease that originates when cells that make insulin (beta cells) are destroyed by the immune system. Insulin is a hormone required for the cells to use blood sugar for ...

), 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 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 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 Her ...

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 ...

Activism

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, 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.

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 "

". 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 Awards, 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 and Academy Award-winning song "

" 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 ''

''.

Discography

;Studio albums * '' The Right Stuff'' (1988) * '' The Comfort Zone'' (1991) * '' The Sweetest Days'' (1994) * '' Star Bright'' (1996) * ''

'' (1997) * '' Silver & Gold'' (2004) * ''

'' (2005) * '' The Real Thing'' (2009)

Filmography

Film

{, class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes , - , 1987 , '' The Pick-up Artist'' , Rae , , - , 1988 , ''Under the Gun'' , Samantha Richards , , - , 1989 , ''Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes Scandal'' , Valentine Hayward , Television film , - , rowspan=3, 1990 , '' Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer'' , Terri Knight , Television film , - , ''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 , Television film , - , ''The Kid Who Loved Christmas'' , Lynette Parks , Television film , - , rowspan=2, 1991 , '' Another You'' , Gloria , , - , '' Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man'' , Lulu Daniels , , - , 1992 , ''Stompin' at the Savoy'' , Pauline , Television film , - , rowspan=2, 1995 , ''Nothing Lasts Forever'' , Dr. Kathy "Kat" Hunter , Television film , - , '' Bye Bye Birdie'' , Rose Alvarez , Television film , - , 1996 , ''

'' , Dr. Lee Cullen , , - , rowspan=2, 1997 , ''

'' , Teri Joseph , , - , ''

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 , '' Dance with Me'' , Ruby Sinclair , , - , ''

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 , '' The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland'' , Queen of Trash , , - , '' Light It Up'' , Detective Audrey McDonald , , - , rowspan=4, 2000 , ''

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

, Television film , - , '' Don Quixote'' ,

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 , Television film , - , ''

'' , Carmen Vasquez , , - , ''

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 , Television film , - , rowspan=2, 2001 , ''WW3'' , M.J. Blake , Television film , - , ''Santa, Baby!'' , Alicia , Voice, television film , - , 2002 , ''Keep the Faith, Baby'' , Hazel Scott , Television film , - , rowspan=2, 2004 , ''

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 , , - , ''Beck and Call'' , Zoe , Short , - , rowspan=2, 2006 , ''Rehearsing a Dream'' , Herself , Short , - , ''

'' , L'Tisha Morton , , - , rowspan=2, 2007 , ''The Beautiful World of Ugly Betty'' ,

, Television film , - , ''

And Then Came Love ''And Then Came Love'' is a 2007 romantic comedy film directed by Richard Schenkman. It premiered at the Urban Film Series Festival in Washington, D.C. in June 2007, with a limited theatrical release in Ridgewood, New Jersey beginning in that sam ...

'' , Julie Davidson , , - , 2009 , '' Hannah Montana: The Movie'' , Vita , , - , 2011 , '' Delhi Safari'' , Beggum , Voice , - , rowspan=2, 2013 , ''

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 , , - , '' Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor'' , Janice , , - , rowspan=2, 2014 , '' The Trip to Bountiful'' , Jessie Mae Watts , Television film , - , '' When Marnie Was There'' , Hisako , Voice , - , 2017 , '' The Man From Earth: Holocene'' , Carolyn , , - , rowspan=3, 2018 , '' Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay'' , Amanda Waller , Voice, direct-to-video , - , ''

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 , - , ''False Profits'' , Suzanne , Television film , - , rowspan=2, 2019 , '' Batman: Hush'' , Amanda Waller , Voice, direct-to-video , - , '' Miss Virginia'' , Sally Rae , , - , 2020 , '' Bad Hair'' , Zora , , - , 2021 , '' A Christmas Family Reunion'' , Eve Christmas , Television film

Television

{, class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes , - , 1979 , '' Live from Lincoln Center'' , Graduates/Off Stage Voices , Episode: "New York City Opera: Street Scene" , - , rowspan=2, 1984 , '' Partners in Crime'' , Roselle Robins , Episode: "Celebrity" , - , '' The Love Boat'' , Miss America , Episode: "Ace's Valet/Mother Comes First/Hit or Miss America" , - , rowspan=4, 1986 , ''

He's the Mayor ''He's the Mayor'' is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from January 10 to March 21, 1986. It stars Kevin Hooks as a 25-year-old man who is elected mayor of his hometown. Cast and characters *Kevin Hooks as Mayor Carl Burke *Al Fann as Alvi ...

'' , Herself , Episode: "An Officer and the Mayor" , - , '' The Redd Foxx Show'' , Jessica , Episode: "The Prodigal Son" , - , ''

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" , - , '' The Love Boat'' , Pearl , Episode: "My Stepmother, Myself/Almost Roommates/Cornerback Sneak" , - , 1987 , '' Password Plus and Super Password'' , Herself/Celebrity Contestant , Recurring role , - , rowspan=2, 1988 , ''

Showtime at the Apollo ''Showtime at the Apollo'' (formerly ''It's Showtime at the Apollo'' and ''Apollo Live'') is an American variety show that first aired in syndication from September 12, 1987 to May 24, 2008. In 2018, the series returned on Fox with Steve Harvey h ...

'' , Herself , Episode: "Episode #2.3" , - , ''

Soul Train ''Soul Train'' is an American musical variety television show. It aired in syndication from October 2, 1971, to March 25, 2006. Across its 35-year history the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists. The series w ...

'' , Herself , Episode: "

Thomas Dolby Thomas Morgan Robertson (born 14 October 1958), known by the stage name Thomas Dolby, is an English musician, producer, composer, entrepreneur and teacher. Dolby came to prominence in the 1980s, releasing hit singles including "She Blinded Me ...

/Vanessa L. Williams/

Tony Terry Antonio "Tony" Terry (born March 12, 1964) is an American soul/ new jack swing singer from Washington, D.C., who had several R&B hits in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Biography Singing Terry is a graduate at the Duke Ellington School of th ...

" , - , rowspan=2, 1989 , ''After Hours'' , Herself/Host , Episode: "Turkey Day Part 2" , - , '' Family Feud'' , Herself/Celebrity Contestant , Recurring Guest , - , rowspan=5, 1992 , ''

'' , Herself , Episode: "Vanessa L. Williams/Shanice Wilson/Jodeci" , - , '' Soul Train Music Awards'' , Herself/Co-Host , , - , ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...

'' , Herself , Episode: "Woody Harrelson/Vanessa Williams" , - , '' 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 ...

, Episode: "Part I & II" , - , ''

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" , - , rowspan=2, 1994 , ''Essence Awards'' , Herself/Host , Main Host , - , '' Great Performances'' , Herself/Host , Episode: "Carnegie Hall Salutes the Jazz Masters: Verve Records at 50" , - , 1995 , , Beauty , Voice, episode: "Beauty and the Beast" , - , rowspan=2, 1996 , ''

Intimate Portrait ''Intimate Portrait'' is a biographical documentary television series on the Lifetime cable network hosted by Meredith Vieira Meredith Louise Vieira (born December 30, 1953) is an American broadcast journalist and television personality. S ...

'' , Herself , Episode: "Vanessa Williams" , - , ''

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (abbreviated as ''DS9'') is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller. The fourth series in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise, it originally aired in syndication from ...

'' , Arandis , Episode: " Let He Who Is Without Sin..." , - , 1997 , '' The Odyssey'' , Calypso , Episode: "Part I & II" , - , rowspan=2, 1998 , '' NAACP Image Awards'' , Herself/Co-Host , , - , ''

'' , Herself , Episode: "Alec Baldwin/Luciano Pavarotti, Vanessa Williams" , - , rowspan=2, 1999 , ''I'll Make Me a World'' , Herself/Narrator , , - , ''

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 , Recurring role , - , rowspan=2, 2000 , ''

'' , Herself , Episode: "Dancing on Sesame Street" , - , ''Christmas in Vienna'' , Herself , Episode: "Our Favorite Things: Christmas in Vienna" , - , , '' Who Wants to Be a Millionaire'' , Herself/Celebrity Contestant , Recurring guest , - , rowspan=3, 2002 , ''Cool Women'' , Herself , Episode: "Singers/Actresses" , - , '' Ally McBeal'' , Sheila Hunt , Episode: "Another One Bites the Dust" , - , '' The Proud Family'' , Debra Williams , Voice, episode: "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thingy, Baby" , - , 2003 , ''

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 role (season 2) , - , rowspan=3, 2004 , ''

Mad TV ''Mad TV'' (stylized as ''MADtv'') is an American sketch comedy television series originally inspired by '' Mad'' magazine. In its initial run, it aired on Fox from 1995 to 2009. After a one-off reunion show in 2015 to celebrate the twentiet ...

'' , Herself , Episode: "Episode #9.20" , - , ''Fashion in Focus'' , Herself , Episode: "Compassion in Fashion" , - , ''

Evening at Pops ''Evening at Pops'' is an American concert television series produced by WGBH-TV. It is one of the longest-running programs on PBS, airing from 1970 to 2004. The program was a public television version of a variety show, featuring performances by ...

'' , Herself , Episode: "Vanessa Williams" , - , rowspan=2, 2005 , ''Black in the 80s'' , Herself , Episode: "Color in Film" & "Color TV" , - , ''Gospel Superfest'' , Herself/Host , Main host , - , 2006 , ''

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 , Main cast , - , 2006–10 , ''

'' ,

, Main cast , - , rowspan=2, 2007 , ''

Shear Genius ''Shear Genius'' is an American reality television series on the Bravo network that focuses on hair styling. The show ran for three seasons, from April 2007 to April 2010. It was hosted by actress Jaclyn Smith in seasons one and two and by Brazili ...

'' , Herself/Celebrity Judge , 2 episodes , - , ''

E! True Hollywood Story ''E! True Hollywood Story'' is an American television documentary series on E! that pulls back the curtain and highlights some of pop culture's most fascinating people, moments and trends. The series offers exclusive interviews with new insigh ...

'' , Herself , Episode: "Vanessa Williams" , - , 2007–08 , ''

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, main role , - , 2009 , '' Daytime Emmy Awards'' , Herself/Host , , - , rowspan=3, 2010 , '' Drama League Award'' , Herself/Host , , - , ''

Biography A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or ...

'' , Herself , Episode: "Vanessa Williams" , - , '' The A-List: New York'' , Herself , Episode: "To the Sky" , - , 2010–12 , ''

'' ,

, Main role (seasons 7 and 8) , - , rowspan=2, 2011 , '' Who Do You Think You Are?'' , Herself , Episode: "Vanessa Williams" , - , '' RuPaul's Drag Race'' , Herself/Guest Judge , Episode: "The Queen Who Mopped X–mas" , - , rowspan=2, 2012 , ''Kitchen Cousin's'' , Herself , Episode: "Vanessa Williams Kitchen Surprise" , - , '' Phineas and Ferb'' , Flight Attendant , Voice, episode: "Where's Perry? Part I" , - , 2012–13 , ''

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 role , - , rowspan=2, 2014 , ''The Haunting Of'' , Herself , Episode: "Vanessa Williams" , - , ''

Oprah's Master Class ''Oprah's Master Class'' (or ''Oprah Presents: Master Class'', as it was titled in the first season) is a primetime television program that airs on the OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. The series premiered on the network's first day, January 1, 2011. ...

'' , Herself , Episode: "Vanessa Williams" , - , rowspan=4, 2015 , ''

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" , - , ''

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 , Recurring role (season 7) , - , '' The Good Wife'' , Courtney Paige , Recurring role (

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 ...

) , - , '' Live from Lincoln Center'' , Julie LaVerne , Episode: "Kern and Hammerstein's Show Boat" , - , 2016 , '' Broad City'' , Elizabeth Carlton , Episode: "Game Over" , - , 2016–17 , '' The Librarians'' , General Cynthia Rockwell , Recurring role (season 3) , - , 2016–18 , ''

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, recurring role , - , rowspan=3, 2017 , '' Daytime Divas'' , Maxine Robinson , Main cast , - , '' Difficult People'' , Trish , Episode: "Strike Rat" , - , '' Modern Family'' , Rhonda , Episode: "The Long Goodbye" , - , rowspan=3, 2018 , '' RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars'' , Herself/Guest Judge , Episode: "Divas Lip Sync Live" , - , ''

Pyramid A pyramid (from el, πυραμίς ') is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge to a single step at the top, making the shape roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilat ...

'' , Herself/Celebrity Player , Episode: "

Kathy Najimy Kathy Ann Najimy ( ; ar, كاثي ان نجيمي ; born February 6, 1957) is an American actress and activist. She is best known for her roles in the films ''Soapdish'' (1991), ''Sister Act'' (1992), '' Hocus Pocus'' (1993), ''Hope Floats'' (1 ...

vs. Yvette Nicole Brown and Vanessa Williams vs. Gary Cole" , - , '' Me, Myself & I'' , Kelly Frasier , Recurring role , - , rowspan=5, 2019 , ''American Style'' , Herself , Recurring guest , - , '' Project Runway All Stars'' , Herself/Guest Judge , Episode: "Penneys From Heaven" , - , '' Match Game'' , Herself/Celebrity Player , , - , ''

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" , - , '' First Wives Club'' , Nancy , Episode: "Something Blue" , - , 2019–22 , ''

T.O.T.S. ''T.O.T.S.'' (also known as ''Tiny Ones Transport Service'') is an American computer-animated children's television series created by Travis Braun, The series debuted on Disney Junior on June 14, 2019. It focuses on Pip and his friend Freddy wh ...

'' , , Voice, main role , - , rowspan=3, 2020 , '' RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race'' , Herself/Vanqueisha De House , Contestant ( season 1) , - , ''How's Your Head, Hun?'' , Herself , Episode: "Love in the Time of Quarantine" , - , ''

Let's Make a Deal ''Let's Make a Deal'' (also known as ''LMAD'') is an American television musical comedy variety-game show that originated in the United States in 1963 and has since been produced in many countries throughout the world. The program was created an ...

'' , Herself , Episode: "Episode #12.27" , - , 2020–21 , '' Twenties'' , Angela , Guest (season 1), recurring (season 2) , - , rowspan=5, 2021 , ''Broadway Profiles'' , Herself , 2 episodes , - , ''

A Capitol Fourth ''A Capitol Fourth'' is an annual Independence Day (United States), Independence Day concert Television special, special broadcast by PBS. It is presented from the west lawn of the United States Capitol, United States Capitol Building in Washingto ...

'' , Herself/Host , , - , ''

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" , - , '' Girls5eva'' , Nance Trace , Recurring role (season 1) , - , '' Marvel's Wastelanders: Star-Lord'' , Emma Frost , Voice, main role , - , 2021–23 , '' Queen of the Universe'' , Herself/Judge , , - , rowspan=2, 2022 , '' Carpool Karaoke'' , Herself , Episode: "

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

Chelsea Clinton Chelsea Victoria Clinton (born February 27, 1980) is an American writer and global health advocate. She is the only child of former U.S. President Bill Clinton and former U.S. Secretary of State and 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton ...

Amber Ruffin Amber Mildred Ruffin (born January 9, 1979) is an American comedian. She hosts her own late-night talk show titled ''The Amber Ruffin Show'' on NBC and Peacock. She has been a writer for ''Late Night with Seth Meyers'' since 2014. When she joined ...

" , - , ''

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!" , - , rowspan=3, 2023 , '' American Experience'' , Herself/Narrator , Episode: "

Zora Neale Hurston Zora Neale Hurston (January 7, 1891 – January 28, 1960) was an American author, anthropologist, and filmmaker. She portrayed racial struggles in the early-1900s American South and published research on Hoodoo (spirituality), hoodoo. The most ...

: Claiming a Space" , - , '' RuPaul's Drag Race'' , Herself , Episode: "Grand Finale" , - , '' Great Performances'' , Herself , Episode: "Celebrating 50 Years of Broadway's Best"

Theatre

{, class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" , - ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Venu , - , 1994 , '' Kiss of the Spider Woman'' , Spider Woman/Aurora Replacement , Broadhurst Theatre, Broadway debut , - , rowspan=2, 2002 , rowspan=2, ''

'' , rowspan=2, The Witch , Ahmanson Theatre, Pre-Broadway , - , Broadhurst Theatre, Broadway , - , 2010 , ''

'' , Performer ,

, Broadway , - , rowspan=2, 2013 , '' The Trip to Bountiful'' , Jessie Mae Watts , Stephen Sondheim Theatre, Broadway , - , '' After Midnight'' , Special Guest Star , Brooks Atkinson Theatre, Broadway , - , rowspan=2, 2022 , ''

Anyone Can Whistle ''Anyone Can Whistle'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Described as "a satire on conformity and the insanity of the so-called sane," the show tells a story of an economically depressed town wh ...

'' , Cora Hoover Hooper ,

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...

, - , '' POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive'' , Margaret , Shubert Theatre, Broadway , -

Bibliography

* *

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Vanessa 1963 births Living people 20th-century African-American women singers 21st-century African-American women singers Actresses from New York City African-American actresses African-American beauty pageant winners African-American Catholics African-American fashion designers African-American history of Westchester County, New York African-American jazz musicians American contemporary R&B singers American dance musicians American film actresses American gospel singers American LGBT rights activists American people of English descent American people of Welsh descent American people of Irish descent American people of Finnish descent American people of Italian descent American people of Portuguese descent American soul singers American television actresses American voice actresses American women fashion designers American women jazz singers American jazz singers American women pop singers Beauty pageant controversies Catholics from New York (state) Concord Records artists Dancers from New York (state) Entertainers from the Bronx Horace Greeley High School alumni Lava Records artists Mercury Records artists Miss America 1980s delegates Miss America Preliminary Talent winners Miss America winners Miss New York winners People with type 1 diabetes Polydor Records artists Singers from New York City Syracuse University alumni

Early life and education

Name misattribution

Miss America

Career

Music

Television and film

Theatre

Additional roles

Fashion

Personal life

Activism

Honors and awards

Discography

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Bibliography

See also

References

External links