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Vanessa Williams

Vanessa Williams

Birthday: 1963-03-18 | Place of Birth: Tarrytown, New York, USA

An American pop-R&B recording artist, producer, dancer, model, and actress. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America, but a scandal involving nude photographs caused her to relinquish her title early. Williams rebounded by launching a career as an entertainer, earning Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Award nominations. Williams released her debut album The Right Stuff in 1988, which spawned the hits "The Right Stuff," a #1 on Hot Dance Songs, and "Dreamin'," a #1 on R&B and #8 on Billboard Hot 100. Her second studio album, The Comfort Zone, in 1991 topped the Billboard R&B Album Chart, and spawned the number-one hit, "Save the Best for Last." In 1994 she debuted on Broadway in the musical Kiss of the Spider Woman. In 1995 she recorded the Oscar-winner for Best Original Song, "Colors of the Wind," from the Disney animated feature film Pocahontas. It went on to reach #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Williams's first major movie role was as the star of the feature film Eraser in 1996. She also starred in the movies Soul Food, Dance with Me, The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland, Shaft and Johnson Family Vacation. From 2006 to 2010 she played the role of self-absorbed diva and former supermodel Wilhelmina Slater in the ABC comedy series Ugly Betty. In 2009, Williams released her eighth studio album, The Real Thing. In 2010 she joined the ensemble cast of the series Desperate Housewives as spoiled rich woman Renee Perry.

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Known For

Acting

Year
Title

Role

2021
Queen of the Universe

as    Self - Judge

2021
Bad Hair

as    Zora

2020
Singleholic

as    Jackie Chisolm

2019
T.O.T.S.

as    Captain Beakman (voice)

2019
Miss Virginia

as    Sally Rae

2018
Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay

as    Amanda Waller (voice)

2018
The Legend of Hallowaiian

as    Fire Goddess (voice)

2014
The Trip to Bountiful

as    Jessie Mae Watts

2012
666 Park Avenue

as    Olivia Doran

2007
And Then Came Love

as    Julie

2006
South Beach

as    Elizabeth Bauer

2006
My Brother

as    L'Tisha Morton

2006
Ugly Betty

as    Willhelmina Slater

2005
Broadway's Lost Treasures III: The Best of The Tony Awards

as    Witch (segment "Into the Woods") (archive footage)

2004
Johnson Family Vacation

as    Dorothy Johnson

2000
Shaft

as    Carmen Vasquez

2000
A Diva's Christmas Carol

as    Ebony Scrooge

2000
The Courage to Love

as    Mother Henriette Delille

1999
Futuresport

as    Alexandra 'Alex' Torres

1999
Light It Up

as    Audrey McDonald

1999
The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland

as    Queen of Trash

1998
Dance with Me

as    Ruby Sinclair

1997
The Odyssey

as    Calypso

1997
Hoodlum

as    Francine Hughes