Acting
Vanessa Williams
Born 1963-03-18
Tarrytown, New York, USA
Department: Acting
Biography
Vanessa Lynn Williams is an American singer, actress, producer, dancer, and model. She was the first Black woman to win Miss America in 1984, but resigned after nude photos of her were published in Penthouse magazine. Williams has since had a successful career in music and acting, selling millions of albums and earning critical acclaim.
Known For
Prominent works featuring Vanessa Williams
TV
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Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
2009
TMDB2.5
TV
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Modern Family
2009
TMDB4.0
TV
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Desperate Housewives
2004
TMDB4.0
TV
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The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
1990
TMDB4.0
TV
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The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
TMDB3.8
Movie
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Eraser
1996
TMDB3.0
Movie
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Hannah Montana: The Movie
2009
TMDB3.3
TV
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Saturday Night Live
1975
TMDB3.5
TV
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The Kelly Clarkson Show
2019
TMDB3.1
TV
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The View
1997
TMDB2.1
Filmography & Credits
Complete career catalog (160 titles)
| Poster | Title | Character / Role | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | The Claudia Winkleman Show | Self | TV Series | 2026 |
 | Happy Clothes: A Film About Patricia Field | Self | Movie | 2024 |
 | The Little Pageant That Could | Self (archive footage) | Movie | 2024 |
 | Elsbeth | Roslyn Bridwell | TV Series | 2024 |
 | Tripped Up | Patricia Chamberlain | Movie | 2023 |
 | Celebrating 50 Years of Broadway's Best | Self | Movie | 2023 |
 | Zora Neale Hurston: Claiming a Space | Narrator (voice) | Movie | 2023 |
 | Velma | Dr. Perdue (voice) | TV Series | 2023 |
 | Los lunes a las 9 | Self (Archive Footage) | Movie | 2022 |
 | The Jennifer Hudson Show | Self / Appearance | TV Series | 2022 |
 | The Sherri Shepherd Show | Self - Guest | TV Series | 2022 |
 | Queen of the Universe | Self - Judge | TV Series | 2021 |
 | Blankety Blank | Self - Panellist | TV Series | 2021 |
 | Show of Titles | "Dear World" Performer | Movie | 2021 |
 | Girls5eva | Nance Trace | TV Series | 2021 |
 | Bad Hair | Zora | Movie | 2021 |
 | Name That Tune | Self - Contestant | TV Series | 2021 |
 | Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas with Vanessa Williams | Self - Host | TV Series | 2020 |
 | Vanessa Williams: Live From the West Side | Self / Appearance | Movie | 2020 |
 | There She Is | Self / Appearance | Movie | 2020 |
 | Secret Celebrity RuPaul's Drag Race | Vanquisha Da House - Contestant | TV Series | 2020 |
 | Calling All T.O.T.S. | Captain Beakman (voice) | TV Series | 2020 |
 | Singleholic | Jackie Chisolm | Movie | 2020 |
 | Stars in the House | Self | TV Series | 2020 |
| Stars in the House | Self - Special Guest | TV Series | 2020 |
 | Miss Virginia | Sally Rae | Movie | 2019 |
 | First Wives Club | Nancy | TV Series | 2019 |
 | Tamron Hall | Self - Guest | TV Series | 2019 |
 | The Kelly Clarkson Show | Self | TV Series | 2019 |
 | A Black Lady Sketch Show | Delilah | TV Series | 2019 |
 | Batman: Hush | Amanda Waller (voice) | Movie | 2019 |
 | T.O.T.S. | Captain Beakman (voice) | TV Series | 2019 |
 | American Style | Self | TV Series | 2019 |
 | The Legend of Hallowaiian | Fire Goddess (voice) | Movie | 2018 |
 | Celebrity Catchphrase | Self - Contestant | TV Series | 2018 |
 | Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay | Amanda Waller (voice) | Movie | 2018 |
 | The Man from Earth: Holocene | Carolyn | Movie | 2017 |
 | Daytime Divas | Maxine Robinson | TV Series | 2017 |
 | Not Black Enough | Self | Movie | 2017 |
 | VH1 Divas Holiday: Unsilent Night | Self | Movie | 2016 |
 | The Secret She Kept | Beverly | Movie | 2016 |
 | The $100,000 Pyramid | Self | TV Series | 2016 |
 | Match Game | Self - Panelist | TV Series | 2016 |
 | Show Boat | Julie LaVerne | Movie | 2015 |
 | Difficult People | Trish | TV Series | 2015 |
 | The Librarians | Cynthia Rockwell | TV Series | 2014 |
 | The Trip to Bountiful | Jessie Mae Watts | Movie | 2014 |
 | Broad City | Elizabeth Carlton | TV Series | 2014 |
 | He's Way More Famous Than You | Vanessa Williams | Movie | 2013 |
 | Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor | Janice | Movie | 2013 |
 | RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars | Self - Guest Judge | TV Series | 2012 |
 | 666 Park Avenue | Olivia Doran | TV Series | 2012 |
 | The Mindy Project | Dr. Phillips | TV Series | 2012 |
 | Bethenny | Self - Guest | TV Series | 2012 |
 | Doc McStuffins | Delilah the Nesting Doll (voice) | TV Series | 2012 |
 | The Jonathan Ross Show | Self - Guest | TV Series | 2011 |
 | A Mother's Love | Rochelle Richardson | Movie | 2011 |
 | The Talk | Self | TV Series | 2010 |
 | Who Do You Think You Are? | Self | TV Series | 2010 |
 | Modern Family | Rhonda | TV Series | 2009 |
 | The Good Wife | Courtney Paige | TV Series | 2009 |
 | Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen | Self - Guest | TV Series | 2009 |
 | Hannah Montana: The Movie | Vita | Movie | 2009 |
 | RuPaul's Drag Race | Self - Special Guest | TV Series | 2009 |
| RuPaul's Drag Race | Self / Appearance | TV Series | 2009 |
| RuPaul's Drag Race | Self - Guest Judge | TV Series | 2009 |
| RuPaul's Drag Race | Self - Judge (archive footage) | TV Series | 2009 |
 | Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade | Self | Movie | 2008 |
 | The Wendy Williams Show | Self / Appearance | TV Series | 2008 |
 | Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies | Mama Mirabelle (voice) | TV Series | 2007 |
| Shear Genius | Self / Appearance | TV Series | 2007 | |
 | The Graham Norton Show | Self | TV Series | 2007 |
 | And Then Came Love | Julie | Movie | 2007 |
 | Ugly Betty | Wilhelmina Slater | TV Series | 2006 |
| Rehearsing a Dream | Self | Movie | 2006 | |
 | South Beach | Elizabeth Bauer | TV Series | 2006 |
 | My Brother | L'Tisha Morton | Movie | 2006 |
 | Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade | Self | Movie | 2005 |
| The Reichen Show | Self | TV Series | 2005 | |
 | Gift for the Living | Narrator | Movie | 2005 |
 | Broadway's Lost Treasures III: The Best of The Tony Awards | Witch (segment "Into the Woods") (archive footage) | Movie | 2005 |
 | The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson | Self | TV Series | 2005 |
 | Christmas in Washington | Self / Appearance | Movie | 2004 |
 | The 7th Annual Soul Train Christmas Starfest | Self | Movie | 2004 |
 | Desperate Housewives | Renee Perry | TV Series | 2004 |
| The Tony Danza Show | Self - Guest | TV Series | 2004 | |
 | Johnson Family Vacation | Dorothy Johnson | Movie | 2004 |
 | Sesame Street: What's the Name of That Song? | Self (archive footage) | Movie | 2004 |
 | On Air with Ryan Seacrest | Self | TV Series | 2004 |
 | The Ellen DeGeneres Show | Self | TV Series | 2003 |
 | Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives | Self / Appearance | Movie | 2003 |
 | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | Self | TV Series | 2003 |
 | The Bachelorette | Self | TV Series | 2003 |
 | Boomtown | Detective Katherine Pierce | TV Series | 2002 |
 | Keep the Faith, Baby | Hazel Scott | Movie | 2002 |
 | It's Black Entertainment | Self - Host | Movie | 2002 |
 | Miss America | Self (archival footage) | Movie | 2002 |
 | Santa, Baby! | Alicia (voice) | Movie | 2001 |
| Good Day Live | Self | TV Series | 2001 | |
 | The Proud Family | Debra (voice) | TV Series | 2001 |
 | WW3 | M.J. Blake (as Vanessa L. Williams) | Movie | 2001 |
 | A Diva's Christmas Carol | Ebony Scrooge | Movie | 2000 |
| Christmas is Coming: Rob Mathes & Very Special Friends | Herself | Movie | 2000 | |
| Afrocentricity | Self | Movie | 2000 | |
 | Shaft | Carmen Vasquez | Movie | 2000 |
 | Don Quixote | Dulcinea / Aldonza | Movie | 2000 |
 | The Courage to Love | Mother Henriette Delille | Movie | 2000 |
| The Courage to Love | Executive Producer | Movie | 2000 |
| Shaft: Still the Man | Self | Movie | 2000 | |
 | Light It Up | Audrey McDonald | Movie | 1999 |
 | The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland | Queen of Trash | Movie | 1999 |
 | Futuresport | Alexandra 'Alex' Torres | Movie | 1999 |
 | L.A. Doctors | Leanne Barrows | TV Series | 1998 |
 | Dance with Me | Ruby Sinclair | Movie | 1998 |
 | Pavarotti & Friends - For the Children of Liberia | Self | Movie | 1998 |
 | VH1 Divas | Self / Appearance | TV Series | 1998 |
 | Soul Food | Teri | Movie | 1997 |
 | Ally McBeal | Sheila Hunt | TV Series | 1997 |
 | Hoodlum | Francine Hughes | Movie | 1997 |
 | The View | Self | TV Series | 1997 |
| The View | Self - Guest | TV Series | 1997 |
 | The Odyssey | Calypso | TV Series | 1997 |
 | Jungle Cubs | Self / Appearance | TV Series | 1996 |
 | Eraser | Lee | Movie | 1996 |
 | The Rosie O'Donnell Show | Self - Guest | TV Series | 1996 |
 | Bye Bye Birdie | Rose Alvarez | Movie | 1995 |
 | Nothing Lasts Forever | Dr. Kathy 'Kat' Hunter | TV Series | 1995 |
 | Nothing Lasts Forever | Dr. Kathy 'Kat' Hunter | Movie | 1995 |
 | MADtv | Self | TV Series | 1995 |
 | Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | Beauty (voice) | TV Series | 1995 |
 | Some Enchanted Evening: Celebrating Oscar Hammerstein II | Self | Movie | 1995 |
 | Score with Chicks | Self / Appearance | Movie | 1994 |
 | David Foster's Christmas Album | Self | Movie | 1993 |
 | Intimate Portrait | Self (archive footage) | TV Series | 1993 |
 | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | Arandis | TV Series | 1993 |
 | The Jacksons: An American Dream | Suzanne de Passe | TV Series | 1992 |
 | Stompin' at the Savoy | Pauline | Movie | 1992 |
| The Jaleel White Special | Self | Movie | 1992 | |
 | Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man | Lulu Daniels | Movie | 1991 |
 | Another You | Gloria | Movie | 1991 |
 | The Kid Who Loved Christmas | Lynette Parks | Movie | 1990 |
 | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Danny Mitchell | TV Series | 1990 |
 | Seriously... Phil Collins | Rachel - TV Executive | Movie | 1990 |
 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer | Terri Knight | Movie | 1990 |
 | Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes Scandal | Valentine Hayward | Movie | 1989 |
 | American Experience | Narrator (voice) | TV Series | 1988 |
 | LIVE with Kelly and Mark | Self - Guest | TV Series | 1988 |
 | Under the Gun | Samantha Richards | Movie | 1988 |
 | The Pick-up Artist | Rae, Girl with Dog | Movie | 1987 |
| Motown Returns to the Apollo | Self / Appearance | Movie | 1985 | |
 | Partners in Crime | Self / Appearance | TV Series | 1984 |
 | T. J. Hooker | Officer Pat Williamson | TV Series | 1982 |
 | A Capitol Fourth | Self | TV Series | 1980 |
 | Saturday Night Live | Self - Musical Guest | TV Series | 1975 |
 | Days of Our Lives | Valerie Grant | TV Series | 1965 |
 | The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | Self | TV Series | 1962 |
 | Tony Awards | Self - Performer | TV Series | 1956 |
| Miss America | Miss New York 1983 | TV Series | 1954 | |
 | The Oscars | Self | TV Series | 1953 |
| Women Like Us | Self / Appearance | Movie | — |