Vanessa Williams
Acting1963Tarrytown, New York, USA
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
Acting History
2026
The Claudia Winkleman Show
TVas Self
2025
The Jonathan Ross Show
TVas Self - Guest• 1 eps
2024
The Little Pageant That Could
as Self (archive footage)
The Kelly Clarkson Show
TVas Self• 1 eps
Velma
TVas Dr. Perdue (voice)• 6 eps
Elsbeth
TVas Roslyn Bridwell• 1 eps
Sherri
TVas Self - Guest• 1 eps
Name That Tune
TVas Self - Contestant• 1 eps
The Graham Norton Show
TVas Self• 1 eps
2023
Tripped Up
as Patricia Chamberlain
Zora Neale Hurston: Claiming a Space
as Narrator (voice)
American Experience
TVas Narrator (voice)• 1 eps
2022
A Black Lady Sketch Show
TVas Delilah• 1 eps
2021
Bad Hair
as Zora
Show of Titles
as "Dear World" Performer
Tamron Hall
TVas Self - Guest• 1 eps
Girls5eva
TVas Nance Trace• 3 eps
Queen of the Universe
TVas Self - Judge
2020
Singleholic
as Jackie Chisolm
Secret Celebrity RuPaul's Drag Race
TVas Vanquisha Da House - Contestant• 1 eps
Calling All T.O.T.S.
TVas Captain Beakman (voice)
Stars in the House
TVas Self - Special Guest• 1 eps
Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas with Vanessa Williams
TVas Self - Host
2019
Batman: Hush
as Amanda Waller (voice)
Miss Virginia
as Sally Rae
American Style
TVas Self
First Wives Club
TVas Nancy• 1 eps
T.O.T.S.
TVas Captain Beakman (voice)• 150 eps
Match Game
TVas Self - Panelist• 1 eps
2018
Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay
as Amanda Waller (voice)
The Legend of Hallowaiian
as Fire Goddess (voice)
The $100,000 Pyramid
TVas Self• 1 eps
Celebrity Catchphrase
TVas Self - Contestant
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars
TVas Self - Guest Judge• 1 eps
2017
Not Black Enough
as Self
The Man from Earth: Holocene
as Carolyn
Modern Family
TVas Rhonda• 1 eps
Doc McStuffins
TVas Delilah the Nesting Doll (voice)• 1 eps
Difficult People
TVas Trish• 1 eps
Daytime Divas
TVas Maxine Robinson
2016
The Secret She Kept
as Beverly
The Librarians
TVas Cynthia Rockwell• 4 eps
Broad City
TVas Elizabeth Carlton• 1 eps
2015
Show Boat
as Julie LaVerne
The Good Wife
TVas Courtney Paige• 4 eps
The Mindy Project
TVas Dr. Phillips• 1 eps
2014
The Trip to Bountiful
as Jessie Mae Watts
2013
He's Way More Famous Than You
as Vanessa Williams
RuPaul's Drag Race
TVas Self - Guest Judge / Self - Special Guest / Self - Judge (archive footage)• 1 eps
2012
666 Park Avenue
TVas Olivia Doran• 13 eps
Bethenny
TVas Self - Guest
2011
A Mother's Love
as Rochelle Richardson
Who Do You Think You Are?
TVas Self• 1 eps
2010
Desperate Housewives
TVas Renee Perry• 46 eps
2009
Hannah Montana: The Movie
as Vita
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
TVas Self - Guest
2007
2006
My Brother
as L'Tisha Morton
Rehearsing a Dream
as Self
Ugly Betty
TVas Wilhelmina Slater• 85 eps
South Beach
TVas Elizabeth Bauer• 8 eps
2005
Broadway's Lost Treasures III: The Best of The Tony Awards
as Witch (segment "Into the Woods") (archive footage)
Gift for the Living
as Narrator
The Reichen Show
TVas Self• 1 eps
The Bachelorette
TVas Self• 1 eps
2004
Johnson Family Vacation
as Dorothy Johnson
Sesame Street: What's the Name of That Song?
as Self (archive footage)
The Tony Danza Show
TVas Self - Guest• 5 eps
Good Day Live
TVas Self• 1 eps
On Air with Ryan Seacrest
TVas Self• 1 eps
2003
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
TVas Self
Boomtown
TVas Detective Katherine Pierce• 6 eps
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
TVas Self
2002
It's Black Entertainment
as Self - Host
Keep the Faith, Baby
as Hazel Scott
Ally McBeal
TVas Sheila Hunt• 1 eps
The Proud Family
TVas Debra (voice)• 1 eps
2001
Santa, Baby!
as Alicia (voice)
WW3
as M.J. Blake (as Vanessa L. Williams)
2000
Afrocentricity
as Self
The Courage to Love
as Mother Henriette Delille
A Diva's Christmas Carol
as Ebony Scrooge
Shaft
as Carmen Vasquez
Don Quixote
as Dulcinea / Aldonza
Shaft: Still the Man
as Self
The Courage to Love
Executive Producer
1999
Light It Up
as Audrey McDonald
The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland
as Queen of Trash
Futuresport
as Alexandra 'Alex' Torres
L.A. Doctors
TVas Leanne Barrows• 3 eps
1998
1997
Hoodlum
as Francine Hughes
Soul Food
as Teri
The Odyssey
as Calypso
The View
TVas Self / Self - Guest
The Odyssey
TVas Calypso• 2 eps
1996
Eraser
as Lee Cullen
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
TVas Self - Guest
Intimate Portrait
TVas Self (archive footage)• 1 eps
The Oscars
TVas Self• 1 eps
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
TVas Arandis• 1 eps
1995
Nothing Lasts Forever
as Dr. Kathy 'Kat' Hunter
Bye Bye Birdie
as Rose Alvarez
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
TVas Beauty (voice)• 1 eps
MADtv
TVas Self
Nothing Lasts Forever
TVas Dr. Kathy 'Kat' Hunter
1992
Stompin' at the Savoy
as Pauline
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
TVas Danny Mitchell• 1 eps
The Jacksons: An American Dream
TVas Suzanne de Passe
1991
Another You
as Gloria
Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man
as Lulu Daniels
1990
Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer
as Terri Knight
The Kid Who Loved Christmas
as Lynette Parks
Seriously... Phil Collins
as Rachel - TV Executive
1989
Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes Scandal
as Valentine Hayward
1988
Under the Gun
as Samantha Richards
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
TVas Self - Guest
1987
The Pick-up Artist
as Rae, Girl with Dog
1986
T. J. Hooker
TVas Officer Pat Williamson• 1 eps
1980
A Capitol Fourth
TVas Self
1975
Saturday Night Live
TVas Self - Musical Guest
1965
Days of Our Lives
TVas Valerie Grant
1962
1954
Miss America
TVas Miss New York 1983