Vanessa Estelle Williams

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Vanessa Estelle Williams
Vanessa A. Williams.jpg
Williams in 2011
Born
Vanessa Estelle Williams

(1963-05-12) May 12, 1963 (age 58)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
EducationMarymount Manhattan College
OccupationActress
Years active1989–present
Spouse(s)
Andre Wiseman
​
​
(m. 1992; separated 2018)​
Children2

Vanessa Estelle Williams (born May 12, 1963), sometimes professionally credited as Vanessa A. Williams,[1] is an American actress and producer. She is best known for her roles as Maxine Joseph–Chadway in the Showtime drama series, Soul Food (2000–04), for which she received NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series and as Nino Brown's feisty gun moll, Keisha in the 1991 crime drama film, New Jack City. Williams also is known for her role as Anne-Marie McCoy in the first and fourth films in the Candyman film series, and as Rhonda Blair in the first season of the Fox prime time soap opera, Melrose Place (1992–93).

Early life and education[]

Williams was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York.[2] Williams has three brothers.[3] Her mother Verdell died when she was 10 years old leaving Williams to be raised by her grandmother, Johnnie Mae Mungen.[4][5] She can trace her ancestry back to Georgia and Virginia.[6] After high school she went on to get a bachelor's degree in theater and business management from Marymount Manhattan College.[7]

Career[]

Williams later went to acting in films and television, becoming known simply as "Vanessa Williams".[8] In the area of acting, she ran into name conflict with singer/actress and former Miss America Vanessa Williams. Screen Actors Guild rules prohibited duplicate stage naming. Vanessa Estelle had registered the name "Vanessa Williams" first,[9] so as a compromise, the former Miss America was occasionally credited as "Vanessa L. Williams" in acting credits.

Television[]

Williams began her acting career in 1989, appearing in episodes of The Cosby Show and Law & Order. In 1992, she was cast as Rhonda Blair, first and only black regular character, in the Fox prime time soap opera, Melrose Place. She was written off after only one season for lack of direction. "I think they didn't make the effort to equip themselves [to write for a black character], either by hiring a black writer or asking me things," – said Williams later.[10] She later had guest starring roles on NYPD Blue and Living Single, before was cast as series regular in the ABC legal drama, Murder One (1995–1996) created by Steven Bochco. She received her first nomination an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her performance on show. In 1996, Williams had a recurring role as Dr. Grace Carr in the CBS medical drama series, Chicago Hope, for which she received NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series nomination.[7]

Williams with Boris Kodjoe in 2011

In 2000, Williams was cast as Maxine Chadway in the Showtime drama series Soul Food, a continuation of the successful 1997 film of the same name.[7] Two other leads were played by Nicole Ari Parker and Malinda Williams. In the 1997 film, Vanessa L. Williams played the leading role of Teri Joseph, and Vivica A. Fox played Maxine. For her performance, Williams won NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series in 2003, and received three additional nominations. The series aired to 2004 and went to be the longest running drama with a predominantly black cast in the history of American prime-time television.[11]

After Soul Food, Williams had guest starring roles on Cold Case, Knight Rider and Lincoln Heights. In 2015, she was cast in a recurring role of Iris West's mother in The CW drama series, The Flash.[12][13] In October 2016, it was announced she was cast in the role of Valerie Grant on the NBC soap opera, Days of Our Lives.[14]

Film[]

In film, Williams is best known for playing Keisha in the 1991 crime thriller New Jack City opposite Wesley Snipes and Ice T. She is also known for playing Anne-Marie McCoy in the 1992 horror Candyman opposite Tony Todd and Virginia Madsen. The following years she had small parts in Drop Squad (1994), Mother (1996), Punks (2000), Like Mike (2002), and Imagine That (2009) alongside Soul Food co-star Nicole Ari Parker. Williams has also starred in a number of made for television movies, including Emmy Award-nominated performance in Our America (2002).[7] She also had roles in several smaller productions in recent years. In 2021, she will return to her role of Anne-Marie McCoy fourth film in the Candyman film series.[15]

Personal life[]

Williams married Andre Wiseman in November 1992 when the couple eloped.[4] The couple have two sons together: Omar Tafari (March 5, 1997)[16] and Haile Zion Ali (born 2003).[17] In April 2018, Williams filed for divorce from Wiseman for the second time.[18]

Filmography[]

Year Title Role Notes
1989 Dream Street Episode: "Pilot"
1990 Law & Order Vera Episode: "Happily Ever After"
1991 New Jack City Keisha
1989, 1991 The Cosby Show Cheryl / Jade 4 episodes
1991 Fatal Bond Waitress
1992 Candyman Anne-Marie McCoy Nominated – Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Supporting Actress
1992–93 Melrose Place Rhonda Blair Series regular, 32 episodes
1994 Drop Squad Mali
1995 NYPD Blue Kira Episode: "Don We Now Our Gay Apparel"
1995 Living Single Hellura Episode: "Another Saturday Night"
1996 Buddies Janice Rollins Episode: "Marry Me... Sort Of"
1995–96 Murder One Lila Series regular, 23 episodes
Nominated – NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (1996)
1996 Mother Donna
1996 Malcolm & Eddie Stephanie Episode: "Big Brother Is Watching"
1996 Chicago Hope Dr. Grace Carr 6 episodes
Nominated – NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series (1997)
1997 Between Brothers Rebecca Episode: "The Interview"
1997 A Woman of Color Television film
1998 The Pretender Denise Clements Episode: "Collateral Damage"
1998 The Steve Harvey Show Nina Episode: "Rent"
1999 Incognito Wilhelmina Hunter Television film
2000 Punks Jennifer
2000 Playing with Fire Riana Roberts Television film
2002 Our America Sandra Williams Television film
Nominated –Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special
Nominated – Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actress: Television Movie/Cable
2002 Like Mike Pharmacist
2002 Baby of the Family Gloria
2003 Black Listed J.W. Direct-to-video
2000–04 Soul Food Maxine Chadway Series regular, 74 episodes
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series (2003)
Nominated – NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series (2001, 2004–05)
2007 Cold Case Crystal Stacy Episode: "Shuffle, Ball Change"
2007 Ice Spiders Dr. April Sommers Television film
2008 Flirting with Forty Kristine Television film
Nominated – NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
2009 Contradictions of the Heart Lea Direct-to-video
2009 Knight Rider Ambassador Olara Kumali Episodes: "Don't Stop the Knight" and "Day Turns Into Knight"
2009 Everybody Hates Chris Tallulah Lafitte Episode: "Everybody Hates Bomb Threats"
2009 Imagine That Lori Strother
2008–09 Lincoln Heights Naomi Bradshaw Episodes: "Ode to Joy" and "Bully for You"
2011 A Mother's Love Rochelle Richardson
2012 Sugar Mommas Lynn Television film
2012 Raising Izzie Tonya Freeman Television film
Nominated – Black Reel Award for Best Actress: T.V. Movie/Cable
2014 Men, Money & Gold Diggers Sandra Winslow Direct-to-video
2014 Crossed the Line Juice Television to DVD
2015–17 The Flash Francine West 4 episodes
2016– Days of Our Lives Valerie Grant Series regular
2016 Diva Diaries Alex
2017–18 Famous in Love Ida Turner Recurring role
2019 I Left My Girlfriend for Regina Jones Rebecca
2019 Thriller Mrs. Walker
2019 One Fine Christmas Susan Television film
2020 Singleholic Jackie Chisholm
2021 American Horror Stories Dr. Eleanor Berger Episode : "Ba'al"
2021 Candyman Anne-Marie McCoy

References[]

  1. ^ Vanessa Williams [@NessaWilliams] (February 28, 2020). "[...] my middle name is ESTELLE! [...]" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  2. ^ McCann, Bob (2010). Encyclopedia of African American Actresses in Film and Television. McFarland. pp. 362–. ISBN 978-0-7864-3790-0. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
  3. ^ Waldron, Robert (January 30, 2017). "Magnificent Journey". Soap Opera Digest. American Media, Inc. 42 (5): 54–57.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b "VANESSA WILLIAMS". Sun-Sentinel. Tribune Publishing. June 27, 1993. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  5. ^ "Vanessa Williams". SouthJersey.com. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  6. ^ "Vanessa Williams and African Ancestry". ABC News. Retrieved December 12, 2013 – via YouTube.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Vanessa Williams". Retrieved January 17, 2016.
  8. ^ "No, She's Not That Vanessa Williams 'Melrose' Star's Making A Name For Herself". philly-archives. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
  9. ^ "There are two Vanessa Williams". Retrieved January 17, 2016.
  10. ^ "Vanessa Williams devastated when written off The Place". Retrieved January 17, 2016.
  11. ^ "No black dramas left on television". Today.com. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  12. ^ Laura Prudom. "'The Flash' Casts 'Candyman' Star as Iris West's Mother". Variety. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
  13. ^ Jack Klompus (September 30, 2015). "The Flash casts Iris West's missing mum". Digital Spy. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
  14. ^ SOD (October 5, 2016). "Vanessa Williams Joins DAYS". Soap Opera Digest. United States: American Media, Inc. Archived from the original on October 6, 2016. Retrieved October 5, 2016.
  15. ^ "Candyman 2020: Every Returning Character Confirmed & Rumored". ScreenRant. March 4, 2020.
  16. ^ Randolph, Laura B (December 1997). "Celebrity Baby Boom". Family. Essence. 53 (2).
  17. ^ "Vanessa Williams Biography". Celebrity Facts and Awards. TV Guide. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  18. ^ "Vanessa A. Williams Files to Divorce Husband Again". TMZ. April 16, 2018. Retrieved July 6, 2020.

External links[]

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