Vanessa Williams

Mar 18, 1963 (62 years old) in Tarrytown, New York, USA

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

poster

Modern Family

Rhonda

poster

Desperate Housewives

Renee Perry

poster

The Good Wife

Courtney Paige

poster

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Arandis

poster

Elsbeth

Roslyn Bridwell

poster

American Experience

Narrator (voice)

poster

Doc McStuffins

Delilah the Nesting Doll (voice)

poster

Intimate Portrait

Self (archive footage)

poster

Ally McBeal

Sheila Hunt

poster

T. J. Hooker

Officer Pat Williamson

Credits

The Claudia Winkleman Show 2026

Self

★ NR
Happy Clothes: A Film About Patricia Field 2024

Self

★ NR
The Little Pageant That Could 2024

Self (archive footage)

★ NR
Elsbeth 2024

Roslyn Bridwell

★ 6.9
Tripped Up 2023

Patricia Chamberlain

★ 5
Celebrating 50 Years of Broadway's Best 2023

Self

★ 2
Zora Neale Hurston: Claiming a Space 2023

Narrator (voice)

★ 5
Velma 2023

Dr. Perdue (voice)

★ 3.4
Queen of the Universe 2021

Self - Judge

★ 4.2
Show of Titles 2021

"Dear World" Performer

★ NR
Girls5eva 2021

Nance Trace

★ 6.1
Bad Hair 2021

Zora

★ 5.7
Name That Tune 2021

Self - Contestant

★ 7.1
Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas with Vanessa Williams 2020

Self - Host

★ NR
Vanessa Williams: Live From the West Side 2020

★ NR
There She Is 2020

★ NR
Secret Celebrity RuPaul's Drag Race 2020

Vanquisha Da House - Contestant

★ 5.8
Calling All T.O.T.S. 2020

Captain Beakman (voice)

★ 7
Singleholic 2020

Jackie Chisolm

★ 2
Stars in the House 2020

Self

★ NR
Miss Virginia 2019

Sally Rae

★ 8.1
First Wives Club 2019

Nancy

★ 8
A Black Lady Sketch Show 2019

Delilah

★ 7
Batman: Hush 2019

Amanda Waller (voice)

★ 7.2
T.O.T.S. 2019

Captain Beakman (voice)

★ 7.3
American Style 2019

Self

★ 1
The Legend of Hallowaiian 2018

Fire Goddess (voice)

★ 7.8
Celebrity Catchphrase 2018

Self - Contestant

★ NR
Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay 2018

Amanda Waller (voice)

★ 7.1
The Man from Earth: Holocene 2017

Carolyn

★ 5.5
Daytime Divas 2017

Maxine Robinson

★ 3.7
Not Black Enough 2017

Self

★ 7.8
VH1 Divas Holiday: Unsilent Night 2016

Self

★ NR
The Secret She Kept 2016

Beverly

★ 6.8
Match Game 2016

Self - Panelist

★ 6.4
Show Boat 2015

Julie LaVerne

★ NR
Difficult People 2015

Trish

★ 6.2
The Librarians 2014

Cynthia Rockwell

★ 7.2
The Trip to Bountiful 2014

Jessie Mae Watts

★ 6
Broad City 2014

Elizabeth Carlton

★ 7.1
He's Way More Famous Than You 2013

Vanessa Williams

★ 4.3
Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor 2013

Janice

★ 6.6
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 2012

Self - Guest Judge

★ 7.2
666 Park Avenue 2012

Olivia Doran

★ 6.1
The Mindy Project 2012

Dr. Phillips

★ 6.2
Doc McStuffins 2012

Delilah the Nesting Doll (voice)

★ 5.9
A Mother's Love 2011

Rochelle Richardson

★ NR
Who Do You Think You Are? 2010

Self

★ 6.6
Modern Family 2009

Rhonda

★ 7.9
The Good Wife 2009

Courtney Paige

★ 7.6
Hannah Montana: The Movie 2009

Vita

★ 6.6
RuPaul's Drag Race 2009

Self - Special Guest

★ 7.5
Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies 2007

Mama Mirabelle (voice)

★ 8
Shear Genius 2007

★ 5
And Then Came Love 2007

Julie

★ 5.9
Ugly Betty 2006

Wilhelmina Slater

★ 6.4
Rehearsing a Dream 2006

Self

★ NR
South Beach 2006

Elizabeth Bauer

★ 5.7
My Brother 2006

L'Tisha Morton

★ 4.7
Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade 2005

Self

★ 7
Gift for the Living 2005

Narrator

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

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

★ 7.2
Christmas in Washington 2004

★ 2
The 7th Annual Soul Train Christmas Starfest 2004

Self

★ NR
Desperate Housewives 2004

Renee Perry

★ 7.9
Johnson Family Vacation 2004

Dorothy Johnson

★ 5.5
Sesame Street: What's the Name of That Song? 2004

Self (archive footage)

★ NR
Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives 2003

★ 4.8
The Bachelorette 2003

Self

★ 4.1
Boomtown 2002

Detective Katherine Pierce

★ 6.2
Keep the Faith, Baby 2002

Hazel Scott

★ 5
It's Black Entertainment 2002

Self - Host

★ 8
Santa, Baby! 2001

Alicia (voice)

★ 4.3
The Proud Family 2001

Debra (voice)

★ 7.7
WW3 2001

M.J. Blake (as Vanessa L. Williams)

★ 5.3
A Diva's Christmas Carol 2000

Ebony Scrooge

★ 6.2
Christmas is Coming: Rob Mathes & Very Special Friends 2000

Herself

★ 10
Afrocentricity 2000

Self

★ NR
Shaft 2000

Carmen Vasquez

★ 6
Don Quixote 2000

Dulcinea / Aldonza

★ 6.3
The Courage to Love 2000

Mother Henriette Delille

★ 6.4
Shaft: Still the Man 2000

Self

★ 6
Light It Up 1999

Audrey McDonald

★ 6.7
The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland 1999

Queen of Trash

★ 6.4
Futuresport 1999

Alexandra 'Alex' Torres

★ 4.3
L.A. Doctors 1998

Leanne Barrows

★ 7
Dance with Me 1998

Ruby Sinclair

★ 6.9
Pavarotti & Friends - For the Children of Liberia 1998

Self

★ NR
VH1 Divas 1998

★ 7.5
Soul Food 1997

Teri

★ 6.2
Ally McBeal 1997

Sheila Hunt

★ 6.5
Hoodlum 1997

Francine Hughes

★ 6.4
The Odyssey 1997

Calypso

★ NR
Jungle Cubs 1996

★ 6.4
Eraser 1996

Lee Cullen

★ 6.1
Bye Bye Birdie 1995

Rose Alvarez

★ 6.1
Nothing Lasts Forever 1995

Dr. Kathy 'Kat' Hunter

★ 6
MADtv 1995

Self

★ 7
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child 1995

Beauty (voice)

★ 6
Some Enchanted Evening: Celebrating Oscar Hammerstein II 1995

Self

★ NR
Score with Chicks 1994

★ NR
Intimate Portrait 1993

Self (archive footage)

★ 4.5
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 1993

Arandis

★ 7.9
The Jacksons: An American Dream 1992

Suzanne de Passe

★ 6.6
Stompin' at the Savoy 1992

Pauline

★ NR
Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man 1991

Lulu Daniels

★ 6.3
Another You 1991

Gloria

★ 5.4
The Kid Who Loved Christmas 1990

Lynette Parks

★ 6.6
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air 1990

Danny Mitchell

★ 7.9
Seriously... Phil Collins 1990

Rachel - TV Executive

★ 8
Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer 1990

Terri Knight

★ 7.3
Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes Scandal 1989

Valentine Hayward

★ 4.2
American Experience 1988

Narrator (voice)

★ 6.6
Under the Gun 1988

Samantha Richards

★ 6.6
The Pick-up Artist 1987

Rae, Girl with Dog

★ 5.6
Partners in Crime 1984

★ 6.2
T. J. Hooker 1982

Officer Pat Williamson

★ 6.5
A Capitol Fourth 1980

Self

★ NR
Days of Our Lives 1965

Valerie Grant

★ 6.1
Miss America 1954

Miss New York 1983

★ NR
The Oscars 1953

Self

★ 7.1