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.

Filmography

• Elsbeth — Roslyn Bridwell
• 2023Tripped Up — Patricia Chamberlain
• Velma — Dr. Perdue (voice)
• 2023Zora Neale Hurston: Claiming a Space — Narrator (voice)
• The Jennifer Hudson Show
• 2021Bad Hair — Zora
• Girls5eva — Nance Trace
• 2021Show of Titles — "Dear World" Performer
• Calling All T.O.T.S. — Captain Beakman (voice)
• Secret Celebrity RuPaul's Drag Race — Vanquisha Da House - Contestant
• 2020Singleholic — Jackie Chisolm
• 2020There She Is
• 2020Vanessa Williams: Live From the West Side
• A Black Lady Sketch Show — Delilah
• 2019Batman: Hush — Amanda Waller (voice)
• First Wives Club — Nancy
• 2019Miss Virginia — Sally Rae
• T.O.T.S. — Captain Beakman (voice)
• 2018Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay — Amanda Waller (voice)
• 2018The Legend of Hallowaiian — Fire Goddess (voice)
• Daytime Divas — Maxine Robinson
• 2017The Man from Earth: Holocene — Carolyn
• 2016The Secret She Kept — Beverly
• Difficult People — Trish
• 2015Show Boat — Julie LaVerne
• Broad City — Elizabeth Carlton
• The Librarians — Cynthia Rockwell
• 2014The Trip to Bountiful — Jessie Mae Watts
• 2013He's Way More Famous Than You — Vanessa Williams
• 2013Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor — Janice
• 666 Park Avenue — Olivia Doran
• Doc McStuffins — Delilah the Nesting Doll (voice)
• The Mindy Project — Dr. Phillips
• 2011A Mother's Love — Rochelle Richardson
• 2009Hannah Montana: The Movie — Vita
• Modern Family — Rhonda
• The Good Wife — Courtney Paige
• The Wendy Williams Show
• 2007And Then Came Love — Julie
• Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies — Mama Mirabelle (voice)
• Shear Genius
• 2006My Brother — L'Tisha Morton
• South Beach — Elizabeth Bauer
• Ugly Betty — Wilhelmina Slater
• 2005Broadway's Lost Treasures III: The Best of The Tony Awards — Witch (segment "Into the Woods") (archive footage)
• 2005Gift for the Living — Narrator
• 2004Christmas in Washington
• Desperate Housewives — Renee Perry
• 2004Johnson Family Vacation — Dorothy Johnson
• 2003Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives
• Boomtown — Detective Katherine Pierce
• 2002Keep the Faith, Baby — Hazel Scott
• 2001Santa, Baby! — Alicia (voice)
• The Proud Family — Debra (voice)
• 2001WW3 — M.J. Blake (as Vanessa L. Williams)
• 2000A Diva's Christmas Carol — Ebony Scrooge
• 2000Don Quixote — Dulcinea / Aldonza
• 2000Shaft — Carmen Vasquez
• 2000The Courage to Love — Mother Henriette Delille, Executive Producer
• 1999Futuresport — Alexandra 'Alex' Torres
• 1999Light It Up — Audrey McDonald
• 1999The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland — Queen of Trash
• 1998Dance with Me — Ruby Sinclair
• L.A. Doctors — Leanne Barrows
• VH1 Divas
• Ally McBeal — Sheila Hunt
• 1997Hoodlum — Francine Hughes
• 1997Soul Food — Teri
• The Odyssey — Calypso
• 1996Eraser — Lee
• Jungle Cubs
• 1995Bye Bye Birdie — Rose Alvarez
• Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child — Beauty (voice)
• 1995Nothing Lasts Forever — Dr. Kathy 'Kat' Hunter
• Nothing Lasts Forever — Dr. Kathy 'Kat' Hunter
• 1994Score with Chicks
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — Arandis
• 1992Stompin' at the Savoy — Pauline
• The Jacksons: An American Dream — Suzanne de Passe
• 1991Another You — Gloria
• 1991Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man — Lulu Daniels
• 1990Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer — Terri Knight
• 1990Seriously... Phil Collins — Rachel - TV Executive
• The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air — Danny Mitchell
• 1990The Kid Who Loved Christmas — Lynette Parks
• 1989Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes Scandal — Valentine Hayward
• American Experience — Narrator (voice)
• 1988Under the Gun — Samantha Richards
• 1987The Pick-up Artist — Rae, Girl with Dog
• 1985Motown Returns to the Apollo
• Partners in Crime
• T. J. Hooker — Officer Pat Williamson
• Days of Our Lives — Valerie Grant
• Miss America — Miss New York 1983
• Women Like Us

Appearances as themselves (59)

• The Claudia Winkleman Show — Self
• 2024Happy Clothes: A Film About Patricia Field — Self
• 2024The Little Pageant That Could — Self (archive footage)
• 2023Celebrating 50 Years of Broadway's Best — Self
• 2022Los lunes a las 9 — Self (Archive Footage)
• Sherri — Self - Guest
• Blankety Blank — Self - Panellist
• Name That Tune — Self - Contestant
• Queen of the Universe — Self - Judge
• Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas with Vanessa Williams — Self - Host
• Stars in the House — Self, Self - Special Guest
• American Style — Self
• The Kelly Clarkson Show — Self
• The Tamron Hall Show — Self - Guest
• Celebrity Catchphrase — Self - Contestant
• 2017Not Black Enough — Self
• Match Game — Self - Panelist
• The $100,000 Pyramid — Self
• 2016VH1 Divas Holiday: Unsilent Night — Self
• Bethenny — Self - Guest
• RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars — Self - Guest Judge
• The Jonathan Ross Show — Self - Guest
• The Talk — Self
• Who Do You Think You Are? — Self
• RuPaul's Drag Race — Self - Special Guest, Self - Guest Judge, Self - Judge (archive footage)
• Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen — Self - Guest
• 2008Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade — Self
• The Graham Norton Show — Self
• 2006Rehearsing a Dream — Self
• The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson — Self
• The Reichen Show — Self
• 2005Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade — Self
• On Air with Ryan Seacrest — Self
• 2004Sesame Street: What's the Name of That Song? — Self (archive footage)
• 2004The 7th Annual Soul Train Christmas Starfest — Self
• The Tony Danza Show — Self - Guest
• Jimmy Kimmel Live! — Self
• The Bachelorette — Self
• The Ellen DeGeneres Show — Self
• 2002It's Black Entertainment — Self - Host
• 2002Miss America — Self (archival footage)
• Good Day Live — Self
• 2000Afrocentricity — Self
• 2000Christmas is Coming: Rob Mathes & Very Special Friends — Herself
• 2000Shaft: Still the Man — Self
• 1998Pavarotti & Friends - For the Children of Liberia — Self
• The View — Self, Self - Guest
• The Rosie O'Donnell Show — Self - Guest
• MADtv — Self
• 1995Some Enchanted Evening: Celebrating Oscar Hammerstein II — Self
• 1993David Foster's Christmas Album — Self
• Intimate Portrait — Self (archive footage)
• 1992The Jaleel White Special — Self
• LIVE with Kelly and Mark — Self - Guest
• A Capitol Fourth — Self
• Saturday Night Live — Self - Musical Guest
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson — Self
• Tony Awards — Self - Performer
• The Oscars — Self