Vanessa Williams

Biography: This stunning singer-actress has enjoyed a long and illustrious entertainment career. Her parents, both high school music teachers, instilled in her a love of the arts from a young age, and her artistic interests led her to study musical theater in college. She soon was invited to participate in the Miss Greater Syracuse Pageant, which resulted in her competing to be Miss America. In 1983, the 20-year-old Williams made history when she became the first African-American to be crowned Miss America. The next year, she was forced to relinquish her crown when nude photos from her past resurfaced and were published in Penthouse. Instead of slinking away into obscurity, Williams fought back and continued to pursue her aspirations as a singer and actress. She made her off-Broadway debut in the musical One Man Band in 1985 and two years later appeared in the film The Pick-Up Artist. Her debut album, The Right Stuff, boosted her rising music career and she earned three Grammy nominationsThis stunning singer-actress has enjoyed a long and illustrious entertainment career. Her parents, both high school music teachers, instilled in her a love of the arts from a young age, and her artistic interests led her to study musical theater in college. She soon was invited to participate in the Miss Greater Syracuse Pageant, which resulted in her competing to be Miss America. In 1983, the 20-year-old Williams made history when she became the first African-American to be crowned Miss America. The next year, she was forced to relinquish her crown when nude photos from her past resurfaced and were published in Penthouse. Instead of slinking away into obscurity, Williams fought back and continued to pursue her aspirations as a singer and actress. She made her off-Broadway debut in the musical One Man Band in 1985 and two years later appeared in the film The Pick-Up Artist. Her debut album, The Right Stuff, boosted her rising music career and she earned three Grammy nominations plus the respect of the entertainment industry. Her second album, The Comfort Zone, proved even more successful. By the late '80s, she was a veritable pop princess with hits like "Save the Best for Last," "Dreamin'" and "Colors of the Wind." Concurrently, she made a name for herself as an actress, appearing on both the big and small screens, notably in the small-screen adaptation of the musical Bye Bye Birdie, the big-budget action flick Eraser and the campy TV-movie A Diva's Christmas Carol, in which she gave a deliciously villainous turn as a female Ebenezer Scrooge. The overachieving beauty simultaneously managed to raise four children and conquer Broadway, taking over the title role in Kiss of the Spider Woman and earning a Tony as a glamorous witch in the 2002 revival of Into the Woods. Williams regularly exuded confidence and sophistication and seemed to relish playing bad girls. The chance to portray a master manipulator arose again when she landed the showy role of scheming fashion editor Wilhelmina Slater on the ABC series Ugly Betty in 2006. Though a critical success, the series ended after four seasons, and Williams returned to her roots by releasing an album, The Real Thing, and joining the cast of the Broadway revue Sondheim on Sondheim. Expand

Vanessa Williams' Scores

Average career score: 64
Highest Metascore: 99 Murder One: Season 1
Lowest Metascore: 29 South Beach: Season 1
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 18
  2. Negative: 2 out of 18
18 tv reviews
Title: Year: Credit: User score:
tbd The Talk: Season 3 Sep 10, 2012 Guest tbd
tbd The View: Season 16 Sep 4, 2012 Guest tbd
tbd Jimmy Kimmel Live: Season 10 Jan 4, 2012 Guest / Vanessa L. Williams tbd
tbd Piers Morgan Tonight: Season 2 Jan 2, 2012 Guest tbd
tbd Desperate Housewives: Season 8 Sep 25, 2011 Renee Perry / Renee Perry 8.5
tbd The Wendy Williams Show: Season 4 Sep 12, 2011 Guest tbd
tbd The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Season 9 Sep 12, 2011 Guest 7.8
tbd The Talk: Season 2 Sep 6, 2011 Guest 1.1
tbd Who Do You Think You Are?: Season 2 Feb 4, 2011 Self / Appearing tbd
tbd RuPaul's Drag Race: Season 3 Jan 24, 2011 Judge 8.8
39 The Talk: Season 1 Oct 18, 2010 Guest 5.4
tbd Desperate Housewives: Season 7 Sep 26, 2010 Renee Perry / Renee Perry 8.1
tbd The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Season 8 Sep 13, 2010 Guest tbd
tbd The View: Season 14 Sep 7, 2010 Vanessa L. Williams / Vanessa Williams tbd
tbd The Wendy Williams Show: Season 3 Jul 12, 2010 Guest tbd
tbd Jimmy Kimmel Live: Season 8 Jan 6, 2010 Vanessa L. Williams tbd
tbd Ugly Betty: Season 4 Oct 16, 2009 Wilhelmina Slater / Wilhelmina Slater 6.8
tbd Desperate Housewives: Season 6 Sep 27, 2009 Renee Perry 7.7
tbd Lincoln Heights: Season 4 Sep 14, 2009 Naomi Bradshaw tbd
tbd The View: Season 13 Sep 8, 2009 Vanessa Williams tbd
tbd The Wendy Williams Show: Season 2 Jul 13, 2009 Guest tbd
48 Late Night with Jimmy Fallon: Season 1 Mar 3, 2009 Guest 5.2
tbd Flirting With Forty Dec 6, 2008 Kristine tbd
77 Desperate Housewives: Season 5 Sep 28, 2008 Renee Perry 8.3
tbd Ugly Betty: Season 3 Sep 25, 2008 Wilhelmina Slater / Wilhelmina Slater 7.8
tbd Knight Rider (1982): Season 1 Sep 24, 2008 Ambassador Olara Kumali 8.1
tbd Lincoln Heights: Season 3 Sep 16, 2008 Naomi Bradshaw tbd
tbd The View: Season 12 Sep 2, 2008 Vanessa Williams tbd
tbd Jimmy Kimmel Live: Season 6 Jan 3, 2008 Vanessa L. Williams tbd
tbd Ugly Betty: Season 2 Sep 27, 2007 Wilhelmina Slater / Wilhelmina Slater 7.6