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

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
2011
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1992
The Kelly Clarkson Show
2024
Saturday Night Live
1992
Modern Family
2017
The View
2002
The Graham Norton Show
2024
RuPaul's Drag Race
2023
Desperate Housewives
2006
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
2005
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
2008
The Jennifer Hudson Show
2023

FILMOGRAPHY

All
Movies
TV
Acting
159
Producing
1
2026
The Claudia Winkleman Show
as Self
2026
Blankety Blank
as Self - Panellist
2025
The Jonathan Ross Show
as Self - Guest
2025
Celebrity Catchphrase
as Self - Contestant
2024
Happy Clothes: A Film About Patricia Field
as Self
2024
The Little Pageant That Could
as Self (archive footage)
2024
Name That Tune
as Self - Contestant
2024
Velma
as Dr. Perdue (voice)
2024
Sherri
as Self - Guest
2024
The Graham Norton Show
as Self
2024
Elsbeth
as Roslyn Bridwell
2024
The Kelly Clarkson Show
as Self
2023
Zora Neale Hurston: Claiming a Space
as Narrator (voice)
2023
Celebrating 50 Years of Broadway's Best
as Self
2023
Tripped Up
as Patricia Chamberlain
2023
RuPaul's Drag Race
as Self - Special Guest
2023
The Jennifer Hudson Show
2023
American Experience
as Narrator (voice)
2022
Los lunes a las 9
as Self (Archive Footage)
2022
A Black Lady Sketch Show
as Delilah
2022
The View
as Self - Guest
2021
Bad Hair
as Zora
2021
Show of Titles
as "Dear World" Performer
2021
The Tamron Hall Show
as Self - Guest
2021
Queen of the Universe
as Self - Judge
2021
Girls5eva
as Nance Trace
2020
Singleholic
as Jackie Chisolm
2020
Vanessa Williams: Live From the West Side
2020
There She Is
2020
Stars in the House
as Self
2020
Stars in the House
as Self - Special Guest
2020
Secret Celebrity RuPaul's Drag Race
as Vanquisha Da House - Contestant
2020
Calling All T.O.T.S.
as Captain Beakman (voice)
2020
Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas with Vanessa Williams
as Self - Host
2019
Miss Virginia
as Sally Rae
2019
Batman: Hush
as Amanda Waller (voice)
2019
American Style
as Self
2019
T.O.T.S.
as Captain Beakman (voice)
2019
Match Game
as Self - Panelist
2019
First Wives Club
as Nancy
2018
The Legend of Hallowaiian
as Fire Goddess (voice)
2018
Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay
as Amanda Waller (voice)
2018
The $100,000 Pyramid
as Self
2018
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars
as Self - Guest Judge
2018
Days of Our Lives
as Valerie Grant
2017
The Man from Earth: Holocene
as Carolyn
2017
Not Black Enough
as Self
2017
Modern Family
as Rhonda
2017
Daytime Divas
as Maxine Robinson
2017
Difficult People
as Trish
2017
Doc McStuffins
as Delilah the Nesting Doll (voice)
2016
The Secret She Kept
as Beverly
2016
VH1 Divas Holiday: Unsilent Night
as Self
2016
Broad City
as Elizabeth Carlton
2016
VH1 Divas
2016
The Librarians
as Cynthia Rockwell
2015
Show Boat
as Julie LaVerne
2015
The Mindy Project
as Dr. Phillips
2015
The Good Wife
as Courtney Paige
2014
The Trip to Bountiful
as Jessie Mae Watts
2013
Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor
as Janice
2013
He's Way More Famous Than You
as Vanessa Williams
2013
RuPaul's Drag Race
as Self - Judge (archive footage)
2012
666 Park Avenue
as Olivia Doran
2012
Bethenny
as Self - Guest
2011
A Mother's Love
as Rochelle Richardson
2011
Who Do You Think You Are?
as Self
2011
RuPaul's Drag Race
2011
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
as Self - Guest
2011
RuPaul's Drag Race
as Self - Guest Judge
2010
The Talk
as Self
2009
Hannah Montana: The Movie
as Vita
2008
Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade
as Self
2008
The Wendy Williams Show
2008
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
as Self
2007
And Then Came Love
as Julie
2007
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
as Self
2007
Shear Genius
2007
Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies
as Mama Mirabelle (voice)
2006
My Brother
as L'Tisha Morton
2006
Rehearsing a Dream
as Self
2006
South Beach
as Elizabeth Bauer
2006
Ugly Betty
as Wilhelmina Slater
2006
Desperate Housewives
as Renee Perry
2006
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
as Self - Guest
2005
Broadway's Lost Treasures III: The Best of The Tony Awards
as Witch (segment "Into the Woods") (archive footage)
2005
Gift for the Living
as Narrator
2005
Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade
as Self
2005
The Bachelorette
as Self
2005
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
as Self
2005
The Reichen Show
as Self
2004
Johnson Family Vacation
as Dorothy Johnson
2004
The 7th Annual Soul Train Christmas Starfest
as Self
2004
Christmas in Washington
2004
Sesame Street: What's the Name of That Song?
as Self (archive footage)
2004
The Tony Danza Show
as Self - Guest
2004
MADtv
as Self
2004
Good Day Live
as Self
2004
On Air with Ryan Seacrest
as Self
2003
Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives
2003
Boomtown
as Detective Katherine Pierce
2002
Keep the Faith, Baby
as Hazel Scott
2002
It's Black Entertainment
as Self - Host
2002
Miss America
as Self (archival footage)
2002
The View
as Self
2002
The Proud Family
as Debra (voice)
2002
Ally McBeal
as Sheila Hunt
2001
WW3
as M.J. Blake (as Vanessa L. Williams)
2001
Santa, Baby!
as Alicia (voice)
2000
Shaft
as Carmen Vasquez
2000
A Diva's Christmas Carol
as Ebony Scrooge
2000
The Courage to Love
as Mother Henriette Delille
2000
Shaft: Still the Man
as Self
2000
Don Quixote
as Dulcinea / Aldonza
2000
Afrocentricity
as Self
2000
Christmas is Coming: Rob Mathes & Very Special Friends
as Herself
1999
The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland
as Queen of Trash
1999
Futuresport
as Alexandra 'Alex' Torres
1999
Light It Up
as Audrey McDonald
1999
L.A. Doctors
as Leanne Barrows
1998
Dance with Me
as Ruby Sinclair
1998
Pavarotti & Friends - For the Children of Liberia
as Self
1997
Hoodlum
as Francine Hughes
1997
Soul Food
as Teri
1997
Jungle Cubs
1997
The Odyssey
as Calypso
1996
Eraser
as Lee
1996
The Oscars
as Self
1996
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
as Self - Guest
1996
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
as Arandis
1996
Intimate Portrait
as Self (archive footage)
1995
Bye Bye Birdie
as Rose Alvarez
1995
Nothing Lasts Forever
as Dr. Kathy 'Kat' Hunter
1995
Some Enchanted Evening: Celebrating Oscar Hammerstein II
as Self
1995
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
as Beauty (voice)
1995
Nothing Lasts Forever
as Dr. Kathy 'Kat' Hunter
1995
Tony Awards
as Self - Performer
1994
Score with Chicks
1993
David Foster's Christmas Album
as Self
1992
Stompin' at the Savoy
as Pauline
1992
The Jaleel White Special
as Self
1992
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
as Danny Mitchell
1992
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
as Self
1992
Saturday Night Live
as Self - Musical Guest
1992
The Jacksons: An American Dream
as Suzanne de Passe
1991
Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man
as Lulu Daniels
1991
Another You
as Gloria
1990
Seriously... Phil Collins
as Rachel - TV Executive
1990
Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer
as Terri Knight
1990
The Kid Who Loved Christmas
as Lynette Parks
1989
Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes Scandal
as Valentine Hayward
1988
Under the Gun
as Samantha Richards
1987
The Pick-up Artist
as Rae, Girl with Dog
1986
T. J. Hooker
as Officer Pat Williamson
1985
Motown Returns to the Apollo
1984
Partners in Crime
1983
Miss America
as Miss New York 1983
1980
A Capitol Fourth
as Self
Women Like Us