Melissa L. Williams

Last updated
Melissa L. Williams
Melissa L. Williams 2020.jpg
Williams in 2020
Born
OccupationActress
Years active2011–present

Melissa L. Williams is an American actress and model, known for playing Denise and Ruth Truesdale in the BET prime time soap opera The Oval and its spinoff Ruthless .

Contents

Life and career

Williams was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She is the oldest of six children. [1] Williams moved to Atlanta and attended Clark Atlanta University. [2] [3] She began her career appearing in several musicals at the local theater before moving to Los Angeles. [2] On television, she guest starred on The Game , If Loving You Is Wrong and Rosewood . She received Indie Series Awards nomination for her performance in Poz Roz. [4]

In 2019, Tyler Perry cast Williams in a dual role as twin sisters in his BET prime time soap opera The Oval . [5] She later went to star in its spinoff Ruthless for streaming service BET+. [6] [7]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2011All the King's HorsesOfficer JaneShort
2017The First StoneReighShort
Escape ArtistBeatrice Evans
2021 Dutch Nina
2023Game of DeceitElle
2024 Dutch II: Angel's Revenge Nina
2025Dutch III: International GangsterNinaPostproduction

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2015 The Game JasmineEpisode: "Get Up, Stand Up"
2016 If Loving You Is Wrong GraceEpisodes: "An Evil Alliance" & "For Pete"
2017 Rosewood Woman #1Episode: "Mummies and Meltdowns"
Hand of God NurseEpisode: "Not Writing a Love Letter"
2017-18Wade's WorldVanessaEpisodes: "AfterMath" & "Chess Not Checkers"
2018 Me, Myself & I Beyonce ImpersonatorEpisode: "The Breakup"
2019Hello Cupid 3.0ZayaMain cast
Poz RozAmberRecurring cast
2019–21 The Oval Denise Truesdale/Ruth TruesdaleRecurring cast: season 1-2
2020– Ruthless Ruth TruesdaleMain cast

Awards and nominations

YearAwardsCategoryRecipientOutcome
2019 Indie Series Awards Indie Series Award for Best Supporting Actress - Drama "Poz Roz"Nominated

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Debbi Morgan</span> American actress

Deborah Ann "Debbi" Morgan is an American film and television actress. Morgan has appeared in a number of film and TV productions, and may be best known for the role of Angie Baxter–Hubbard on the ABC soap opera All My Children.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vanessa Estelle Williams</span> American actress

Vanessa Estelle Williams, sometimes professionally credited as Vanessa E. Williams, is an American actress and producer. She is best known for her roles as Maxine Joseph–Chadway in the Showtime drama series, Soul Food (2000–2004), 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 is also known for her role as Anne-Marie McCoy in the first and fourth of the Candyman films, and as Rhonda Blair in the first season of the Fox prime time soap opera, Melrose Place (1992–93).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tika Sumpter</span> American actress (born 1980)

Euphemia LatiQue"Tika" Sumpter is an American actress and producer. Sumpter began her career as the host of Best Friend's Date. From 2005 to 2010, she appeared in the daytime soap opera One Life to Live. In 2010, she made her film debut in Stomp the Yard: Homecoming and later featured in supporting roles for What's Your Number? (2011), Sparkle (2012), and A Madea Christmas (2013).

Melissa De Sousa is an American actress. She made her big screen debut playing the leading role in the 1998 comedy film Ride. She starred as Shelby in the 1999 romantic comedy-drama film The Best Man and later reprised her role in its 2013 sequel The Best Man Holiday and the 2022 Peacock series The Best Man: The Final Chapters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cassi Davis</span> American actress (born 1964)

Cassi Davis-Patton is an American actress best known for her role as Ella Payne on Tyler Perry's House of Payne and its spin-off series The Paynes. She is also known as Aunt Bam in the Madea franchise since 2010. She has starred in several other productions under the direction of Tyler Perry.

Denise Boutte is an American actress. She made her film debut starring in the 2004 horror feature Death Valley: The Revenge of Bloody Bill and in 2007 appeared in the comedy-drama Why Did I Get Married?. On television, Boutte was a regular cast member on the TBS sitcom Meet the Browns (2009-2011).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crystal R. Fox</span> American actress and singer

Crystal R. Fox is an American actress and singer. Fox has performed in many stage productions during her career, and is best known for her television roles as Luann Corbin in the NBC/CBS police drama series In the Heat of the Night (1989–1995), and as Hanna Young in the Oprah Winfrey Network prime time soap opera, The Haves and the Have Nots (2013–2021). Fox has also appeared in a number of films, most notably playing the leading role in the 2020 thriller A Fall from Grace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tami Roman</span> American television personality, model, businesswoman and actress (born 1970)

Tamisha Akbar, known professionally as Tami Roman, is an American television personality, model, actress, singer, businesswoman and producer. She first gained fame on The Real World: Los Angeles in 1993. After making appearances and landing supporting roles in various television shows and films in the 1990s and 2000s, she became one of the breakout stars of VH1's Basketball Wives (2010–2019). Roman later starred in the television series The Family Business (2018–present), Truth Be Told (2019–2023), Haus of Vicious (2022-present) and The Ms. Pat Show (2021–present).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demetria McKinney</span> American actress and singer (born 1979)

Demetria Dyan McKinney is an American actress, model, and singer. From 2006 to 2012, during its original run, she starred in the TBS sitcom Tyler Perry's House of Payne, a BET revival of the show was announced in 2020. Her other series regular roles include TV One sitcom The Rickey Smiley Show, Bounce TV prime time soap opera Saints & Sinners and Syfy horror drama Superstition, as well as Motherland: Fort Salem on Freeform.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edwina Findley</span> American actress

Edwina Findley, also known as Edwina Findley Dickerson, is an American actress. Findley played the recurring roles in the HBO television dramas The Wire (2003–04) and Treme (2010–13), and from 2014 to 2020 starred as Kelly Isaacs, one of the lead characters in the Oprah Winfrey Network drama series, If Loving You Is Wrong.

Amanda Clayton is an American actress, best known for her role as Alex Montgomery in the Oprah Winfrey Network prime time soap opera, If Loving You Is Wrong.

BET+ is a streaming service operated by Tyler Perry Studios and the BET Media Group, a subsidiary of Paramount Global's CBS Entertainment Group. The service was first announced on June 24, 2019, and launched on September 19, 2019.

<i>Ruthless</i> (TV series) American drama television series by Tyler Perry

Ruthless is an American drama series created, executive produced, written, and directed by Tyler Perry. The series is produced under Perry's overall deal with Viacom/CBS. It is a spin-off from the BET drama The Oval. The first season of 24-episodes premiered on March 19, 2020, on BET+. Starting on February 23, 2021, the show began airing on BET following new episodes of The Oval. Season 2 premiered on March 11, 2021. Season 3 premiered on March 10, 2022. Season 4 premiered on April 20, 2023. On April 2024 the show was renewed for a fifth season, which premiered on August 8, 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kron Moore</span> American actress and singer

Kron Moore is an American actress and singer. She is known for her role as First Lady Victoria Franklin in the BET prime time soap opera The Oval and Bridget Chapel in Stargirl.

Stephanie Charles is an American actress.

Ptosha Storey is an American actress and stage director, known for her role as Nancy Hallsen in the BET prime time soap opera, The Oval.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taja V. Simpson</span> American actress and singer

Taja V. Simpson is an American actress, known for her role as Priscilla Owen in the BET prime time soap opera, The Oval.

The Rich and the Ruthless is an American television comedy series created, produced and directed by Victoria Rowell. The series stars Rowell and Richard Brooks. The series is loosely based on Rowell's novels Secrets of a Soap Opera Diva and The Young and the Ruthless, and offers a behind-the-scenes look at the fictional soap opera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Kimble</span> American actor and model

Blue Kimble is an American actor, model, and former football player.

Kaye Singleton is an American actress and writer. She is known for her roles in the Bounce TV prime time soap opera, Saints & Sinners (2016—22), and BET prime time soap opera, The Oval (2021—present). In 2021, Singleton created and produced the Allblk anthology series, Covenant.

References

  1. "5 Things To Know About Melissa L. Williams, Star of Tyler Perry's 'Ruthless'". BET.com.
  2. 1 2 "BET Press | Tyler Perry's Ruthless - Biography - Melissa L. Williams". www.betpressroom.com.
  3. Vo, Thao (October 4, 2019). "Melissa L. Williams Weighs In on Her Role on BET's 'The Oval'".
  4. "11th Annual Indie Series Awards Nominations".
  5. Swift, Andy (November 7, 2019). "Tyler Perry's The Oval Scores Spinoff About Religious Sex Cult on BET+".
  6. Petski, Denise (February 21, 2020). "'Tyler Perry's Ruthless' Gets Premiere Date On BET+".
  7. "The Quarantined Talent: Breakout Star Melissa L. Williams". www.goldenglobes.com.