Vanessa Williams

Last updated

Vanessa Williams
Vanessa Williams April 2019.png
Williams in 2019
Born
Vanessa Lynn Williams

(1963-03-18) March 18, 1963 (age 61)
New York City, U.S. [1]
Education Syracuse University (BFA)
Occupations
  • Singer
  • actress
  • model
  • producer
  • dancer
Years active1982–present
Title
TermMiss America:
September 17, 1983 – July 22, 1984 (resigned)
Predecessor Debra Maffett
Successor Suzette Charles
Spouses
Ramon Hervey II
​
​
(m. 1987;div. 1997)​
​
​
(m. 1999;div. 2004)​
Jim Skrip
​
​
(m. 2015;div. 2021)​
Children4, including Jillian Hervey
Relatives Chris Williams (brother)
Awards Full list
Musical career
Genres
Labels
Website vanessawilliams.com

Vanessa Lynn Williams [1] (born March 18, 1963) is an American singer, actress, model, producer, and dancer. She gained recognition as the first Black woman to win the Miss America title when she was crowned Miss America 1984. She would later resign her title amid a media controversy surrounding nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine. Thirty-two years later, Williams was offered a public apology during the Miss America 2016 pageant for the events.

Contents

Williams rebounded from the scandal with a successful career as a singer and actress. In 1988, she released her debut studio album The Right Stuff , whose title single saw moderate success as well as "Dreamin' ", which peaked at number 8 in the United States in 1989. With her second and third studio albums, The Comfort Zone (1991) and The Sweetest Days (1994), she saw continued commercial success and received multiple Grammy Award nominations, including her number-one single and signature song, "Save the Best for Last", which she performed live at the 1993 Grammy Awards ceremonies. Her later studio albums include Everlasting Love (2005) and The Real Thing (2009).

As an actress, Williams enjoyed success on stage and screen. She made her Broadway debut in 1994 with Kiss of the Spider Woman . In 2002, she starred as The Witch in the revival of Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods that earned her a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical nomination. She starred in the revival of Horton Foote's The Trip to Bountiful in 2013, and the ensemble political farce POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive in 2022. She is also known for her appearances in television, with her best known roles being Wilhelmina Slater on Ugly Betty (2006–2010), for which she was nominated three times for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series; and Renee Perry on Desperate Housewives (2010–2012).

Early life and education

Vanessa Lynn Williams was born in Tarrytown, New York with a birth announcement that read: "Here she is: Miss America". [2] [3] She was raised in Millwood, New York. [1] A paternal great-great-grandfather was William Fields, an African-American legislator in the Tennessee House of Representatives. Williams is also of English and Welsh descent. [4] [5] Her mother Helen Tinch met her father Milton Augustine Williams Jr. (1935–2006) while both were music education students at Fredonia State Teachers College in the late 1950s. [6] They became elementary school music teachers in separate districts after marriage. [6] Milton also served as the assistant principal of his school for an extended period of time. [7]

Williams was raised Catholic, the religion of her father. Her mother, who had been raised Baptist, converted to Catholicism when she married. Williams was baptized at Our Lady of Grace Church in the Bronx. Her mother played the organ at St. Theresa's Church in Briarcliff Manor for weddings and at Mass, and Williams used to assist her mother by turning the pages of sheet music. [2]

Williams and her younger brother Chris, who later became an actor, grew up in Westchester County, a predominantly white middle to upper-class suburb of New York City. [3] Williams believes she may have been the first African-American student to go from the first grade to the 12th grade in the Chappaqua Central School District. [5] She attended Robert E. Bell Middle School, as did her children years later. Williams revealed that the shop and home economics teachers, Mr. and Mrs. Fink, were still there when her children attended. [8]

A child of music teachers, Williams grew up in a musical household, studying classical and jazz dance, French horn, piano, and violin. [1] [2] She was offered the Presidential Scholarship for Drama to attend Carnegie Mellon University during the college application period, one of 12 students to receive it, but decided instead to attend Syracuse University [1] on a different scholarship. [9] In 1981, Williams joined Syracuse's College of Visual and Performing Arts, Department of Drama as a musical theater major. [9] [10] She stayed at Syracuse through her second year until she was crowned Miss America 1984 in September 1983. [10]

In May 2008, Syracuse granted Williams a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. [11] According to Syracuse News, "Williams earned the remaining credits for her degree through industry experience and her substantial performances on stage and screen." [10] Williams delivered the 2008 convocation address, telling Syracuse seniors to "treasure this moment. These days are irreplaceable and are the beginning of the rest of your life." [12]

Name misattribution

Williams is most often publicly recognized simply as "Vanessa Williams". There is occasional confusion with the similarly named actress Vanessa E. Williams. It has been reported that Vanessa L. became aware of Vanessa E. in the 1980s when the New York University registrar told her that another, similarly aged student with the same name and from the same state had applied. [13] [14] When Williams appeared as Miss America in a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Vanessa E. accidentally received her check for the appearance, which she returned. [13]

In the area of acting, the two ran into name conflict when Screen Actors Guild rules prohibited duplicate stage naming. Vanessa E. had registered the name "Vanessa Williams" first, [13] so as a compromise, Williams was occasionally credited as "Vanessa L. Williams" in acting credits. To compound the confusion, both actresses starred in versions of the drama Soul Food , Williams in the film version, and Vanessa E. in its TV series adaptation. The Screen Actors Guild eventually took the issue to arbitration, and decided both actresses could use the professional name "Vanessa Williams". [14]

Miss America

Williams in 1984 Vanessa Williams, former Miss America 1984, cropped.jpg
Williams in 1984
Williams at the conclusion of her performance of "Oh How the Years Go By" at Miss America 2016 Oh How The Years Go By.JPG
Williams at the conclusion of her performance of "Oh How the Years Go By" at Miss America 2016

Williams was the first African-American recipient of the Miss America title when she was crowned Miss America 1984 on September 17, 1983. Several weeks before the end of her reign, a scandal arose when Penthouse magazine bought and published unauthorized nude photographs of her. Williams was pressured to relinquish her title and was succeeded by the first runner-up: Miss New Jersey 1983, Suzette Charles. Thirty-two years later in September 2015, when Williams served as head judge for the Miss America 2016 pageant, former Miss America CEO Sam Haskell made a public apology to her for the events of 1984. [15] [16] [17] [18]

Career

Music

Williams first received public recognition for her musical abilities when she won the preliminary talent portion of the Miss America pageant with her rendition of "Happy Days Are Here Again" (Williams would later be crowned Miss America 1984). [15] Four years later in 1988, Williams released her debut album, The Right Stuff . [1] The first single, "The Right Stuff", found success on the R&B chart, while the second single, "He's Got the Look", found similar success on the same chart. The third single, "Dreamin'", was a pop hit, becoming Williams' first top 10 hit on the 1989 Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 8, and her first number one single on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The album reached gold status in the U.S. and earned her an NAACP Image Award and three Grammy Award nominations, including one for Best New Artist. [1]

Her second album The Comfort Zone became the biggest success in her music career. [1] The lead single "Running Back to You" reached top twenty on the Hot 100, and the top position of Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart on October 5, 1991. Other singles included "The Comfort Zone" (#2 R&B), "Just for Tonight" (#26 Pop), a cover of The Isley Brothers' "Work to Do" (#3 R&B), and the club-only hit "Freedom Dance (Get Free!)". The most successful single from the album, as well as her biggest hit to date, is "Save the Best for Last". [1]

It reached No. 1 in the United States, where it remained for five weeks, as well as No. 1 in Australia, the Netherlands, and Canada, and was in the top 5 in Japan, Ireland and the United Kingdom. The album sold 2.2 million copies in the U.S. at its time of release and has since been certified triple platinum in the United States by the RIAA, gold in Canada by the CRIA, and platinum in the United Kingdom by the BPI. Williams performed the song live at the 1993 Grammy Awards Ceremony. The Comfort Zone earned Williams five Grammy Award nominations. [1]

The Sweetest Days , her third album, was released in 1994 to highly favorable reviews. [1] The album saw Williams branch out and sample other styles of music that included jazz, hip hop, rock, and Latin-themed recordings such as "Betcha Never" and "You Can't Run", both written and produced by Babyface. Other singles from the album included the adult-contemporary and dance hit "The Way That You Love" and the title track. The album was certified platinum in the U.S. by the RIAA and earned her two Grammy Award nominations. [1]

Other releases include two Christmas albums, Star Bright in 1996, and Silver & Gold in 2004, Next in 1997, Everlasting Love in 2005, and The Real Thing in 2009, along with a greatest-hits compilation released in 1998, and a number of other compilations released over the years. [1] Chart performances from subsequent albums, motion picture and television soundtracks have included the songs "Love Is", which was a duet with Brian McKnight, the Golden Globe- and Academy Award-winning "Colors of the Wind", "Where Do We Go from Here?", and "Oh How the Years Go By". [1]

In 1996, Williams performed the national anthem at Super Bowl XXX.

In April 2018, she announced she was working on a new studio album due in the fall that would incorporate her R&B, pop, & Broadway influences. [19]

On April 26, 2024, Williams released a new single, "Legs (Keep Dancing)", the first from her ninth studio album, Survivor , which was released on August 23, 2024. [20] Williams launched her own record label, Mellian Music, for the release. [21] On May 13, 2024, the digital single "Legs (Keep Dancing)" debuted on the US Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales (Billboard) chart in the Number 3 position. The single's success marks Williams' first hit on the Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales chart. [22] In July 2024, Williams released the single "Bop!", a collaboration with Trixie Mattel and Lion Babe. [23]

Vanessa Williams has surpassed 250 million total streams on Spotify across all credits. She averages nearly 190K daily listeners on the platform. [24]

Television and film

Williams in 2016 Vanessa L. Williams at ATX Television Festival.jpg
Williams in 2016

Williams has had a successful career in television. Her first television appearance was on a 1984 episode of The Love Boat [25] followed by guest appearances in a number of popular shows. In 1995, Williams starred as Rose Alvarez in a television adaptation of the 1960 Broadway musical Bye Bye Birdie and portrayed the nymph Calypso in the 1997 Hallmark Entertainment miniseries The Odyssey. In 2001, Williams starred in the Lifetime film about the life of Henriette DeLille, The Courage to Love and in 2003, Williams read the narrative of Tempie Herndon Durham from the WPA slave narratives in the HBO documentary Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives. [1]

In 2006, Williams received considerable media attention for her comic/villainess role as former model/magazine creative director turned editor-in-chief Wilhelmina Slater in the ABC comedy series Ugly Betty . [1] Her performance on the series resulted in a nomination for outstanding supporting actress at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards [26] with additional nominations in 2008 and 2009. [1] Williams next joined the cast of Desperate Housewives for its seventh season, where she portrayed Renee Perry, an old college "frenemy" of Lynette Scavo (Felicity Huffman). [27] In 2016, she joined the cast of The Librarians , as recurring villainess General Rockwell. [28] She starred as Maxine in the VH1 television series Daytime Divas during its one season in 2017. [29] [30]

Williams has appeared in a number of feature films. She received an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for her portrayal of Teri Joseph for the 1997 feature film Soul Food . In 2007, she starred in the independent film My Brother , [31] for which she won Best Actress honors at the Harlem International Film Festival, the African-American Women in Cinema Film Festival, and at the Santa Barbara African Heritage Film Festival. She also notably co-starred with Arnold Schwarzenegger in Eraser , [32] Samuel L. Jackson in the 2000 soft reboot of Shaft , the characters from Sesame Street in The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland , as the Queen of Trash, and with Miley Cyrus in Hannah Montana: The Movie. [33]

Theatre

Williams began her career on stage in the 1985 production, One Man Band, as one of "the women". [34] She followed it in 1989 as "Laura" in Ron Milner's Checkmates. [35]

In 1994, she broadened her ascendant music career into a theatrical role when she replaced Chita Rivera as Aurora in the Broadway production of Kiss of the Spider Woman . [36] In 1998, she portrayed Della Green in the revival of St. Louis Woman, [37] and Carmen Jones in the 2002 Kennedy Center Special Performance of Carmen Jones. [38] In the same year, she was also featured in the Tony/Drama Desk Award-winning revival production of Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods , for which she was nominated for a Tony and Drama Desk Award for her performance as the Witch. This production included songs revised for her. [39]

In 2010, Vanessa starred in a new Broadway musical revue entitled Sondheim on Sondheim , a look at Stephen Sondheim through his music, film and videotaped interviews. Sondheim ran from March 19 to June 13 at Studio 54 in New York City. [40] In 2013, she starred as Jessie Mae Watts in the Horton Foote play The Trip to Bountiful , which was later turned into a 2014 television film. [41] In 2014, she starred in the Broadway musical, After Midnight [42] and in 2015, she appeared in a PBS production of Show Boat as Julie La Verne. [43] Williams will star as Margaret in POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive on Broadway, with performances beginning on April 14, 2022, at the Shubert Theatre. [44]

Additional roles

Williams at the 2007 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York City Vanessa williams bryant park 2007.jpg
Williams at the 2007 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York City

Williams served as the host of the 1994 Essence Awards, [45] co-host of Carnegie Hall Salutes the Jazz Masters: Verve Records at 50, [46] host of the 1998 NAACP Image Awards, [47] host of the 2002 documentary, It's Black Entertainment, host of The 6th Annual TV Land Awards in 2007, [48] host of the 36th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards in 2009, [49] and host of the documentary Dreams Come True: A Celebration of Disney Animation in 2009.

Williams is a spokesmodel for Proactiv Solution, [50] and was the first African-American spokesmodel for L'Oréal cosmetics in the 1990s. [51] In 2018, Williams returned as a spokesmodel for L'Oréal as part of their 'Age perfect' campaign alongside fellow ambassadors Helen Mirren, Julianne Moore, and Jane Fonda. [52] In 2000, she appeared on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire as a contestant, and again in August 2009, as a celebrity guest during the show's tenth anniversary prime-time special editions, winning $50,000 for her charity. [53] [54]

In a commercial that began running during Super Bowl XLVI in 2012, Williams voiced the new character Ms. Brown, a brown M&M. [55]

In 2020, Williams was the winner of episode 2 of RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race , and donated her prize of $20,000 to the LGBTQ charity The Trevor Project.

Fashion

In March 2016, Williams launched her own clothing line, V. by Vanessa Williams, for EVINE Live. [56]

Personal life

Williams and her mother Helen co-authored a memoir titled You Have No Idea, published in April 2012. In the book, Williams discusses her childhood, rise to fame, and personal struggles, including life with type 1 diabetes, including the fact that she was sexually molested by a woman when she was ten years old. [57] [58] She spoke candidly about having an abortion while she was in high school. [59]

Williams is a practicing Catholic, something she spoke about on the ABC News program Focus on Faith with Fr. Edward L. Beck. [2]

Williams has been married three times. She married Ramon Hervey II [60] [61] at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church [62] in 1987 [62] [63] just a few years after giving up her Miss America crown and gave birth to her first child at that time. Hervey was a public relations specialist who was hired to resuscitate her career after her resignation. [62] [64] [65] They had three children, Melanie, Jillian, and Devin. [66] They divorced in 1997. [67] [68]

She married NBA basketball player Rick Fox in 1999. They had one daughter, Sasha Gabriella Fox. [66] [69] They divorced in 2004. [1] [70] [71] In 2015, she married Jim Skrip, a businessman from Buffalo, New York at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church, after receiving a Church annulment of her first marriage. [72] [73] [74] The couple quietly divorced in 2021. [75]

Her daughter, Jillian Hervey, is an American singer, dancer, and member of the group Lion Babe.

Williams is a grandmother.

Activism

Williams is involved with a number of humanitarian causes. in 2011 participated in the human rights campaign New Yorkers for Marriage Equality. [76] She is partnered with Dress For Success, an organization that provides professional attire for low-income women seeking employment. [30] [77] Williams is also involved with The San Miquel Academy of Newburgh, a school for boys at risk. [78]

Honors and awards

Williams in 2012 VanessaWilliamsHWoFMar2012.jpg
Williams in 2012

Williams is the recipient of many awards and nominations including eleven Grammy nominations for hits such as "The Right Stuff", "Save the Best for Last", and "Colors of the Wind". In addition, she has earned three Emmy nominations, a Tony Award nomination, seven NAACP Image Awards, and four Satellite Awards.

She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on March 19, 2007. [79]

In December 2017, Vanessa L. Williams participated at COAF Gala fundraising event, delivering a special performance of her Golden Globe and Academy Award-winning song "Colors of the Wind" and paid tribute to Patricia Field, with whom she worked on the set of the TV series Ugly Betty . [80]

Discography

Studio albums

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1987 The Pick-up Artist Rae
1988Under the GunSamantha Richards
1989Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes ScandalValentine HaywardTelevision film
1990 Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer Terri KnightTelevision film
Seriously...Phil Collins RachelTelevision film
The Kid Who Loved ChristmasLynette ParksTelevision film
1991 Another You Gloria
Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man Lulu Daniels
1992Stompin' at the SavoyPaulineTelevision film
1995Nothing Lasts ForeverDr. Kathy "Kat" HunterTelevision film
Bye Bye Birdie Rose AlvarezTelevision film
1996 Eraser Dr. Lee Cullen
1997 Soul Food Teri Joseph
Hoodlum Francine Hughes
1998 Dance with Me Ruby Sinclair
Futuresport Alejandra 'Alex' TorresTelevision film
1999 The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland Queen of Trash
Light It Up Detective Audrey McDonald
2000 The Courage to Love Mother Henriette DeLille Television film
Don Quixote Dulcinea/AldonzaTelevision film
Shaft Carmen Vasquez
A Diva's Christmas Carol Ebony ScroogeTelevision film
2001WW3M.J. BlakeTelevision film
Santa, Baby!AliciaVoice, television film
2002Keep the Faith, Baby Hazel Scott Television film
2004 Johnson Family Vacation Dorothy Johnson
Beck and CallZoeShort
2006Rehearsing a DreamHerselfShort
My Brother L'Tisha Morton
2007The Beautiful World of Ugly Betty Wilhelmina Slater Television film
And Then Came Love Julie DavidsonAlso executive producer
2009 Hannah Montana: The Movie Vita
2011 Delhi Safari BeggumVoice
2013 He's Way More Famous Than You Herself
Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor Janice
2014 The Trip to Bountiful Jessie Mae WattsTelevision film
When Marnie Was There HisakoVoice
2017 The Man From Earth: Holocene Carolyn
2018 Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay Amanda Waller Voice, direct-to-video
The Legend of Hallowaiian Fire GoddessVoice
False ProfitsSuzanneTelevision film
2019 Batman: Hush Amanda WallerVoice, direct-to-video
Miss Virginia Sally Rae
2020 Bad Hair Zora Choice
2023 Tripped Up Patty

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1979 Live from Lincoln Center Graduates/Off Stage VoicesEpisode: "New York City Opera: Street Scene"
1984 Partners in Crime Roselle RobinsEpisode: "Celebrity"
The Love Boat Miss AmericaEpisode: "Ace's Valet/Mother Comes First/Hit or Miss America"
1986 He's the Mayor HerselfEpisode: "An Officer and the Mayor"
The Redd Foxx Show JessicaEpisode: "The Prodigal Son"
T.J. Hooker Officer Pat WilliamsonEpisode: "Partners in Death"
The Love Boat PearlEpisode: "My Stepmother, Myself/Almost Roommates/Cornerback Sneak"
1987 Password Plus and Super Password Herself/Celebrity ContestantRecurring role
1988 Showtime at the Apollo HerselfEpisode: "Episode #2.3"
Soul Train HerselfEpisode: "Thomas Dolby/Vanessa L. Williams/Tony Terry"
1989After HoursHerself/HostEpisode: "Turkey Day Part 2"
Family Feud Herself/Celebrity ContestantRecurring Guest
1992 Soul Train HerselfEpisode: "Vanessa L. Williams/Shanice Wilson/Jodeci"
Soul Train Music Awards Herself/Co-Host
Saturday Night Live HerselfEpisode: "Woody Harrelson/Vanessa Williams"
The Jacksons: An American Dream Suzanne de Passe Episode: "Part I & II"
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Danny MitchellEpisode: "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way Home from the Forum"
1994Essence AwardsHerself/HostMain Host
Great Performances Herself/HostEpisode: "Carnegie Hall Salutes the Jazz Masters: Verve Records at 50"
1995 Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child BeautyVoice, episode: "Beauty and the Beast"
1996 Intimate Portrait HerselfEpisode: "Vanessa Williams"
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ArandisEpisode: "Let He Who Is Without Sin..."
1997 The Odyssey Calypso Episode: "Part I & II"
1998 NAACP Image Awards Herself/Co-Host
Saturday Night Live HerselfEpisode: "Alec Baldwin/Luciano Pavarotti, Vanessa Williams"
1999I'll Make Me a WorldHerself/Narrator
L.A. Doctors Dr. Leanne BarrowsRecurring role
2000 Sesame Street HerselfEpisode: "Dancing on Sesame Street"
Christmas in ViennaHerselfEpisode: "Our Favorite Things: Christmas in Vienna"
2000–09 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Herself/Celebrity ContestantRecurring guest
2002Cool WomenHerselfEpisode: "Singers/Actresses"
Ally McBeal Sheila HuntEpisode: "Another One Bites the Dust"
The Proud Family Debra WilliamsVoice, episode: "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thingy, Baby"
2003 Boomtown Detective Katherine PierceRecurring role (season 2)
2004 Mad TV HerselfEpisode: "Episode #9.20"
Fashion in FocusHerselfEpisode: "Compassion in Fashion"
Evening at Pops HerselfEpisode: "Vanessa Williams"
2005Black in the 80sHerselfEpisode: "Color in Film" & "Color TV"
Gospel SuperfestHerself/HostMain host
2006 South Beach Elizabeth BauerMain cast
2006–10 Ugly Betty Wilhelmina Slater Main cast
2007 Shear Genius Herself/Celebrity Judge2 episodes
E! True Hollywood Story HerselfEpisode: "Vanessa Williams"
2007–08 Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies Mama MirabelleVoice, main role
2009 Daytime Emmy Awards Herself/Host
2010 Drama League Award Herself/Host
Biography HerselfEpisode: "Vanessa Williams"
The A-List: New York HerselfEpisode: "To the Sky"
2010–12 Desperate Housewives Renee Perry Main role (seasons 7 and 8)
2011 Who Do You Think You Are? HerselfEpisode: "Vanessa Williams"
RuPaul's Drag Race Herself/Guest JudgeEpisode: "The Queen Who Mopped X–mas"
2012Kitchen Cousin'sHerselfEpisode: "Vanessa Williams Kitchen Surprise"
Phineas and Ferb Flight AttendantVoice, episode: "Where's Perry? Part I"
2012–13 666 Park Avenue Olivia DoranMain role
2014The Haunting OfHerselfEpisode: "Vanessa Williams"
Oprah's Master Class HerselfEpisode: "Vanessa Williams"
2015 The Mindy Project Dr. PhilipsEpisode: "Danny Castellano Is My Nutritionist"
Royal Pains Olympia HoustonRecurring role (season 7)
The Good Wife Courtney PaigeRecurring role (season 7)
Live from Lincoln Center Julie LaVerneEpisode: "Kern and Hammerstein's Show Boat"
2016 Broad City Elizabeth CarltonEpisode: "Game Over"
2016–17 The Librarians General Cynthia RockwellRecurring role (season 3)
2016–18 Milo Murphy's Law Dr. Eileen UnderwoodVoice, recurring role
2017 Daytime Divas Maxine RobinsonMain cast
Difficult People TrishEpisode: "Strike Rat"
Modern Family RhondaEpisode: "The Long Goodbye"
2018 RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars Herself/Guest JudgeEpisode: "Divas Lip Sync Live"
Pyramid Herself/Celebrity PlayerEpisode: "Kathy Najimy vs. Yvette Nicole Brown and Vanessa Williams vs. Gary Cole"
Me, Myself & I Kelly FrasierRecurring role
2019American StyleHerselfRecurring guest
Project Runway All Stars Herself/Guest JudgeEpisode: "Penneys From Heaven"
Match Game Herself/Celebrity PlayerEpisode: "Joel McHale/Rachael Ray/Jason Biggs/Caroline Rhea/Donald Faison/Vanessa Williams"
Doc McStuffins DelilahVoice, episode: "Adventures in Baby Land"
First Wives Club NancyEpisode: "Something Blue"
2019–22 T.O.T.S. Captain Candace BeakmanVoice, main role
2020 RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race Herself/Vanqueisha De HouseContestant (season 1)
How's Your Head, Hun?HerselfEpisode: "Love in the Time of Quarantine"
Let's Make a Deal HerselfEpisode: "Episode #12.27"
2020–21 Twenties AngelaGuest (season 1), recurring (season 2)
2021Broadway ProfilesHerself2 episodes
A Capitol Fourth Herself/Host
Kenan Tasha NobleEpisode: "Hair Show"
Marvel's Wastelanders: Star-Lord Emma Frost Voice, main role
2021–24 Girls5eva Nance TraceRecurring role
2021–23 Queen of the Universe Herself/Judge
2022 Carpool Karaoke HerselfEpisode: "Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton & Amber Ruffin"
A Black Lady Sketch Show DelilahEpisode: "It’s a New Day, Africa America!"
2023 American Experience Herself/NarratorEpisode: "Zora Neale Hurston: Claiming a Space"
RuPaul's Drag Race HerselfEpisode: "Grand Finale" [81]
Great Performances HerselfEpisode: "Celebrating 50 Years of Broadway's Best"
2024 Velma Dr. Perdue (voice)Recurring role (six episodes)
Elsbeth Rosalyn Bridwellseason 2 episode 4 "Diamonds are for Elsbeth"

Theatre

YearTitleRoleVenue
1985 One Man Band The WomenSouth Street Theatre, Off-Broadway
1988CheckmatesLaura McClellan-WilliamsWestwood Playhouse
1994The Jazz Masters, Live from Carnegie HallHost/PerformerCarnegie Hall
1994 Kiss of the Spider Woman Spider Woman/Aurora Replacement Broadhurst Theatre, Broadway debut
1998 St. Louis Woman [82] Della GreenCity Center, Off-Broadway
2001 Broadway Bash PerformerCity Center, Off-Broadway
2002 Into the Woods The WitchAhmanson Theatre, Pre-Broadway
Broadhurst Theatre, Broadway
Carmen Jones [83] Carmen JonesKennedy Center for the Performing Arts
2004 Silver & Gold Herself/PerformerPalace Theatre, Broadway
2010 Sondheim on Sondheim Performer Studio 54, Broadway
2013 The Trip to Bountiful Jessie Mae Watts Stephen Sondheim Theatre, Broadway
After Midnight Special Guest Star Brooks Atkinson Theatre, Broadway
2014 Show Boat [84] JulieNew York Philharmonic, Avery Fisher Hall
2018 Hey Look Me Over PerformerCity Center, Off-Broadway
2020 City of Angels [85] Carla/AlauraGarrick Theatre, West End
2022 SethRudetsky'sBroadway Concert Series Herself/PerformerTown Hall, Broadway
Anyone Can Whistle Cora Hoover Hooper Carnegie Hall
POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive Margaret Shubert Theatre, Broadway
50 Years of Broadway at the Kennedy Center PerformerKennedy Center for the Performing Arts
April 15, 2024 KRISTIN: An Evening with Friends for Todd PerformerStephen Sondheim Theatre, Broadway
July–August 2024 The Devil Wears Prada Miranda Priestly Theatre Royal, Plymouth
October, 2024The Devil Wears Prada [86] Miranda Priestly Dominion Theatre, West End
November 11, 2024 A Wonderful World ProducerStudio 54, Broadway

Bibliography

See also

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chita Rivera</span> American actress, dancer and singer (1933–2024)

Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero, known professionally as Chita Rivera, was an American actress, singer, and dancer. Rivera received numerous accolades including two Tony Awards, two Drama Desk Awards, and a Drama League Award. She was the first Latina and the first Latino American to receive a Kennedy Center Honor in 2002, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. She won the Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audra McDonald</span> American actress and singer (born 1970)

Audra Ann McDonald is an American singer and actress. Primarily known for her work on the Broadway stage, she has won six Tony Awards, more performance wins than any other actor, and is the only person to win in all four acting categories. In addition to her six Tony Awards she has received numerous accolades including two Grammy Awards, and an Emmy Award. She was honored with the National Medal of Arts in 2016 from President Barack Obama, and was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruthie Henshall</span> English entertainer (born 1967)

Valentine Ruth Henshall, known professionally as Ruthie Henshall, is an English actress, singer and dancer, known for her work in musical theatre. She began her professional stage career in 1986, before making her West End debut in Cats in 1987. A five-time Olivier Award nominee, she won the 1995 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Amalia Balash in the London revival of She Loves Me (1994).

<i>Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street</i> 1979 musical by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, also known as Sweeney Todd is a 1979 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler. It is based on the 1970 play Sweeney Todd by Christopher Bond. The character of Sweeney Todd first appeared in a Victorian penny dreadful titled The String of Pearls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Clark</span> American musical theatre actress (born 1959)

Victoria Clark is an American actress, musical theatre soprano, and director. Clark has performed in numerous Broadway musicals and in other theatre, film and television works. Her voice can also be heard on various cast albums and in several animated films. In 2008, she released her first solo album titled Fifteen Seconds of Grace. A five-time Tony Award nominee, Clark won her first Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 2005 for The Light in the Piazza. She also won the Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, and the Joseph Jefferson Award for the role. She won a second Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 2023 for Kimberly Akimbo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jan Maxwell</span> American actress (1956 – 2018)

Janice Elaine Maxwell was an American stage and television actress. She was a five-time Tony Award nominee and two-time Drama Desk Award winner. In a career spanning over thirty years, Maxwell was one of the most celebrated and critically acclaimed stage actresses of her time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liz Callaway</span> American actress and singer (born 1961)

Liz Callaway is an American actress, singer and recording artist, who is best known for having provided the singing voices of many female characters in animated films, such as Anastasia in Anastasia, Odette in The Swan Princess, Jasmine in the Aladdin sequels The Return of Jafar and Aladdin and the King of Thieves, adult Kiara in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, and a dancing napkin ring in Beauty and the Beast. She was also the original Ellen in the Broadway production of Miss Saigon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebecca Luker</span> American actress (1961–2020)

Rebecca Luker was an American actress, singer, and recording artist, noted for her "crystal clear operatic soprano" and for maintaining long runs in Broadway musicals over the course of her three-decade-long career. The New York Times compared her to actresses such as Barbara Cook and Julie Andrews.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alice Ripley</span> American actress (born 1963)

Alice Ripley is an American actress, singer, songwriter and mixed media artist. She is known, in particular, for her various roles on Broadway in musicals, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning Next to Normal and Side Show. She most recently played three roles in the short-lived Broadway musical, American Psycho. Alice Ripley has released albums with her band, RIPLEY, including the single, "Beautiful Eyes", released in February 2012. She also performs as a solo artist, while in February 2011 she released Alice Ripley Daily Practice, Volume 1, a stripped-down collection of acoustic rock covers.

Debbie Shapiro Gravitte is an American actress and singer. She was born in Los Angeles, California.

Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer is an American musical theatre actress and singer. She was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance in the Broadway revival of Spamalot. Since 2024, she has voiced Rosie in the adult animated musical series Hazbin Hotel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annaleigh Ashford</span> American actress, singer, and dancer (b. 1985)

Annaleigh Ashford is an American actress, singer, and dancer. Her early roles on Broadway include in the musicals Wicked (2007), Legally Blonde (2007), and Hair (2010). She received the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for playing Essie Carmichael in You Can't Take It With You (2014–2015). Her other Tony-nominated roles include Lauren in Kinky Boots (2013) and Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2023). She also starred in the Broadway revival of Sunday in the Park with George (2017).

The Trip to Bountiful is a play by American playwright Horton Foote. The play premiered March 1, 1953, on NBC-TV, before being produced on the Broadway stage from November 3, 1953, to December 5, 1953.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katrina Lenk</span> American actress

Katrina Lenk is an American actress, singer, dancer, musician, and songwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lea Salonga on screen and stage</span>

Filipina singer and actress Lea Salonga has appeared in international theatre productions, television shows, films, and video games. She made her professional debut on stage in the 1978 Repertory Philippines production of The King and I. She went on to appear and star in productions such as Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1978), Fiddler on the Roof (1978), Annie (1980), The Sound of Music (1980), The Rose Tattoo (1980), and The Bad Seed (1981) in Manila. In 1981, Salonga made her film debut as Lisa in the Filipino comedy Tropang Bulilit. Salonga continued performing in theatre productions in Manila, including The Goodbye Girl (1982), The Paper Moon (1983), a revival of Annie (1984), and The Fantasticks (1988). From 1983 to 1985, Salonga hosted her own television variety show entitled Love, Lea. In 1986, she also appeared as a Thursday group member on the television series That's Entertainment. Throughout the 1980s, she also appeared in the Filipino films Like Father, Like Son (1985), Ninja Kids (1986), Captain Barbell (1986), Pik Pak Boom (1988), and Dear Diary (1989).

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Awards and achievements
Preceded by Miss America
1984		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Eileen Clark
 Miss New York
1983		Succeeded by
Melissa Manning
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