Vanessa Williams
Biography
Vanessa Estelle Williams (sometimes professionally credited as Vanessa A. 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 (2000–04), for which she received NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series, and as Rhonda Blair in the first season of the Fox prime time soap opera, Melrose Place (1992–93). She is also known as Nino Brown's feisty gun moll, Keisha in the 1991 crime drama film, New Jack City and as Anne-Marie McCoy in the first and fourth of the Candyman films.
Though not related, she is sometimes confused with American actress, singer, and former Miss America 1984, Vanessa L. Williams. Both women were also, coincidentally, born in New York in the same year. In addition, Vanessa A. Williams starred in the television soap opera, Soul Food, while Vanessa L. Williams starred in the original film.
Ask the Vault
Ask anything about Vanessa Williams.
Full filmography
- Law & Order (1990) as Vera
- The Flash (2014) as Francine West
- 9-1-1 (2018) as Claudette Collins
- Phineas and Ferb (2007) as Flight Attendant (voice)
- Melrose Place (1992) as Rhonda
- Cold Case (2003) as Crystal Stacy (2007)
- Chicago Hope (1994) as Grace Carr
- The Cosby Show (1984) as Jade
- The Cosby Show (1984) as Cheryl
- LIVE with Kelly and Mark (1988)
- The Pretender (1996) as Denise Clements
- Good Day Live (2001) as Self
- American Horror Stories (2021) as Dr. Eleanor Berger
- Murder One (1995)
- Murder One (1995) as Lila Marquette
- The Steve Harvey Show (1996) as Nina
- Living Single (1993)
- Malcolm & Eddie (1996)
- The Wendy Williams Show (2008)
- Soul Food (2000) as Maxine Chadway
- Wild Rose (2026) as Joyce
- Candyman (1992) as Anne-Marie McCoy
- Total Recall 2070 (1999)
- Like Mike (2002) as Pharmacist