Vanessa Williams

Living proof that a scandal can't stop the strong, smart and multitalented, this stunning singer-actress has enjoyed a long and illustrious entertainment career despite an infamously bumpy beginning. 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 the past resurfaced and were published in Penthouse. Instead of slinking away into obscurity, Williams continued to pursue her aspirations as a singer and actress and by the late '80s, she was a veritable pop princess with hits like "Save the Best for Last," "Dreamin'" and "Colors of the Wind." She launched a concurrent career as an actress, appearing on both the big and small screens, notably 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. Although Williams wasn't necessarily a subtle performer, she exuded confidence and sophistication and seemed to relish playing bad girls. That's why she must have felt blessed when she landed the showy role of a scheming fashion editor on the delightfully campy series Ugly Betty in 2006.