Vanessa Williams

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BIRTHDAY

May 12, 1969

Brooklyn, New York, USA

PROFESSIONS

Actor

SOMETIMES CREDITED AS

Vanessa A Williams, Vanessa P Williams

BIOGRAPHY

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This lissome, bright-eyed, black American actress shares a name with the controversial former Miss America-turned-singer/actress. Williams first registered in features as a feral yet attractive killer in Mario Van Peebles' gangster movie, "New Jack City" (1991). Before that she appeared on TV in guest spots on "T.J. Hooker", "The Love Boat", "The Cosby Show" and "Law & Order". As aerobics instructor Rhonda Blair of "Melrose Place", Williams was the first black to figure prominently as a regular on one of the recent slew of glamorous, youth-targeted TV shows. Sadly the show's writers didn't have a clue as what to do with her; she was often paired in platonic subplots with Doug Savant's token gay character while the straight white folks were having a far more interesting time. Rhonda was married off and eliminated from the series by the end of the second season. Williams also offered a strong supporting performance as a protective single mother in "Candyman" (1992), a smart urban horror flick, and she played a lead role in the satire, "DROP Squad" (1994), executive produced by Spike Lee. In 1995, she returned to series TV as the law firm receptionist (and only regular black character) on the Steven Bochco-produced drama "Murder One"; Williams' character, however, was written out at the end of the first season.

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