Vanessa Williams

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Biography

Vanessa Lynn Williams (born March 18, 1963) is an American pop- Contemporary R& B|R& B recording artist, producer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America , but a scandal generated by her having posed for nude photographs published in Penthouse (magazine)|Penthouse magazine caused her to relinquish her title early and she was succeeded by the first runner-up, Suzette Charles of New Jersey – who was also African-American. Williams rebounded by launching a career as an entertainer, earning multiple Grammy Award|Grammy , Emmy Award|Emmy , and Tony Award nominations.

Williams released her debut album The Right Stuff (album)|The Right Stuff in 1988, which spawned the hits " The Right Stuff (song)|The Right Stuff ", a #1 on Hot Dance Club Songs|Hot Dance Songs , and " Dreamin' (Vanessa Williams song)|Dreamin' " a #1 on Hot R& B/Hip-Hop Songs|R& B and #8 on Billboard Hot 100 . Her second studio album The Comfort Zone (album)|The Comfort Zone in 1991 topped the Top R& B/Hip-Hop Albums|Billboard R& B Album Chart , which spawned the Billboard Hot 100 number-one hit " Save the Best for Last ".

In 1994 she debuted on Broadway in the musical Kiss of the Spider Woman (musical)|Kiss of the Spider Woman . In 1995 she recorded " Colors of the Wind ", the Academy Awards|Oscar -winner for Academy Award for Best Original Song|Best Original Song from the List of Disney theatrical animated features|Disney animated feature film Pocahontas (1995 film)|Pocahontas , which reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Williams's first film acting role was as the star of the feature film Eraser (film)|Eraser in 1996. She also starred in the movies Soul Food (film)|Soul Food , Dance with Me (film)|Dance with Me , The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland , Shaft (2000 film)|Shaft and Johnson Family Vacation .

From 2006 to 2010 she played the role of the scheming, self-absorbed diva and former supermodel Wilhelmina Slater in the ABC comedy series Ugly Betty , for which she received three Emmy Awards nominations. In 2009, Williams released her eighth studio album, The Real Thing (Vanessa Williams album)|The Real Thing . In 2010 she joined the ensemble cast of the series Desperate Housewives as spoiled rich woman Renee Perry .

Along with Mario Frangoulis , she was the main host of the opening ceremony of the 2011 Special Olympics , held in Athens .

Early life

Williams was born in Tarrytown, New York|Tarrytown , New York, the daughter of music teachers Helen L. (née Tinch) and Milton Augustine Williams, Jr., Vanessa Williams official web site, retrieved May 16, 2010, The New York Times According to DNA tests, Vanessa is of African American, Welsh, and Native American descent. http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=sxB7Sc4rwNs Williams and her younger brother Chris Williams (actor)|Chris , who is also an actor, grew up in Millwood, a predominantly white middle-class suburban area. Prophetically, her parents put "Here she is: Miss America" on her birth announcement. Entertainment Tonight interview. December 11, 2005.

Education

Williams studied piano and horn (instrument)|French horn growing up, but was most interested in singing and songwriting. She received a scholarship and attended Syracuse University as a Musical Theatre Arts major from 1981 to 1983. She interrupted her education at Syracuse during her sophomore year to fulfill her duties as Miss America , and subsequently left the university to focus on her entertainment career. Twenty-five years later, she graduated from Syracuse by earning her remaining college credits through her life experience. Williams delivered the convocation address on May 10, 2008, to 480 other students in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. She stated:

Pageants and Miss America title

Williams competed in the Miss Syracuse (University) beauty pageant when a campus musical she was in was canceled in 1983. After winning the Miss Syracuse title, Williams won the Miss New York crown in 1983, and went to compete for the Miss America title at the national pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey|Atlantic City . Prior to the final night of competition, Williams won both Preliminary competitions - Talent and Swimsuit - earlier in the week (note: each day's Preliminary competitions have winners announced; therefore there can be as many as six "Prelim" winners; three each for Talent and Swimsuit. To win a "prelim" in both is a strong precursor to success in the finals.) She was crowned Miss America 1984 on September 17, 1983, becoming the first African American to win the title.

Williams' reign as Miss America was not without its challenges and controversies. For the first time in pageant history, a reigning Miss America was the target of death threats and hate mail.

Ten months into her reign as Miss America, she received an anonymous phone call stating that nude photos of her taken before her pageant days had surfaced. Williams believed the photographs were private and had been destroyed; she claims she never signed a release permitting the photos to be used.

The genesis of the photos dated back to 1982, when she worked as an assistant and makeup artist for Mount Kisco, New York photographer Tom Chiapel. According to Williams, Chiapel advised her that he wanted to try a "new concept of silhouettes with two models". He photographed Williams and another woman in several nude poses, including simulated lesbian sexual practices|lesbian sex .

Hugh Hefner , the publisher of Playboy , was initially offered the photos, but turned them down. Later, Hefner would explain why in People Weekly , "Vanessa Williams is a beautiful woman. There was never any question of our interest in the photos. But they clearly weren't authorized and because they would be the source of considerable embarrassment to her, we decided not to publish them. We were also mindful that she was the first black Miss America." Days later, Bob Guccione , the publisher of Penthouse (magazine)|Penthouse , announced that his magazine would publish the photos in their September 1984 issue, and paid Chiapel for the rights to them without Williams' consent. According to the Public Broadcasting Service|PBS documentary Miss America , Williams' issue of Penthouse would ultimately bring Guccione a $14 million windfall.

After days of media frenzy and sponsors threatening to pull out of the upcoming 1985 pageant, Williams felt pressured by Miss America Pageant officials to resign, and did so in a press conference on July 23, 1984. The title subsequently went to the first runner-up, Suzette Charles , also an African American. In early September 1984, Williams filed a $500 million lawsuit against Chiapel and Guccione, which she dropped a year later.

Although she resigned from fulfilling the duties of a current Miss America, Williams was allowed to keep the bejeweled crown and scholarship money and is officially recognized by the Miss America Organization as "Miss America 1984"; Charles is recognized as "Miss America 1984b".

Music career

Williams released her debut album, The Right Stuff (album)|The Right Stuff in 1988. The first single, "The Right Stuff", found success on the R& B chart, while the second single " (He's Got) The Look|He's Got the Look " found similar success on the same chart. The third single, " Dreamin' (Vanessa Williams song)|Dreamin' ", was a pop hit, becoming Williams' first top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 , peaking at #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 three Grammy Award nominations, including one for Best New Artist .

Her second album The Comfort Zone (album)|The Comfort Zone became the biggest success in her music career. 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 (song)|The Comfort Zone " (#2 R& B), " Just For Tonight (Vanessa Williams song)|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 ". It reached #1 in the United States, where it remained for five weeks, as well as #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 Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA , gold in Canada by the Canadian Recording Industry Association|CRIA , and platinum in the United Kingdom by the British Phonographic Industry|BPI . The Comfort Zone earned Williams five Grammy Award nominations.

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

Other releases include two Christmas albums, Star Bright (Vanessa Williams album)|Star Bright , released in 1996, and Silver & Gold (Vanessa Williams album)|Silver & Gold in 2004; Next (Vanessa Williams album)|Next in 1997, and Everlasting Love (Vanessa Williams album)|Everlasting Love in 2005, along with a greatest-hits compilation released in 1998, and a host of other compilations released over the years.

Notable chart performances from subsequent albums, motion picture and television soundtracks have included the songs " Love Is (Vanessa Williams song)|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? (Vanessa Williams song)|Where Do We Go from Here? ", and " Oh How the Years Go By ". In total, Williams has sold more than six million records and has received 15 Grammy Award nominations.

In May 2009 she performed two concerts at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City to sold out crowds.

On June 2, 2009, she released her 8th studio album on Concord Records titled The Real Thing (Vanessa Williams album)|The Real Thing . It features songs written and/or produced by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds|Babyface , Stevie Wonder , Bill Withers , Bebel Gilberto, and Rex Rideout. Williams described the album as "a hybrid of samba, bossa nova, some salsa and also some pop and R& B". The title song " The Real Thing (Vanessa Williams song)|The Real Thing ", the fourth single released from the album, peaked at #6 on the Hot Dance Club Songs| Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart.

Acting career

Theatrical roles

Williams broadened her ascendant music career into a theatrical role when she was cast in the Broadway theatre|Broadway production of Kiss of the Spider Woman (musical)|Kiss of the Spider Woman in 1994. She was also featured in the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical|Tony -nominated and Drama Desk Award nominated performance as the Witch in Stephen Sondheim 's Into the Woods in a revival of the show in 2002, which included songs revised for her.

Other notable theatrical roles include her performances in Carmen Jones at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts|Kennedy Center , the off-Broadway productions of One Man Band and Checkmates , and the New York City Center 's Encores! Great American Musicals in Concert, St. Louis Woman .

In 2010, Williams starred in a new Broadway musical revue along with Barbara Cook , Tom Wopat and Leslie Kritzer entitled, Sondheim on Sondheim , a look at Stephen Sondheim through his music, film and videotaped interviews. Directed by James Lapine , Sondheim ran from March 19 to June 13 at Studio 54 in New York City.Jones, Kenneth..playbill.com, March 19, 2010

Feature film roles

Williams has appeared in several feature films. Her most prominent role was in the 1997 film Soul Food (film)|Soul Food , for which she won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture . Williams appeared in the 1991 cult classic film Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man . She also co-starred with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the movie Eraser (film)|Eraser and opposite Chayanne in Dance with Me (film)|Dance with Me .

In 2007, Williams returned to the big screen starring in two independent motion pictures. The first being My Brother (2007 film)|My Brother , 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, and the second being And Then Came Love . In 2009, she starred alongside Miley Cyrus in Hannah Montana: The Movie .

She stars on upcoming movie The Marriage Counselor (film)|The Marriage Counselor .

Television

Williams' first television appearance was on a 1984 episode of The Love Boat , playing herself. She subsequently made guest appearances on a number of shows, including T.J. Hooker , The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air , Saturday Night Live , Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , LateLine (sitcom)|LateLine , MADtv , Ally McBeal and Boomtown (2002 TV series)|Boomtown .

Her appearances in television movies and miniseries include Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer and The Jacksons: An American Dream as Suzanne de Passe . In 1995, Williams starred as Rose Alvares in a television version of Bye Bye Birdie (musical)|Bye Bye Birdie , a Broadway musical from the 1950s. She played the nymph Calypso (mythology)|Calypso in the 1997 RHI Entertainment|Hallmark Entertainment miniseries The Odyssey (miniseries)|The Odyssey , starring Armand Assante . She appeared as Ebony Scrooge the Ebenezer Scrooge character in an update of Charles Dickens ' story A Christmas Carol called ''A Diva's Christmas Carol . In 2001, Williams starred in the LMN (TV network)|Lifetime cable movie about the life of Henriette DeLille , The Courage to Love . In 2003, Williams read the narrative of Tempie Herndon Durham from the Slave narrative#WPA slave narratives|WPA slave narratives in the HBO documentary Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives . In early 2006 she starred in the short lived UPN drama South Beach (2006 TV series)|South Beach .

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 American Broadcasting Company|ABC comedy series Ugly Betty . Her performance on the series resulted in a nomination for outstanding supporting actress at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards . She also provides the voice for the main character in the PBS Kids version of '' Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies . In 2008 and 2009, she was again nominated for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series for Ugly Betty .

Williams joined the cast of Desperate Housewives for the seventh season., Entertainment Weekly , May 18, 2010 Williams portrays Renee Perry , an old college friend/rival of Lynette Scavo ( Felicity Huffman ), as the new vixen on Wisteria Lane, moving into the late Edie Britt 's old house.

Other media appearances

Williams has appeared in advertisements for RadioShack . She is a spokesmodel for Proactiv Solution , and was the first African-American spokesmodel for L'Oréal cosmetics in the late 1990s. Her other media appearances include endorsing Crest (toothpaste)|Crest Rejuvenating Effects Toothpaste , endorsing Disneyland and Universal Studios in a VisitCalifornia advertisement for British and Irish television in 2008, and hosting the 6th Annual 2008 TV Land Awards show.

She appeared on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (US game show)|Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in 2000 as a contestant, and once again on 10 August 2009 as a celebrity guest during the show's 10th anniversary prime-time special editions, winning $50,000 for her charity.

Name conflict

Williams is most often referenced and publicly recognized simply as "Vanessa Williams". There is, however, occasional confusion with similarly named actress Vanessa A. Williams , who is just two months younger.

It has been reported that Williams first became aware of Vanessa A. in the 1980s when her New York University registrar told her that another, similarly aged student with the same name and from the same state had applied.Hobson, Louis B. (August 16, 1998), , Canoe.ca. TV Guide . September 2, 2003. When Williams appeared as Miss America in a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade , Vanessa A. accidentally received her check for the appearance, which she returned.

In the area of acting, the two ran into name conflict when Screen Actors Guild rules prohibited duplicate stage naming. Vanessa A. had registered the name "Vanessa Williams" first, 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 (film)|Soul Food (Williams in the film version, and Vanessa A. in its Soul Food (TV series)|TV series adaptation ). The Screen Actors Guild eventually took the issue to arbitration and decided that both actresses could use the professional name "Vanessa Williams". Today, Williams' prominence has led to a more prevailing association with the stage name "Vanessa Williams", so much so that it has widely become solely attributable to her. She is credited as such in the American television series Ugly Betty and Desperate Housewives . Williams is also the owner of the internet domain name vanessawilliams.com. Today, the younger Vanessa Williams is most often publicly and professionally referenced as "Vanessa A. Williams".

Personal life

She has been married twice. Her first marriage, to her then-manager Ramon Hervey II, was from 1987 to 1997. They have three children, Melanie born in 1987, Jillian - 1989, and Devin - 1993.

Her second marriage was to former National Basketball Association|NBA basketball player Rick Fox . They married in September 1999 and have a daughter, Sasha, born in May 2000. After The National Enquirer published pictures of Fox kissing and hugging another woman in mid-2004, Fox's representative announced that the couple had been "headed toward divorce" for over a year. A few months later in August 2004, Fox filed for divorce. Fox acted alongside Williams in two episodes during the second season of Ugly Betty , playing the role of Dwayne, Wilhelmina's sexy bodyguard.

During an interview with Barbara Walters which aired on February 24, 2008, Williams not only admitted to using Botulinum toxin|Botox but also called it "a miracle drug, no cutting, nothing, and I love it. But I also want to act so I don't do it to freeze my face."The Barbara Walters Special, Interview with Vanessa L. Williams. February 24, 2008.

Williams is Roman Catholic.

Discography

1988: The Right Stuff (album)|The Right Stuff

1991: The Comfort Zone (album)|The Comfort Zone

1994: The Sweetest Days

1996: Star Bright (Vanessa Williams album)|Star Bright

1997: Next (Vanessa Williams album)|Next

2004: Silver & Gold (Vanessa Williams album)|Silver & Gold

2005: Everlasting Love (Vanessa Williams album)|Everlasting Love

2009: The Real Thing (Vanessa Williams album)|The Real Thing

Filmography

Films

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1987
1988
1991
1991	Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man
1996
1997
1997	Soul Food
1998
1999
1999	Light It Up
2000
2004
2007
2007	And Then Came Love
2009
2011
2012
2012	The Marriage Counselor

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1989
1990
1990	Perry Mason and The Case of the Silenced Singer
1992
1992	'' Stompin' at the Savoy
1995
	Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child - Beauty and the Beast
	Bye Bye Birdie
1997
1998
2000
	Don Quixote
	sortname>A
2001
2001	Santa Baby
2002
2003
2006
2006–10, Entertainment Weekly , January 27, 2010
2007
2010-12 and Desperate Housewives (season 8)\|8 Series Regular

Guest appearances

Year	Title
1984
1984
1986
1992
1996
1999
1999	L.A. Doctors
2002
2003
2011

Plays and musicals

Year	Title
1985
1989
1994–95
1998
2000
2002
2002	Into the Woods
2010

Host

Year	Title
1994
1994	Carnegie Hall Salutes the Jazz Masters: Verve Records at 50
1998
2002
2008
2009
2009	Dreams Come True: A Celebration of Disney Animation

Awards and accolades

Grammy Awards history

Year	Category	Track/ album	Result
1989	Best New Artist	The Right Stuff "	Nominated
1989	Best Female R& B Vocal Performance	"The Right Stuff"	Nominated
1990	Best Female R& B Vocal Performance	Dreamin' "	Nominated
1992	Best Female R& B Vocal Performance	Runnin' Back to You "	Nominated
1993	Record of the Year	Save the Best for Last	Nominated
	Song of the Year	"Save the Best for Last"	Nominated
	Best Female Pop Vocal Performance	"Save the Best for Last"	Nominated
	Best Female R& B Vocal Performance	The Comfort Zone "	Nominated
	Best Group Pop Vocal Performance	"Love Is"	Nominated
1995	Best Female Pop Vocal Performance	" Colors of the Wind "	Nominated
	Best Female R& B Vocal Performance	"The Way That You Love"	Nominated
	Best R& B Song	"You Can't Run"	Nominated
	Best Musical Show Album	Kiss Of The Spider Woman	Nominated - as part of cast
1997	Best Pop/ Contemporary Gospel Album	Star Bright	Nominated
2002	Best Musical Show Album	Into The Woods	Nominated - as part of cast
2010	Best Musical Show Album	Sondheim on Sondheim	Nominated - as part of cast

Other awards/nominations

Year	Award body	Category	Awarded for	Result
1983	Miss America	N/ A	N/ A	Winner
1989	NAACP Image Award	Outstanding New Artist	" The Right Stuff "	Winner
1993	American Music Award	Favorite Female Artist - Pop / Rock	" The Comfort Zone "	Nominated
		Favorite Female Artist - Soul / R& B	" The Comfort Zone "	Nominated
		Favorite Album - Adult Contemporary	" The Comfort Zone "	Nominated
	MTV Video Music Awards	Best Female Video	" Save the Best for Last "	Nominated
	MTV Video Music Awards	Best Cinematography	"''Runnin' Back To You "	Nominated
	Billboard Music Award	No. 1 Adult Contemporary Single	Love Is "	Winner
	Playboy Magazine	Best Female R& B Vocalist.	" The Comfort Zone "	Winner
1994	Theatre World Award	Best Debut Performance	Kiss Of The Spider Woman "	Winner
	NAACP Image Award	Outstanding Female Artist	" The Sweetest Days "	Winner
		Best R& B Single by Group, Band or Duo	Love Is "	Nominated
1995	Academy Award	Best Original Song	" Colors Of The Wind "	Winner
1996	Soul Train Music Award	"Lady of Soul" Award	Career Achievement	Winner
	NAACP Image Award	Outstanding Female Artist	" Where Do We Go From Here "	Nominated
	Blockbuster Entertainment Award	Favorite Actress - Action	Eraser	Nominated
	Lena Horne award	For Outstanding Artistic Contributionto the Entertainment		Winner
1997	NAACP Image Award	Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture	Soul Food	Winner
		Outstanding Album	"Next"	Nominated
		Outstanding Actress in Mini-Series	The Odyssey	Nominated
	Online Television Academy Awards	Best Guest Actress - Syndicated Series	Star Trek: Deep Space Nine	Nominated
	Black Film Awards	Best Actress - Motion Picture	Soul Food	Nominated
1999	ALMA Award	Best Song from A Movie	" You Are My Home "	Nominated
2000	Blockbuster Entertainment Award	Favorite Actress - Action	Shaft	Nominated
2000	NAACP Image Award	NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture	Light It Up	Nominated
2001	NAACP Image Award		Shaft	Nominated
2001	Drama League Award	Most Distinguished Performance	Into the Woods	Nominated
2002	Satellite Awards	Best Actress - Miniseries or Movie	Keep the Faith, Baby	Winner
	NAACP Image Award	Outstanding Actress in Mini-Series		Nominated
	Black Reel Awards	Best Actress		Nominated
	Tony Award	Best Performance By a Leading Actress In a Musical	Into The Woods	Nominated
2004	BET Comedy Awards	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Box Office Movie	Johnson Family Vacation	Nominated
2006	Satellite Awards	Best Supporting Actress in a Series	Ugly Betty	Nominated
2007	Screen Actors Guild Awards	Best Performance - Ensemble in a Comedy Series		Nominated
	NAACP Image Award	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series		Winner
	Emmy Award	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series		Nominated
	Teen Choice Awards	Choice TV Villain		Winner
	Hollywood Walk of Fame	Recording	Career Achievement	Awarded
2008	Human Rights Campaign	"Ally For Equality" Award	Humanitarian Work	Awarded
	Jacobi Children's Arts Award	" Humanitarian/ Charitable "	Humanitarian Work	Awarded
	Satellite Awards	Best Supporting Actress in a Series	Ugly Betty	Winner
	Screen Actors Guild Awards	Best Performance - Ensemble in a Comedy Series		Nominated
	Screen Actors Guild Awards	Best Performance - Lead Actress in a Comedy Series		Nominated
	NAACP Image Award	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series		Winner
	Teen Choice Awards	Choice TV Villain		Nominated
	Emmy Award	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series		Nominated
2009	NAACP Image Award	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series		Nominated
	Daytime Emmy Award	Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program	'' Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies	Nominated
	Emmy Award	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series	Ugly Betty	Nominated
	Satellite Awards	Best Supporting Actress in a Series		Nominated
2010	NAACP Image Award	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series		Nominated
	NAACP Image Award	Outstanding Jazz Album	The Real Thing	Nominated
	Mary Pickford Award Cite web	For Outstanding Artistic Contributionto the Entertainment Industry		Winner
2011	NAACP Image Award	Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series	Desperate Housewives	Winner
2011	Satellite Awards	Best Supporting Actress in a TV Series, Mini Series or TV Movie	Desperate Housewives	Winner

Urban/R&B Music Artists

Vanessa Williams

Biography

Early life

Education

Pageants and Miss America title

Music career

Acting career

Theatrical roles

Feature film roles

Television

Other media appearances

Name conflict

Personal life

Discography

Filmography

Films

Television

Guest appearances

Plays and musicals

Host

Awards and accolades

Grammy Awards history

Other awards/nominations

See also

References

External links

Main

Interviews, other

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