Ben Vereen
American actor, dancer, and singer
Vanessa Williams is an accomplished American entertainer who overcame a controversial start to her career to become a successful singer, actress, model, producer, and dancer. She was the first Black woman to be crowned Miss America in 1984, but later resigned her title amid a media scandal. Despite this setback, Williams went on to have a flourishing career in music and television, earning multiple Grammy and Emmy nominations.
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Chris Williams
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Jillian Hervey
Sasha Fox
About the Vanessa Williams
Vanessa Lynn Williamsis 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.
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 Zoneand The Sweetest Daysand 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).
Frequently Asked Questions
Vanessa Williams was born on March 18, 1963.
Vanessa Williams was the first Black woman to be crowned Miss America in 1984, but she later resigned her title amid a media controversy surrounding nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine.
Vanessa Williams released her debut studio album ,The Right Stuff, in 1988, which included the moderately successful title single and the top 10 hit ,Dreamin’,. She continued to see commercial success with her next two albums, ,The Comfort Zone, (1991) and ,The Sweetest Days, (1994), including her signature song ,Save the Best for Last, which reached number one.
Vanessa Williams has enjoyed success as an actress on stage and screen. She made her Broadway debut in 1994 with ,Kiss of the Spider Woman, and later starred as The Witch in the revival of Stephen Sondheim’s ,Into the Woods, in 2002, earning a Tony Award nomination. She is also known for her television roles, including Wilhelmina Slater on ,Ugly Betty, and Renee Perry on ,Desperate Housewives,.
Thirty-two years after resigning her Miss America title, Vanessa Williams was offered a public apology during the Miss America 2016 pageant for the events surrounding the nude photograph scandal.