Vanessa Lynn Williams (born March 18, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Williams made history on September 17, 1983 when she became the first woman of African descent to be crowned Miss America. Williams' reign as Miss America came to an abrupt end subsequently resigning her title. Williams rebounded by launching a career as an entertainer, earning Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Award nominations.
Williams is also well-known for her outspoken support of gay rights, having won the Human Rights Campaign "Ally for Equality" award in 2008.
Biography
Williams was born in Tarrytown, New York, the daughter of music teachers Helen and Milton Augustine Williams Jr. Williams and her younger brother Chris Williams (actor) grew up in the predominantly Anglo middle-class suburban area of Millwood, New York. Prophetically, her parents put "Here she is: Miss America" on her birth announcement.
Education
Williams studied piano and French horn growing up, but was most interested in singing. She received a scholarship and attended Syracuse University as a Theatre Arts major from 1981 to 1983. She discontinued her education at Syracuse during her sophomore year to fulfill her duties as Miss America, and then 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 with two long running Broadway shows and a Tony Award nomination under her belt. Williams delivered the convocation address on May 10, 2008, with 480 other students in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. She stated:
"It's been 25 years since I was a student here. It just brought home what my message was, which is cherish the moment; these days are irreplaceable and are the beginning of the rest of your life".
In 2007, Williams returned to the big screen starring in two independent motion pictures. The first being 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 will star alongside Miley Cyrus in Hannah Montana: The Movie.
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, MADtv, Ally McBeal and Boomtown.
She has had many appearances in television movies and miniseries, including Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer and The Jacksons: An American Dream. She played the nymph Calypso in the 1997 Hallmark Entertainment miniseries The Odyssey, starring Armand Assante. She appeared as the Ebenezer Scrooge character in an update of the Charles Dickens story "A Christmas Carol" called "A Diva's Christmas Carol". In 2001, Williams starred in the Lifetime cable movie about the life of Henriette DeLille, The Courage to Love. In early 2006 she starred in the short lived UPN drama South Beach.
In 2007, Williams received considerable media attention for her comic/villainess role as former magazine creative director turned editor-in-chief Wilhelmina Slater in the ABC comedy series Ugly Betty, produced by Salma Hayek. 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 on the PBS Kids version of Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies. In 2008, she was again nominated for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series for Ugly Betty.
(read less)Vanessa Lynn Williams (born March 18, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Williams made history on September 17, 1983 when she became the first woman of African descent to be crowned Miss America. Williams' reign as Miss America came to an abrupt end subsequently resigning her title. Williams rebounded by launching a career as an entertainer, earning Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Award nominations.
Williams is also well-known for her outspoken support of gay rights, having won the...
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