Vanessa Williams
(Short Biography)
Vanessa Williams is one of the most respected and multi-faceted performers in entertainment today. She has
conquered the musical charts, Broadway, music videos, television and motion pictures. She has sold over four million
albums worldwide and her skills as an actress on stage, in film and on television have earned critical praise.
Performing – and music in particular – has always played an important role in Vanessa’s life. Born in Millwood,
New York, Vanessa’s early years were spent surrounded by music. Her parents were music teachers who recognized her
musical gifts early on and encouraged her to pursue her love of the arts. When she was young, she acted, danced, played
piano and French horn in her high school orchestra, concert band and marching band and she sang in the concert choir and
chorus. Her early interest in performing led to a passion for musical theatre. She won an NFAA scholarship was a finalist
for a Presidential Scholarship in acting in 1981 and chose to continue her education at Syracuse University, where she
majored in musical theatre. While at college in 1983, Vanessa was sought after by local talent scouts who invited her to
participate in the Miss Greater Syracuse Pageant. Three months later, Vanessa won the 1983 Miss America title and the
$30,000 scholarship that accompanied it. The controversy that followed only left Vanessa stronger and more empowered in
her commitment to a career in the world of entertainment.
Vanessa launched her recording career in 1988 with her first album, “The Right Stuff,” which went gold and earned
her first three Grammy Award nominations. Her 1991 multi-million selling follow-up, “The Comfort Zone,” which featured
the unforgettable “Save the Best For Last,” and her third album, “The Sweetest Days,” each yielded multiple hits and
Grammy nominations. She was nominated for yet another Grammy for her hit single “Colors of the Wind,” from Disney’s
“Pocahontas,” which went on to win an Academy Award, Golden Globe and the Grammy for Best Song in a Motion Picture.
Her numerous recordings also include two holiday albums, “Star Bright” and “Silver & Gold;” “Vanessa Williams Greatest
Hits: The First Ten Years;” “Our Favorite Things,” with Tony Bennett, Placido Domingo and Charlotte Church and
“Everlasting Love,” a collection of her favorite love songs from the 1970’s. Concord Records will release Vanessa’s newest
album, “The Real Thing,” in June.
In 1994, Vanessa realized a life-long dream, taking Broadway by storm when she replaced Chita Rivera in “Kiss of
the Spider Woman.” Her performance won critics over and was a box-office sensation, firmly establishing Vanessa as a
multi-talented triple-threat. Vanessa also garnered rave reviews and was nominated for a Tony Award in the 2002 revival of
Stephen “Into the Woods,” taking a brief break from the production to headline a limited special engagement of the classic,
“Carmen Jones,” at the Kennedy Center, playing to sold-out houses and achieving glowing notices. Previously, Vanessa
captivated theatre-goers off-Broadway in “One Man Band” and in the Los Angeles production of Ron Milner’s
“Checkmates.” She also starred in the Encore! Series staged concert production of “St. Louis Woman,” which was also
released as a cast recording.
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VANESSA WILLIAMS SHORT BIO / Page 2
Vanessa made her film debut in 1986 in “Under the Gun” and she appeared in the films “The Pick-Up Artist,”
“Another You” (with Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder) and “Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man” (with Mickey Rourke).
She starred opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in Warner Bros.’ action thriller, “Eraser,” followed by a leading role opposite
Laurence Fishburne and Andy Garcia in “Hoodlum” and an NAACP Image Award winning performance with the box-office
hit, “Soul Food.” She has starred in the romantic dance-musical “Dance With Me,” “Light It Up,” “The Adventures of Elmo
in Grouchland” and “Shaft,” opposite Samuel L. Jackson. She co-starred in “Johnson Family Vacation” with Cedric the
Entertainer and Steve Harvey. She starred recently in the independent features, “My Brother” and “Somebody Like You”
and co-stars in Disney’s upcoming feature film, “Hannah Montana: The Movie.”
Vanessa has also played diverse roles on television, in such productions as “Stompin’ at the Savoy,” “The Boy Who
Loved Christmas” and “The Jacksons: An American Dream,” for which she won an NAACP Image Award. She commanded
rave reviews for her performance in ABC’s revival of “Bye, Bye Birdie” and starred in the mini-series “Nothing Lasts
Forever” and the Emmy-nominated “The Odyssey,” which also garnered impressive ratings and an Image Award nomination
for Vanessa. Vanessa starred opposite John Lithgow in TNT’s “Don Quixote” and she executive produced and starred in
“The Courage to Love” for Lifetime Television. She starred in the VH1 Original Movie, “A Diva’s Christmas Carol,” which
was the highest rated movie ever for VH1, their second highest rated telecast overall of in 2000 and their fourth highest rated
telecast of all time. She co-starred in the Showtime movie “Keep the Faith, Baby”and the UPN drama, “South Beach.” She
currently stars in ABC’s critically-acclaimed hit series, “Ugly Betty,” for which she has won or been nominated for numerous
individual and ensemble awards, including the Emmy, SAG Award, Golden Globe and NAACP Image Awards.
Among Vanessa’s many awards and honors, she was honored in 1996 with the coveted Lena Horne Career
Achievement Award at the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards. In 2007, she achieved a career pinnacle, with a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame for her accomplishments as a performer.
Vanessa’s charitable contributions are many and varied, embracing and supporting such issues as education,
homelessness, abuse, women’s issues and health concerns, AIDS and anything having to do with children. Specifically, she
is actively involved with such organizations as Green Chimneys, a working farm in Westchester County that provides
educational and residential programs to help troubled inner-city adolescents; The Open Door, which provides walk-in
medical care for homeless families; The Cottage School for displaced young women and the Special Olympics, among many
others.
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5/09
CONTACT:
Brad Cafarelli/Laura Bass
BRAGMAN NYMAN CAFARELLI (BNC)
(310) 854-4800
(310) 854-4848 (F)
bcafarelli@bncpr.com
lbass@bncpr.com