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Vanessa Williams

Actor

Vanessa Williams

Born May 12, 1963 in New York City, New York, USA31 films

Vanessa Estelle Williams (sometimes professionally credited as Vanessa A. Williams) is an American actress and producer. She is best known for her roles as Maxine Joseph–Chadway in the Showtime drama series, Soul Food (2000–04), for which she received NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series, and as Rhonda Blair in the first season of the Fox prime time soap opera, Melrose Place (1992–93). She is also known as Nino Brown's feisty gun moll, Keisha in the 1991 crime drama film, New Jack City and as Anne-Marie McCoy in the first and fourth of the Candyman films.

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Though not related, she is sometimes confused with American actress, singer, and former Miss America 1984, Vanessa L. Williams. Both women were also, coincidentally, born in New York in the same year. In addition, Vanessa A. Williams starred in the television soap opera, Soul Food, while Vanessa L. Williams starred in the original film.

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The best way into Vanessa Williams's work
New Jack City posterFirst watchNew Jack City19916.7as KeishaA gangster, Nino, is in the Cash Money Brothers, making a million dollars every week selling crack. A cop, Scotty, discovers that the only way to infiltrate the gang is to become a dealer…View film

Essential films

Ranked by acclaim and reach
Candyman poster6.7Candyman1992Candyman poster6.0Candyman2021Like Mike poster6.1Like Mike2002Imagine That poster6.0Imagine That2009Mother poster6.8Mother1996Flirting with Forty poster5.2Flirting with Forty2008Ice Spiders poster4.2Ice Spiders2007

Filmography

31 films as actor
  1. 2023Cruel EncountersCorynne
  2. 2023Black Girl, EruptedCassandra Cole
  3. 2022Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson StoryLucille
  4. 2022Angie's CureCarla
  5. 2022Mid-CenturyBeverly Gordon
  6. 2021Welcome to the Christmas Family ReunionEve Christmas
  7. 2021A Rich ChristmasAggie Maggy / Madison
  8. 2021CandymanAnne-Marie McCoy
  9. 2020Love on a Two Way StreetGloria
  10. 2019I Left My Girlfriend for Regina JonesRebecca
  11. 2019One Fine ChristmasSusan
  12. 2018ThrillerMrs. Walker
  13. 2014Men, Money & Gold DiggersSandra Winslow
  14. 2014Crossed the LineJuice
  15. 2012Raising IzzieTonya
  16. 2012Sugar MommasLynn
  17. 2009Imagine ThatLori Strother
  18. 2009Contradictions of the HeartLea
  19. 2008Flirting with FortyKristine
  20. 2007Ice SpidersDr. April Sommers
  21. 2003Allergic to Nuts
  22. 2003Black ListedJ.W.
  23. 2002Our AmericaSandra Williams
  24. 2002Like MikePharmacist
  25. 2000PunksJennifer
  26. 2000Playing with FireRiana Roberts
  27. 1999IncognitoWilhelmina Hunter
  28. 1996MotherDonna
  29. 1994Drop SquadMali
  30. 1992CandymanAnne-Marie McCoy
  31. 1991New Jack CityKeisha