Let’s all give it up for Vanessa L. Williams, the Buzzfocus Woman of the Day.
Born on March 18, 1963 in the Bronx, Vanessa sang and danced in high school productions and signed her yearbook with a promise to ’see you on Broadway’.
After winning a performing arts scholarship to Syracuse University, she left school to pursue a career in the entertainment business.
Shortly after in 1984, Vanessa became the first African-American Miss America. However, during her reign, nude photos taken of her surfaced in Penthouse magazine. Although the photos were taken before her title, she was forced to resign her crown.
Refusing to bow out, she subsequently landed a recording contract and released several hit music albums, including ‘The Comfort Zone’ and ‘The Sweetest Days’. Her music career was peppered with several Grammy nominations. She used this success to segue into a career in TV and Movies, where she was able to land co-starring roles.
Her first big movie, 1996’s “Eraser“, allowed her to co-star with Arnold Schwarzenegger. She followed that with an awesome performance in the 1997 movie “Soul Food” and the 2000 remake of “Shaft“, co-starring opposite Samuel L. Jackson. She also performed on Broadway in 1994 in the musical ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’. She was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance as the Witch in ‘Into the Woods’ in 2002.
She currently is starring in the hit show “Ugly Betty” as a psychotic and evil fashion magazine creative director, Wilhelmina Slater.
Vanessa has definitely made an amazing and unexpected comeback from some rocky times early in her career. Just yesterday, Ms. Williams was granted her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. We salute the multitalented Williams and can’t wait to see more from her.
Good call - she’s great in uggly betty