
New York City, New York, USA
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. 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.
as Claudette Collins

as Vera
1990

as Francine West
2014

as Claudette Collins
2018

as Flight Attendant (voice)
2007

as Rhonda
1992

1988

as Grace Carr
1994

as Crystal Stacy (2007)
2003

as Jade
1984

as Denise Clements
1996
as Self
2001

as Dr. Eleanor Berger
2021
as Cassandra Cole
2023

as Self - (archive footage)
2025

as Corynne
2023

as Cassandra Cole
2023

as Lucille
2022

as Carla
2022

as Beverly Gordon
2022

as Eve Christmas
2021

as Aggie Maggy / Madison
2021

as Anne-Marie McCoy
2021

as Gloria
2020

as Rebecca
2019

as Susan
2019

as Mrs. Walker
2018

as Sandra Winslow
2014

as Juice
2014

as Tonya
2012

as Lynn
2012

as Lori Strother
2009

as Lea
2009

as Kristine
2008

as Dr. April Sommers
2007

as Self (voice)
2004

as J.W.
2003

as Sandra Williams
2002
as Claudette Collins
4 ep.

as Vera
1 episodes

as Francine West
6 episodes

as Claudette Collins
4 episodes

as Flight Attendant (voice)
1 episodes

as Rhonda
32 episodes

1 episodes

as Grace Carr
6 episodes

as Crystal Stacy (2007)
1 episodes

as Jade
2 episodes

as Denise Clements
1 episodes
as Self
1 episodes

as Dr. Eleanor Berger
1 episodes


as Nina
1 episodes

1 episodes

1 episodes

1 episodes

as Maxine Chadway
74 episodes

1 episodes

as Rebecca
1 episodes

1 episodes

as Candice
6 episodes

as Joyce
8 episodes

as Bertha Brown
6 episodes