Vanessa Williams was born on May 12 in Brooklyn, NY.
Her first commercial was for Bubble Yum gum and actor Ralph Macchio was her co-star.
While attending Marymount Manhattan College, she booked THE COSBY SHOW.
The actress was a series regular on the first season of MELROSE PLACE, where she played Rhonda Blair.
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Williams won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series in 2003 for her role on the Showtime series SOUL FOOD.