Vanessa A. Williams (born May 12, 1963) is an American actress who has appeared in numerous television series. She is best known for her roles as Rhonda Blair in Melrose Place and as Maxine Chadway on the Showtime cable television series Soul Food. In 1996, she was also a series regular in the television series Murder One. Though not related, she is sometimes confused with singer-actress (and former Miss America winner) Vanessa L. Williams.


Life and career

Williams was born in New York City. In an ABC News interview, she stated that her background is from a family of slaves from Georgia and Virginia. In 1993, she met Andre Wiseman and they began dating, then married in Stuyvesant, New York. They have two children together, sons Omar Tafari Wiseman and Haile Zion Ali Wiseman. Williams is now married to her former Melrose Place (1992) co-star John Marshall Jones, who is stepfather to her two sons from her marriage to Andre Wiseman. Williams and Jones have a child together: John Marshall Jones Jr.

Filmography

The Cosby Show as Jade Marsh & recurring role as Cheryl Lovejoy
227: "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Pageant" (1988)
Law & Order: "Happily Ever After" (1990) as Vera
New Jack City (1991) as Keisha
The Cosby Show (2 episodes, 1989) as Jade and (2 episodes, 1991) as Cheryl
Fatal Bond (1992) as Waitress
Candyman (1992) as Anne-Marie McCoy
Melrose Place (1992–1993) as Rhonda Blair
Drop Squad (1994) as Mali
NYPD Blue: "Don We Now Our Gay Apparel" (1995) as Kira
Living Single: "Another Saturday Night" (1995) as Hellura
Buddies: Marry Me... Sort Of" (1996) as Janice Rollins
Murder One (1995–96) as Lila
Mother (1996) as Donna
Malcolm & Eddie: "Big Brother Is Watching" (1996) as Stephanie
Chicago Hope (4 episodes, 1996) as Dr. Grace Carr
A Woman of Color (1997)
Breakdown (1997)
Between Brothers: "The Interview" (1997) as Rebecca
The Pretender: "Collateral Damage" (1998) as Denise Clements
The Steve Harvey Show: "Rent" (1998) as Nina
Total Recall 2070: "Self-Inflicted" (1999) as Violet Whims
Incognito (1999) as Wilhelmina Hunter
Playing with Fire (2000) as Riana Roberts
Punks (2000) as Jennifer
Soul Food (2000–04) as Maxine Chadway
Afrocentricity (2000)
Heavy Gear: The Animated Series (5 episodes, 2001) as Sonja Briggs
Baby of the Family (2002) as Gloria
Our America (2002) as Sandra Williams
Like Mike (2002) as Pharmacist
Black Listed (2003) as J.W.
Allergic to Nuts (2003) as Jennie
Gift for the Living (2005) as Voiceover
Cold Case: "Shuffle, Ball Change" (2007) as Crystal Stacy
Drawing Angel (2007) as Thulani
Ice Spiders (2007) as Dr. April Sommers
Hummingbird (2008) as Donya
Lincoln Heights: "Ode to Joy" (2008) as Naomi Bradshaw
Flirting with Forty (2008) as Kristine
Contradictions of the Heart (2009) as Lea
Knight Rider: (2 episodes, 2009) as Ambassador Olara Kumali
Imagine That (2009) as Lori Strother
Everybody Hates Chris: "Everybody Hates Bomb Threats" (2009)
Sugar Mommas: (2012) as Lynn Moore
Raising Izzie:: (2012) as Tonya Freeman

; Producer
Dense (2004), executive producer & producer
Allergic to Nuts (2003), executive producer
Driving Fish (2004), co-executive producer