Name
Vanessa Bell Calloway
Known For
Acting
Birthday
1957-03-20 (69 years old)
Place of Birth
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Biography
Vanessa Bell Calloway is an American actress and dancer. She is known for her film roles as Princess Imani Izzi in the 1988 comedy Coming to America, as well as for her roles in What's Love Got to Do with It, The Inkwell, Crimson Tide, and Daylight. She is a nine-time NAACP Image Award nominee.
She began her acting career in the ABC daytime soap opera, All My Children in 1985. After moving to Los Angeles in 1986, she began appearing in episodes of prime time shows such as The Colbys, Falcon Crest, 227, China Beach, A Different World, and L.A. Law. She made her film debut on Number One with a Bullet (1987), before supporting role of Eddie Murphy's character's arranged wife in the 1988 comedy Coming to America.
In 1990, she co-starred alongside Joe Morton in the ABC drama series, Equal Justice. During the 1990s, she had a number of supporting roles in films, including What's Love Got to Do with It (1993) opposite Angela Bassett, The Inkwell (1994), and Crimson Tide (1995) as Denzel Washington's character wife. She also voiced main role in the 1992 animated comedy, Bébé's Kids.
She had a number of leading and supporting roles in made for television movies. In 1995, she co-starred opposite James Earl Jones and Joe Morton in the short-lived CBS prime time soap opera, Under One Roof, the first drama series that featured African-American lead characters. For her role on the series, Calloway was nominated for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series. She had leading roles on the short-lived NBC sitcom Rhythm & Blues (1992–93), and starred alongside Larry Hagman as his girlfriend in the CBS drama Orleans (1997).
In the 2000s, she had recurring roles on Boston Public and The District. She co-starred in films including The Brothers, All About You, Dawg, Biker Boyz, Love Don't Cost a Thing, and Cheaper by the Dozen. She has guest starred on The Division, Strong Medicine, The Closer, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Dexter, Rizzoli & Isles, Castle, and Grey's Anatomy. From 2010 to 2011, she had the recurring role in the TNT medical drama, Hawthorne. In 2011, she began appearing in the Showtime comedy-drama, Shameless.
In 2016, she was cast as lead character in the Bounce TV first prime time soap opera, Saints & Sinners. Also in 2016, she co-starred as president Obama's future mother-in-law, Marian Shields Robinson, and in the comedy-drama film Southside with You. In 2018, she appeared in the Christian drama film Unbroken: Path to Redemption and the crime thriller Dragged Across Concrete. In 2019, she played abolitionist Harriet Tubman's mother in the biographical drama film Harriet. She reprised her role as Imani Izzi in the 2021 sequel Coming 2 America.
Known For
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An African prince decides it’s time for him to find a princess... and his mission leads ...
7.194
After the Cold War, a breakaway Russian republic with nuclear warheads becomes a possible ...
6.6
Two policemen, one an old-timer, the other his volatile younger partner, find themselves s...
6.309
Prince Akeem Joffer is set to become King of Zamunda when he discovers he has a son he nev...
6.294
The Baker brood moves to Chicago after patriarch Tom gets a job coaching football at North...
6.671
Best friends and roommates Dreux and Alyssa are about to have One of Them Days. When they ...
6.7
Zamperini returns to California where he wound up marrying Cynthia Applewhite while wrestl...
- 1996 Daylight as Grace Calloway
- 2009 Good Hair as Self
- 2003 Love Don't Co$t a Thing as Vivian Johnson
- 2003 Biker Boyz as Anita
- 2008 Lakeview Terrace as Aunt Dorrie
- 1988 Death Spa as Marci Hewitt
- 2021 Saints & Sinners: Judgment Day as Ella
- 1992 Bebe's Kids as Jamika (voice)
- 2021 A Holiday Chance as Sheryl
- 1993 What's Love Got to Do with It as Jackie
- 1989 Polly as Nancy
- 1994 The Inkwell as Francis Phillips
- 2014 To Hell and Back
- 2012 A Beautiful Soul as Guardian Angel
- 2007 Stompin' as Mrs. Jackson
- 2022 Starkeisha as The Voice
- 2022 The Devil You Know as Della Cowans
- 2002 The Red Sneakers as Berniece
- 2012 The Obama Effect as Molly Thomas
- 2001 All About You as Donna Taylor
- 2023 Black Girl, Erupted as Dr. Rebecca Francis
- 1998 Archibald the Rainbow Painter as Diana
- 2000 Love Song as Evelyne Livingston
- 2013 Holla 2 as Marion
- 2023 Under the Boardwalk as Val (voice)
- 1990 Polly: Comin' Home! as Nancy Dodds
- 2013 Between Sisters as Lillian
- 2012 The Last Fall as Marie Bishop
- 1992 Memphis as Martha Kinship
- 2016 Southside with You as Marian Robinson
- 2024 Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch as Idella Landy
- 1996 The Cherokee Kid as Abby Holsopple
- 2016 The Bounce Back as Ellen
- 1988 The Return of Desperado as Molly Pickett
- 2016 Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story as Josephine
- 1996 America's Dream as Miss Williams (segment "The Boy Who Painted Christ Black")
- 2025 One of Them Days as Mama Ruth
- 1987 Number One with a Bullet as Woman
- 2017 The Preacher's Son as Elena
- 2000 A Private Affair as Nikka
- 2018 Love, Once and Always as Isabel
- 2018 Unbroken: Path to Redemption as Lila Burkholder
- 1988 Coming to America as Imani Izzi
- 2022 Mosquito as Eve
- 2018 Thriller as Mrs. Jackson
- 1992 Why Colors?
- 2018 Throwback Holiday as Mildred Anderson
- 2018 Her Only Choice as Dr. Bailey
- 2019 Dragged Across Concrete as Jennifer Johns
- 2001 The Brothers as Dr. Thelma Woolridge
- 2021 Coming 2 America as Imani Izzi
- 2019 Harriet as Rit Ross
- 1992 Stompin' at the Savoy as Dorothy
- 2003 Cheaper by the Dozen as Diana Philips
- 1995 Crimson Tide as Julia Hunter
- 2021 Baby as Jackie
- 2014 The Divorce as Eva
- 2017 Message From a Mistress as Heather
- 2019 American Skin as Bernice
- 2012 The Undershepherd as Deaconess Carter
- 2024 Queens of Christmas as Julia Mason
- 2002 Dawg as Christine Hodges
- 2015 Divas! as Wendy
- 1996 Malcolm & Eddie ( 1 episode )
- 1986 L.A. Law ( 1 episode ) as Robyn Edwards
- 1987 A Different World ( 1 episode ) as Lily Connors
- 2000 Boston Public ( 3 episodes ) as Mrs. Michelle Ronning
- 2000 The District ( 4 episodes ) as Gwen Hendrix
- 2000 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation ( 1 episode ) as Judge Himmel
- 2001 One on One ( 1 episode ) as Michelle McCall
- 2003 Joan of Arcadia ( 1 episode ) as Corey Phillips
- 2002 CSI: Miami ( 1 episode ) as Tonya Washington
- 2001 The Division ( 1 episode ) as Dana
- 1994 Touched by an Angel ( 1 episode ) as Debra Willis
- 1981 Simon & Simon ( 1 episode )
- 1988 China Beach ( 1 episode )
- 1993 The Sinbad Show ( 1 episode )
- 1985 227 ( 1 episode )
- 2003 Cold Case ( 1 episode ) as Geraldine Watkins (1970)
- 1997 The View ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 1993 Where I Live ( 1 episode )
- 1996 Moesha ( 1 episode ) as Dr. Woods
- 1993 Diagnosis: Murder ( 1 episode ) as Mrs. Calender
- 1999 The Parkers ( 1 episode )
- 1998 Prey ( 1 episode )
- 1985 The Colbys ( 1 episode )
- 2012 Go On ( 2 episodes ) as Joyce
- 1991 The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage ( 1 episode )
- 1995 Under One Roof ( 6 episodes ) as Maggie Langston
- 1997 Orleans ( 8 episodes ) as Rosalee Clark
- 2003 10-8: Officers on Duty ( 3 episodes ) as Gina Barnes
- 1992 Rhythm & Blues ( 13 episodes )
- 2005 Black in the 80s ( 3 episodes ) as Self
- 2011 Let's Stay Together ( 1 episode )
- 2009 Castle ( 1 episode ) as Beryl Wickfield
- 2010 Rizzoli & Isles ( 3 episodes ) as Assistant District Attorney
- 2003 NCIS ( 1 episode ) as Sally Hammond
- 2021 Kenan ( 2 episodes ) as Bobbi
- 2016 Saints & Sinners ( 48 episodes ) as Lady Ella Johnson
- 1987 A Different World ( 1 episode ) as Danielle Vinson
- 2022 Sherri ( 1 episode ) as Self - Guest
- 1995 Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child ( 1 episode ) as Princess Katusha (voice)
- 2016 This Is Us ( 7 episodes ) as Edie
- 2022 Carl Weber's The Black Hamptons ( 12 episodes ) as Carolyn Britton
- 2016 This Is Us ( 1 episode ) as Edie (uncredited)
- 1998 The Temptations ( 2 episodes ) as Johnnie Mae Matthews
- 2019 A Black Lady Sketch Show ( 1 episode ) as Kiley's Mother
- 2018 The Conners ( 1 episode ) as Carrie Langham
- 2005 Grey's Anatomy ( 2 episodes ) as Lucinda Gamble
- 2019 Unbelievable ( 1 episode ) as Sarah
- 1990 Dream On ( 2 episodes ) as Jeanette
- 2006 Dexter ( 1 episode ) as Crisis Counselor
- 2000 Strong Medicine ( 1 episode ) as Melanie Rhodes
- 2011 Shameless ( 20 episodes ) as Carol Fisher
- 2019 Black Monday ( 2 episodes ) as Ruth
- 2005 The Closer ( 1 episode ) as Lynn Talmadge
- 1981 Falcon Crest ( 1 episode ) as Nurse
- 2022 Wicked City ( 6 episodes ) as Tabitha
- 2011 Harry's Law ( 2 episodes ) as Jude Campbell
- 1990 Max Monroe: Loose Cannon ( 1 episode ) as Velma Jones
- 1954 The Wonderful World of Disney ( 1 episode ) as Nancy
- 2011 Ringer ( 1 episode ) as Royce Wiegler
- 2021 Grand Crew ( 1 episode ) as Brenda
- 2024 The Vince Staples Show ( 7 episodes ) as Anita
