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.
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.
External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0068599
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q534352
Facebook: No data
Instagram: https://instagram.com/vanessabellcalloway
Filmography (Movies)
One of Them Days
Character:Mama Ruth
Release Date:16/01/2025
Queens of Christmas
Character:Julia Mason
Release Date:19/12/2024
Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
Character:Idella Landy
Release Date:24/05/2024
Under the Boardwalk
Character:Val (voice)
Release Date:27/10/2023
Black Girl, Erupted
Character:Dr. Rebecca Francis
Release Date:08/07/2023
Mosquito
Character:Eve
Release Date:07/05/2022
The Devil You Know
Character:Della Cowans
Release Date:01/04/2022
Starkeisha
Character:The Voice
Release Date:07/03/2022
Baby
Character:Jackie
Release Date:31/12/2021
A Holiday Chance
Character:Sheryl
Release Date:24/11/2021
Coming 2 America
Character:Imani Izzi
Release Date:04/03/2021
Saints & Sinners: Judgment Day
Character:Ella
Release Date:14/02/2021
Harriet
Character:Rit Ross
Release Date:01/11/2019
American Skin
Character:Bernice
Release Date:01/09/2019
Dragged Across Concrete
Character:Jennifer Johns
Release Date:21/02/2019
Throwback Holiday
Character:Mildred Anderson
Release Date:15/12/2018
Her Only Choice
Character:Dr. Bailey
Release Date:06/10/2018
Thriller
Character:Mrs. Jackson
Release Date:23/09/2018
Unbroken: Path to Redemption
Character:Lila Burkholder
Release Date:14/09/2018
Love, Once and Always
Character:Isabel
Release Date:10/03/2018
Message From a Mistress
Character:Heather
Release Date:01/05/2017
The Preacher's Son
Character:Elena
Release Date:09/01/2017
Southside with You
Character:
Release Date:26/08/2016
Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story
Character:Josephine
Release Date:12/06/2016
The Bounce Back
Character:Ellen
Release Date:26/02/2016
To Hell and Back
Character:
Release Date:04/04/2014
The Divorce
Character:Eva
Release Date:04/02/2014
Holla 2
Character:Marion
Release Date:19/04/2013
Between Sisters
Character:Lillian
Release Date:23/03/2013
The Obama Effect
Character:Molly Thomas
Release Date:13/07/2012
A Beautiful Soul
Character:Guardian Angel
Release Date:04/05/2012
The Last Fall
Character:Marie Bishop
Release Date:09/03/2012
The Undershepherd
Character:Deaconess Carter
Release Date:15/02/2012
Good Hair
Character:Self
Release Date:09/10/2009
Lakeview Terrace
Character:Aunt Dorrie
Release Date:19/09/2008
Stompin'
Character:Mrs. Jackson
Release Date:10/06/2007
Cheaper by the Dozen
Character:Diana Philips
Release Date:24/12/2003
Love Don't Co$t a Thing
Character:Vivian Johnson
Release Date:12/12/2003
Biker Boyz
Character:Anita
Release Date:31/01/2003
Dawg
Character:Christine Hodges
Release Date:21/02/2002
The Red Sneakers
Character:Berniece
Release Date:10/02/2002
All About You
Character:Donna Taylor
Release Date:04/08/2001
The Brothers
Character:Dr. Thelma Woolridge
Release Date:23/03/2001
Love Song
Character:Evie Livingston
Release Date:01/12/2000
A Private Affair
Character:Nikka
Release Date:26/08/2000
Archibald the Rainbow Painter
Character:Diana
Release Date:07/08/1998
The Cherokee Kid
Character:Abby Holsopple
Release Date:14/12/1996
Daylight
Character:Grace Calloway
Release Date:06/12/1996
America's Dream
Character:Miss Williams (segment "The Boy Who Painted Christ Black")
Release Date:17/02/1996
Crimson Tide
Character:Julia Hunter
Release Date:12/05/1995
The Inkwell
Character:Francis Phillips
Release Date:22/04/1994
What's Love Got to Do with It
Character:Jackie
Release Date:09/06/1993
Bebe's Kids
Character:Jamika (voice)
Release Date:31/07/1992
Stompin' at the Savoy
Character:Dorothy
Release Date:19/04/1992
Memphis
Character:Martha Kinship
Release Date:27/01/1992
Why Colors?
Character:
Release Date:01/01/1992
Polly: Comin' Home!
Character:Nancy Dodds
Release Date:18/11/1990
Polly
Character:Nancy
Release Date:12/11/1989
Death Spa
Character:Marci Hewitt
Release Date:29/07/1988
Coming to America
Character:Imani Izzi
Release Date:29/06/1988
The Return of Desperado
Character:Molly Pickett
Release Date:15/02/1988
Number One with a Bullet
Character:Woman
Release Date:27/02/1987
Television Appearances
The Vince Staples Show
Character:
Wicked City
Character:Tabitha
Sherri
Character:Self - Guest
The Black Hamptons
Character:Carolyn Britton
Kenan
Character:Bobbi
Unbelievable
Character:Sarah
A Black Lady Sketch Show
Character:Kiley's Mother
Black Monday
Character:Ruth
The Conners
Character:Carrie Langham
This Is Us
Character:Edie
This Is Us
Character:Edie (uncredited)
Saints & Sinners
Character:Lady Ella Johnson
Go On
Character:Joyce
Harry's Law
Character:Jude Campbell
Let's Stay Together
Character:
Shameless
Character:Carol Fisher
Rizzoli & Isles
Character:Assistant District Attorney
Castle
Character:Beryl Wickfield
Dexter
Character:Crisis Counselor
The Closer
Character:Lynn Talmadge
Grey's Anatomy
Character:Lucinda Gamble
Black in the 80s
Character:Self
Cold Case
Character:Geraldine Watkins (1970)
10-8: Officers on Duty
Character:Gina Barnes
Joan of Arcadia
Character:Corey Phillips
NCIS
Character:Sally Hammond
CSI: Miami
Character:Tonya Washington
One on One
Character:Michelle McCall
The Division
Character:Dana
Boston Public
Character:Mrs. Michelle Ronning
The District
Character:Gwen Hendrix
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Character:Judge Himmel
Strong Medicine
Character:Melanie Rhodes
The Parkers
Character:
The Temptations
Character:Johnnie Mae Matthews
Prey
Character:
The View
Character:Self
Orleans
Character:Rosalee Clark
Malcolm & Eddie
Character:
Moesha
Character:Dr. Woods
Under One Roof
Character:Maggie Langston
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
Character:Princess Katusha (voice)
Touched by an Angel
Character:Debra Willis
Diagnosis: Murder
Character:Mrs. Calender
The Sinbad Show
Character:
Where I Live
Character:
Rhythm & Blues
Character:
The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage
Character:
Dream On
Character:Jeanette
Max Monroe: Loose Cannon
Character:Velma Jones
China Beach
Character:
A Different World
Character:Lily Connors
A Different World
Character:Danielle Vinson
L.A. Law
Character:Robyn Edwards
The Colbys
Character:
227
Character:
Falcon Crest
Character:Nurse
Simon & Simon
Character:
The Wonderful World of Disney
Character:Nancy
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