Vanessa Bell Calloway
Birthday: Born in 1957-03-20 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Deathday: Alive
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.
TV Credits
Malcolm & Eddie
Character:
Malcolm and Eddie are as different as one can imagine. Nevertheless, they're best friends who manage to be roommates as well as co-workers and not kill each other....
L.A. Law
Character: Robyn Edwards
L.A. Law is an American television legal drama series that ran for eight seasons on NBC from September 15, 1986, to May 19, 1994. Created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher, it contained many of Bochco's trademark features including a large number of parallel storylines, social drama and off-the-wall humor. It reflected the social and cultural ideologies of the 1980s and early 1990s, and many of the cases featured on the show dealt with hot-topic issues such as abortion, racism, gay right...
A Different World
Character: Lily Connors
A Different World is a spin-off series from The Cosby Show and originally centered on Denise Huxtable and the life of students at Hillman College, a fictional mixed but historically black college in the state of Virginia. After Bonet's departure in the first season, the remainder of the series primarily focused more on Southern belle Whitley Gilbert and mathematics whiz Dwayne Wayne. The series frequently depicted members of the major historically black fraternities and sororities....
Boston Public
Character: Mrs. Michelle Ronning
Principal Steven Harper runs Winslow High School as best as he can while dealing with the demands of the faculty, the students and their parents....
The District
Character: Gwen Hendrix
The District is a television police drama which aired on CBS from October 7, 2000 to May 1, 2004. The show followed the work and personal life of the chief of Washington, D.C.'s Police Department....
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Character: Judge Himmel
A Las Vegas team of forensic investigators are trained to solve criminal cases by scouring the crime scene, collecting irrefutable evidence and finding the missing pieces that solve the mystery....
One on One
Character: Michelle McCall
A sportscaster becomes a full-time dad when his ex-wife decides to accept a job out of the country and his teenage daughter, Breanna, moves in with him....
Joan of Arcadia
Character:
Joan Girardi has begun acting a little strange since her family moved to the city of Arcadia. No one knows that various people keep introducing themselves as God, and then giving the teenager specific directions to do things. Unsure of what God wants, and if she's even sane, Joan tentatively begins to follow God's cryptic directives, all the while trying to retain a "normal" teen-aged existence....
CSI: Miami
Character: Tonya Washington
CSI: Miami follows Crime Scene Investigators working for the Miami-Dade Police Department as they use physical evidence, similar to their Las Vegas counterparts, to solve grisly murders. The series mixes deduction, gritty subject matter, and character-driven drama in the same vein as the original series in the CSI franchise, except that the Miami CSIs are cops first, scientists second....
The Division
Character:
The Division is an American crime drama television series created by Deborah Joy LeVine and starring Bonnie Bedelia. The series focused on a team of women police officers in the San Francisco Police Department. The series premiered on Lifetime on January 7, 2001 and ended on June 28, 2004 after 88 episodes....
Touched by an Angel
Character: Debra Willis
Monica, an angel, is tasked with bringing guidance and messages from God to various people who are at a crossroads in their lives....
Simon & Simon
Character:
Simon & Simon is an American detective television series that originally ran from November 24, 1981 to January 21, 1989. The series was broadcast on CBS and starred Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker as two brothers who run a private detective agency together....
China Beach
Character:
Dateline: November 1967. Within klicks of Danang, Vietnam, sits a U.S. Army base, bar and hospital on China Beach filled with wounded soldiers and one very lovely but damaged Army Nurse Colleen McMurphy. Many heroes, dead and alive, try to make sense of life and death in between bourbon, bullets and battles....
227
Character:
A housewife sits on the stoop of her apartment building in a black neighborhood of Washington, D.C., and discusses all manner of things with her neighbors....
Cold Case
Character: Geraldine Watkins (1970)
The Philadelphia homicide squad's lone female detective finds her calling when she is assigned cases that have never been solved. Detective Lilly Rush combines her natural instincts with the updated technology available today to bring about justice for all the victims she can....
The View
Character: Self
ABC Daytime's morning chatfest, currently featuring Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, Alyssa Farah Griffin, and Ana Navarro discussing the most exciting events of the day. Hot topics in the news, the best experts in their field, celebrity interviews and general entertainment are all part of The View....
Where I Live
Character:
Where I Live is an American sitcom that premiered in 1993 as part of ABC's TGIF lineup. The series was created and executive produced by Michael Jacobs and Ehrich Van Lowe....
Moesha
Character:
Moesha was an American sitcom series that aired on the UPN network from January 23, 1996 to May 14, 2001. The series stars R&B singer Brandy Norwood as Moesha Mitchell, a high school student living with her family in the Leimert Park neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles. It was originally ordered as a pilot for the CBS network's 1995-1996 television season, who rejected. It was then picked up by UPN, who aired it as a mid-season replacement. It went on to become the biggest success for the ...
Diagnosis: Murder
Character: Mrs. Calender
Dr. Mark Sloan is a good-natured, offbeat physician who is called upon to solve murders....
The Parkers
Character:
The Parkers is an American sitcom that aired on UPN from August 30, 1999, to May 10, 2004. A spin-off of UPN's Moesha, The Parkers features the mother-daughter team of Nikki and Kim Parker. The Parkers' signature "Heeyyy" greeting became very popular in the early 2000s....
Prey
Character:
Bio-anthropologist, Dr. Sloan Parker, her colleague, Dr. Ed Tate, their associate Tom Daniels, and their friends, discover and investigate a secret new dominant humanoid species which is looking for a way to replace humans… PREY was a science-fiction television series that aired for one season in 1998 on ABC. The series starred Debra Messing, Adam Storke, Larry Drake, Frankie Faison, James Morrison, and Vincent Ventresca....
The Colbys
Character:
The Colbys is an American prime time soap opera, which originally aired on ABC from November 20, 1985 to March 26, 1987. Produced by Aaron Spelling, it was a spin-off of Dynasty, which had been the highest rated series for the 1984–1985 U.S. television season. The Colbys revolved around another wealthy, upper-class family, who were distant relatives of the Carringtons of Dynasty and who owned a large multi-national corporation. Intended to surpass its predecessor in opulence, the series' produce...
Go On
Character: Joyce
Ryan King, a recent widower and sports talk radio host ready to get back to work after the loss of his wife. Ryan's alpha-male boss, Stephen, has a different plan in store for Ryan, making him attend grief counseling before returning to the air. A reluctant Ryan finds himself in a support group for "life change," where he meets an oddball cast of characters, all with their own backstories filled with varying degrees of loss....
The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage
Character:
The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage is a television series broadcast in the United States by NBC and produced by Stephen J. Cannell Productions in association with Walt Disney Television. This show originated as a TV-movie. The program originally aired in 1991, but lasted less than one season. The series was officially titled Disney Presents The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage....
Under One Roof
Character: Maggie Langston
Under One Roof is an American drama series that aired on CBS in March and April 1995. A family drama, the series starred James Earl Jones, Joe Morton and Vanessa Bell Calloway....
Orleans
Character: Rosalee Clark
Orleans is a short-lived American drama series that aired on CBS from January 7, 1997 through April 10, 1997. It ran for only 8 episodes. The series was said to be inspired by the experiences of creater producer Toni Graphia, who was the daughter of a Louisiana judge....
10-8: Officers on Duty
Character:
10-8: Officers on Duty is an American police drama television series. The series aired on ABC from September 28, 2003 to January 11, 2004. The title is in reference to the ten-code for "officer in service and available for calls."...
Rhythm & Blues
Character:
Rhythm & Blues is a short-lived 1992 American sitcom that aired on NBC for only five weeks from September 24, 1992 to October 22, 1992 with an additional left over episode airing on February 19, 1993. The show stars Roger Kabler, Anna Maria Horsford, Ron Glass, Troy Curvey Jr., Vanessa Bell Calloway, Miguel A. Nunez, Jr., and Christopher Babers. The premise of the show stars Kabler as Bobby Soul, a white man who gets hired on a black radio station after being initially mistaken as a black man. ...
Let's Stay Together
Character:
Let's Stay Together is an American romantic comedy television series created by Jacque Edmonds Cofer. It premiered on BET on January 11, 2011. The title of the series refers to the Al Green landmark 1972 song of the same name. The series premiere drew 4.4 million viewers. Initially, Soul Food star Malinda Williams was cast in the lead role of Stacy. For undisclosed reasons, she was recast with Nadine Ellis. On April 20, 2013, BET announced that the series was renewed for a second season which a...
Castle
Character: Beryl Wickfield
After a serial killer imitates the plots of his novels, successful mystery novelist Richard "Rick" Castle receives permission from the Mayor of New York City to tag along with an NYPD homicide investigation team for research purposes....
Rizzoli & Isles
Character: Assistant District Attorney
Perhaps their strikingly different personalities make the relationship between detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles so effective. Jane, the only female cop in Boston's homicide division, is tough, relentless and rarely lets her guard down, while the impeccably dressed Maura displays a sometimes icy temperament — she is, after all, more comfortable among the dead than the living. Together, the best friends have forged a quirky and supportive relationship; they drop the protecti...
NCIS
Character: Sally Hammond
From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, a team of special agents investigates any crime that has a shred of evidence connected to Navy and Marine Corps personnel, regardless of rank or position....
Kenan
Character: Bobbi
The recently widowed host of Atlanta's No. 2 morning show struggles to balance his job and his young daughters despite all the “help” he gets from his grifter father-in-law and his brother/assistant/manager/house guest....
Saints & Sinners
Character: Lady Ella Johnson
A large Southern church is the background for greed, corruption and murder....
A Different World
Character: Danielle Vinson
A Different World is a spin-off series from The Cosby Show and originally centered on Denise Huxtable and the life of students at Hillman College, a fictional mixed but historically black college in the state of Virginia. After Bonet's departure in the first season, the remainder of the series primarily focused more on Southern belle Whitley Gilbert and mathematics whiz Dwayne Wayne. The series frequently depicted members of the major historically black fraternities and sororities....
Sherri
Character: Self - Guest
Sherri Shepherd, actress, comic, and Emmy Award-winning longtime co-host of "The View", appears before a live audience with a daily dose of pop culture, comedy, conversations, and daytime talk staples, including celebrity and human interest interviews;...
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
Character: Princess Katusha (voice)
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child is an American anthology animated television series....
This Is Us
Character: Edie
Follows the lives and families of three adults living and growing up in the United States of America in present and past times. As their paths cross and their life stories intertwine in curious ways, we find that several of them share the same birthday - and so much more than anyone would expect....
The Black Hamptons
Character: Carolyn Britton
A feud between two families in the quaint town of Sag Harbor on Long Island, N.Y., starkly illustrates the difference between old and new money; based on the novel of the same name....
This Is Us
Character: Edie (uncredited)
Follows the lives and families of three adults living and growing up in the United States of America in present and past times. As their paths cross and their life stories intertwine in curious ways, we find that several of them share the same birthday - and so much more than anyone would expect....
The Temptations
Character: Johnnie Mae Matthews
Biography of the singers who formed the hit Motown musical act, The Temptations....
A Black Lady Sketch Show
Character: Kiley's Mother
A narrative series set in a limitless magical reality full of dynamic, hilarious characters and celebrity guests presenting sketches performed by a core cast of black women....
The Vince Staples Show
Character:
Kind of famous and sort of rich, rapper and actor Vince Staples navigates the challenges and surprises of everyday life in his hometown of The Beach....
The Conners
Character: Carrie Langham
This iconic family—Dan, Jackie, Darlene, Becky and D.J.—grapples with parenthood, dating, an unexpected pregnancy, financial pressures, aging and in-laws in working-class America....
Grey's Anatomy
Character: Lucinda Gamble
Follows the personal and professional lives of a group of doctors at Seattle’s Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital....
Unbelievable
Character: Sarah
A teenager is charged with lying about her rape allegation, but two determined investigative female detectives discover a far more sinister truth....
Dream On
Character: Jeanette
The family life, romantic life, and career of Martin Tupper, a divorced New York City book editor. The show distinctively interjected clips from older black and white television series to punctuate Tupper's feelings or thoughts....
Dexter
Character: Crisis Counselor
Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter pattern analyst for the Miami Metro Police also leads a secret life as a serial killer, hunting down criminals who have slipped through the cracks of justice....
Strong Medicine
Character: Melanie Rhodes
The lives of staff in the womens' health clinic of a fictitious hospital in Philadelphia....
Shameless
Character: Carol Fisher
Chicagoan Frank Gallagher is the proud single dad of six smart, industrious, independent kids, who without him would be... perhaps better off. When Frank's not at the bar spending what little money they have, he's passed out on the floor. But the kids have found ways to grow up in spite of him. They may not be like any family you know, but they make no apologies for being exactly who they are....
Black Monday
Character: Ruth
Travel back to October 19, 1987 – aka Black Monday, the worst stock market crash in Wall Street history – this is the story of how a group of outsiders took on the blue-blood, old-boys club of Wall Street and ended up crashing the world’s largest financial system, a Lamborghini limousine, Don Henley’s birthday party and the glass ceiling....
The Closer
Character: Lynn Talmadge
Deputy Police Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson transfers from Atlanta to LA to head up a special unit of the LAPD that handles sensitive, high-profile murder cases. Johnson's quirky personality and hard-nosed approach often rubs her colleagues the wrong way, but her reputation as one of the world's best interrogator eventually wins over even her toughest critics....
Falcon Crest
Character: Nurse
Falcon Crest is an American primetime television soap opera which aired on the CBS network for nine seasons, from December 4, 1981 to May 17, 1990. A total of 227 episodes were produced. The series revolves around the feuding factions of the wealthy Gioberti/Channing family in the Californian wine industry. Jane Wyman starred as Angela Channing, the tyrannical matriarch of the Falcon Crest Winery, alongside Robert Foxworth as Chase Gioberti, Angela's nephew who returns to Falcon Crest following...
Wicked City
Character: Tabitha
A group of urban witches push their powers to new heights and uncover dark secrets that attract dangerous enemies their way....
Movie Credits
Daylight
Character: Grace Calloway
A group of armed robbers fleeing the police head for the New Jersey Tunnel and run right into trucks transporting toxic waste. The spectacular explosion that follows results in both ends of the tunnel collapsing and the handful of people who survived the explosion are now in peril. Kit Latura is the only man with the skill and knowledge to lead the band of survivors out of the tunnel before the structure collapses....
Good Hair
Character: Self
An exposé of comic proportions that only Chris Rock could pull off, GOOD HAIR visits beauty salons and hairstyling battles, scientific laboratories and Indian temples to explore the way hairstyles impact the activities, pocketbooks, sexual relationships, and self-esteem of the black community....
Love Don't Co$t a Thing
Character: Vivian Johnson
High school loser pays a cheerleader to pose as his girlfriend so he can be considered cool....
Biker Boyz
Character: Anita
A mythic motorcycle tale of father and son", this is the story of Manuel Galloway, also known as "the King of Cali", the president of a motorcycle club whose members are all African-American men, mostly white-collar workers who exchange their suits and ties at night and on weekends for leather outfits and motorcycle helmets....
Lakeview Terrace
Character: Aunt Dorrie
A young interracial couple has just moved into their California dream home when they become the target of their next-door neighbor, who disapproves of their relationship. A tightly wound LAPD officer has appointed himself the watchdog of the neighborhood. His nightly foot patrols and overly watchful eyes bring comfort to some, but he becomes increasingly aggressive to the newlyweds. These persistent intrusions into their lives cause the couple to fight back....
Death Spa
Character: Marci Hewitt
Michael's health club is beseiged with a series of terrible murders involving killer saunas and other grisly devices. Michael's wife killed herself a while before and her brother holds Michael responsible. Michael needs to stop the bloodshed before he loses all of his clients....
Saints & Sinners: Judgment Day
Character: Ella
Some say blood is thicker than water, but in our fictional small town of Cypress, vengeance is bigger than family loyalty when Mayor Ella Johnson is arrested for killing Malik Thompson, whose body is found in her empty pool. Things get worse when her mother Leona sweeps in for a power grab and undermines her daughter's chance at freedom as she plots to take over the city of Cypress and New Hope church....
Bebe's Kids
Character: Jamika (voice)
When Robin meets the lovely Jamika he thinks he's in heaven. But when he meets her friend Bebe's children, whom she is looking after, he knows he's in hell....
A Holiday Chance
Character: Sheryl
The family of the founder of a multi-million-dollar film company experiences some tragic events during the holidays and two sisters must set aside a life-long rivalry and come together to turn the company around and keep the family intact....
What's Love Got to Do with It
Character: Jackie
Singer Tina Turner rises to stardom while mustering the courage to break free from her abusive husband Ike....
Polly
Character: Nancy
An musical adaptation of the book "Pollyanna" set in the 1950's in which an orphan tries to use gladness to unite the people in a small southern town....
The Inkwell
Character: Francis Phillips
The Inkwell is about a 16-year-old boy coming of age on Martha's Vineyard in the summer of 1976....
To Hell and Back
Character:
Joe Patterson (Ernie Hudson), a wealthy land developer, learns as God and the Devil take a wager on his blessed life that results in a series of tragedies that test his faith. With a happy wife (Vanessa Bell Calloway) and six beautiful kids, Joe struggles to endure murder, fatal accidents and illness all while doing his best to remain truthful to the God he believes has given him everything....
A Beautiful Soul
Character: Guardian Angel
An R&B singer snagged by the trappings of superstardom loses his way and turns his back on his church and faith-filled beginnings. Tragedy strikes, leaving a chance for redemption in its wake. But with rebirth, first comes death....
Stompin'
Character: Mrs. Jackson
The coming of age story about two brothers who struggle to mend their estranged relationship as their college campus gears up for a major Stepshow competition....
Starkeisha
Character: The Voice
A woman, stressed before an import job interview, goes on a journey of self-discovery through her own subconscious....
The Devil You Know
Character: Della Cowans
Once-incarcerated Marcus Cowans is trying to turn over a new leaf with the support of his loving family. Upon discovering that one of his brothers may have been involved in a horrific crime, Marcus grapples with the limits of brotherhood and loyalty. He and his family, increasingly weary of the justice system’s failings, end up in the crosshairs of a seasoned but jaded detective....
The Red Sneakers
Character: Berniece
...
The Obama Effect
Character: Molly Thomas
A serious health scare ignites John Thomas, an insurance salesman in his 50s, to take a closer look at his life. Motivated by a misguided obsession with getting Barack Obama elected, John takes an overwhelming involvement in the Presidential campaign. While John becomes obsessed with the ideal of change that Obama represents for Americans, he has in turn neglected to create positive change in his own life, particularly with regard to his health and familial relationships. John hides his health p...
All About You
Character:
Two people run from the pain of their broken past. When they discover each other, they find themselves at a crossroad where the only thing that stands between them and a second chance is each other....
Black Girl, Erupted
Character: Dr. Rebecca Francis
After a series of setbacks, high-achieving lawyer Reina must learn how to handle her mental health before her emotional outbursts destroy her career and her relationships....
Archibald the Rainbow Painter
Character: Diana
Vietnam veteran Archibald Wright is a house painter hired to work on a Beverly Hills mansion where he becomes involved in the life of the resident family. The owner Elaine left her husband J.P. while he was serving in Vietnam, causing him to become an alcoholic hobo living in downtown Los Angeles. Archibald tries to help their daughter Tory to continue her relationship with her father, even though Elaine is strongly against it....
Love Song
Character: Evie Livingston
A privileged, black college student with a fiance falls in love with a white musician she meets on her 21st birthday....
Holla 2
Character: Marion
On the eve of her wedding, Monica invites her friends to spend the night at Douglas Plantation, unaware that the estate is rumored to be haunted by the spirits of thirteen murdered slaves. Now, someone or something is stalking Monica and her guests, and terror awaits them at every turn......
Under the Boardwalk
Character: Val (voice)
Two crabs embark on an epic journey to get home after a storm sweeps them away. Their courage soon unites their families, paving the way for great summers to come....
Polly: Comin' Home!
Character: Nancy Dodds
Broadway style songs are used to tell this interesting story of an ingenious orphan who gets involved in matchmaking and striving for inter-racial understanding in 1956 Alabama....
Between Sisters
Character: Lillian
Aneesa wants to give her baby sister, Serena, the best wedding present ever. So, when they discover that they have two long-lost sisters, the search is on to find them before Serena’s big day. But if they do, will these two women be able to forgive their estranged mother and come together for a sister they never knew existed?...
The Last Fall
Character:
An NFL journeyman struggles to deal with life's complexities after his professional career is over....
Memphis
Character: Martha Kinship
Two men and a woman in the deep south of the 1950s plot to kidnap a child from a wealthy black family, mistakenly believing that no one will try to stop them....
Southside with You
Character:
Chronicles a single day in the summer of 1989 when the future president of the United States, Barack Obama, wooed his future First Lady on an epic first date across Chicago's South Side....
Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
Character: Idella Landy
The comedic play tells the story of a Black preacher’s scheme to reclaim his inheritance and win back his church from a plantation owner....
The Cherokee Kid
Character: Abby Holsopple
Isaih Turner didn’t want to be a hero-all he wanted was revenge. Orphaned when both his parents were cruelly murdered by the wealthy and powerful Cyrus Bloomington, the young Isaiah grew up with one air in mind: to find the man who killed his folks and take him down....
The Bounce Back
Character: Ellen
Father, author and relationship expert, Matthew Taylor is on a whirlwind book tour promoting his new best seller, The Bounce Back. He's got it all figured out until he meets the acerbic Kristin Peralta, a talk show circuit therapist who's convinced he's nothing but a charlatan. Matthew's life is turned upside down when he inadvertently falls for Kristin and has to face painful truth of his past relationship....
The Return of Desperado
Character: Molly Pickett
Duell McCall is in New Mexico running afoul of local land baron. McCall pauses long enough in his escape flight to come to the aid of black homesteader who is being victimized by the diabolical Foxworth....
Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story
Character: Josephine
Story of Miki Howard, an American R&B and Jazz singer, whose hits include "Ain't Nobody Like You" and "Ain't Nuthin' in the World."...
America's Dream
Character: Miss Williams (segment "The Boy Who Painted Christ Black")
Made especially for the HBO cable network, this well-wrought feature is comprised of three short stories by three noted black American authors, each of which is directed by a respected black director....
One of Them Days
Character:
Best friends and roommates Dreux and Alyssa are about to have One of Them Days. When they discover Alyssa’s boyfriend has blown their rent money, the duo finds themselves going to extremes in a comical race against the clock to avoid eviction and keep their friendship intact....
Number One with a Bullet
Character: Woman
Number One with a Bullet is a 1987 American police detective film directed by Jack Smight. A pair of detectives is assigned to investigate a murder, and discover a trail of corruption and criminal activity that leads right back to their own police department....
The Preacher's Son
Character: Elena
When the romantic secrets of his family members become public, the career and community standing of a respected bishop are threatened....
A Private Affair
Character: Nikka
A woman who has confronted the sour side of success finds love and discovers herself in this made-for-TV drama. Nikka (Vanessa Bell Calloway) is a writer who enjoys unexpected success with her first novel, but her brush with fame and fortune has a serious downside when she's threatened with legal action by the Internal Revenue Service for non-payment of taxes. Turning to her family and friends for help, Nikka's new life begins to fall apart, but she begins to develop a greater sense of herself i...
Love, Once and Always
Character: Isabel
When Lucy’s childhood sweetheart plans to tear down the Gilded Age estate and replace it with a golf course, Lucy fights to preserve the historic mansion at all costs. As Lucy and Duncan set out to find a compromise, they learn that embracing the past may be the key to protecting the future....
Unbroken: Path to Redemption
Character: Lila Burkholder
Zamperini returns to California where he wound up marrying Cynthia Applewhite while wrestling with untreated PTSD, suffering constant nightmares, angry, bitter and deeply depressed, his wife convinces Zamperini to attend the 1949 Billy Graham Crusade....
Coming to America
Character: Imani Izzi
An African prince decides it’s time for him to find a princess... and his mission leads him and his most loyal friend to Queens, New York. In disguise as an impoverished immigrant, the pampered prince quickly finds himself a new job, new friends, new digs, new enemies and lots of trouble....
Mosquito
Character: Eve
A tale of sacrifice and showmanship told through rival doctors in the old west....
Thriller
Character: Mrs. Jackson
Years after a childhood prank goes horribly wrong, a clique of South Central LA teens find themselves terrorized during Homecoming weekend by a killer hell-bent on revenge....
Throwback Holiday
Character: Mildred Anderson
Jacqueline is living an unfulfilled life in a doomed marriage. After a chance encounter with a former classmate, she rethinks her life's choices and wishes she could go back to high school for a do-over. Like a Christmas miracle, Jacqueline awakens to find herself as a high school senior again with the ability to change everything....
Her Only Choice
Character: Dr. Bailey
A woman is faced with a choice to fight for her life or sacrifice it for another. After years of infertility, a newly-expectant mother is diagnosed with a life-altering disease....
Dragged Across Concrete
Character: Jennifer Johns
Two policemen, one an old-timer, the other his volatile younger partner, find themselves suspended when a video of their strong-arm tactics becomes the media's cause du jour. Low on cash and with no other options, these two embittered soldiers descend into the criminal underworld to gain their just due, but instead find far more than they wanted awaiting them in the shadows....
The Brothers
Character: Dr. Thelma Woolridge
This is the story of four African-American "yuppies" (a banker, a doctor, a lawyer, and a "playboy") who call themselves "The Brothers". When the playboy gets engaged, the other three friends find themselves having to come to terms with their own issues of commitment and honesty......
Coming 2 America
Character: Imani Izzi
Prince Akeem Joffer is set to become King of Zamunda when he discovers he has a son he never knew about in America – a street savvy Queens native named Lavelle. Honoring his royal father's dying wish to groom this son as the crown prince, Akeem and Semmi set off to America once again....
Harriet
Character: Rit Ross
The extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman's escape from slavery and transformation into one of America's greatest heroes. Her courage, ingenuity and tenacity freed hundreds of slaves and changed the course of history....
Stompin' at the Savoy
Character: Dorothy
As the Harlem Renaissance flourishes in jazzy New York City, Pauline, Esther and Alice struggle to survive. By day, they toil at dreary jobs, dreaming of stardom, riches and happiness. By night, they dance their troubles away at the famous Savoy Ballroom. But when World War II appears on the horizon, the girls find their fortunes unfolding too unevenly to reconcile, and they inevitably begin to drift apart....
Cheaper by the Dozen
Character: Diana Philips
The Baker brood moves to Chicago after patriarch Tom gets a job coaching football at Northwestern University, forcing his writer wife, Mary, and the couple's 12 children to make a major adjustment. The transition works well until work demands pull the parents away from home, leaving the kids bored -- and increasingly mischievous....
Crimson Tide
Character: Julia Hunter
After the Cold War, a breakaway Russian republic with nuclear warheads becomes a possible worldwide threat. U.S. submarine Capt. Frank Ramsey signs on a relatively green but highly recommended Lt. Cmdr. Ron Hunter to the USS Alabama, which may be the only ship able to stop a possible Armageddon. When Ramsay insists that the Alabama must act aggressively, Hunter, fearing they will start rather than stop a disaster, leads a potential mutiny to stop him....
Baby
Character: Jackie
A young Black father must learn to navigate parenthood after his girlfriend mysteriously abandons him and their five-year-old daughter....
Message From a Mistress
Character: Heather
Longtime best friends Renee, Aria, Jaime and Jessa have shared just about everything. All hell breaks loose when Jessa sends them a message via DVD with a shocking message!...
The Divorce
Character: Eva
Successful TV anchorwoman, Yolanda Massey, is celebrating her recent divorce by throwing herself a divorce party with her closest sorority girlfriends. Coming along for the ride is her hilariously funny, no nonsense BFF, Eva, her younger sister, CeCe, and her new-found friend, Victoria. For good measure, throw in her self-absorbed mother, a sexy, younger beau and a handsome ex-husband and you are in for an evening of raucous laughter, heartache and the ultimate surprise....
American Skin
Character: Bernice
A Marine veteran working as a school janitor tries to mend his relationship with his son after a divorce. When his son is killed by a police officer found innocent without standing trial, he takes matters into his own hands....
The Undershepherd
Character: Deaconess Carter
Best friends LC and Roland are two young ministers, climbing the ranks at the First Baptist Church under the leadership of Pastor Dr. Ezekial Canon....
Queens of Christmas
Character:
Doris and Julia, life-long friends and feuding neighbors, learn the true meaning of “sisterhood” and Christmas while hilariously competing for the annual title of “Queen of Christmas.”...