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-timeNAACP Image Awardnominee.
She began her acting career in the ABC daytime soap opera,All My Childrenin 1985. After moving to Los Angeles in 1986, she began appearing in episodes of prime time shows such asThe Colbys,Falcon Crest,227,China Beach,A Different World, andL.A. Law. She made her film debut onNumber One with a Bullet(1987), before supporting role ofEddie Murphy's character's arranged wife in the 1988 comedyComing to America.
In 1990, she co-starred alongsideJoe Mortonin the ABC drama series,Equal Justice. During the 1990s, she had a number of supporting roles in films, includingWhat's Love Got to Do with It(1993) oppositeAngela Bassett,The Inkwell(1994), andCrimson Tide(1995) asDenzel 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 oppositeJames Earl JonesandJoe Mortonin the short-livedCBSprime 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 theNAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series. She had leading roles on the short-lived NBC sitcomRhythm & Blues(1992–93), and starred alongsideLarry Hagmanas his girlfriend in the CBS dramaOrleans(1997).
In the 2000s, she had recurring roles onBoston PublicandThe District. She co-starred in films includingThe Brothers,All About You,Dawg,Biker Boyz,Love Don't Cost a Thing, andCheaper by the Dozen. She has guest starred onThe 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 theBounce TVfirst 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 filmSouthside with You. In 2018, she appeared in the Christian drama filmUnbroken: Path to Redemptionand the crime thrillerDragged Across Concrete. In 2019, she played abolitionistHarriet Tubman's mother in the biographical drama filmHarriet.She reprised her role as Imani Izzi in the 2021 sequelComing 2 America.
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-timeNAACP Image Awardnominee.
She began her acting career in the ABC daytime soap opera,All My Childrenin 1985. After moving to Los Angeles in 1986, she began appearing in episodes of prime time shows such asThe Colbys,Falcon Crest,227,China Beach,A Different World, andL.A. Law. She made her film debut onNumber One with a Bullet(1987), before supporting role ofEddie Murphy's character's arranged wife in the 1988 comedyComing to America.
In 1990, she co-starred alongsideJoe Mortonin the ABC drama series,Equal Justice. During the 1990s, she had a number of supporting roles in films, includingWhat's Love Got to Do with It(1993) oppositeAngela Bassett,The Inkwell(1994), andCrimson Tide(1995) asDenzel 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 oppositeJames Earl JonesandJoe Mortonin the short-livedCBSprime 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 theNAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series. She had leading roles on the short-lived NBC sitcomRhythm & Blues(1992–93), and starred alongsideLarry Hagmanas his girlfriend in the CBS dramaOrleans(1997).
In the 2000s, she had recurring roles onBoston PublicandThe District. She co-starred in films includingThe Brothers,All About You,Dawg,Biker Boyz,Love Don't Cost a Thing, andCheaper by the Dozen. She has guest starred onThe 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 theBounce TVfirst 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 filmSouthside with You. In 2018, she appeared in the Christian drama filmUnbroken: Path to Redemptionand the crime thrillerDragged Across Concrete. In 2019, she played abolitionistHarriet Tubman's mother in the biographical drama filmHarriet.She reprised her role as Imani Izzi in the 2021 sequelComing 2 America.
