Vanessa Bell Calloway facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vanessa Bell Calloway
Bell Calloway in 2010
Born	Vanessa Bell (1957-03-20) March 20, 1957 (age 68) Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Alma mater	Ohio University
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1985–present
Spouse(s)	Anthony Calloway ​ (m. 1988)​
Children	2

Vanessa Bell Calloway (born March 20, 1957) is a talented American actress. She started her career as a dancer. Vanessa became famous for playing Princess Imani Izzi in the 1988 movie Coming to America. She also appeared in its sequel, Coming 2 America.

Since then, Vanessa Bell Calloway has been in over 150 movies and TV shows. She has been nominated nine times for the NAACP Image Awards. These awards celebrate the achievements of people of color in entertainment.

She has appeared in many films like What's Love Got to Do with It (1993) and Crimson Tide (1995). On TV, she starred in Under One Roof (1995). This was the first prime-time TV show with African-American main characters. She also had important roles in Hawthorne, Shameless, and This Is Us. From 2016 to 2022, she played Lady Ella Johnson in Saints & Sinners. In 2022, she began starring in The Black Hamptons. Vanessa Bell Calloway also played Marian Shields Robinson in Southside with You (2016). She played Harriet Tubman's mother in the movie Harriet (2019).

Early Life and Dance Career

Vanessa Bell Calloway was born on March 20, 1957, in Cleveland, Ohio. She went to Ohio University and earned a degree in Fine Arts. While there, she joined the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.

Vanessa also studied dance with famous dancers like Alvin Ailey. She began her career as a dancer on Broadway. She was part of the original cast of the musical Dreamgirls. During this time, she even directed a music video for singer Rhetta Hughes.

Acting Career Highlights

Vanessa Bell Calloway started her acting journey in 1985. Her first TV role was in the soap opera All My Children. In 1986, she moved to Los Angeles. There, she appeared in popular TV shows like The Colbys and A Different World.

Her first movie role was in Number One with a Bullet (1987). A year later, she got a big supporting role in the comedy Coming to America. She played Princess Imani Izzi, the arranged wife of Eddie Murphy's character. In 1990, she co-starred in the TV drama Equal Justice.

Bell Calloway in 2007

Throughout the 1990s, Vanessa had many supporting roles in films. These included What's Love Got to Do with It (1993) with Angela Bassett. She was also in The Inkwell (1994) and Crimson Tide (1995). In Crimson Tide, she played the wife of Denzel Washington's character. She also lent her voice to the animated film Bebe's Kids (1992).

In 1995, she co-starred with James Earl Jones in Under One Roof. This was a groundbreaking show for its time. For her role, she was nominated for an NAACP Image Award. She also had main roles in the sitcom Rhythm & Blues (1992–93) and the drama Orleans (1997).

In the 2000s, she had recurring roles in TV shows like Boston Public and The District. She also appeared in movies such as The Brothers and Cheaper by the Dozen. She made guest appearances in many popular crime dramas. These included CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Dexter, and Castle. From 2010 to 2011, she was in the medical drama Hawthorne. In 2011, she joined the cast of the comedy-drama Shameless.

In 2016, Vanessa Bell Calloway took on a lead role in Saints & Sinners. She played Lady Ella Johnson, a powerful church leader. That same year, she played Marian Shields Robinson, future mother-in-law of President Obama, in the film Southside with You. She also guest-starred in the medical drama Grey's Anatomy.

More recently, in 2019, she played Harriet Tubman's mother in the movie Harriet. She also returned as Princess Imani Izzi in the 2021 sequel Coming 2 America. In 2022, she joined the crime drama series The Black Hamptons. In 2023, Vanessa Bell Calloway directed her first film, Black Girl Erupted.

Personal Life and Family

Vanessa Bell Calloway married Dr. Anthony Calloway in 1988. He is an anesthesiologist. They have two daughters, Ashley and Alexandra. Ashley was featured in the BET series Baldwin Hills from 2007 to 2009.

In 2009, Vanessa faced a health challenge. She was diagnosed with an early form of breast cancer. She bravely underwent treatments and recovered fully. By 2015, she had been cancer-free for six years. She shared her experience in Ebony magazine to help others.

Awards and Nominations

Vanessa Bell Calloway has been recognized for her acting with several nominations.

See Also

In Spanish: Vanessa Bell Calloway para niños