Victoria Dillard facts for kids

Victoria Dillard, born on September 20, 1969, is an American actress. She is well-known for her roles in TV shows and movies. She played Janelle Cooper in the ABC sitcom Spin City. She also appeared in the movie Coming to America (1988) and with Denzel Washington in Ricochet (1991). Today, she is an important supporter of research for Parkinson's disease.

Early Life and Dance Career

Victoria Dillard was born in New York City. She started dancing at a very young age, just five years old. She joined the Dance Theatre of Harlem, a famous dance company. She worked with them until she was eighteen. During her time there, she performed in big shows like Porgy and Bess at the Metropolitan Opera. After her dance career, she went on tour with the musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. In this show, she performed alongside the famous actor Mickey Rooney.

Acting on Television

Victoria Dillard had a very memorable role on television. She played Janelle Cooper in the ABC sitcom Spin City. This show was about the deputy mayor of New York City. Victoria was part of the show for four seasons, leaving in the year 2000.

She also appeared in many other popular TV series. These include Star Trek: The Next Generation, Seinfeld, and Law & Order. She also had roles in Roc, L.A. Law, Chicago Hope, Martin, Moesha, and Family Law. Her last known TV role was in 2009.

Acting in Movies

Victoria Dillard has been in several movies. Some of her early film roles include Coming to America (1988). She also appeared in Internal Affairs (1990). In 1991, she starred with Denzel Washington in the action movie Ricochet.

Other movies she appeared in are Deep Cover (1992) and The Glass Shield (1994). She also worked with LL Cool J in the film Out-of-Sync (1995). Her last movie role to date was in the 2001 film Ali. In Ali, she played Betty Shabazz, a real-life historical figure.

Personal Life and Advocacy

Victoria Dillard lives in New York City. In her free time, she enjoys dancing. She also writes screenplays for movies and plays for the stage. From 1992 to 1995, she dated actor Laurence Fishburne. They met while working on the movie Deep Cover.

In 2006, when she was 36 years old, Victoria Dillard was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. This is the same health condition that affects her former Spin City co-star, actor Michael J. Fox. Since her diagnosis, Victoria Dillard has become a strong supporter. She works to raise awareness and support research for Parkinson's disease treatments.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles