# Vanessa Lee Chester

Vanessa Lee Chester (born July 2, 1984) is an American actress. She began her career as a child actor in the films A Little Princess (1995) and Harriet the Spy (1996), before her breakthrough role in Steven Spielberg's The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997).

## Biography

Chester was born on July 2, 1984, at Brooklyn, New York City, to Guyanese parents who immigrated to the United States. In her early childhood, she relocated with her mother to Los Angeles, California, where she began auditioning for and appearing in commercials.
Chester made her film debut in the comedy CB4 (1993) starring Chris Rock. The following year, she appeared in a supporting role in Alfonso Cuarón's A Little Princess (1995). In 1996, she appeared opposite Michelle Trachtenberg as Janie in the Nickelodeon film Harriet the Spy, which was a moderate box office success. The following year, she was cast in a lead role as Kelly in Steven Spielberg's The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), playing the daughter of Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum). The film was a box office hit, grossing over $600 million worldwide. Chester later worked mostly in television, most notably appearing in Malcolm in the Middle and The West Wing. She was nominated for a Saturn Award (The Lost World: Jurassic Park), Image Award (The Lost World: Jurassic Park), Young Artist Award (A Little Princess) and took home the Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film – Supporting Young Actress (Harriet The Spy). In early 2012, Chester began work on an unnamed film by Ty Hodges.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1993 | CB4 | Talona | |
| 1995 | A Little Princess | Becky | |
| 1996 | Harriet the Spy | Janie Gibbs | |
| 1997 | The Lost World: Jurassic Park | Kelly Curtis | |
| 1999 | She's All That | Melissa's Friend | |
| 2000 | Stepsister from Planet Weird | Michelle | TV movie |
| 2000 | Dreams in the Attic | Angel | TV movie |
| 2006 | The Shift | Daughter | Short |
| 2008 | Extreme Movie | Charlotte | |
| 2009 | 17 Again | Cheerleader | |
| 2011 | Reconstruction | Eleanor | TV movie |
| 2014 | The Costume Shop | Young Janie | |
| 2014 | The Arrangement | Emily Myers-Stanley | Short |
| 2015 | Fated | Eliza | Short |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1992 | Hangin' with Mr. Cooper | Stephanie | Episode: "Miracle in Oaktown" |
| 1994 | Me and the Boys | Renee | Episode: "Every Good Boy Does Fine" & "Talent Show" |
| 1997 | Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | School Child #3 | Episode: "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" |
| 1997 | Promised Land | Emily Dixon | Episode: "Stealing Home: Part 1 & 2" |
| 1999 | Get Real | Rude Girl | Episode: "Anatomy of a Rumor" |
| 1999-2000 | Once and Again | Annie | Recurring cast: season 1, guest: season 2 |
| 2002 | Family Law | Girl #1 | Episode: "Celano v. Foster" |
| 2002 | Malcolm in the Middle | Student #3 | Episode: "Humilithon" |
| 2004 | Crossing Jordan | Andrea | Episode: "Most Likely" |
| 2005 | Without a Trace | Dori | Episode: "Lost Time" |
| 2006 | The West Wing | Youth Voter #2 | Episode: "Duck and Cover" |
| 2006 | Veronica Mars | Maureen | Episode: "I Am God" |
| 2006 | Justice | 2nd Mock Juror | Episode: "Filicide" |
| 2010 | Lone Star | Tamar Wilson | Episode: "Small Time" |
| 2011 | 9ine | Candace | Episode: "May" |
| 2011 | Switched at Birth | Lizzy | Episode: "The Stag Hunt" |
| 2012 | How I Met Your Mother | Mia | Episode: "The Autumn of Break-Ups" |
| 2013 | Welcome to Sanditon | Letitia "Griff" Griffiths | 4 episodes |
| 2015 | Scorpion | Secretary | Episode: "Cliffhanger" |
| 2016 | Ladies Like Us: The Rise of Neighborhood Watch | Natalia | Episode: "In a Matrix" |
| 2021 | Summer Camp Island | Nancy (voice) | Episode: "Betsy and the Ghost Chapter 3: There's a Racket In My Hope Chest" |