Vanessa Bell Calloway
Vanessa Bell Calloway is an American actress and dancer. Beginning her career as a dancer, Bell Calloway became 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" (1993), "The Inkwell" (1994), "Crimson Tide" (1995), and "Daylight" (1996). Bell Calloway had several starring roles on television series and movies, include first African American prime time soap opera, "Under One Roof" (1995). She later played recurring roles on "Hawthorne" and "Shameless". In 2016, she appeared in comedy -drama film "Southside with You", and began starring as Lady Ella Johnson in the Bounce TV prime time soap opera, "Saints & Sinners". Bell Calloway is a nine-time NAACP Image Award nominee. Early life. Bell was born in Toledo, Ohio. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Ohio University, where she became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. Calloway also studied dance with Alvin Ailey, George Faison, and Otis Sallid. Calloway began her career as a dancer in Michael Bennett's original Broadway production of "Dreamgirls". It was during this time period that Calloway directed the music video  Angel Man for soul singer Rhetta Hughes. She also was in the ensemble of the short-lived musical Bring Back Birdie. Career. Bell Calloway 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, Bell Calloway co-starred alongside Joe Morton in the ABC drama series, Equal Justice". During the 1990s, Bell Calloway had 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". Bell Calloway also had number of leading and supporting roles in the 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 feature an 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 also had the leading roles on the short-leved NBC sitcom "Rhythm & Blues" (1992–93), and starred alongside Larry Hagman as his girlfriend in the CBS drama "Orleans" (1997). In 2016, Bell Calloway was cast as lead character in the Bounce TV first prime time soap opera, "Saints & Sinners". She plays Lady Ella Johnson, the widow of pastor and manipulative "First  Lady of the Church". Also in 2016, Bell Calloway co-starred as president Obama's future mother-in-law, Marian Shields Robinson, opposite Tika Sumpter as Michelle Obama, in the comedy-drama film "Southside with You", which premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. She also guest starred on the ABC medical drama "Grey's Anatomy" playing Arizona's Lawyer. In 2018, Bell Calloway appeared in the Christian drama film "" 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". Personal life. Bell Calloway has been married to anesthesiologist Dr. Anthony Calloway since 1988. The couple have two daughters, Ashley and Alexandra. Ashley was one of the stars of the BET series "Baldwin Hills" which originally ran from 2007 until 2009. In 2009, Bell Calloway was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma, an early stage of breast cancer. She underwent two lumpectomies, and then a mastectomy. She subsequently underwent reconstructive surgery, in which tissue from her stomach was used to reconstruct her breast. She recounted her experience in an October 2015 essay in "Ebony" magazine, by  which point she had been cancer-free for six years.