Today´s BlackWoman (October 1997)

Divadom. The tradition of celebrating divas has long history in pop culture, particularly in America where divadom is as much part of pop culture as milk shakes, hot dogs, and apple pie. We want to love and hate them at the same time. Although membership into divadom can be rewarding, its attainment can be fraught with pitfalls as well...particularly for divas of color. Just ask the newest arrival singer/actress Vanessa Williams.

by Gil Robertson

Vanessa Williams is the former beauty queen who went up against the odds and came out a winner. Today, the fact that she is a star is undeniable, and her considerable accomplishments have long overcome the forgotten controversy that for a while left her position in divadom in doubt.

Instead, the bronze-colored, hazel-eyed beauty is a singer/actress who has conquerd it all - the radio airwaves, silver screen, and Broadway stage. With the release of two new films and an album, Williams has solidified her place as one of the most marketable divas in entertainment history.

Although her ascent to diva status has appeared immediate, Williams would be the first to say that the ride for her has not been without its bumps and bruises. "In beginning my career, I've had a lot to overcome," she recently told TBW.

Williams' evolution as an actress, which hit a high point with her role in Eraser opposite muscle-man marketing machine Arnold Schwarzenegger, has clearly come a long way from her early tryouts in films such as Harley Davidson & The Marlboro Man, and The Pick-Up Artist. For that she owes a great deal of credit to her triumphant performance on Broadway as Aurora in the hit musical Kiss Of The Spider Woman. "It's true that nothing prepares you for the acting arena like stage work. The responce is immediate, and every night you are pitted against yourself to do better than your last performance."

In the recent summer box office hit Hoodlum, Williams delivers a performance with confidence, characteristic verve, and an intense on-screen sensuality that's become her trademark. As Francine Hughes opposite Laurence Fishburne's gangsta role as Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson, Williams is fabulous as a woman in conflict who must choose between her own values and those of the man she loves.

"Francine is caught in a heavy dilemma. In preparing for the role I understood a great deal of her motivation. She's a girl caught in a heavy dilemma. She's fallen madly in love, and because of that love is faced with circumstances that she doesn't really know how to deal with. People are often faced with circumstances similar to hers, making decisions that aren't always best for us. In portraying her, I tried to give Francine a toughness that didn't necessarily match what you see on the outside.

In her other film release for the season, the Edmonds Entertainment/20th Century Fox production of Soul Food,Williams displays a side of her character that's never been seen on the big screen. As successful attorney Terry Joseph,Williams is the misunderstood financial anchor for her troubled family. It's a complex characterization that Williams plays with deft precision.

"Playing Terry was a delight," says Williams. "As soon as I read the script, I knew that I had to be a part of it. We all have Terry in our lives. She's a complex woman who went out into the world and saw her efforts produce great material success. However, in the process, she lost touch with parts of herself that really matter. This film is about a family getting to know, understand, and respect one another. It's particularly special to me because it presents a side of life within the African American experience that most moviegoers are unfamiliar with. I predict that Soul Food will be one of those films that will have you leaving the theater feeling good all over."

As for her recording career, Williams has delivered paydirt from the beginning. Starting with the 1988 release of her debut recording, The Right Stuff, her music career has literally been paved in gold. The 1991 multi-platinum seller, The Comfort Zone, which featured the timeless ballad "Save the Best for Last" solidified her position as one of the music industry's prime players. It's a point she drove home with the 1993 release of The Sweetest Days, and her single "Colors Of The Wind" (from the platinum sound-track of Disney's Pocahontas) which earned both an Oscar and Golden Globe awards. Her most recent release is simply entitled Next and it features the smash single "Happiness".

According to Jimmy Jam, who together with his longtime partner, Terry Lewis, produced the record, recording with Williams proved to be a most memorable experience. He says, "Vanessa Williams was one of the most professional artists that Terry and I have had the pleasure of recording. She flew into town and went right to work. She was well prepared, and within a two-hour time span gave us what we needed to work with. To me she embodies many things--beauty, and I just don't mean the physical, talent, and a seriousness and respect about the work she does. She's that rare artist who can do it all."

"The fact that my marriage didn't work out is just a fact
of my life that I accept," says Williams. "I don't dwell
on it, nor do I view it as a failure on anyone's part.
Things happen in life that you never foresee, and while
making change may be difficult, doing what you
know you have to do is sometimes just a necessity."

Although her marriage to long-time manager Ramon Hervey didn't work out, Williams' response to the divorce has been in true diva form. Don't cry any tears for Vanessa, girlfriend is just fine. "The fact that my marriage didn't work out is just a fact of my life that I accept," she offers. "I don't dwell on it, nor do I view it as a failure on anyone's part. Things happen in life that you never foresee, and while making change may be difficult, doing what you know you have to do is sometimes just a necessity. Ramon and I are still very close. We have three wonderful children who we're raising together. That's where our focus is."

With a busy schedule that includes a possible world concert tour, film roles, and maintaining home and family, Vanessa Williams is a diva for the next millenium. With her priorities in order--God, family, and career--expect her to extend the reach and redefine the art of being a diva.