Vanessa Bell Calloway (born March 20, 1957, is an actress and dancer. Beginning her career as a dancer, she became known for her film roles as Princess Imani Izzi in Coming to America and Coming 2 America, as well as for her roles in What's Love Got to Do with It, The Inkwell, Crimson Tide, Biker Boyz, Harriett, and Daylight. She had several starring roles in television series and movies, including the first African American prime-time soap opera, Under One Roof, the first drama series that feature African-American lead characters, she was nominated for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series. She played recurring roles in Hawthorne and Shameless. She appeared in the comedy-drama film Southside with You and began starring as Lady Ella Johnson on Saints & Sinners. She is a nine-time NAACP Image Award nominee. She was born in Cleveland. She received a BFA from Ohio University, where she became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. She studied dance with Alvin Ailey, George Faison, and Otis Sallid. She began her career as a dancer in the original Broadway production of Dreamgirls. It was during this period that she directed the music video "Angel Man”. She was in the ensemble of the short-lived musical Bring Back Birdie. She began her acting career in All My Children. 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. She co-starred in Equal Justice. She voiced her main role in Bébé's Kids. She had several leading and supporting roles in made-for-television movies. She had leading roles in Rhythm & Blues and Orleans. She married anesthesiologist Dr. Anthony Calloway (1988-). The couple has two daughters. Ashley was one of the stars of Baldwin Hills. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #alphakappaalpha #womenhistorymonth https://www.instagram.com/p/CqAi5T5LCoq/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
