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Vanessa Bell Calloway is an American actress and dancer. Beginning her career as a dancer, Bell Calloway is perhaps best known for her role as Princess Imani Izzi in the 1988 comedy Coming to America. In the following years, Bell Calloway appeared 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.
Birth Name
Vanessa Bell
Born
Wednesday, 20 March 1957
Actress Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| Under the Boardwalk | Val (voice) / Val | 2023 |
| Wicked City | Tabitha | 2022 |
| Sherri | Self | 2022 |
| The Devil You Know | Della Cowans | 2022 |
| Starkeisha | The Voice | 2022 |
| Grand Crew | Brenda | 2021 |
| A Holiday Chance | Sheryl | 2021 |
| Sacrifice | Carol Steinburg | 2021 |
| Coming 2 America | Imani Izzi | 2021 |
| Kenan | Bobbi | 2021 |
Actress Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| Under the Boardwalk | Val (voice) / Val | 2023 |
| Wicked City | Tabitha | 2022 |
| Sherri | Self | 2022 |
| The Devil You Know | Della Cowans | 2022 |
| Starkeisha | The Voice | 2022 |
| Grand Crew | Brenda | 2021 |
| A Holiday Chance | Sheryl | 2021 |
| Sacrifice | Carol Steinburg | 2021 |
| Coming 2 America | Imani Izzi | 2021 |
| Kenan | Bobbi | 2021 |
| Harriet | Rit Ross | 2019 |
| Unbelievable | Sarah | 2019 |
| Tamron Hall | Self | 2019 |
| American Skin | Bernice | 2019 |
| A Black Lady Sketch Show | Kiley's Mother | 2019 |
| Thriller | Mrs. Jackson | 2019 |
| The D.L. Hughley Show | Self - Guest | 2019 |
| Dragged Across Concrete | Jennifer Johns | 2019 |
| Black Monday | Ruth | 2019 |
| Throwback Holiday | Mildred Anderson / Mildred | 2018 |
| The Conners | Carrie Langham | 2018 |
| Her Only Choice | Dr. Bailey | 2018 |
| Unbroken: Path to Redemption | Lila Burkholder | 2018 |
| Rel | Nancy | 2018 |
| Love Is_ | 'Wiser' Angela | 2018 |
| Hollywood Insider | Self | 2018 |
| Love, Once and Always | Isabel | 2018 |
| Message from a Mistress | Heather | 2017 |
| The Preacher's Son | Elena | 2017 |
| The Bounce Back | Ellen | 2016 |
| This Is Us | Edie | 2016 |
| Queen Sugar | Betty | 2016 |
| Southside with You | Marian Robinson | 2016 |
| Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story | Josephine | 2016 |
| Saints & Sinners | Lady Ella Johnson / Lady Ella | 2016 |
| About Scout | Faith Price | 2016 |
| Post Life | Diane McIntosh | 2016 |
| In the Cut | Samantha | 2015 |
| Being | Self | 2015 |
| Divas | Wendy Johnson | 2015 |
| Emergency Contact | Ruthie Biltmore | 2015 |
| To Hell and Back | Colleen | 2015 |
| LAPD African Cops | Officer Collins | 2015 |
| Survivor's Remorse | Camille Jordan | 2014 |
| Hand of God | Eunetta Graham | 2014 |
| Reckless | Judge Kress | 2014 |
| Murder in the First | Veronza Ervin | 2014 |
| Unsung Hollywood | Self | 2014 |
| The Divorce | Eva | 2014 |
| Celebrity Page | Self | 2013 |
| Exhale | Self | 2013 |
| Holla II | Marion | 2013 |
| Between Sisters | Lillian / Lilian | 2013 |
| Almost Home | Jocelyn Sanders | 2013 |
| Real Husbands of Hollywood | Trina's Mother | 2013 |
| Home & Family | Self | 2012 |
| Roomieloverfriends | Self | 2012 |
| Steve Harvey | Self | 2012 |
| Go On | Joyce | 2012 |
| The Obama Effect | Molly Thomas | 2012 |
| A Beautiful Soul | Guardian Angel | 2012 |
| The Last Fall | Marie Bishop | 2012 |
| The Undershepherd | Deaconess Carter | 2012 |
| Ringer | Agent Royce Wiegler | 2011 |
| Harry's Law | Judge Jude Campbell | 2011 |
| Let's Stay Together | Mimi | 2011 |
| Shameless | Carol Fisher | 2011 |
| Detroit 1-8-7 | Bonnie McCord | 2010 |
| Rizzoli & Isles | Assistant District Attorney | 2010 |
| Good Hair | Herself / Self | 2009 |
| Life After | Self | 2009 |
| Applause for Miss E | Miss E | 2009 |
| Hawthorne | Gail Strummer | 2009 |
| Castle | Beryl Wickfield | 2009 |
| Truly Blessed | Lynda | 2009 |
| Aussie & Ted's Great Adventure | Mrs. Jones | 2009 |
| Lakeview Terrace | Aunt Dorrie | 2008 |
| The Wendy Williams Show | Self | 2008 |
| Dexter | Crisis Counselor | 2006 |
| House of Payne | Brenda Carlson | 2006 |
| The Closer | Lynn Talmadge | 2005 |
| Grey's Anatomy | Lucinda Gamble | 2005 |
| Black in the 80s | Self | 2005 |
| Love Don't Cost a Thing | Vivian Johnson | 2003 |
| Cheaper by the Dozen | Diana Philips | 2003 |
| 10-8: Officers on Duty | Gina Barnes | 2003 |
| Cold Case | Geraldine Watkins '70 | 2003 |
| Joan of Arcadia | Corey Phillips | 2003 |
| All of Us | Marvella James | 2003 |
| NCIS | Sally Hammond | 2003 |
| Biker Boyz | Anita / Anita Galloway | 2003 |
| CSI: Miami | Tonya Washington | 2002 |
| Dawg | Christine Hodges | 2002 |
| The Red Sneakers | Berniece | 2002 |
| One on One | Michelle McCall | 2001 |
| All About You | Donna | 2001 |
| The Brothers | Dr. Thelma Woolridge | 2001 |
| The Division | Dana | 2001 |
| Love Song | Evie Livingston | 2000 |
| Boston Public | Mrs. Michelle Ronning | 2000 |
| The District | Gwen Hendrix | 2000 |
| CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Judge Himmel | 2000 |
| Strong Medicine | Melanie Rhodes | 2000 |
| The Parkers | Alaina | 1999 |
| The Temptations | Johnnie Mae Matthews | 1998 |
| Archibald the Rainbow Painter | Diana | 1998 |
| Prey | Grace | 1998 |
| The Gregory Hines Show | Kyra Lewis | 1997 |
| Orleans | Rosalee Clark | 1997 |
| The Cherokee Kid | Abby Holsopple | 1996 |
| Daylight | Grace Calloway | 1996 |
| Malcolm & Eddie | Vina Jensen | 1996 |
| Sparks | Monique | 1996 |
| America's Dream | Miss Williams (segment "The Boy Who Painted Christ Black") | 1996 |
| Moesha | Dr. Woods | 1996 |
| Crimson Tide | Julia Hunter | 1995 |
| Under One Roof | Maggie Langston | 1995 |
| Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | Princess Katusha | 1995 |
| Touched by an Angel | Debra Willis | 1994 |
| The Inkwell | Francis Phillips | 1994 |
| Diagnosis Murder | Mrs. Calender | 1993 |
| The Sinbad Show | Michelle Michaels | 1993 |
| What's Love Got to Do with It | Jackie | 1993 |
| Rhythm & Blues | Colette Hawkins | 1992 |
| Bebe's Kids | Jamika / Jamika (voice) | 1992 |
| Stompin' at the Savoy | Dorothy | 1992 |
| Memphis | Martha Kinship | 1992 |
| The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage | Rene | 1991 |
| Polly: Comin' Home! | Nancy Dodds | 1990 |
| Dream On | Jeanette | 1990 |
| Max Monroe | Velma Jones | 1990 |
| Equal Justice | Delia Wayne | 1990 |
| Dragnet | Receptionist | 1989 |
| Doctor Doctor | Gail Butterfield | 1989 |
| Father Dowling Mysteries | Dr. Emily Stone | 1989 |
| Coming to America | Imani Izzi | 1988 |
| Death Spa | Marci Hewitt | 1988 |
| China Beach | Sweet Hula | 1988 |
| In the Heat of the Night | Audrey Moore | 1988 |
| The Return of Desperado | Molly Pickett | 1988 |
| A Different World | Danielle Vinson / Lily Connors | 1987 |
| The Tracey Ullman Show | Cindy #4 | 1987 |
| Number One with a Bullet | Woman | 1987 |
| L.A. Law | Robyn Edwards | 1986 |
| The Colbys | Lowell Sherman | 1985 |
| 227 | Sherry | 1985 |
| 1st & Ten | Della King | 1984 |
| Webster | Denice | 1983 |
| Falcon Crest | Nurse | 1981 |
| Simon & Simon | Julie | 1981 |
| The Magical World of Disney | Nancy | 1954 |
Director Filmography
| Title | Year |
|---|
| Someday at Christmas | 2021 |
| Saints & Sinners | 2016 |
| Everything I Did Wrong in My 20s | 2014 |
