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Vanessa Bell Calloway

Vanessa Bell Calloway

27 movies on Netflix

Biography

Vanessa Bell Calloway is an American actress who started as a dancer before moving into film and television. Born in 1957, she studied dance with Alvin Ailey and others and performed in the original Broadway production of Dreamgirls. She began acting on the daytime soap opera All My Children in 1985, then appeared in prime time series, and made her film debut in Number One with a Bullet (1987). Her breakthrough came as Princess Imani Izzi in Coming to America (1988), a role she reprised in Coming 2 America (2021). Her many credits include What's Love Got to Do with It (1993), The Inkwell (1994), Daylight (1996), The Brothers (2001), Biker Boyz (2003), Southside with You (2016), and Harriet (2019). On television, she starred in Under One Roof and Saints & Sinners, and she earned nine NAACP Image Awards nominations. She made her directorial debut with Black Girl Erupted (2023).

69years old

Turns 70 on March 20in 129 days

  • Born Toledo
  • Star sign: PiscesLast day of the sign, on the Aries cusp
  • Also credited as neofascism

Movie Career

Films
27
Career span
37 years1988 to 2025

Genres

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  1. First role

    Vanessa Bell Calloway began her performing career as a dancer in the original Broadway production of Michael Bennett's Dreamgirls, and during that period she directed the music video "Angel Man" for soul singer Rhetta Hughes.

  2. Behind the camera

    Bell Calloway made her directorial debut in 2023 with the drama film Black Girl Erupted, which she directed for BET Her.

  3. A first

    In 1995, Bell Calloway appeared with James Earl Jones and Joe Morton in Under One Roof, a CBS prime time soap opera. It was the first drama series whose lead characters were African-American.

Vanessa Bell Calloway movies on Netflix

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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  1. What's Love Got to Do with It1993 Biography, Drama, Musicas Jackie

    IMDb rating 7.426K votes

  2. Harriet2019 Action, Biography, Drama, Historyas Rit Ross

    IMDb rating 6.837K votes

  3. Coming to America1988as Imani Izzi

    IMDb rating 7.1242K votes

  4. Daylight1996as Grace Calloway

    IMDb rating 6.081K votes

  5. Southside with You2016as Marian Robinson

    IMDb rating 6.39.8K votes

  6. Coming 2 America2021as Imani Izzi

    IMDb rating 5.382K votes

  7. Bebe's Kids1992as Jamikavoice

    IMDb rating 5.95.9K votes

  8. One of Them Days2025as Mama Ruth

    IMDb rating 6.521K votes

Most often with

Jenifer Lewis appears in three of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Films together

Box office

What Vanessa Bell Calloway's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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Combined worldwide box office

$861 million

14 of the 27 films have a worldwide figure.

Of the 27 films: 14 worldwide figure; 4 us gross only; 5 never in cinemas; 4 figure not found.

  • 14Worldwide figure
  • 4US gross only
  • 5Never in cinemas
  • 4Figure not found

Highest grossing

The eight biggest films earned 94% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

  1. 1
    Coming to America1988as Imani Izzi
    $289M33.5% of the total
  2. 2
    Cheaper by the Dozen2003as Diana Philips
    $190M22.1% of the total
  3. 3
    Daylight1996as Grace Calloway
    $159M18.5% of the total
  4. 4
    One of Them Days2025as Mama Ruth
    $52M6.0% of the total
  5. 5
    $39M4.5% of the total
  6. 6
    The Brothers2001as Dr. Thelma Woolridge
    $28M3.2% of the total
  7. 7
    Lakeview Terrace2008as Aunt Dorrie
    $28M3.2% of the total
  8. 8
    Biker Boyz2003as Anita
    $24M2.7% of the total
Love Don't Cost a Thing (2003), $22.0 millionThe Inkwell (1994), $8.9 millionBebe's Kids (1992), $8.4 millionSouthside with You (2016), $6.6 millionUnbroken: Path to Redemption (2018), $6.2 millionDragged Across Concrete (2019), $660,132

$52.8 millionfrom the other 6 films with a worldwide figure, 6% of the total