Vanessa L. Williams

A former beauty queen who parlayed her good looks and talent into a career as a singer and actress, Vanessa Williams was born March 18, 1963, in Tarrytown, N.Y. After becoming the first black woman to win the Miss America title (in 1984) -- and ultimately resigning when nude pictures of her surfaced 10 months into her reign -- she later found considerable success in the music industry. Boasting hits such as "Dreamin'," "Save the Best for Last" and "Colors of the Wind," she racked up a slew of Grammy nods.

But Williams has also earned kudos for her acting, most notably for her Tony-nominated turn as the witch in the 2002 Broadway revival of "Into the Woods" and for her Emmy-nominated portrayal of she-villain Wilhelmina Slater on the sitcom "Ugly Betty."

Williams' film efforts range from the 1996 thriller Eraser to the sleeper hit Soul Food (1997) to the 2004 comedy Johnson Family Vacation.