Vanessa Bell Calloway
Vanessa Bell Calloway is an American actress and dancer. She is known for her film roles as Princess Imani Izzi in the 1988 comedy Coming to America, as well as for her roles in What's Love Got to Do with It, The Inkwell, Crimson Tide, and Daylight. She is a nine-time NAACP Image Award nominee. She began her acting career in the ABC daytime soap opera, All My Children in 1985. After moving to Los Angeles in 1986, 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 (1987), before supporting role of Eddie Murphy's character's arranged wife in the 1988 comedy Coming to America. In 1990, she co-starred alongside Joe Morton in the ABC drama series, Equal Justice. During the 1990s, she had a number of supporting roles in films, including What's Love Got to Do with It (1993) opposite Angela Bassett, The Inkwell (1994), and Crimson Tide (1995) as Denzel Washington's character wife. She also voiced main role in the 1992 animated comedy, Bébé's Kids. She had a number of leading and supporting roles in made for television movies. In 1995, she co-starred opposite James Earl Jones and Joe Morton in the short-lived CBS prime time soap opera, Under One Roof, the first drama series that featured African-American lead characters. For her role on the series, Calloway was nominated for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series. She had leading roles on the short-lived NBC sitcom Rhythm & Blues (1992–93), and starred alongside Larry Hagman as his girlfriend in the CBS drama Orleans (1997). In the 2000s, she had recurring roles on Boston Public and The District. She co-starred in films including The Brothers, All About You, Dawg, Biker Boyz, Love Don't Cost a Thing, and Cheaper by the Dozen. She has guest starred on The Division, Strong Medicine, The Closer, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Dexter, Rizzoli & Isles, Castle, and Grey's Anatomy. From 2010 to 2011, she had the recurring role in the TNT medical drama, Hawthorne. In 2011, she began appearing in the Showtime comedy-drama, Shameless. In 2016, she was cast as lead character in the Bounce TV first prime time soap opera, Saints & Sinners. Also in 2016, she co-starred as president Obama's future mother-in-law, Marian Shields Robinson, and in the comedy-drama film Southside with You. In 2018, she appeared in the Christian drama film Unbroken: Path to Redemption and the crime thriller Dragged Across Concrete. In 2019, she played abolitionist Harriet Tubman's mother in the biographical drama film Harriet. She reprised her role as Imani Izzi in the 2021 sequel Coming 2 America.
Prince Akeem Joffer is set to become King of Zamunda when he discovers he has a son he never...
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Coming to America
as Imani IzziAn African prince decides it’s time for him to find a princess... and his mission leads him and...
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Under the Boardwalk
as Val (voice)Two crabs embark on an epic journey to get home after a storm sweeps them away. Their courage...
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Daylight
as Grace CallowayA group of armed robbers fleeing the police head for the New Jersey Tunnel and run right into...
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After the Cold War, a breakaway Russian republic with nuclear warheads becomes a possible...
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Two policemen, one an old-timer, the other his volatile younger partner, find themselves...
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Biker Boyz
as AnitaA mythic motorcycle tale of father and son", this is the story of Manuel Galloway, also known as...
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Cheaper by the Dozen
as Diana PhilipsThe Baker brood moves to Chicago after patriarch Tom gets a job coaching football at...
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Harriet
as Rit RossThe extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman's escape from slavery and transformation into one of...
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Love Don't Co$t a Thing
as Vivian JohnsonHigh school loser pays a cheerleader to pose as his girlfriend so he can be considered cool.
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What's Love Got to Do with It
as JackieSinger Tina Turner rises to stardom while mustering the courage to break free from her abusive...
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Unbroken: Path to Redemption
as Lila BurkholderZamperini returns to California where he wound up marrying Cynthia Applewhite while wrestling...
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Good Hair
as HerselfAn exposé of comic proportions that only Chris Rock could pull off, GOOD HAIR visits beauty...
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Lakeview Terrace
as Aunt DorrieA young interracial couple has just moved into their California dream home when they become the...
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Love Song
as Evie LivingstonA privileged, black college student with a fiance falls in love with a white musician she meets...
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Memphis
as Martha KinshipTwo men and a woman in the deep south of the 1950s plot to kidnap a child from a wealthy black...
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American Skin
as BerniceA Marine veteran working as a school janitor tries to mend his relationship with his son after a...
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The Brothers
as Dr. Thelma WoolridgeThis is the story of four African-American "yuppies" (a banker, a doctor, a lawyer, and a...
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Bebe's Kids
as Jamika (voice)When Robin meets the lovely Jamika he thinks he's in heaven. But when he meets her friend Bebe's...
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Death Spa
as Marci HewittMichael's health club is beseiged with a series of terrible murders involving killer saunas and...
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The Bounce Back
as EllenFather, author and relationship expert, Matthew Taylor is on a whirlwind book tour promoting his...
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Number One with a Bullet
as WomanNumber One with a Bullet is a 1987 American police detective film directed by Jack Smight. A...
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Love, Once and Always
as IsabelWhen Lucy’s childhood sweetheart plans to tear down the Gilded Age estate and replace it with a...
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Thriller
as Mrs. JacksonYears after a childhood prank goes horribly wrong, a clique of South Central LA teens find...
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The Inkwell
as Francis PhillipsThe Inkwell is about a 16-year-old boy coming of age on Martha's Vineyard in the summer of 1976.
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Southside with You
as uncreditedChronicles a single day in the summer of 1989 when the future president of the United States,...
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The Devil You Know
as Della CowansOnce-incarcerated Marcus Cowans is trying to turn over a new leaf with the support of his loving...
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The Cherokee Kid
as Abby HolsoppleIsaih Turner didn’t want to be a hero-all he wanted was revenge. Orphaned when both his parents...
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Mosquito
as EveA tale of sacrifice and showmanship told through rival doctors in the old west.
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America's Dream
as Miss Williams (segment "The Boy Who Painted Christ Black")Made especially for the HBO cable network, this well-wrought feature is comprised of three short...
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The Return of Desperado
as Molly PickettDuell McCall is in New Mexico running afoul of local land baron. McCall pauses long enough in...
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Polly
as NancyAn musical adaptation of the book "Pollyanna" set in the 1950's in which an orphan tries to use...
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Black Girl, Erupted
as Dr. Rebecca FrancisAfter a series of setbacks, high-achieving lawyer Reina must learn how to handle her mental...
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Archibald the Rainbow Painter
as DianaVietnam veteran Archibald Wright is a house painter hired to work on a Beverly Hills mansion...
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A Holiday Chance
as SherylThe family of the founder of a multi-million-dollar film company experiences some tragic events...
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The Undershepherd
as Deaconess CarterBest friends LC and Roland are two young ministers, climbing the ranks at the First Baptist...
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The Obama Effect
as Molly ThomasA serious health scare ignites John Thomas, an insurance salesman in his 50s, to take a closer...
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The Preacher's Son
as ElenaWhen the romantic secrets of his family members become public, the career and community standing...
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Between Sisters
as LillianAneesa wants to give her baby sister, Serena, the best wedding present ever. So, when they...
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Polly: Comin' Home!
as Nancy DoddsBroadway style songs are used to tell this interesting story of an ingenious orphan who gets...
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All About You
as uncreditedTwo people run from the pain of their broken past. When they discover each other, they find...
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Throwback Holiday
as Mildred AndersonJacqueline is living an unfulfilled life in a doomed marriage. After a chance encounter with a...
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The Temptations
as Johnnie Mae MatthewsA biographical look at The Temptations, the Motown soul vocal quintet who first came to fame in...
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Holla 2
as MarionOn the eve of her wedding, Monica invites her friends to spend the night at Douglas Plantation,...
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Her Only Choice
as Dr. BaileyA woman is faced with a choice to fight for her life or sacrifice it for another. After years of...
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A Beautiful Soul
as Guardian AngelAn R&B singer snagged by the trappings of superstardom loses his way and turns his back on...
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Message From a Mistress
as HeatherLongtime best friends Renee, Aria, Jaime and Jessa have shared just about everything. All hell...
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The Divorce
as EvaSuccessful TV anchorwoman, Yolanda Massey, is celebrating her recent divorce by throwing herself...
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A Private Affair
as NikkaA woman who has confronted the sour side of success finds love and discovers herself in this...
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The Last Fall
as uncreditedAn NFL journeyman struggles to deal with life's complexities after his professional career is over.
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Starkeisha
as The VoiceA woman, stressed before an import job interview, goes on a journey of self-discovery through...
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Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story
as JosephineStory of Miki Howard, an American R&B and Jazz singer, whose hits include "Ain't Nobody Like...
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To Hell and Back
as uncreditedJoe Patterson (Ernie Hudson), a wealthy land developer, learns as God and the Devil take a wager...
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Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
as Idella LandyThe comedic play tells the story of a Black preacher’s scheme to reclaim his inheritance and win...
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Saints & Sinners: Judgment Day
as EllaSome say blood is thicker than water, but in our fictional small town of Cypress, vengeance is...
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Stompin'
as Mrs. JacksonThe coming of age story about two brothers who struggle to mend their estranged relationship as...
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Stompin' at the Savoy
as DorothyAs the Harlem Renaissance flourishes in jazzy New York City, Pauline, Esther and Alice struggle...
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Baby
as JackieA young Black father must learn to navigate parenthood after his girlfriend mysteriously...
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Grey's Anatomy
as Lucinda GambleFollows the personal and professional lives of a group of doctors at Seattle’s Grey Sloan...
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CSI: Miami
as Tonya WashingtonCSI: Miami follows Crime Scene Investigators working for the Miami-Dade Police Department as...
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Sherri
as Self - GuestSherri Shepherd, actress, comic, and Emmy Award-winning longtime co-host of "The View", appears...
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CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
as Judge HimmelA Las Vegas team of forensic investigators are trained to solve criminal cases by scouring the...
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This Is Us
as EdieFollows the lives and families of three adults living and growing up in the United States of...
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This Is Us
as Edie (uncredited)Follows the lives and families of three adults living and growing up in the United States of...
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L.A. Law
as Robyn EdwardsL.A. Law is an American television legal drama series that ran for eight seasons on NBC from...
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NCIS
as Sally HammondFrom murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, a team of special agents...
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Dexter
as Crisis CounselorDexter Morgan, a blood spatter pattern analyst for the Miami Metro Police also leads a secret...
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A Different World
as Lily ConnorsA Different World is an American television sitcom which aired for six seasons on NBC. It is a...
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A Different World
as Danielle VinsonA Different World is an American television sitcom which aired for six seasons on NBC. It is a...
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Shameless
as Carol FisherChicagoan Frank Gallagher is the proud single dad of six smart, industrious, independent kids,...
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Touched by an Angel
as Debra WillisMonica, an angel, is tasked with bringing guidance and messages from God to various people who...
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One on One
as uncreditedA sportscaster becomes a full-time dad when his ex-wife decides to accept a job out of the...
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Castle
as Beryl WickfieldAfter a serial killer imitates the plots of his novels, successful mystery novelist Richard...
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Joan of Arcadia
as uncreditedJoan Girardi has begun acting a little strange since her family moved to the city of Arcadia. No...
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Diagnosis: Murder
as Mrs. CalenderDr. Mark Sloan is a good-natured, offbeat physician who is called upon to solve murders.
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Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
as Princess Katusha (voice)Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child is an American anthology animated television series.
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A Black Lady Sketch Show
as Kiley's MotherA narrative series set in a limitless magical reality full of dynamic, hilarious characters and...
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Rizzoli & Isles
as Assistant District AttorneyPerhaps their strikingly different personalities make the relationship between detective Jane...
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The Closer
as Lynn TalmadgeDeputy Police Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson transfers from Atlanta to LA to head up a special unit...
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The District
as Gwen HendrixThe District is a television police drama which aired on CBS from October 7, 2000 to May 1,...
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227
as uncreditedA housewife sits on the stoop of her apartment building in a black neighborhood of Washington,...
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The View
as SelfABC Daytime's morning chatfest, currently featuring Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin,...
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Cold Case
as Geraldine Watkins (1970)The Philadelphia homicide squad's lone female detective finds her calling when she is assigned...
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The Conners
as Carrie LanghamThis iconic family—Dan, Jackie, Darlene, Becky and D.J.—grapples with parenthood, dating, an...
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Simon & Simon
as uncreditedSimon & Simon is an American detective television series that originally ran from November 24,...
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Boston Public
as Mrs. Michelle RonningPrincipal Steven Harper runs Winslow High School as best as he can while dealing with the...
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10-8: Officers on Duty
as uncredited10-8: Officers on Duty is an American police drama television series. The series aired on ABC...
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The Division
as uncreditedThe Division is an American crime drama television series created by Deborah Joy LeVine and...
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China Beach
as uncreditedDateline: November 1967. Within klicks of Danang, Vietnam, sits a U.S. Army base, bar and...
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Malcolm & Eddie
as uncreditedMalcolm and Eddie are as different as one can imagine. Nevertheless, they're best friends who...
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Moesha
as uncreditedMoesha was an American sitcom series that aired on the UPN network from January 23, 1996 to May...
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Let's Stay Together
as uncreditedLet's Stay Together is an American romantic comedy television series created by Jacque Edmonds...
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The Parkers
as uncreditedThe Parkers is an American sitcom that aired on UPN from August 30, 1999, to May 10, 2004. A...
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The Colbys
as uncreditedThe Colbys is an American prime time soap opera, which originally aired on ABC from November 20,...
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Black Monday
as RuthTravel back to October 19, 1987 – aka Black Monday, the worst stock market crash in Wall Street...
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Where I Live
as uncreditedWhere I Live is an American sitcom that premiered in 1993 as part of ABC's TGIF lineup. The...
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Dream On
as uncreditedThe family life, romantic life, and career of Martin Tupper, a divorced New York City book...
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Unbelievable
as SarahA teenager is charged with lying about her rape allegation, but two determined investigative...
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Prey
as uncreditedPrey is a science-fiction television series that aired for one season in 1998 on ABC. The series...
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The Black Hamptons
as Carolyn BrittonA feud between two families in the quaint town of Sag Harbor on Long Island, N.Y., starkly...
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Go On
as JoyceRyan King, a recent widower and sports talk radio host ready to get back to work after the loss...
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Kenan
as BobbiThe recently widowed host of Atlanta's No. 2 morning show struggles to balance his job and his...
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The Vince Staples Show
as uncreditedKind of famous and sort of rich, rapper and actor Vince Staples navigates the challenges and...
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Saints & Sinners
as Lady Ella JohnsonA large Southern church is the background for greed, corruption and murder.
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Under One Roof
as Maggie LangstonUnder One Roof is an American drama series that aired on CBS in March and April 1995. A family...
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The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage
as uncreditedThe 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage is a television series broadcast in the United States by NBC...
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The Temptations
as Johnnie Mae MatthewsBiography of the singers who formed the hit Motown musical act, The Temptations.
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Orleans
as Rosalee ClarkOrleans is a short-lived American drama series that aired on CBS from January 7, 1997 through...
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Rhythm & Blues
as uncreditedRhythm & Blues is a short-lived 1992 American sitcom that aired on NBC for only five weeks from...
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