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.
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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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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After the Cold War, a breakaway Russian republic with nuclear warheads becomes a possible...
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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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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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Prince Akeem Joffer is set to become King of Zamunda when he discovers he has a son he never...
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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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Two policemen, one an old-timer, the other his volatile younger partner, find themselves...
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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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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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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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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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Lakeview Terrace
as Aunt DorrieA young interracial couple has just moved into their California dream home when they become the...
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Queens of Christmas
as uncreditedDoris and Julia, life-long friends and feuding neighbors, learn the true meaning of “sisterhood”...
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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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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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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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Death Spa
as Marci HewittMichael's health club is beseiged with a series of terrible murders involving killer saunas and...
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Good Hair
as SelfAn exposé of comic proportions that only Chris Rock could pull off, GOOD HAIR visits beauty...
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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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One of Them Days
as uncreditedBest friends and roommates Dreux and Alyssa are about to have One of Them Days. When they...
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Throwback Holiday
as Mildred AndersonJacqueline is living an unfulfilled life in a doomed marriage. After a chance encounter with a...
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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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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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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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The Last Fall
as uncreditedAn NFL journeyman struggles to deal with life's complexities after his professional career is over.
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Mosquito
as EveA tale of sacrifice and showmanship told through rival doctors in the old west.
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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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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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Stompin' at the Savoy
as DorothyAs the Harlem Renaissance flourishes in jazzy New York City, Pauline, Esther and Alice struggle...
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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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Holla 2
as MarionOn the eve of her wedding, Monica invites her friends to spend the night at Douglas Plantation,...
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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 Undershepherd
as Deaconess CarterBest friends LC and Roland are two young ministers, climbing the ranks at the First Baptist...
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The Divorce
as EvaSuccessful TV anchorwoman, Yolanda Massey, is celebrating her recent divorce by throwing herself...
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Baby
as JackieA young Black father must learn to navigate parenthood after his girlfriend mysteriously...
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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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Starkeisha
as The VoiceA woman, stressed before an import job interview, goes on a journey of self-discovery through...
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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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Between Sisters
as LillianAneesa wants to give her baby sister, Serena, the best wedding present ever. So, when they...
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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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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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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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Shameless
as Carol FisherChicagoan Frank Gallagher is the proud single dad of six smart, industrious, independent kids,...
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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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CSI: Miami
as Tonya WashingtonCSI: Miami follows Crime Scene Investigators working for the Miami-Dade Police Department as...
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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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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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Rizzoli & Isles
as Assistant District AttorneyPerhaps their strikingly different personalities make the relationship between detective Jane...
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Falcon Crest
as NurseFalcon Crest is an American primetime television soap opera which aired on the CBS network for...
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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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Diagnosis: Murder
as Mrs. CalenderDr. Mark Sloan is a good-natured, offbeat physician who is called upon to solve murders.
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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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Strong Medicine
as Melanie RhodesThe lives of staff in the womens' health clinic of a fictitious hospital in Philadelphia.
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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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The View
as SelfABC Daytime's morning chatfest, currently featuring Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin,...
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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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Simon & Simon
as uncreditedSimon & Simon is an American detective television series that originally ran from November 24,...
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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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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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A Different World
as Lily ConnorsA Different World is a spin-off series from The Cosby Show and originally centered on Denise...
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A Different World
as Danielle VinsonA Different World is a spin-off series from The Cosby Show and originally centered on Denise...
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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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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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The Division
as uncreditedThe Division is an American crime drama television series created by Deborah Joy LeVine and...
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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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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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Black Monday
as RuthTravel back to October 19, 1987 – aka Black Monday, the worst stock market crash in Wall Street...
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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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Moesha
as uncreditedMoesha was an American sitcom series that aired on the UPN network from January 23, 1996 to May...
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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 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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One on One
as Michelle McCallA sportscaster becomes a full-time dad when his ex-wife decides to accept a job out of the...
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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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Dream On
as JeanetteThe 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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The Colbys
as uncreditedThe Colbys is an American prime time soap opera, which originally aired on ABC from November 20,...
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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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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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Prey
as uncreditedBio-anthropologist, Dr. Sloan Parker, her colleague, Dr. Ed Tate, their associate Tom Daniels,...
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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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The Temptations
as Johnnie Mae MatthewsBiography of the singers who formed the hit Motown musical act, The Temptations.
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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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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 Vince Staples Show
as uncreditedKind of famous and sort of rich, rapper and actor Vince Staples navigates the challenges and...
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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 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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Orleans
as Rosalee ClarkOrleans is a short-lived American drama series that aired on CBS from January 7, 1997 through...
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Wicked City
as TabithaA group of urban witches push their powers to new heights and uncover dark secrets that attract...
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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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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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