Filed under: Television, News, Interviews
It's difficult to name a triple threat who has mastered the art of diversifying a professional career like Vanessa Williams.
The former Miss America, who currently stars on the hit ABC drama 'Desperate Housewives,' decided to explore her ancestral past on the season two premiere of the Lisa Kudrow-produced NBC show, 'Who Do You Think You Are?'
In the new episode, Williams uncovers the lives of her great-great-grandfathers and discovers amazing facts about her family tree. BlackVoices.com sat down with the talented actress to discuss the reasons she let cameras in on her search and her plans to build on that legacy.
BlackVoices.com: Some might think this series is along the lines of the PBS specials uncovering your DNA, but this is definitely more in-depth. What was it about this show that made you eager to participate?
Vanessa Williams: I had been a big fan of last year's show, and particularly one of the highlights was Sarah Jessica Parker and the story of her gold-mining pioneer who went out to California, as well as one of her great-grandmothers who was on trial during the Salem witch hunt. They teased so you tuned in, then you wondered if she was executed or not, but she wasn't. Luckily, the judge overturned it and she lived. 
BV: Did 'Friends' star Lisa Kudrow, who produces the series, reach out to you?
VW: Well, it was a compelling story, and I said, yes immediately because not only did I want them to really delve into my family history, but I knew the show was well-produced. After meeting Lisa Kudrow and one of the other producers, Dan, who went to high school with me, I said absolutely. It was definitely something I jumped on immediately.
BV: When did you have time to tape the show? You are on 'Desperate Housewives' so that had to be tough to do all of that traveling and production?
VW: It was last spring. It probably was last April or May, with our final meeting in July. We did the research and it got interesting. They don't tell you anything, but they ask for information from your family. My mom gave them her information, and we went to my Uncle Earl to ask questions. You have really no idea which side of the family they are going to go through and where they are going to find the information, and they also ask you if there is anything that you don't want to know. For instance, if anyone has a jail record or was insane. They are respectable to your wishes.
BV: Was there anything you didn't want to know?
VW: No! I said, "Bring it." If there are robbers and thieves, I want a look at it. History gives you a window into your blood and what makes you who you are. It's a combination of nature and nurture. Your environment that you grow up in is very strong in terms of molding you into the person that you are, but also there is a component there that is genetic. It's amazing what you can unravel when you go back in time.
BV: One of the things that you discuss is the responsibility and weight of being the first black Miss America and how many white people wanted to kill you when you were crowned. Was it tough bringing that up again?
VW: I've discussed it before, and I am sure once I write a book, I will go in-depth. As a 20-year-old junior at Syracuse University and always viewing myself without any barriers in terms of achievement, and after becoming a national symbol overnight, people dismissed me because of the color of my skin. My mom has a red box where she kept the death threats, and the FBI was well aware of it. There are crazy, sick people in the world and you can be a target for the way that you look and what you represent.
BV: At the beginning of your episode of 'Who Do You Think You Are,' you say you hope to uncover someone revolutionary in your family. Did you have any idea what you would find out?
VW: They sit you down and ask you, "What do you expect on your journey?" or "What will be a real surprise?" but I had no idea. I knew of [my great-great-grandfather] David Carl the Civil War hero and that there would be a Civil War component, but in terms of the whole history and the risk that he took and all of the things I learned on my journey from the researchers, it puts history in perspective when they are talking about your family and they tell you that the revolution in December of 1863 is when they allowed black soldiers to enlist.
BV: And that really inspired you?
VW: Well, when you then say my great-great-grandfather was living in Long Island next to Manhattan, where black people were lynched for fighting to be soldiers because they were black, and the New York governor was against it. It is like, "Wow, not only did my great-great-grandfather see all of this stuff happening nearby, but he had the courage to be one of the first ones to enlist and bought property that is still in our family." He risked not only being killed in battle but also being captured and enslaved. You can put the dangers of their lives in perspective and they're fascinating.
BV: It's deep that your family is buried at the same place. Did you know that already?
VW: That's a colored cemetery, and I didn't realize that until the first day. Basically, you have no idea of that either. They said, "We were going to start at your house," and I didn't know where they would take me, but I knew Emmitt Smith went to Africa. So, when they didn't ask for my passport, I said, "Aw damn, I'm not going overseas," but it was in the middle of shooting 'Desperate Housewives' so they would only let me out for a specific amount of time. Who knows what they would have done had I had more time.
BV: What does it mean that with your father's passing you finally know the story about the men in your past?
VW: My dad was a huge history buff, and the problem that we have as African Americans is we don't have the luxury of having the records from our home country, or going to the town that our grandparents are from, or to the local churches where our parents were buried and married, like a lot of English and Italian and Irish people do. Because of being enslaved and being born without records, a lot of our ancestry is a mystery. We don't know where we come from in Africa a lot of the time. My father was always curious and was always fascinated by the past because his mother died when he was 3 and his father died when I was 3. It was the perfect tribute to him and his curiosity, and he would have loved to find this out about these men.
BV: What legacy do you think your own father left behind?
VW: My dad was an extraordinary man. He was an educator. Teaching and educating and learning was his life. He was a great conversationalist and always loved to help people. He was a mechanic who could take an engine apart on the sidewalk and put it back together. He was a master carpenter and could build decks. He was like a Renaissance man -- a fantastic father and loving husband. To find those two stories, and the same theme came up with [my great-great grandfather] David Carl coming back and owning a piece of property, and [my great-great grandfather] William Fields -- the way they described him as a legislator. To talk about the impact that he made within his community down South as a slave but also was educated -- they are snippets of who my father was.
BV: What were the highlights in terms of what you learned with your family history doing the show?
VW: The two really emotional moments, besides the fact that I could actually see both [old portraits] of them going back to the 1860s, was reading the pension file, and when they asked, "Were you a slave and if so, who was your owner?" and he wrote, "Never." I was like, "Never?"
BV: Yes, the fact that you know that you had ancestors who were born free men back in the 1800s is incredible. You will definitely open up people's eyes to that, right?
VW: There are people who do not realize there are free men of color who were born that way. In 1842, he was born a free man of color in New York. Everyone assumes this long lineage of slavery, and of course that exists because we were brought from Africa and we know that. But I know George Wolfe just had a Broadway show, 'A Free Man of Color,' and I'm sure a lot of people scoffed like, "How could that be?" So that was an amazing moment, and I was just so proud.
BV: What was the other distinctive moment for you?
VW: The other one was reading the court minutes from the day when Williams Fields passed. The language was so beautiful. It said that this man "loved longs walks and his children. He was a faithful husband and leaves not a lot of material wealth but leaves a spotless name" and he was a schoolteacher. I said, "That couldn't have been closer to characterizing my father." When I read it to my mother, she started crying. These are the men who helped create who I am and the legacy that they left.
BV: Your episode has perfect timing and is airing during Black History Month. What are your thoughts on why young people should seek knowledge of their ancestral past?
VW: There are people who research for a living. Be curious, be thirsty, ask questions and go to Ancestry.com. Go to local libraries and start digging. You don't have to do it alone. I had the luxury of television cameras follow me on my journey and to do work for me, but ask for help. The more you know about yourself the more it informs who you are and helps you.
BV: Last time we spoke you were wrapping 'Ugly Betty' and it was a sad time for you, but now you're back on television on 'Desperate Housewives.' Was that surprising how quickly you got another gig?
VW: The transition came really quickly because I had gone from 'Betty' into the Broadway show 'Sondheim and Sondheim,' and 'Desperate Housewives' happened about two weeks after I finished the Broadway show. So, I didn't really have a lot of time to digest the whole transition.
BV: How has everything been with your new role? 
VW: The experience has been phenomenal. They've been so welcoming and open to having me there. They've sprinkled me around all of the girls' story lines. They've had me bring a sense of fun and drama and humor. It's been a joy. It's a well-oiled machine, [and] going on seven years, so there's not a lot of discovery in terms of working things out. They know what they're doing in terms of production and the cast and crew, but it's a new family and I'm the newcomer. I'm trying to make my way. They've been really fantastic.
BV: We all know you as a cover girl, and most recently you were featured on the cover of Ebony magazine. What are your thoughts on that experience?
VW: I was so happy to be asked just because they have a whole new direction and a whole new creative idea. I was one of the first people they came after, and I was happy to be asked and happy to be a part of the new Ebony. They took a much more editorial approach in terms of the style, fashion and photography. Rubin, who does all of Oprah [Winfrey]'s covers, did the photo shoot, but I had my glam squad, Sam Fine and Oscar James, at the helm doing their usual magic. It's great. My first Ebony cover was way back in 1983, so I'm happy to still be asked to be on the cover of anything.
BV: Another big recent story was you turning down a book deal because they wanted you to talk about your ex-husbands. Is that true?
VW: I'd gotten a book deal, and we'd gone through a few writers. I knew what the publishers wanted, which was basically a tell-all, and a tell-all is not who I am. I want a complete story of who I am and what has made me the person I have become at 47 years old. We tried to throw other ideas out and pitch different angles, but after just not having everything work together in terms of writing and direction and expectation, it fell apart.
BV: Why did you take that approach with showing so much integrity and making that decision in this day and age when so many people sell stories to tabloids and make tell-all book deals?
VW: At 47, I have kids in school and my mom is living. I have a lot of people involved in my life and two ex-husbands. I want to talk about what makes me who I am. My parents, my kids, my teachers and my experiences and really not have to dwell or intrude on other peoples' lives. Maybe when I'm 80, we'll see then if it makes more sense, but at this point, I'd love to write about what makes me me.
BV: Is there anything going on with you in terms of a return back to Broadway or any films?
VW: Nothing yet. I have no movies or Broadway. I'm doing the 'Desperate Housewives' thing. I've got a couple of dates. I continue to sing. I just got a chance to sing at Sgt. Shriver's funeral in D.C., which was an honor. Those things come up, and I absolutely am honored to be a part. Show business changes at the drop of a hat. I can get a call that says, "I am looking for you do this movie" in an instant.
BV: Is there anything that you want to do in the near future that you haven't done yet?
VW: I'm in the midst of developing a television show. So we're waiting to see if that will get picked up. If it does, I will be an executive producer on a TV show. I've produced things before, but if this goes right, it will be the first time I've done that without me being involved as a star. We are waiting to hear from the network whether it's a go or not, but that's real exciting. It gives me a chance to be creative and work in a medium that I know really well.
Vanessa Williams' episode of 'Who Do You Think You Are?' will premiere on NBC on Feb. 4 at 8 p.m. EST.