From the Archives: Vanessa Williams: From Miss America to Miranda Priestly

Here's The Thing with Alec Baldwin

iHeartPodcasts

Tv & Film, Music, Music Interviews, Arts, Performing Arts, Film Interviews

4.4 • 8.4K Ratings

🗓️ 15 April 2025

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

There is bouncing back after adversity, and then there is: Vanessa Williams. The talented multi-hyphenate was only 21 years old when she became the first Black woman to be crowned Miss America. Yet a controversy surrounding the release of unauthorized nude photos led to her ultimately relinquishing her title 10 months into her reign. When doors were closed to her following the scandal, she fought her way back to an impressive and decorated career: Williams built decades of success as an actor and recording artist, selling 25 million records worldwide, starring in over 100 roles in television, film, and on Broadway - and being nominated for a Tony and multiple Emmy and Grammy Awards. Vanessa Williams speaks with host Alec Baldwin about the death threats she received after she won Miss America, how the work of Stephen Sondheim inspires the type of art she wishes to make, and what it’s like working with Elton John on her next big project.

Originally aired April 16, 2024

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This is Alec Baldwin, and you're listening to Here's the Thing from IHeart Radio.
0:08.7	If I were to share with you the greatest show business comeback story in history, you might not believe it, but it's all true.
0:17.0	My guest today was the very first black woman to be crowned Miss America, only to resign
0:23.8	following the release of unauthorized nude photos. In the years after the scandal, she reinvented
0:31.8	herself, building an impressive and decorated career. She released chart-topping music,
0:38.5	performed on Broadway, and starred in television and film.
0:42.5	It could only be Vanessa Williams.
0:45.7	Her work has earned her three Emmy nominations,
0:48.8	11 Grammy nominations, and a Tony nomination.
0:52.7	She's the recipient of a Billboard Music Award and multiple
0:56.8	NAACP Image Awards. I wanted to know how her upbringing in New York affected her trajectory
1:04.2	and her goals. I was born in Tarrytown. I grew up in one year in the Bronx, and then up here in Westchester, in Millwood, which is about five miles from where I live right now.
1:16.9	And your parents were both taught art? They were art teachers?
1:20.8	Music teachers. Yeah. My dad was a band teacher in Elmsford, and my mom was the choral teacher in Austining at Claremont School.
1:28.7	So my dad was 42 years, my mom was 38 years there.
1:33.4	How many siblings you have?
1:35.3	One younger brother, who is an actor as well.
1:38.8	He's out in L.A. He's four years younger.
1:40.8	Just one. You and the brother.
1:42.0	Yep. That's it.
1:43.2	And both of you went into the arts.
1:45.0	Yes. My brother, he's done like dodgeball, he's done Larry David's, Herbie enthusiasm.
	...

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