As a trailblazing Miss America, a chart-topping singer, a Tony-nominated Broadway star, and the epitome of a bad boss in the form of Wilhelmina Slater (Ugly Betty) and now Miranda Priestly (The Devil Wears Prada), there’s not much Vanessa Williams hasn’t touched.
But the 62-year-old has now stepped into a new role as she leads the charge in championing women’s cricket ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, hosted by the ECB.
In an exclusive interview with Grazia, Williams highlights the importance of empowering women in sport, diversity in the entertainment industry and discusses whether she’s interested in the Desperate Housewives reboot…
There's been rising discussion about women in sport in recent years. Why is that so important to you?
The primary issue is the pay. Obviously, Billie Jean King – who has been a pioneer and incredible in terms of fighting for equal pay for women in sports – started the conversation years ago. The bottom line is, people know they can make money off a celebrity, off a phenomenon. It's about getting female sportswomen to break through. You have to put eyes on them so they can be seen.
There’s hope that this could become a watershed moment for women’s sport. How do you think we can invite more people into experiencing the Women’s Cricket World Cup?
The idea is to make it a multi-faceted event, bringing in DJs, and making it an experience. You see it in the Superbowl with halftime shows. It’s about creating those water cooler moments that will enhance the sport and the whole experience.
You've broken so many barriers in your career. Are there any highlights that stick out?
I've met seven presidents, the Pope, I’ve sung for the Academy Awards, at the Superbowl, the World Series. I love the fluidity in my career, I’ve had 11 Grammy nominations, a Tony nomination for my work in theatre, Emmy nominations for Ugly Betty. I’m happy to be acknowledged in what my skill set is – just as amazing female athletes are acknowledged for their skills – for singing, dancing, and enticing an audience.
Do you feel like it's especially important to have powerful female pioneers with the world the way it is right now?
The world is very unpredictable right now; I’m happy to be here [in the UK] and not back home where every day you turn on CNN and think, ‘Now what?’. But the focus on women has been fantastic. We have women CEOs, women in business and finance, and in sports. I’m a huge tennis fan so when Serena Williams was playing, everyone came to see her. It didn’t matter that she was female or male, she’s a phenomenon. It’s not level all around the board but women’s power is definitely evident.
You were a trailblazer, becoming the first African American Miss America. Did you feel the weight of that at the time?
No, winning Miss America was a huge detour! I was 20, the impact I had was tremendous, overwhelming, unexpected and something I had to embrace and carve out and make my own.
Tournaments like the Women’s Cricket World Cup create new trailblazers. What advice do you have for sports stars who will be coming up?
When celebrity comes and all the trappings that come with success, enjoy it because it doesn’t last for a lifetime. Be mindful that you are your franchise, there’s a responsibility in that. Take it seriously, a lot of people are watching and, unknowingly to you, will mould their life and use you as an example. But enjoy every moment, it goes so fast.
This tournament has so much diversity with all of the different nationalities and cultures who will be taking part. Why is it important to you that people see that?
You need to see an example that will give you the spark to think, ‘I can do that’. Everybody has dreams but you need that example to show you that it is a possibility. I went to see Stephanie Mills in The Wiz, I think I was 12, I saw her singing her heart out and just thought, ‘Wow, that looks fun, I want to do that.’ She made me see that my dreams were one train ride away, one audition away.
How was Ugly Betty to be a part of?
It was fantastic, we had four amazing seasons, we still talk to each other all the time, I was texting Michael Urie last night. America [Ferrera] lives over here in London now with her family. I played softball with Naomi Campbell in one episode, we should have had a cricket game! I look back at some of dialogue and we could not say that now, it was pushing the envelope back then. It was wonderful to have the freedom that we did to push those boundaries, and it’s still relevant today. People still watch it now and say, ‘I remember watching that episode and coming out to my friends.’ These were things that weren’t seen in comedy.
What would Wilhelmina wear to a cricket match?
I’m sure she’d be in the royal box, she would probably wear a beautiful and tasteful floral dress, with a blazer over her shoulder. Some fabulous, simple jewellery and a beautiful Valentino espadrille.
Would you be interested in a reboot?
I would do anything to work with that crew again, but I don’t know if a reboot would work. Betty is a woman in her 40s now, is she running Mode magazine? I would love to see the world [now] but Silvio Horta, our creator, passed away in 2020. It would have to take something really innovative to make it work. I know people would want to see us back together but I’m not sure it would make sense.
Speaking of reboots, Desperate Housewives is getting a new spin-off…
I heard that! Marc Cherry [writer and producer] isn’t involved. He was very hands on with every aspect of that show. I will be very curious to see where they’re shooting, what is the concept, who are the players. It’s a great franchise, people still love it, the houses are still up on Universal Studios as part of the tour.
The Women’s Cricket World Cup will create legacy moments. What legacy moments stand out for you?
Starring in Kiss of the Spider Woman on Broadway in 1994. It was my dream to be on Broadway, so to see my name in lights and stepping into a role my idol Chita Rivera originated was huge for me. The Broadway world knew me as a scandalised beauty queen, so I had people saying, ‘Who is she? What can she do?’ It’s great to be underestimated because there’s always that element of surprise.
How can audiences support and create legacy moments for the players in the Women’s World Cup?
Buy tickets, put your money where your mouth is and support. That will show the excitement there is for women’s sports.
Register your interest in The ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 to guarantee tickets to this unmissable tournament at www.t20worldcup.com/wt20-register
Samuel McManus is a senior content creator for Bauer Media, writing celebrity news and features across five of the company’s brands – heat, Closer, Grazia, Bella and Yours. Samuel has worked at Bauer Media since November 2024.