Vanessa Bell Calloway: Movies & Box Office
- films
- 27
- on screen
- 1987–2025
- box office
- $270M
- average score
- 56
- Born
- March 20, 1957 (age 69)
- Birthplace
- Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
- Full name
- Vanessa Bell
- Citizenship
- American
- Occupations
- Actress
- Years active
- 1985-present
- Spouses
- Anthony Calloway
- Children
- 2
The Best Vanessa Bell Calloway Movies
The highest-rated films Vanessa Bell Calloway is credited on, by the Movie Echo Score that blends critic reviews, audience ratings and lasting impact. Throwback Holiday (2018) scores highest, at 85. The full ranking adds the biggest box office hits and the most awarded films.
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Movie Echo Score: Score 85 Throwback Holiday 2018 · Mildred Anderson -
Movie Echo Score: Score 83 One Of Them Days 2025 · Mama Ruth -
Movie Echo Score: Score 62 Harriet 2019 · Rit Ross -
Movie Echo Score: Score 55 Coming 2 America 2021 · Comedy -
Movie Echo Score: Score 43 Love, Once and Always 2018 · Isabel -
Movie Echo Score: Score 39 Unbroken: Path to Redemption 2018 · Lila Burkholder
Vanessa Bell Calloway's Career in Numbers
Vanessa Bell Calloway's films in numbers — as an actor, not counting appearances as themselves: when they were made, the genres Vanessa Bell Calloway works in most and the milestones along the way. The filmography runs from Number One with a Bullet (1987) to One Of Them Days (2025), and the 1990s were the busiest decade.
Vanessa Bell Calloway Movies by Decade
- 1980s 2
- 1990s 8
- 2000s 3
- 2010s 8
- 2020s 6
The 1990s were Vanessa Bell Calloway's busiest decade, with 8 films.
Vanessa Bell Calloway Movies by Genre
- Comedy 6
- Tv movie 4
- Drama 4
- Romance 3
- Action 2
- Family 2
- Adventure 1
- Thriller 1
- Biography 1
- Fantasy 1
Comedy is the genre Vanessa Bell Calloway has worked in most, with 6 films, ahead of tv movie (4).
Vanessa Bell Calloway Career Milestones
- First film
- Number One with a Bullet 1987
- Biggest box office hit
- Daylight $159M worldwide
- Best-rated film
- Throwback Holiday Movie Echo Score 85
- Newest film
- One Of Them Days 2025
Vanessa Bell Calloway Filmography: Every Movie
Every film Vanessa Bell Calloway is credited on, newest first, with the role, the box office and the Movie Echo Score. Rated films average a score of 56. Re-order the list to see the best-rated films or the biggest hits first.
- 2025 One Of Them Days as Mama Ruth · Comedy Worldwide box office: $51.9M Movie Echo Score: 83
- 2024
Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch as Idella Landy · Tv movie - 2023
Under the Boardwalk as Val (voice) · Romance - 2022
Starkeisha as The Voice · Adventure - 2021
A Holiday Chance as Sheryl · Drama - 2021 Coming 2 America Comedy Movie Echo Score: 55
- 2019 Harriet as Rit Ross · Action Worldwide box office: $43.3M Movie Echo Score: 62
- 2019
Thriller Thriller Worldwide box office: $4.28K Movie Echo Score: 22 - 2018 Throwback Holiday as Mildred Anderson · Comedy Movie Echo Score: 85
- 2018
Her Only Choice as Dr. Bailey · Drama Worldwide box office: $39.7K - 2018 Unbroken: Path to Redemption as Lila Burkholder · Biography Worldwide box office: $6.22M Movie Echo Score: 39
- 2018 Love, Once and Always as Isabel · Tv movie Movie Echo Score: 43
- 2017
The Preacher’s Son as Elena · Romance - 2016
Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story as Josephine · Tv movie - 2002
Dawg as Christine Hodges · Comedy - 2002
The Red Sneakers as Berniece · Fantasy - 2001
All About You Comedy - 1998
The Temptations as Johnnie Mae Matthews · Drama - 1996
The Cherokee Kid as Abby Holsopple · Family - 1996
Daylight Action Worldwide box office: $159M - 1996
America’s Dream as Miss Williams (segment "The Boy Who Painted Christ Black") · Tv movie - 1994
The Inkwell as Francis Phillips · Romance Worldwide box office: $8.88M - 1992
Bebe’s Kids as Jamika (voice) · Animation - 1992
Stompin’ at the Savoy as Dorothy · Drama - 1990
Polly: Comin’ Home! as Nancy Dodds · Family - 1989
Polly as Nancy · Music - 1987
Number One with a Bullet as Woman · Comedy Worldwide box office: $411K
Who Is Vanessa Bell Calloway?
Vanessa Bell Calloway was born in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. in 1957 and is 69 years old. Credited on films since 1987, as an actor. The background, training and the roles that shaped the career.
Vanessa Bell Calloway, born as Vanessa Bell on March 20, 1957, is a renowned American actress. She initiated her career as a dancer and gained recognition for her film roles as Princess Imani Izzi in the 1988 comedy Coming to America and its sequel. Over the years, Bell Calloway has appeared in over 150 film and television productions and is a nine-time NAACP Image Awards nominee. Her film credits include Death Spa (1988), What's Love Got to Do with It (1993), The Inkwell (1994), Crimson Tide (1995), Daylight (1996), The Brothers (2001) and Biker Boyz (2003). She also demonstrated impressive performances in several television series, including the first African American prime-time soap opera, Under One Roof (1995), Hawthorne, Shameless, and This Is Us.
Bell Calloway was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and attained a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Ohio University. She began her career as a dancer in Michael Bennett's original Broadway production of Dreamgirls. She explored her passion for acting further in the ABC daytime soap opera, All My Children in 1985. From 2016 to 2022, she took the lead role as Lady Ella Johnson in the Bounce TV prime-time soap opera, Saints & Sinners, and in 2022 began starring in the BET+ crime drama, The Black Hamptons. In her personal life, she overcame a significant battle with ductal carcinoma, an early stage of breast cancer in 2009. By October 2015, she had been cancer-free for six years and shared her journey in an Ebony magazine essay.
Who Vanessa Bell Calloway Makes Movies With
The actors and directors Vanessa Bell Calloway shares the most films with. Debbie Allen comes first, with 4 films together, followed by Amin Joseph (2).
Vanessa Bell Calloway: Questions & Answers
How many movies Vanessa Bell Calloway has made, the biggest hit, the best-rated film, the award record and more, answered from the filmography above.
How many movies has Vanessa Bell Calloway been in?
Vanessa Bell Calloway is credited on 27 films, from 1987 to 2025. The filmography on this page lists every one of them, newest first, with the role and the Movie Echo Score.
What is Vanessa Bell Calloway's highest-grossing movie?
Daylight (1996) is Vanessa Bell Calloway's biggest box office hit, with $159M worldwide, ahead of One Of Them Days (2025) ($51.9M). Across every film with box office figures, Vanessa Bell Calloway's movies have made $270M.
Vanessa Bell Calloway's biggest hits What is the best Vanessa Bell Calloway movie?
By the Movie Echo Score, which blends critic reviews, audience ratings and lasting impact, Vanessa Bell Calloway's best-rated film is Throwback Holiday (2018) with a score of 85, followed by One Of Them Days (2025) (83).
Best Vanessa Bell Calloway movies, ranked How old is Vanessa Bell Calloway?
Vanessa Bell Calloway is 69 years old, born on March 20, 1957 in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S..
What is Vanessa Bell Calloway's newest movie?
The most recent film on Vanessa Bell Calloway's filmography is One Of Them Days (2025), in the role of Mama Ruth.
Who does Vanessa Bell Calloway work with most often?
Vanessa Bell Calloway shares the most films with Debbie Allen (4 films), Amin Joseph (2 films) and Gregory Hines (2 films).
The Best Vanessa Bell Calloway Movies, Ranked
Top rated, most awarded and biggest box office hits from 27 credits.
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