Vanessa Williams on going from Desperate Housewives to life as a single mum of four
Oct 17 2010 Steve Hendry, Sunday Mail
Daily Record
WHEN it comes to playing a bitch, Vanessa Williams is an expert.
She's spent years perfecting her nasty side as Ugly Betty's mag boss Wilhelmina Slater - now she's sharpening her claws as she prepares to walk amid the perfectly-manicured lawns of Wisteria Lane.
The 47-year-old is joining Desperate Housewives as Renee Perry, a rich and successful college friend with a barbed tongue - a 'frenemy' - of Lynette Scavo, played by Felicity Huffman.
She makes her bow tonight, paying an unexpected visit to the Scavo household, as the show begins its latest run on Channel 4. Her character likes it so much she decides to stay and Vanessa is delighted to be playing a mean girl once again.
She said: "Renee comes to visit because she's got some problems in her marriage.
"She is a New Yorker who is married to a Yankee and comes to Wisteria Lane because she used to be room mates with Lynette and they had a pretty racy past together as college co-eds.
"She likes Wisteria Lane so much that she buys a house down the street. She is there to stay and starts stirring things up.
"Those type of characters are a lot more fun to play than the realistic stuff. It's wonderful to have such fantastic dialogue and fantastic ensemble. It's a ball being able to have this character come to life - it's not like I have to do any major method acting and treat everyone like crap around there!
"The luxury of having great writers is it's on the page so it's just a matter of execution."
While she plays nasty all too well, in reality twice-divorced Vanessa says she does not have the time or energy.
The single mum is too busy flying back and forth from Los Angeles to her family home in New York to see her kids, Mel, 23, Jillian, 21, Devin, 17 and 10-year-old Sasha.
She has managed to stay close to her first husband, former manager Ramon Hervey, who, along with her parents, looks out for the children while she is busy at work.
Her second ex, former NBA basketball player Rick Fox, has recently been showing off his dancing skills on Dancing With The Stars, the American version of Strictly Come Dancing.
Doing it on her own means she really does know what it is to be a housewife, although as a single working mum she manages to keep desperation at bay when she has to be away from her family.
She said: "There is no balance. That's the first principle - it's not going to be balanced when you're working. You're not going to be able to be at home with your kids. When I'm at work, I try to get the kids to the set as much as possible. I love when people say, 'How was your time off?' My time off? My time off is doing what I would normally do as a mother of four.
"You have to make each moment work for you and surrender to the process. You can't be guilt-ridden. Every time I jump on a plane to head back to work, my kids know they'll see me as soon as possible. I'm never gone more than five days a week.
"Luckily it's built into my contract that I get Monday or Friday off, so at least I have a three-day weekend. That's how it works for now."
As the show returns for a seventh series, the residents of Wisteria Lane are stunned to discover that Paul Young is out of prison and back in the neighbourhood.
Meanwhile, Susan (Teri Hatcher) sees a glimmer of hope in getting her life back on the Lane when she's offered an unorthodox job.
Gabrielle (Eva Longoria) finds herself keeping secrets from husband Carlos and Bree (Marcia Cross) is tempted by her handsome young handyman.
Vanessa was particularly delighted to step into Wisteria Lane because Ugly Betty, the fashion comedy drama in which she appeared alongside America Ferrara and Scots star Ashley Jensen, had come to an end, cancelled after four seasons.
She said: "It is a smooth transition from Ugly Betty for me. As an actor you finish one series and go, 'Oh my God, I'm out of work' and luckily I had a wonderful Broadway show to jump into. Then I got a phone call from my agent, saying 'Marc Cherry wants to meet you' - he is the creator of the show.
"We sat down and he asked me if I'd like to be a character on the show. Four days later it was all sorted out."
From the outside, the female stars of Desperate Housewives appear a fairly formidable group but Vanessa says she has found them, and the rest of the cast and crew, both warm and welcoming.
She said: "They become like family. It's very similar to doing a Broadway show, doing eight shows a week with the same people, with the same roles and the same crew." Of course on Wisteria Lane, you have to look the part too and Vanessa works hard to stay in shape.
She said: "I have a trainer in New York and a trainer in LA. I have a food delivery service which I absolutely love and it just makes it easy. But you have to work and move your body, especially at 40 plus."
While she is no slave to fashion, Vanessa enjoyed her time as the ultra-fashionista with a heart of stone Wilhelmina on Ugly Betty and took away a load of tips.
She said: "Learn what looks suit you best and what you feel comfortable in, because there's always a way to make it work. If it's just a crisp white shirt that fits well and has some kind of detail with a great trouser and a great shoe, that might be it. Spend money on good shoes, that's the other tip - but don't hurt your feet.
"I can always pick out Donna Karan clothing because it looks comfortable and you just want to live in it. But there's not one particular person that I live by or think is absolutely timeless.
"You just have to pray and hope. I have my own style, which is more relaxed and casual than anything. I do think I have a fashion sense but I'm not obsessed with labels. I'm not a trend follower. That's pretty freeing. I can go from classic to bohemian and feel comfortable. I definitely love comfort."
Vanessa has also had a successful career as a singer, reportedly selling more than
six million records and gaining
15 Grammy Award nominations.
As an actress, she has appeared on TV in a variety of shows including
Saturday Night Live, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Ally McBeal and in films like
Eraser with Arnold Schwarzenegger and
Hannah Montana: The Movie with Miley Cyrus. It's been hard work but worth it.
She said: "Being professional is a big key - come prepared, and people want to work with you.
I'm happy that I've been in the game for over 20 years. You've got to have a sense of humour about riding the times."
Desperate Housewives is on Channel 4 at 10pm tonight.
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