Former "Ugly Betty" co-star Vanessa Williams will join the cast of "Desperate Housewives" this fall. I'm excited about her coming to the show because Williams who has an abundance of talent would be a great addition. I just hope the show's writers don't do to her what they did to actress Alfre Woodard.
I don't know what it is about television writers, but simply, they don't know how to write for black actresses. Remember Nia Long's character "Cat" on CBS's now defunct soap opera "The Guiding Light"? How about Rolonda Watts's character on "Friends"? Or even Gordy the Weatherman (aka actor John Amos) on The Mary Tyler Moore Show? That's my point.
With Woodard, the show's writers made her family and character so one dimensional. You didn't love or hate her; you just didn't care about her. There was no chemistry with the characters. Main or otherwise. It's like black characters on TV are limited to roles as police officers, nurses, doctors, victims of abuse, hookers, students, maids or the illegitimate child of some mainstream character. Enough already. I love Dr. Bailey and Green on Grey's Anatomy because they are NOT that. And Michael Beach is the resident that puts people to sleep before surgery. They have lives, loves, outside interests, while handling their business.
I don't need to see that happen to Williams. She has proven that she has THE acting chops. I loved and hated her character Wilhemnia Slater, but I couldn't wait to see what she and Mark would do next. Stealing babies. Cheating people out of millions? Passing off a dead man's baby as her own. I LOVED hating her character.
Williams could be the ratings booster, Desperate Housewives, needs. I hope the show producers get this and use her talents accordingly. Their first course of action: have a a deep heart-to-heart talk with the show's writers. PLEASE!!!
Posted By: Marsha Jones
Friday, May 21st 2010 at 11:20AM
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