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*Vanessa Bell Calloway has always been an understated actress in the land of fame and money called Hollywood. But somehow, some way, the award-winning entertainer seems to find gigs that keep her face in the limelight.
*Vanessa Bell Calloway has always been an understated actress in the land of fame and money called Hollywood. But somehow, some way, the award-winning entertainer seems to find gigs that keep her face in the limelight.
As she prepares herself to make another appearance in public view this Saturday in Don B. Welch’s stage play “The Divorce,” playing at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre, Calloway said that’s not the case.
Showtime for “The Divorce” is slated for 8 p.m. and co-stars Dawnn Lewis, Ananda Lewis and Tatyana Ali.
Like anyone else, Calloway said she’s just trying to stay employed. For African American actresses, particularly those who are part of the 40-and-over-club, gainful employment has now become a roll of the dice with many of them crapping out. Quality roles for women such as the great Angela Bassett (Meet the Browns) and the ageless Pam Grier, are simply too far and between.
Even the youthful and stunning-looking Calloway, who has earned more than a handful of NAACP Image Award nominations, can’t escape the reality that acting jobs are getting scarcer by the day for women who look like her. Calloway said she knows that once the final curtain closes this weekend, she’ll be back to getting her job-hunting hustle on.
“I’m looking for a job,” Calloway said emphatically. “The reality in our business is that when you get offered a job-you take it. You audition for what is available, which is different than our white counterparts. Then you have to conform to whatever that character is. I like to do whatever is character-driven and good.”
The character Calloway plays in “The Divorce,” is a role that usually typifies the former Alvin Ailey dancer: sassy and blunt. In the play, Calloway plays the role of Eva Owens, who like the other women, helps Dawnn Lewis’ character celebrate the breakup of her marriage with a divorce party.
“Eva Owens is kind of brash and saucy,” Calloway said. “She’s a comedic relief. She’s the best fiend and she pretty much tells it like it is. This is about a group of women getting together to celebrate their friend’s divorce.”
Calloway, known for her big-screen performances in “Biker Boyz,” “Coming to America,” and the “Inkwell,” as well as her television roles in “The District” and “The Closer,” said her versatility keeps her working. A cast member of the original Broadway play “Dreamgirls,” Calloway said being able to mix it up on stage or in front of the camera, is something you have to do in order to survive and thrive in the business.
“I think it’s always necessary to try to do more than one thing, especially in this industry,” Calloway said. “It’s a necessity that you have to do to keep growing. I’ve been doing what I’m doing for a long time. But it comes out of love for what I do.”
Dennis Freeman is a Southern California based writer. Contact him via: denjam7_freeman@hotmail.com