Victoria Dillard (born September 20, 1969)[1] is an American advocate for Parkinson's disease research. She is also a former television and film actress who is best known for her co-starring roles as Janelle Cooper in the ABC sitcom Spin City, as one of the royal bathers in the 1988 Eddie Murphy romantic comedy Coming to America, and as the wife of Denzel Washington's main character in the 1991 action thriller film Ricochet.
Victoria Dillard | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 20, 1969 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1987–2009 |
Life and career
editDillard was born in New York City. She began performing at the age of five with the Dance Theatre of Harlem. She worked with the company until she was eighteen, appearing in such productions Porgy and Bess at the Metropolitan Opera. Then she went on tour in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum with Mickey Rooney.[2]
Dillard's most notable television role was as Janelle Cooper in the ABC sitcom Spin City. She stayed on the show for four seasons before leaving in 2000. Her other television credits include Star Trek: The Next Generation, Seinfeld, Roc, L.A. Law, Chicago Hope, Martin, Moesha, Family Law, Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and other series.
Some of her film credits are Coming to America (1988), Deep Cover (1992), The Glass Shield (1994), Internal Affairs (1990), Out-of-Sync (1995) with LL Cool J, and Ricochet (1991) with Denzel Washington.[2] Dillard also appeared as Betty Shabazz in the 2001 film Ali, her last film to date.
Dillard was featured in the November 1988 Playboy issue in the article "Sex In Cinema 1988", referencing her brief topless appearance in the beginning of Coming to America.[3]
Personal life
editDillard currently lives in New York City. She dances in her free time and writes screenplays and plays for the stage. Dillard was dating actor Laurence Fishburne beginning in 1992 when the two met on the set of the film Deep Cover. Their relationship ended in 1995.[4]
In 2005, at the age of 38, Dillard was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. It is the same disease that afflicts her former Spin City co-star, actor Michael J. Fox. She has since become an advocate for Parkinson's disease research and treatments.[5]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Coming To America | Bather/Dancer | |
| 1990 | Internal Affairs | Kee | |
| 1991 | Ricochet | Alice Styles | |
| 1992 | Deep Cover | Betty McCutcheon | |
| 1994 | Killing Obsession | Jean Wilson | |
| The Glass Shield | Barbara Simms | ||
| 1995 | Out-of-Sync | Monica Collins | |
| Statistically Speaking | Waitress | Short | |
| 1997 | The Ditchdigger's Daughters | Tass | TV movie |
| 1999 | The Best Man | Anita | |
| 2001 | Tara | Ms. Cameo | Video |
| Commitments | Fox Giovanni | TV movie | |
| Ali | Betty Shabazz |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Star Trek: The Next Generation | Ballerina | Episode: "Where No One Has Gone Before" |
| 1990 | Nasty Boys | Nicole Stanhope | Episode: "Last Tango in Vegas" |
| 1993 | Seinfeld | Agency Rep. | Episode: "The Old Man" |
| Tribeca | Olivia | Episode: "The Box" | |
| 1994 | L.A. Law | Regina Cole | Episode: "Silence Is Golden" |
| Roc | Suzanne | Episode: "You Shouldn't Have To Lie" | |
| Chicago Hope | Dr. Nadine Winslow | Episode: "Over the Rainbow" & "With the Greatest of Ease" | |
| 1995 | Martin | Sharon | Episode: "Three Homies and a Baby" |
| 1996 | Moesha | Beverly | Episode: "The List" |
| 1996-00 | Spin City | Janelle Cooper | Recurring cast: season 1, main cast: season 2-4 |
| 2001 | Family Law | Marcia Henderson | Episode: "Angel's Flight" |
| 2004 | Law & Order | Belinda Gardner | Episode: "C.O.D." |
| 2007 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Sharon Adams | Episode: "Self-made" |
| 2009 | The Unusuals | Dora Nix | Episode: "Pilot" |
References
edit- ^ McCann, Bob (2022). Encyclopedia of African American Actresses in Film and Television. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. p. 101. ISBN 978-0-7864-3790-0. See also:
- Skin (2005). Mr. Skin's Skincyclopedia: The A-to-Z Guide to Finding Your Favorite Actresses Naked. New York: St. Martin's Griffin. p. 150. ISBN 0-312-33144-4.
- ^ a b Victoria Dillard: Janelle on Spin City - wchstv.com
- ^ Playboy: November 1988, Vol. 35, Iss. 11, pg. 132-133, by: Bruce Williamson
- ^ mcall.com
- ^ KING, ANDREA. "Actress Victoria Dillard Pushes for Diversity in Parkinson's Research". Brain & Life Magazine. Retrieved 27 January 2020.