Victoria Dillard
Born (1967-09-20) September 20, 1967
New York City, New York, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1987–2009

Victoria Dillard (born September 20, 1967) 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.

Life and career

Dillard 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.[1]

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.[1] 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.[2]

Personal life

Dillard 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.[3]

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.[4]

Filmography

Film

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

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

  1. 1 2 Victoria Dillard: Janelle on Spin City - wchstv.com
  2. ↑ Playboy: November 1988, Vol. 35, Iss. 11, pg. 132-133, by: Bruce Williamson
  3. ↑ mcall.com
  4. ↑ KING, ANDREA. "Actress Victoria Dillard Pushes for Diversity in Parkinson's Research". Brain & Life Magazine. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
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