Williams has also appeared in a number of feature films . She received a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for her portrayal of Teri Joseph for the 1997 feature film '' Soul Food '' . In 2007 , she starred in the independent film '' My Brother '' , for which she won Best Actress honors at the Harlem International Film Festival , the African-American Women in Cinema Film Festival , and at the Santa Barbara African Heritage Film Festival . She also notably co-starred with Arnold Schwarzenegger in '' Eraser '' , Samuel L. Jackson in the 2000 remake of '' Shaft '' , the characters from '' Sesame Street '' in '' The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland '' ( as the Queen of Trash ) , and with Miley Cyrus in '' Hannah Montana : The Movie . '' Williams began her career on stage in the 1985 production , '' One Man Band , '' as one of " the women . " She followed it in 1989 as " Laura " in '' Checkmates . '' In 1994 , she broadened her ascendant music career into a theatrical role when she replaced Chita Rivera as Aurora in the Broadway production of '' Kiss of the Spider Woman '' . In 1998 , she portrayed Della Green in the revival of '' St. Louis Woman , '' and Carmen Jones in the 2002 Kennedy Center Special Performance of '' Carmen Jones . '' In the same year , she was also featured in the Tony/Drama Desk Award winning revival production of Stephen Sondheim 's '' Into the Woods '' , for which she was nominated a Tony and Drama Desk Award for her performance as the Witch . This production included songs revised for her . In 2010 , Vanessa starred in a new Broadway musical revue entitled '' Sondheim on Sondheim '' , a look at Stephen Sondheim through his music , film and videotaped interviews . '' Sondheim '' ran from March 19 to June 13 at Studio 54 in New York City . In 2013 , she starred as Jessie Mae Watts in the Horton Foote play '' The Trip to Bountiful '' , which was later turned into a 2014 television film . In 2014 , she starred in the Broadway musical , '' After Midnight '' and in 2015 she appeared in a PBS production of '' Show Boat '' as Julie La Verne
Harlem International Film Festival
Harlem International Film Festival
Vanessa Williams