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Eighties acting legend, 60, hasn’t aged a day 14 years after starring in C4 comedy as she lands huge new West End role
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UGLY Betty star Vanessa Williams showed off her age-defying looks after landing a role in Elton John's West End adaption of The Devil Wears Prada adaption.
American singer and actress Vanessa, who played Wilhelmina Slater in Channel 4 hit comedy series Ugly Betty from 2006 to 2010, is set to portray Miranda Priestly in UK theatre from October.
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Eighties legend Vanessa, 60, shared the exiting news on social media, and gave fans a glimpse of her playing the terrifying editor-in-chief of Runway magazine.
The camera followed the character around the Runway office, before she sat down at her desk and removed her sunglasses.
She then said: "Don't just sit there. Buy tickets or something."
Vanessa said that "bringing Miranda Priestly to life in the West End is an absolute dream come true".
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The role was originally played by Meryl Streep in the 2006 movie, which also starred Anne Hathaway as Miranda's assistant Andrea 'Andy' Sachs.
It tells the story of aspiring journalist Andy after she lands a job at the prestigious Runway magazine working for fashion’s most powerful and terrifying icon — editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly.
Andy is forced to sacrifice her personal life to meet Miranda’s impossible demands - and in the process finds herself seduced by the glamorous world she once despised.
Vanessa, who also starred as Renee Perry in Desperate Housewives from 2010 to 2012, often keeps fans updated with her career and personal life on Instagram.
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Last year, she wowed fans as she showed off her youthful complexion in a stunning summer selfie.
One fan gushed: "You keep getting better looking every time i see you! I guess a smile really is the best accessory?"
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A second posted: "Always beautiful," while a third commented: "So beautiful inside and out."
The show will run from July to October in the UK, kicking off at Plymouth Theatre before arriving at London's Dominion Theatre.
It will be the first time Vanessa, has starred in a West End stage show since her debut in musical City of Angels in 2020, which was forced to shut down amid the Covid pandemic.
But Vanessa is no stranger to the stage and has been in a number of Broadway shows, including a Tony-nominated performance in Into the Woods in 2002 and Horton Foote's in 2013.
The musical contains an original score by Elton.
He previously said in a statement: "Re-imagining The Devil Wears Prada for the musical theatre is super exciting.
"I'm a huge fan of both the book and the feature film, and a huge aficionado of the fashion world. I can't wait to sink my musical teeth into this hunk of popular culture."
Vanessa has had a successful career and reached the final of Miss America and was crowned the first African-American winner.
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She went on to release herbiggest hit, Save The Best For Last, in 1991, before performing on Broadway and as Wilhelmina Slater in TV show Ugly Betty, which aired in 2006.
While her platinum single Colors of the Wind from Disney's Pocahontas won the Oscar, Grammy, and Golden Globe for Best Original Song in 1995.
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