Vanessa Estelle Williams (Candyman Interview)

Last Updated on August 31, 2021

I had the distinct pleasure of speaking with Vanessa Estelle Williams, who is reprising her role of Anne-Marie McCoy from 1992’s Candyman in the new “spiritual sequel” of the same name from writer Jordan Peele and director, Nia DaCosta. This was a conversation that covered a lot of ground and by the end of it, I felt like I was catching up with an old friend. However, she did go into some small SPOILERS so beware. This is a project that is important to Williams because not only is it an entertaining horror film, but it’s a horror film with a message.

Vanessa Estelle Williams is best known to most audiences for playing Nino Brown’s (Wesley Snipes) feisty gun moll, Keisha in the 1991 crime drama, New Jack City. It’s a scene-stealing role that allowed the actress to leave her mark in the film and it’s a role that still resonates today. On television, Williams was cast as Maxine Chadway in the Showtime drama series Soul Food, a continuation of the critically acclaimed and successful 1997 film of the same name. For her role on the series, Williams received an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series in 2003 and also received three additional nominations during the show’s run. Airing from 2000-2004, Soul Food went on to be the longest-running drama with a predominantly black cast in the history of American primetime television.

Williams is back on the big screen this weekend in Candyman, reprising her role of Anne-Marie McCoy from the original film. In the 1992 movie, Anne-Marie McCoy is a single mother raising her son when she runs across Virginia Madsen’s Helen Lyle, who is completing a thesis on urban legends and folklore, which leads her to the legend of the “Candyman.” Williams serves as a link between the 1992 film and this new iteration and it should be a real treat for horror fans once they realize how it all ties together.

It’s clear that Williams is passionate about this project, particularly the social commentary that is explored throughout the film. We touched on this topic heavily during our talk but we also touched on how the art within the film and the art of the filmmaking in general, sells this theme without having to beat you over the head with it. It’s definitely a chat that is better heard than explained but it was cool to listen to her acknowledge that this will be a treat for horror fans but you’ll also come out of the experience a bit more enlightened about the current state of the world.

Candyman is playing exclusively in theaters now and if you would like to learn more about Candyman, beyond the film, please head to candymanmovie.com and explore the Social Impact Initiative. There is some great coverage that covers great ground on the social commentary of the film and its influence on culture. Definitely worth a look!