Victoria Rowell
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Victoria Rowell (born May 10, 1960 in Portland, Maine) is an American actress.
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[edit] Biography
Rowell was a foster child for the first eighteen years of her life. Rowell's biological mother Dorothy Rowell was white, and her father was African-American. [1] She never knew her father or anything about him, except his last name is Wilson and he lives in Washington, and is involved in the real-estate business. Dorothy Rowell had three sons by three different fathers, who were all brought up by them. [2]
Aged 16 days, Victoria and her two sisters Sheree and Lori were given away by Dorothy to the state child services unit. They went into five foster homes, ending up on Lebanon, Maine with Robert and Agatha Armstead. Whilst living here Victoria started ballet aged 8, and after an audition she received a Ford Foundation scholarship to study at the Cambridge school of ballet. A professional dancer since the age of 17, Rowell received scholarships to the School of American Ballet, the American Ballet Theatre and the Dance Theatre of Harlem [3]
After dancing with the American Ballet Theatre II and the Juilliard School of Music Dance Extension program with Anthony Tudor, Rowell accepted guest artist teaching posts in New England [4]
[edit] Actress
In the 1980s, she became a well-known model. She started taking acting lessons on the side while modelling, and she earned guest-starring roles on television shows like The Cosby Show. In 1990, she was cast as street urchin-turned-fashion model Drucilla Barber on the long-running soap opera The Young and the Restless. This role proved to be lucrative for Rowell, as she was nominated for two Daytime Emmy awards (1996 and 1997). She also won ten NAACP Image Awards for her portrayal of Drucilla (see NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series for the years in which she won). She played the role until 1998, and returned briefly in 2000. She is now currently playing the role, having returned to the show again in 2002.
In addition to playing roles in movies such as Dumb & Dumber, Barb Wire, and Eve's Bayou, Rowell also played the role of Dr. Amanda Bentley on the mystery series Diagnosis: Murder, all while she was still on The Young and the Restless
- The Young and the Restless - Drucilla Winters (1994 - 1997; 2000 - Present)
- Pacific Palisades - Joanna Hadley (1997)
- Another Midnight Run - Hotel Guest (1994)
- Tribes - Frankie (1990)
- Cottonmouth - Rene (2000)
- Vampires Anonymous - Taffeta Monroe (2000)
She is also a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.
[edit] Foundation
In 1990, Rowell founded the "Rowell Foster Children Positive Plan", which gives emotional support and financial aid to foster children, especially to those who aspire to become actors and dancers - the road Rowell took
In 2003, Rowell was a special guest on the talk show Dr. Phil, in which she gave an emancipated foster child a job, medical and dental care, and a scholarship from her foundation
In May 2006, Rowell was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters by the University of Southern Maine in recognition of her work for the benefit of foster children.
[edit] Personal life
Rowell married Tom Fahey in 1989, but before the couple divorced the following year, they had a daughter Maya. She later dated jazz musician Wynton Marsalis, and the couple have a son called Jasper - who played her son CJ in "Diagnosis: Murder"[5]
[edit] References
- ^ Her mother was white and her father was black.
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ [3]
- ^ Victoria Rowell with her two children.
