PRIME OF LIFE

Vanessa Williams opens up about her glamorous life in London, being friends with Sir Elton John and why she's happiest at home

- 

Vanessa Williams walks into the restaurant of London's Broadwick Soho hotel with the assurance of someone who knows precisely where she belongs.

In the past year, she has become a familiar presence on the British cultural circuit, sitting on the front row at Burberry next to Sir Elton John and air-kissing designers at the British Fashion Awards. It is not the high-wattage entrance of a visiting star, but the measured confidence of someone who feels right at home.

For just over a year, Vanessa has anchored the West End production of The Devil Wears Prada, inhabiting the character of Miranda Priestly with an authority that segues from a withering "that's all" to a high-octane song and dance number.

The show's run has been extended until September and she is starring in it until April, but she's showing no signs of fatigue, despite a demanding schedule of eight shows a week. If anything, it seems to have energised the 62-yearold New Yorker.

Now, wearing a relaxed knit by Lisa Todd, she orders a glass of red wine and settles down to chat about the latest chapter in a career that has spanned four decades. "It's just delightful to still be in the game," she says.

RISE TO FAME

As a 20-year-old student, Vanessa was crowned Miss America 1984, becoming the first black woman to win the title. She quickly found success in the music industry, enjoying a hit with 1992's Save the Best for Last.

She became better known for her acting in the early 2000s, appearing as a magazine editor in Ugly Betty and portraying one of the impossibly glamorous Desperate Housewives.

But, as the daughter of two music teachers, rhythm and harmony are in her blood. "Although they never told me to 'get a real job', it was important to get an education," she says.