Desperate Housewives and Ugly Betty alumna Vanessa Williams is returning to ABC with a co-starring role in another comedic soap. She has signed for a major role opposite leads Bellamy Young, Shelley Hennig, and Kosha Patel in the hourlong pilot False Profits, set in the world of cosmetics marketing, from former Code Black writer-producer Kayla Alpert, Jason Reed, and ABC Studios.
Written by Alpert, False Profits is described as Desperate Housewives meets Glengarry Glen Ross. It follows a team of down-and-out women in suburban Arizona as they fight their way to the top of the cutthroat world of a multi-level marketing cosmetics business.
Williams will play Suzanne, chief of a highly successful “tribe” of Brava Natural saleswomen, and she wants to add Laura (Young) to her cluster of money-making devotees. Cast also includes Kapil Talwalka.
Alpert executive produces with Reed and former Desperate Housewives exec producer Sabrina Wind via Jason T. Reed Productions. ABC Studios is the studio.
Williams, who received three Emmy nominations for the role of Wilhelmina Slater on ABC’s, Ugly Betty, co-starred in the final season of Desperate Housewives as Renee Perry and headlined ABC’s 666 Park Avenue and VH1’s Daytime Divas. She also co-starred in the TV movie The Trip to Bountiful opposite Cicely Tyson. Williams is repped by UTA and GEF Entertainment.
Source: Deadline
