Shanice Williams

She grew up in Rahway, New Jersey. Her mother, Andrea Holmes, is a postal worker; and her father, Shelton Williams, is a security guard. Her cousin, Willis Williams, is an independent professional wrestler known as Ali Shabazz.^[1] She attended Rahway High School, where she performed as part of her school's drama program.^[2]

Williams studied briefly at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Los Angeles, but began her singing career in her grandfather's choir.^[3]

Her first major break was playing the role of Dorothy in The Wiz Live!, a televised program based on the 1975 Broadway theatrical production, The Wiz. Williams was selected for the role through an open casting call when she was 18 years old, which was a collaboration between NBC and the theatrical division of Cirque du Soleil.

In 2017 Williams starred in the HBO film Manic.^[4] For her role in this film, she won best actress in a drama at the New York Television Festival and best actress in a drama at SeriesFest.^[4]

In 2018 Williams made her New York stage and Off-Broadway debut in Little Rock, a play about the Little Rock Nine.^[5] A year later, Williams was cast as Little Red Riding Hood in the Hollywood Bowl production of Into the Woods which ran July 26–28.^[6]