Victoria Rowell

Victoria Rowell is a veteran award-winning actress, international lecturer, holds two ‘honorary’ doctorates – a teacher, advocate, mother, and former foster youth born in Portland, Maine.  After studying at the Cambridge School of Ballet, and dancing professionally with the American Ballet Theater II Company among many other prestigious companies, Victoria pursued a career in modeling, going on to grace the pages of Seventeen, Mademoiselle, and countless other magazines.  And from modeling she established a remarkable acting career in both television and film.

Victoria, an Emmy-nominated, NAACP-winning actress, co-starred with Dick Van Dyke in the prime time television series “Diagnosis Murder” for VIACOM for eight seasons, as well as starring in “The Young and The Restless,” and her films include “Home of the Brave” starring opposite Samuel L. Jackson, “The Distinguished Gentleman” opposite Eddie Murphy, “Dumb and Dumber” opposite Jim Carrey, “Eve’s Bayou,” and “Feast of All Saints” starring opposite Oscar winner Forrest Whitaker. In 2015 Rowell starred and served as Executive Producer on UPtv cable movie, A Baby For Christmas, and was featured in “November Rule” on Netflix, produced by Queen Latifah’s production company Flava Unit.  She was featured in the theatrical documentary about the American Ballet Theater, “A Ballerina’s Tale,” starring Misty Copland, who recognizes Victoria as one of her mentors.  Most recently, Victoria has produced and starred in the original series “The Rich and the Ruthless,” “Jacqueline & Jilly,” on multiple streaming platforms and “Trash Versus Treasure,” launching later in 2020.   

Never one to forget her origins, even amid success, Rowell has been able to use her celebrity status to gain a voice for foster children. With the founding of The Rowell Foster Children’s Positive Plan, she is a leading advocate for foster children and child welfare throughout the United States. Her New York Times bestseller about her rise out of foster care, “The Women Who Raised Me,” was published by HarperCollins Publishers, and received literary acclaim.  Outspoken around the imperative effectiveness of Arts Education, Victoria often equally speaks to illuminate the thin line of demarcation within the creative community around mental wellness issues.