Wilhelmina Slater is the main antagonist of the TV series Ugly Betty.
She was portrayed by Vanessa Williams.
Ugly Betty TV Series[]
Wilhelmina is a self-absorbed diva and former supermodel who lives for two things: MODE and Botox.
During the first two seasons, Wilhelmina launches a series of attempts to derail Daniel, but on account of Betty Suarez, Daniel's assistant, many of Wilhelmina's plans are thwarted. In her many years as Creative Director, she has acquired many minions in the fashion industry (including one from a rival magazine), whom she uses in order to reach her goal of becoming editor-in-chief of Mode. She has also kept a series of files on other well known figures, filled with information she could potentially blackmail them with if the need arose. She sent Marc to pick up the Book of Mode from Gina Gambarro.
In the season finale, Bradford gives Wilhelmina a gaudy engagement ring he designed himself, setting things up for a November 2007 wedding. When Wilhelmina learned Claire escaped while en-route to prison, hoping to stop Bradford from marrying Wilhelmina in the second season, she hired a bodyguard named Dwayne, whose "protection" was caught off-guard by Betty and Christina, only to have Wilhelmina force Betty into keeping quiet and not tell Daniel by getting her father Ignacio Suarez back into the United States legally. She also manipulated an amnesiac Alexis (who was in the hospital after the car crash she and Daniel were in) into thinking they were still friends by telling her Claire was the one who walked out on Bradford. She also used a tactic at the annual Meade Black & White Ball resulting in Bradford finally telling Claire their marriage.
Trivia[]
- She was portrayed by Vanessa Williams in her first and only villainous role so far.
- In June 2010, Entertainment Weekly named her one of the 100 Greatest Characters of the Last 20 Years.
- In July 2012, She was on the #25 List of TV's Greatest Villains of All Time.
- Wilhelmina is similar to Cruella De Vil: Both are cruel, scheming and manipulating bosses and both are business women.