| Vanessa Lee Chester | |
| Birth Place: | Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation: | Actress |
| Alma Mater: | University of Southern California |
| Yearsactive: | 1992–present |
Vanessa Lee Chester (born July 2, 1984) is an American actress.[1] She began her career as a child actor in the films A Little Princess (1995) and Harriet the Spy (1996), before her breakthrough role in Steven Spielberg's (1997).
Chester was born on July 2, 1984, at Brooklyn, New York City,[2] to Guyanese parents who immigrated to the United States. In her early childhood, she relocated with her mother to Los Angeles, California, where she began auditioning for and appearing in commercials.[2]
Chester made her film debut in the comedy CB4 (1993) starring Chris Rock. The following year, she appeared in a supporting role in Alfonso Cuarón's A Little Princess (1995).[1] In 1996, she appeared opposite Michelle Trachtenberg as Janie in the Nickelodeon film Harriet the Spy, which was a moderate box office success.[3] The following year, she was cast in a lead role as Kelly in Steven Spielberg's (1997),[4] playing the daughter of Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum). The film was a box office hit, grossing over $600 million worldwide.[5] Chester later worked mostly in television, most notably appearing in Malcolm in the Middle and The West Wing. She was nominated for a Saturn Award (The Lost World: Jurassic Park), Image Award (The Lost World: Jurassic Park), Young Artist Award (A Little Princess) and took home the Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film – Supporting Young Actress (Harriet The Spy).[6] In early 2012, Chester began work on an unnamed film by Ty Hodges.[6]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | CB4 | Talona | ||
| 1995 | A Little Princess | Becky | ||
| 1996 | Harriet the Spy | Janie Gibbs | ||
| 1997 | Kelly Curtis | |||
| 1999 | She's All That | Melissa's Friend | ||
| 2000 | Stepsister from Planet Weird | Michelle | TV movie | |
| Dreams in the Attic | Angel | TV movie | ||
| 2006 | The Shift | Daughter | Short | |
| 2008 | Extreme Movie | Charlotte | ||
| 2009 | 17 Again | Cheerleader | ||
| 2011 | Reconstruction | Eleanor | TV movie | |
| 2014 | The Costume Shop | Young Janie | ||
| The Arrangement | Emily Myers-Stanley | Short | ||
| 2015 | Fated | Eliza | Short |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Hangin' with Mr. Cooper | Stephanie | Episode: "Miracle in Oaktown" |
| 1994 | Me and the Boys | Renee | Episode: "Every Good Boy Does Fine" & "Talent Show" |
| 1997 | School Child #3 | Episode: "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" | |
| Promised Land | Emily Dixon | Episode: "Stealing Home: Part 1 & 2" | |
| 1999 | Get Real | Rude Girl | Episode: "Anatomy of a Rumor" |
| 1999-2000 | Once and Again | Annie | Recurring cast: season 1, guest: season 2 |
| 2002 | Family Law | Girl #1 | Episode: "Celano v. Foster" |
| Malcolm in the Middle | Student #3 | Episode: "Humilithon" | |
| 2004 | Crossing Jordan | Andrea | Episode: "Most Likely" |
| 2005 | Without a Trace | Dori | Episode: "Lost Time" |
| 2006 | The West Wing | Youth Voter #2 | Episode: "Duck and Cover" |
| Veronica Mars | Maureen | Episode: "I Am God" | |
| Justice | 2nd Mock Juror | Episode: "Filicide" | |
| 2010 | Lone Star | Tamar Wilson | Episode: "Small Time" |
| 2011 | 9ine | Candace | Episode: "May" |
| Switched at Birth | Lizzy | Episode: "The Stag Hunt" | |
| 2012 | How I Met Your Mother | Mia | Episode: "The Autumn of Break-Ups" |
| 2013 | Welcome to Sanditon | Letitia "Griff" Griffiths | 4 episodes |
| 2015 | Scorpion | Secretary | Episode: "Cliffhanger" |
| 2016 | Ladies Like Us: The Rise of Neighborhood Watch | Natalia | Episode: "In a Matrix" |
| 2021 | Summer Camp Island | Nancy (voice) | Episode: "Betsy and the Ghost Chapter 3: There's a Racket In My Hope Chest" |