Vanessa Lee Chester


Vanessa Lee Chester is an American television and film actress who rose to fame as a child actor for her roles in A Little Princess and Harriet the Spy, before gaining wide-scale recognition for her role in Steven Spielberg's .

Biography

Chester was born July 2, 1984, in Brooklyn, New York City, 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.
Chester made her film debut in the comedy CB4 starring Chris Rock. The following year, she appeared in a supporting role in Alfonso Cuarón's A Little Princess. In 1996, she appeared opposite Michelle Trachtenberg as Janie in the Nickelodeon film Harriet the Spy, which was a moderate box office success. The following year, she was cast in a lead role as Kelly in Steven Spielberg's , playing the daughter of Ian Malcolm. The film was a box office hit, grossing over $600 million worldwide. 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, Image Award, Young Artist Award and took home the Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film – Supporting Young Actress. In early 2012, Chester began work on an unnamed film by Ty Hodges.

Filmography

Television