The Real Queen: Vanessa Williams

What has Wilhelmina Slater done for your gay icon status?[ Laughs ] Whenever you play a diva effectively you get big props! First, I have to say thanks to Silvio Horta for creating her. She is not a caricature, the scripts go on and on; they make her a full, well-rounded human being. You realize she is passionate about her work, her style, her diction, her posture, and who she hangs out with. But she's also a woman who has been hurt and scorned, she's a tough lady. I love Silvio for keeping her as deep as possible but also making her so witty. She is a diva! I love playing her.

Do you model the character after anybody you know or have worked with?She's a compilation. I've met Anna Wintour once, but I certainly don't model her after Anna Wintour. There's other people I worked with and also people from my own life. She's definitely a combination of a lot of people.

Any desire to return to Broadway?I'd love to! I've just got to find the time. We just finished and we go back the second week of July, so I wouldn't have time. We're doing a musical episode upcoming season 4 and I can't wait for that to happen.

Any plans to remix any of the songs on The Real Thing ?I've been waiting for remixes for months now. I'll ask the record company what the deal is with that. Concord is a jazz label -- I'd love to do a dance album, but it would probably have to be on a different record label.

When you get to heaven what is the DJ playing?Wow… this is like Inside the Actors Studio, but the club version! [ Laughs ]

The remix! [ Laughs ]I guess "I Did It My Way" -- as schmaltzy as it is, it hits the nail right on the head.