Most Successful Miss America ContestantsMost Successful Miss America Contestants

Some of the most successful Miss America contestants managed to turn their beauty pageant win into a showbiz career, but making the leap takes both talent and luck.

While Miss America 2015, Kira Kazantsev, brought a third consecutive win for New York, standing the test of time might prove more difficult than she currently anticipates. See the celebrities who actually made it after winning the crown or simply being part of the iconic beauty pageant.

Vanessa Williams Miss America 1983

The first African-American to win the pageant crown is also one of the most successful Miss America contestants. She’s also one of the few Miss America winners who had to give up her crown, once nude photos she had posed for were published in Penthouse magazine. 

After becoming Miss America 1984, Williams’ career included multiple Emmy, Grammy and Tony nominations, and she’s starred in over 15 movies, along with TV shows like “Ugly Betty” and “Desperate Housewives”.

Gretchen Carlson Miss America 1989