Nun Horror Story" or Vanessa Redgrave in "The Devils". Nun A nun is a member of a religious community of women, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery. Communities of nuns exist in numerous religious traditions, including Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Jainism, and Taoism. In the Buddhist tradition, female monastics are known as Bhikkhuni, and take several additional vows compared to male monastics (bhikkhus). Nuns are most common in Mahayana Buddhism, but have more recently become more prevalent in other traditions. Within Christianity, women religious, known as nuns or religious sisters, are found in
Vanessa A. Williams ran into name conflict with actress and former Miss America, Vanessa Williams. Screen Actors Guild rules prohibited duplicate stage naming. Vanessa A. had registered the name "Vanessa Williams" first, so as a compromise, the former Miss America was occasionally credited as "Vanessa L. Williams" in acting credits. The Screen Actors Guild eventually took the issue to arbitration and decided that both actresses could use the professional name "Vanessa Williams". Williams began her acting career in 1989, appearing in episodes of "The Cosby Show" and "Law & Order". In 1992, she was cast as Rhonda Blair, first and only black regular