The actress/singer dishes on life as a single mother of four, the importance of girlfriends and margaritas, why she uses Botox (and doesn’t mind talking about it) the end of Ugly Betty and another play on Broadway. When we spoke with Williams she had not yet solidified her move to Wisteria Lane, joining the ABC hit Desperate Housewives in its seventh season.

You’ve garnered three Emmy nominations for Ugly Betty. What’s it been like playing the conniving magazine editor, Wilhelmina Slater? She’s been a joy to bring to life. I’ve loved getting dressed à la Wilhelmina and pushing the limits in terms of extremes for a severe, nononsense businesswoman. This cast is so talented. And you can’t beat the great locations all over New York.

Click here for a behind-the-scenes gallery from Vanessa's photo shoot. It must have been hard to learn that the show wasn’t getting picked up. We were all kind of heartbroken. I would have loved to do another four years, but it wasn’t in the cards. Wilhelmina has been a hard role to put away because I love her strength and, of course, loved every witty line the writers gave me. We were all surprised by the news. We were shooting on location in the East Village when our executive producer told us that the network canceled us. We were supposed to do 22 episodes. They wanted to stop at 16. We begged for a few more to be able to wrap up the show with dignity. We stopped at 20 episodes so we could have some closure. You’re starring in Sondheim on Sondheim through June. Was it difficult to shift from a sitcom to a Broadway show? It’s been a seamless transition. I committed to this project a while ago when James Lapine [who conceived the show and directs it] called to ask if I was interested. He was handpicking a small cast he really wanted to work with, and the only one he’d already cast was Tony Award winner Barbara Cook. I said absolutely. So I’m fortunate to have something else immediately after Ugly Betty. The show is a lot of fun. It’s an intimate portrait of the composer in his own words and music. We’re performing brand-new arrangements of more than two dozen tunes. I’m singing and dancing with a new family with whom I share eight shows a week. As a performer you look to stay creative. We’re like gypsies who set up camp for a show or a movie for a few months, with a new family, and then you say goodbye and move on. It’s always bittersweet when it’s over—unless it’s been a horrible experience [laughs]. But the friendships you’ve made are always there, and you can often pick up where you left off years later when you work together again. How have you managed to have such a long career in a town known for craving the flavor of the month? I’m willing to take chances and be adventurous. If a project sounds interesting and I think it will be challenging, I’m willing to take the venture on. It’s not only about being open to new opportunities and saying yes, but also about being prepared. I’m lucky enough to have parents who prepared me for the entertainment industry. They’re both music teachers, and I grew up learning how to sing, play piano and dance. That’s helped me land a lot of different types of roles. It’s kept me in the game for 27 years—so far. TV, film and a music career—how do you balance all that with your role as mother of four [Melanie, 22, Jillian, 20, Devin, 17, and Sasha Gabriella, 10]? I became a mom when I was young, so I’ve always had my career along with my children. I learned to integrate my family and professional lives. I’ve been doing this since 1987. But there really is no balance. It’s not going to be balanced when you’re working. You’re not going to be able to be at home with your kids as much. But I try to get the kids to the set as much as possible. And I have a great network of support. Who’s in your network? My mom and dad always lived in the next town over (in Westchester County, NY. Her father is deceased but mother is still nearby). That’s a very strong part of why I moved back to the East Coast after seven years in California. My parents have taught my kids music. They’ve been there for special events and performances. They’ve helped raise my kids. I also have Kathy, a high school friend. Our dads were volunteer fire commissioners together. When my kids were young, I had trouble finding a nanny who could travel as much as I needed her to for my career. Once when I was staying with my parents, my mom suggested that Kathy, who lived five houses down, babysit when I had to go to Philly. She’s been with us for 19 years, for all four kids. It really does take a village. Have you ever felt that being a mom and a performer weren’t meshing? There were definitely times I was torn and wished I could have stayed with my kids. There were times that it was very difficult. Just eight weeks after I’d had my second child, I had to go to England to promote my album for ten days. So I dragged my breast pump through airport security. I was so weepy to be leaving my newborn. Those were tough times. I was 26 years old. Maybe ten years later, I’d have said no to the trip. As you get older, you get stronger and more confident, and you get more accustomed to saying no and to knowing your boundaries. Things change as you mature. But you still try to do everything you can to be with your kids. I remember flying from Tokyo to New York for a confirmation party for my daughter, and then back to Tokyo to perform. But you can only do so much, and you have to forgive yourself. You can’t do everything and you can’t please everyone. You have to be selective.

Did your kids understand that mom’s work involved travel, or did they hug your leg when you were leaving for a business trip? I never experienced that. My kids have always been very independent. They were never anxious being dropped off for their first day of kindergarten. They’ve socialized from an early age, going to parties, and Mommy and Me classes, and dance and karate. They’ve always felt safe and knew Mom would pick them up. There were no freak-outs, luckily. But they’ve been all over the world with me when I toured for my albums. And now they’re used to joining me wherever I am when I’m shooting a film or TV show. They love it. I did a TV show in Miami, and my older kids came Friday afternoon for dinner. They hung out for the weekend and took a 5:30 p.m. flight back on Sunday. They find it an adventure. It’s probably been more my issue, finding it hard to be apart from them. What’s your child-care arrangement with your first husband? [Vanessa is divorced from Ramon Hervey, the father of her three older children, and from her second husband, Rick Fox, Sasha’s father.] Ramon lives next door to me here in Chappaqua. He actually rents from my mother. And we split the week. It’s been that way since we split up in 1997 [after ten years]. He’s always rented a house close by so he can be part of raising the kids. I am lucky to have an ex who really made the kids a priority, who wanted to be there to watch them grow. That’s certainly not always the case. And the arrangement with Rick Fox? He lives in California, and we live in New York, so it’s a different setup. Our child, Sasha, lives with me, but she visits her father during spring break or for a birthday. As a former beauty queen, do you have any secrets to staying in shape that you could share? I think having a trainer or going to a class really helps because you have to show up at a designated time and focus and work. And after you turn 40, you need to do weight-bearing exercises to maintain muscle mass and  definition. Finding the time isn’t easy. Now I’m in rehearsal for three weeks from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day, with only Monday off. And we’re shooting Ugly Betty on Mondays. I haven’t worked out in three weeks. So I get on a treadmill for 45 minutes. If you at least walk every day, you can maintain. In an ideal world, I’d work out three days a week. I enjoy yoga, which keeps you centered and limber, and Pilates. But I adapt. Wherever I am on location, I always find the local gym, and I’ll take a Zumba class or spinning. I also eat right; my body feels better. I like fresh greens with some protein on top, like chicken or fish. Then I’ll have one cookie for dessert with hot tea. That way I feel like I treated myself and I’m not craving anything. You can’t cut out everything. Is that what explains why you look so young at 47? Well, I go for facials once a month. And I really do use Proactiv skin care for my acne. I also love Perfekt as a base. You can find it at Sephora. It comes in a pump tube, and I squeeze it out and apply it with my fingers. It looks like you’re not wearing anything. Then I add some mascara and lip gloss. The latest thing I’m into is Botox, which I’ve been doing every six months. I do it lightly because I want to have an expressive face that has movement. Dr. Raj Kanodia does my Botox in Los Angeles. My goal is to look like me. I have four kids. I’m proud of my age. I just don’t want to look tired or angry. I had little lines between my eyebrows that made it look like I was furrowing my brow. He softened those lines and others across my forehead. I’ve also started using a microcurrent facial and body sculpting machine at Beauty Body Wellness Associates. It’s great for under the arms and the inner thighs. Basically it tightens muscles, metabolizes fat and brings energy to that area. I started last summer and find it effective. Admitting to using Botox—isn’t that a felony in Hollywood? Why not? Who cares? I’m one of those women who love to give help and hints to other women. I bring in my favorite products and love turning people on to new things. Women should share! Can a mom of four carve out “me time”—time just for yourself? Yes! Take tonight. I finished rehearsal at 6 p.m. I have an apartment in the city so I don’t have to drive home to Chappaqua. I can sit on my couch looking at the Hudson while my daughter finishes her swim practice. I think she’s having a sleepover at a friend’s, so if she doesn’t come in, I’ll call some girlfriends and we’ll have a few margaritas. You can’t overestimate the value of drinks with the girls. You’ve earned Grammy, Emmy and Tony Award nominations. What’s your favorite type of performing? Musical theater is my favorite. I’ve enjoyed the chances to play really strong women. I love the roles when they’re mysterious and edgy and I get the chance to really explore onstage. I have that opportunity in this show, playing Mama Rose and a chorus girl from Follies. I’m singing a heartfelt breakup song. When you make people cry and laugh, you feel connected—those moments are really satisfying. You can see and hear the audience react—and you know you nailed it. You played a witch in Into the Woods and were in Kiss of the Spider Woman on Broadway. You starred with Miley Cyrus in a hit movie. Is there anything you still dream of doing? My burning ambition is to do a TV musical on a grand scale. I did Bye Bye Birdie with Jason Alexander years ago, and it was wonderful. You’ve been single for about five years. Any plans—or even thoughts—about getting married again someday? I would love to get married to someone who wants to get married. That’s a key component to a successful marriage. When one person doesn’t think marriage is where they want to be, it’s hard to stay together. I want someone who wants a lasting relationship. If I got married again, I’d make sure that’s a priority. What’s been your most important lesson as a working mother? My biggest lesson is to surrender, to stop trying to control. You never know what life has to offer. Yes, have a plan, but also be open to the possibility that you don’t know what’s next. The best things that have happened in my life have been complete surprises. I never intended to meet certain people. I never knew certain opportunities would come up. I know a lot of working moms want to stay in control. My advice: Let go of the wheel. Let life happen. And when you get an opportunity, go for it. You can miss opportunities if you’re always trying to control everything. So be open to something new, and you may be pleasantly surprised.