Vanessa Middleton  Vanessa Middleton is an American film and television producer and writer, as well as a film director. Middleton has worked as a writer on shows like "Cosby", "Girlfriends", and "Hangin' with Mr. Cooper". In 2001, Middleton made her feature film directorial debut with the romantic comedy "30 Years to Life", starring Tracy Morgan, Paula Jai Parker, and Allen Payne. In 2013, Middleton created the web series "Walk This Way".