Kimberly Elise
Encyclopedia
Kimberly Elise is an American
film and television actress. She is best known for her role in the films Set It Off
, Beloved
, John Q
, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, and For Colored Girls. Elise is a four-time NAACP Image Award
winner.
, the daughter of Erma Jean (née
Johnson), an elementary school teacher, and Marvin Trammel, who owns an executive search firm. She has three siblings. Elise studied film and acting at the University of Minnesota
and earned a BA
in Mass Communications. She was married to Maurice Oldham (1958–2007) from 1989 until 2005; they have two children, Ajableu Oldham and Butterfly Oldham. He died from a "massive blood clot", according to Elise.
Elise's maternal descent is of the Songhai people in Mali.
(1996), in which she played one of four women who resort to robbing a bank for money. Her big break came in 1997 when she was cast in the Family Channel original television movie The Ditchdigger's Daughters, based on the Pulitzer-prize nominated and critically acclaimed 1995 memoir The Ditchdigger's Daughters: A Black Family's Astonishing Success Story, written by Yvonne S. Thornton and Jo Coudert. She received critical acclaim,bn, for her role in this film, and in 1997 she was recognized as Best Supporting Actress in a Movie or Miniseries at the 19th annual CableACE Awards. A relative unknown at the time, she conveyed her anonymity upon receiving the award by saying "Who is Kimberly Elise?". Her performance helped her land a role the next year in Beloved
alongside Oprah Winfrey
and Danny Glover
. She is often compared to a young Cicely Tyson
whom she resembles.
In 2004, she appeared in Woman Thou Art Loosed
portraying Michelle, an abused young woman who finally got the help she needed behind bars. This role won her a Black Reel award for Best Actress. She also appeared in John Q
, The Manchurian Candidate
and Diary of a Mad Black Woman (she won a NAACP Image Award
for the latter). From 2005 to 2007 she starred on the CBS
crime drama Close to Home, playing Marion County, Indiana
(Indianapolis
) prosecutor Maureen Scofield. Her character was killed off in the last episode of the 2006-2007 season. The series was cancelled in May 2007.
She has since made a guest appearance on the sitcom Girlfriends
in which she played an HIV-positive woman.
Her most recent film role was in Tyler Perry
's For Colored Girls (2010), as the battered wife Crystal. While the film itself received mixed to negative reviews, her performance was praised by many critics. One journalist described her as, "...the great lost Best Supporting Actress
contender of the 2010 season."
African-American Film Critics Association
Black Reel Awards
CableACE Award
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards
Golden Satellite Awards
NAACP Image Award
s
Independent Spirit Awards
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film and television actress. She is best known for her role in the films Set It Off
Set It Off
Set It Off is a 1996 action and crime film directed by F. Gary Gray, and stars Jada Pinkett, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox and Kimberly Elise , as four close friends in Los Angeles, California who decide to plan and execute a bank robbery...
, Beloved
Beloved (film)
Beloved is a 1998 film based on Toni Morrison's 1987 novel of the same name. It was directed by Jonathan Demme, and was produced by Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions. The film stars Oprah Winfrey and Danny Glover.-Plot:...
, John Q
John Q
John Q is a 2002 film directed by Nick Cassavetes starring Denzel Washington as John Quincy Archibald, a father and husband whose son is diagnosed with an enlarged heart and then finds out he cannot receive a transplant because HMO insurance will not cover it...
, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, and For Colored Girls. Elise is a four-time NAACP Image Award
NAACP Image Award
An NAACP Image Award is an accolade presented by the American National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to honor outstanding people of color in film, television, music, and literature....
winner.
Personal life
Elise was born as Kimberly Elise Trammel in Minneapolis, MinnesotaMinneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
, the daughter of Erma Jean (née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Johnson), an elementary school teacher, and Marvin Trammel, who owns an executive search firm. She has three siblings. Elise studied film and acting at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
and earned a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Mass Communications. She was married to Maurice Oldham (1958–2007) from 1989 until 2005; they have two children, Ajableu Oldham and Butterfly Oldham. He died from a "massive blood clot", according to Elise.
Elise's maternal descent is of the Songhai people in Mali.
Career
Elise's first movie was Set It OffSet It Off
Set It Off is a 1996 action and crime film directed by F. Gary Gray, and stars Jada Pinkett, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox and Kimberly Elise , as four close friends in Los Angeles, California who decide to plan and execute a bank robbery...
(1996), in which she played one of four women who resort to robbing a bank for money. Her big break came in 1997 when she was cast in the Family Channel original television movie The Ditchdigger's Daughters, based on the Pulitzer-prize nominated and critically acclaimed 1995 memoir The Ditchdigger's Daughters: A Black Family's Astonishing Success Story, written by Yvonne S. Thornton and Jo Coudert. She received critical acclaim,bn, for her role in this film, and in 1997 she was recognized as Best Supporting Actress in a Movie or Miniseries at the 19th annual CableACE Awards. A relative unknown at the time, she conveyed her anonymity upon receiving the award by saying "Who is Kimberly Elise?". Her performance helped her land a role the next year in Beloved
Beloved (film)
Beloved is a 1998 film based on Toni Morrison's 1987 novel of the same name. It was directed by Jonathan Demme, and was produced by Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions. The film stars Oprah Winfrey and Danny Glover.-Plot:...
alongside Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
and Danny Glover
Danny Glover
Danny Lebern Glover is an American actor, film director, and political activist. Glover is perhaps best known for his role as Detective Roger Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon film franchise.-Early life:...
. She is often compared to a young Cicely Tyson
Cicely Tyson
Cicely Tyson is an American actress. A successful stage actress, Tyson is also known for her Oscar-nominated role in the film Sounder and the television movies The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman and Roots....
whom she resembles.
In 2004, she appeared in Woman Thou Art Loosed
Woman Thou Art Loosed
Woman Thou Art Loosed is a 2004 film directed by Michael Schultz and written by Stan Foster. It was produced by Stan Foster and Reuben Cannon. It is the 44th film or series directed by Schultz and is adopted from the self-help novel by Bishop T.D. Jakes. The film tells the story of a young woman...
portraying Michelle, an abused young woman who finally got the help she needed behind bars. This role won her a Black Reel award for Best Actress. She also appeared in John Q
John Q
John Q is a 2002 film directed by Nick Cassavetes starring Denzel Washington as John Quincy Archibald, a father and husband whose son is diagnosed with an enlarged heart and then finds out he cannot receive a transplant because HMO insurance will not cover it...
, The Manchurian Candidate
The Manchurian Candidate (2004 film)
The Manchurian Candidate is a 2004 American thriller film based on the 1959 novel of the same name by Richard Condon, and a reimagining of the previous 1962 film....
and Diary of a Mad Black Woman (she won a NAACP Image Award
NAACP Image Award
An NAACP Image Award is an accolade presented by the American National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to honor outstanding people of color in film, television, music, and literature....
for the latter). From 2005 to 2007 she starred on the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
crime drama Close to Home, playing Marion County, Indiana
Marion County, Indiana
Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. Census 2010 recorded a population of 903,393, making it the largest county in the state and 55th most populated county in the country, greater than the population of six states. The county seat is Indianapolis, the state capital and...
(Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
) prosecutor Maureen Scofield. Her character was killed off in the last episode of the 2006-2007 season. The series was cancelled in May 2007.
She has since made a guest appearance on the sitcom Girlfriends
Girlfriends
Girlfriends is an American comedy-drama sitcom that premiered on September 11, 2000, on UPN and aired on UPN's successor network, The CW, before being cancelled in 2008...
in which she played an HIV-positive woman.
Her most recent film role was in Tyler Perry
Tyler Perry
Tyler Perry is an American actor, director, playwright, entrepreneur, screenwriter, producer, author, and songwriter. Perry wrote and produced many stage plays during the 1990s and early 2000s. In 2005, he released his first film, Diary of a Mad Black Woman...
's For Colored Girls (2010), as the battered wife Crystal. While the film itself received mixed to negative reviews, her performance was praised by many critics. One journalist described her as, "...the great lost Best Supporting Actress
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
contender of the 2010 season."
Filmography
- Set It OffSet It OffSet It Off is a 1996 action and crime film directed by F. Gary Gray, and stars Jada Pinkett, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox and Kimberly Elise , as four close friends in Los Angeles, California who decide to plan and execute a bank robbery...
(1996) - The Ditchdigger's Daughters (1997)
- BelovedBeloved (film)Beloved is a 1998 film based on Toni Morrison's 1987 novel of the same name. It was directed by Jonathan Demme, and was produced by Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions. The film stars Oprah Winfrey and Danny Glover.-Plot:...
(1998) - The Loretta Claiborne Story (2000)
- Bait (2000)
- BojanglesBojanglesBojangles or Mr. Bojangles may refer to:* Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, a famous African-American tap dance and movie performer* "Bojangles of Harlem", a 1936 song form the Fred Astaire movie Swing Time, a tribute to Bill Robinson and other African-american tap dancers* Bojangles, a jazz play by Ben...
(2001) - John QJohn QJohn Q is a 2002 film directed by Nick Cassavetes starring Denzel Washington as John Quincy Archibald, a father and husband whose son is diagnosed with an enlarged heart and then finds out he cannot receive a transplant because HMO insurance will not cover it...
(2002) - Woman Thou Art LoosedWoman Thou Art LoosedWoman Thou Art Loosed is a 2004 film directed by Michael Schultz and written by Stan Foster. It was produced by Stan Foster and Reuben Cannon. It is the 44th film or series directed by Schultz and is adopted from the self-help novel by Bishop T.D. Jakes. The film tells the story of a young woman...
(2004) - The Manchurian CandidateThe Manchurian Candidate (2004 film)The Manchurian Candidate is a 2004 American thriller film based on the 1959 novel of the same name by Richard Condon, and a reimagining of the previous 1962 film....
(2004) - Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005)
- PridePride (2007 film)Pride is a 2007 biopic drama feature film released by Lionsgate Entertainment on March 23, 2007. Loosely based upon the true story of Philadelphia swim coach James "Jim" Ellis, Pride stars Terrence Howard, Bernie Mac, and Kimberly Elise, and was directed by Sunu Gonera.Pride is a film that depicts...
(2007) - The Great DebatersThe Great DebatersThe Great Debaters is a 2007 American biopic period drama film directed by and starring two-time Academy Award winner Denzel Washington and produced by Oprah Winfrey and her production company, Harpo Productions...
(2007) - Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson StoryGifted Hands: The Ben Carson StoryGifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story is a 2009 movie directed by Thomas Carter, starring Academy Award winner Cuba Gooding Jr. and NAACP Image Award winner Kimberly Elise. It is a movie based on the life story of world-renowned neurosurgeon Ben Carson from 1961 to 1987. A Johnson and Johnson...
(2009) - For Colored Girls (2010)
- The Marriage Lover (2013)
Television Work
- Newton's AppleNewton's AppleNewton's Apple is an educational television program distributed to PBS stations in the United States that ran for fifteen seasons from 1983 to 1998. Targeted at younger viewers, it was highly regarded...
(1995) - In the House (1995)
- The Twilight (2003)
- GirlfriendsGirlfriendsGirlfriends is an American comedy-drama sitcom that premiered on September 11, 2000, on UPN and aired on UPN's successor network, The CW, before being cancelled in 2008...
(2003) (2 episodes) - Soul FoodSoul foodSoul food cuisine consists of a selection of foods traditional in the cuisine of African Americans. It is closely related to the cuisine of the Southern United States...
(2002–2003) - Close to Home (2005–2007)
- Private Practice (2007) (1 episode)
- Masters of Science FictionMasters of Science FictionMasters of Science Fiction is an American television anthology series by the same creators as Masters of Horror. The show debuted on ABC on August 4, 2007 at 10PM for a run of four episodes...
(2007) - Grey's AnatomyGrey's AnatomyGrey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
(2009)
Awards and nominations
Acapulco Black Film Festival- 1999: Nominated - Best Actress for Beloved (1998)
African-American Film Critics Association
African-American Film Critics Association
The African-American Film Critics Association is a group of African-American film critics that give various awards for excellence in film at the end of each year.-History:The association was founded in 2003 by Gil L. Robertson IV and Shawn Edwards...
-
- 2010: Won- Best Supporting Actress for For Colored Girls
Black Reel Awards
Black Reel Awards
The Black Reel Awards began in 2000 and were designed to annually recognize and celebrate the achievements of black people in feature, independent and television films...
- 2002: Won - Best Supporting Actress for Bojangles (2001)
- 2003: Nominated - Best Actress for John Q (2002)
- 2005: Nominated - Best Supporting Actress for The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
- 2005: Won - Best Actress, Independent Film for Woman Thou Art Loosed (2004)
- 2006: Won- Best Actress for Diary of a Mad Black Woman
- 2011: Nominated- Best Actress for For Colored Girls
- 2011: Won- Outstanding Ensemble for For Colored Girls
CableACE Award
CableACE Award
The CableACE Award was an award that was given from 1978 to 1997 to honor excellence in American cable television programming...
- 1997: Won - Supporting Actress in a Movie or Miniseries for The Ditchdigger's Daughters (1997)
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards
Chicago Film Critics Association
The Chicago Film Critics Association is an American film critic association.-Members:Current members include:*Sarah Knight Adamson*Zbigniew Banas*Shelley Cameron*Dave Canfield*Vittorio Carli*Erik Childress*Camerin Courtney*Bonnie DeShong...
- 1999: Won - Most Promising Actress for Beloved (1998)
- 1999: Nominated - Best Supporting Actress for Beloved (1998)
Golden Satellite Awards
- 1999: Won - Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture - Drama for Beloved (1998)
NAACP Image Award
NAACP Image Award
An NAACP Image Award is an accolade presented by the American National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to honor outstanding people of color in film, television, music, and literature....
s
- 1999: Nominated - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for Beloved (1998)
- 2002: Nominated - Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special for Bojangles (2001)
- 2003: Nominated - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion PictureNAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion PictureThe NAACP Image Award winners for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture:-Stats:Performances that earned Oscar nominations or wins* Sophie Okonedo - Hotel Rwanda* Jennifer Hudson - Dreamgirls [won Image Award]...
for John Q (2002) - 2003: Nominated - Image Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama SeriesNAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama SeriesThe NAACP Image Award winners for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series:*Most Wins**Della Reese has won this category 7 times....
for "Soul Food" (2000) - 2005: Nominated - Image Award Outstanding Actress in a Motion PictureNAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion PictureThe NAACP Image Award winners for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture:Number of Performances that won or nominated for Oscars:*1. Whoopi Goldberg - The Color Purple*2. Angela Bassett - What's Love Got to Do With It?...
for Woman Thou Art Loosed (2004) - 2006: Winner- Image Award Outstanding Actress in a Motion PictureNAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion PictureThe NAACP Image Award winners for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture:Number of Performances that won or nominated for Oscars:*1. Whoopi Goldberg - The Color Purple*2. Angela Bassett - What's Love Got to Do With It?...
for Diary of a Mad Black Woman - 2006: Nominated- Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for "Close to Home"
- 2007: Winner- Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for "Close to Home"
- 2010: Winner- NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic SpecialNAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic SpecialThe NAACP Image Award winners for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special:*Most Wins: Cicely Tyson, Halle Berry, Angela Bassett, Alfre Woodard- 2 wins*Most Nominations:-Stats:...
for "Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story" - 2011: Winner- Image Award Outstanding Actress in a Motion PictureNAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion PictureThe NAACP Image Award winners for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture:Number of Performances that won or nominated for Oscars:*1. Whoopi Goldberg - The Color Purple*2. Angela Bassett - What's Love Got to Do With It?...
for "For Colored Girls"
Independent Spirit Awards
Independent Spirit Awards
The Independent Spirit Awards , founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic glass pyramids containing suspended shoestrings representing the paltry budgets of independent films. In 1986, the event was renamed the Independent Spirit...
- 2005: Nominated - Best Female Lead for Woman Thou Art Loosed (2004)