Kim Basinger

Background

Kimila Ann Basinger, popularly known as Kim Basinger, was born in Athens, Georgia, on December 8, 1953. Her parents worked in the entertainment industry; her father played in a large jazz band ensemble, while her mother danced the water ballet in several Esther Williams films. Basinger had an early start in the performing arts. She did ballet from the age of three until her mid-teens. As her confidence grew, Basinger joined her school’s cheerleading team. Her debut in the beauty world was at 17 when she competed in the Junior Miss Scholarship pageant. Later on, Basinger joined the Ford Modeling Agency. Her work with the company made her famous, and she soon appeared on magazine covers. In addition, she got cast in hundreds of ads throughout the early ‘70s, most notably as the face of Breck Shampoo.

Despite a thriving, well-paying modeling career, Basinger struggled with insecurities about her body and avoided mirrors, hindering her from enjoying her work. In 1976, Basinger decided she was done with modeling, closed the five-year cover girl chapter, and relocated to Los Angeles to pursue acting. Basinger landed guest roles on T.V. shows such as “Charlie’s Angels” and “McMillan & Wife” before clinching her first-star part in “Katie: Portrait of a Centerfold.” Her breakthrough came in 1983 when she played Domino Petacchi in the James Bond film “Never Say Never Again” alongside the famous Sean Connery. She promoted her role in this movie using a naked “Playboy” magazine photo shoot from two years prior. Her career expanded because of the “Playboy” shoot’s popularity, and in the 1984 movie “The Natural,” she played the love interest of a baseball team star.

Her performance in “The Natural” earned her a Golden Globe nomination for ‘Best Supporting Actress.’ To date, the highest-grossing film of her career is “Batman” (1989), where she plays the journalist Vale. This film brought more success for Basinger, as she got cast in numerous films such as “The Real McCoy,” “The Getaway,” and “L.A. Confidential.”

Basinger has won several awards in her decades-long career. These include a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a BAFTA Award, a Southeastern Film Critics Association Award, and an Academy Award. As much as she has achieved great success, there are still many great things ahead for this talented actress.