Kimberly Elise Biography (2)

Kimberly Elise received both the 1999 Chicago Film Critics' Award for Most Promising Actress and the Golden Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress for her work in the Touchstone feature Beloved, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Toni Morrison. Directed by Jonathan Demme, Elise portrayed the daughter of the character played by Oprah Winfrey.

Elise also portrayed the title role in the recent Wonderful World of Disney movie, The Loretta Claibourne Story. Last summer she appeared at the prestigious Williamstown theater festival in a production of A Raisin in the Sun.

Previously she appeared in New Line's Set it Off and in the Family Channel's acclaimed movie The Ditchdigger's Daughters, for which she received a Cable Ace Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Born and raised in Minneapolis, Elise showed early signs of talent as an actress and writer. On graduation from the University of Minneapolis, Elise pursued her interest in the arts by performing in local theatre. She built an impressive list of roles, most notably in the play Enlightenments at the Illusion Theatre in Minneapolis and was invited to attend the prestigious American Film Institute Conservatory in Los Angeles. Elise graduated from the AFI in 1995.

Buy more detailed movie star biographies in the Movie Star Bookstore.