Name : Kim Basinger
Birth Date : 8 December 1953
Birth Place : Athens, Georgia, USA
Birth Name : Kimila Ann Basinger
Height : 5' 7"
Nationality : American
Occupation : Actress
Kim Basinger was born December 8, 1953, in Athens, Georgia, the third of five children. Both her parents had been in entertainment, her dad had played big-band jazz, and her mother had performed water ballet in several Esther Williams movies. Kim was introspective, from her father's side. As a schoolgirl, she was very shy. To help her overcome this, her parents had Kim study ballet from an early age. By the time she reached sweet sixteen, the once-shy Kim entered the Athens Junior Miss contest. From there, she went on to win the Junior Miss Georgia title and traveled to New York to compete in the national Junior Miss pageant. Kim, who had blossomed to a 5' 7" beauty, was offered a contract on the spot with the Ford Modeling Agency. At the age of 20, Kim was a top model, commanding $1,000 a day. Throughout the early 1970s, she appeared on dozens of magazine covers and in hundreds of ads, most notably as the Breck girl. Kim took acting classes at the Neighborhood Playhouse, performed in various Greenwich Village clubs, and sang under the stage name Chelsea. Kim moved to Los Angeles in 1976, ready to conquer Hollywood. Kim broke into television doing episodes of such hit series as "Charlie's Angels" (1976). In 1980, she married Ron Snyder (they divorced in 1989). In movies, she had roles like being a Bond girl in Never Say Never Again (1983) and playing a small-town Texan beauty in Nadine (1987). Her breakout role was as photojournalist Vicki Vale in the blockbuster hit Batman (1989). There was no long-orchestrated campaign on her part to snag this plumb role, Kim was a last-minute replacement for Sean Young. This took her to a career high.
With perhaps too much disposable income, Kim headed up an investment group that purchased the entire town of Braselton, in her native Georgia, for $20 million (she would later have to sell it). In 1993, Kim married Alec Baldwin, and in 1995 they had a daughter, Ireland Eliesse. Kim took some time off to stay at home with her child. Kim, who loves animals and is a strict vegetarian, devoted energy to animal rights issues and PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), even posing for some ads. In 1997, Kim gave an Oscar-winning performance in the film noir classic L.A. Confidential (1997). Kim's salary for I Dreamed of Africa (2000) was $5,000,000, putting her firmly in the category of big-name movie star. And no doubt there are still many great things ahead, in the career of cover girl turned Oscar-winning actress Kim Basinger.
Trivia
Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#40). [1995]
Studied ballet from age of 3 to mid-teens.
She describes her father as an introspective, classically trained trumpeter, her mother as a flamboyant, extroverted "Lucy-like" housewife.
Loved the movie My Fair Lady (1964) and the "Loverly" song in it, which prompted her dad to encourage her to enter local Junior Miss pageant and sing the song as her "talent." She didn't win, but later did succeed in competition to become the 'Breck (shampoo) Girl." This led to career as Ford model, then to acting.
Went to high school with Keith Strickland of the 'B-52s'.
Daughter, Ireland, with Alec Baldwin, born. [October 23, 1995]
Turned down the role in Basic Instinct (1992) that later went to Sharon Stone.
Listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1984" in John Willis' Screen World, Vol. 36. [1984]
When she reneged on her verbal agreement to star in Boxing Helena (1993), the producers sued her for breach of contract. A jury ordered her to pay over $8 million, which forced Basinger to declare bankruptcy. The decision was reversed on appeal.
Ex-sister-in-law of Daniel Baldwin, William Baldwin and Stephen Baldwin. Ex-cousin-in-law of Joseph Baldwin.
Her last name is often mispronounced. The writers on "Saturday Night Live" (1975) made fun of this fact when she and her husband, Alec Baldwin, hosted the show. In his opening monologue, he asks her how to pronounce her name. She answers (correctly) "Bay-sing-ger," with a hard 'g' in the final syllable.
First "Bond Girl" (she played Domino in Never Say Never Again (1983) to win an Oscar (won for L.A. Confidential (1997)).
Was a cheerleader at Athens High School.
Measurements: 35 1/2C-24-35 1/2 (but mostly wears a 34C bra) (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine).
Recreated Molly Peters's massage scene in the Thunderball (1965) remake, Never Say Never Again (1983).
She and Alec Baldwin met and fell in love in 1990 on the set of the trouble-plagued movie The Marrying Man (1991).
Ex-sister-in-law of Chynna Phillips.
Born on the same day as the late Sam Kinison.
First actress to win an Oscar after appearing naked in Playboy magazine.
Her grandmother was part Cherokee Indian. She is also of German, Swedish and Irish ancestry.
Almost didn't appear in L.A. Confidential (1997) because she was tired of playing prostitutes.
Was originally cast in Kansas City (1996) as Carolyn.
Turned down leading role in Sleepless in Seattle (1993), which went to Meg Ryan.
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