Kimberly Elise
With a gaze that conveys profound resilience, she has built a career portraying women navigating trauma and triumph with unwavering grace.
Born 1967 (age 59)·American actress·Birthday: April 17·Generation X
Biography
Kimberly Elise arrived on screen with a quiet power that immediately distinguished her. A Minneapolis native, she studied acting at the University of Minnesota before moving to New York. Her film debut was explosive—playing a wary bank robber in 'Set It Off,' she held her own alongside established stars. Two years later, she delivered a performance of devastating stillness as Oprah Winfrey's daughter in 'Beloved,' a role that announced her as a major dramatic force. Elise has consistently chosen parts that explore the interior lives of Black women, from a mother fighting drug addiction in 'John Q' to a survivor of abuse in 'The Great Debaters.' She avoids the spotlight, letting her meticulous character work speak for itself. Whether in film or on television, like in the series 'Hit the Floor,' she brings an authentic emotional weight that transforms every role into a study of dignity under pressure.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Kimberly was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Kimberly Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Kimberly's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Received critical acclaim for her performance as Denver in the film adaptation of Toni Morrison's 'Beloved.'
- Won two NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for her roles in 'John Q' and 'The Great Debaters.'
- Starred as the lead in the OWN drama series 'The Have and Have Nots' for multiple seasons.
- Portrayed the mother of Emmett Till in the 2022 limited series 'Women of the Movement.'
Did You Know?
She is a certified yoga instructor and has spoken about the practice's importance in her life.
Elise turned down a scholarship to study law in order to pursue acting.
She is a vocal advocate for holistic health and wellness, particularly within the Black community.
Her first name is spelled uniquely because her mother saw it spelled that way on a birth certificate at the hospital where she worked.
“I choose roles that tell our stories with truth, not just tears.”
