Kim Fields Morgan (née Fields, formerly Freeman) is an American actress and director. She first gained fame as a child actress on the television series Good Times (1978–1979), and rose to greater prominence for her role as Dorothy "Tootie" Ramsey in the NBC sitcom Diff'rent Strokes (1979–1981), as well as its spin-off The Facts of Life (1979–1988).
Kim Fields | |
|---|---|
 Fields in 2019 | |
| Other names | Kim Fields Freeman |
| Education | Pepperdine University (BA) |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, director |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Known for | The Facts of Life Living Single Real Housewives of Atlanta The Upshaws |
| Spouses | Johnathon Franklin Freeman
(m. 1995; div. 2001)Christopher Morgan (m. 2007) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent | Chip Fields (mother) |
Fields made her transition into mature roles as Regine Hunter on the Fox sitcom Living Single (1993–1998). Afterwards, she began work as a director on the Nickelodeon sitcom Kenan & Kel, as well as Tyler Perry's House of Payne. She currently stars in the Netflix original series The Upshaws (2021–present).
Career
editBefore appearing on The Facts of Life, Fields co-starred in a short-lived sitcom called Baby, I'm Back with Demond Wilson and Denise Nicholas, and she appeared in a television commercial for Mrs. Butterworth's syrup.[1][2] She later appeared on two episodes of Good Times as a friend of Penny Gordon Woods, played by Janet Jackson.[3] Fields' episodes on Good Times were "The Snow Storm" and "The Physical".
Fields played the role of Dorothy "Tootie" Ramsey on the NBC sitcom The Facts of Life from 1979 to 1988. Even years later, many still recognize her catchphrase, "We're in troouu-ble! ". When the show began production, Fields was so short that the producers put her on roller skates during the first season so that they could avoid difficult camera angles. However, she later lost a role as Arnold Jackson's girlfriend on The Facts of Life's parent show Diff'rent Strokes because she was taller than Gary Coleman, who played Arnold. In 1984, during the run of The Facts of Life, Fields released two singles on the Critique Records label: the disco/Hi-NRG "He Loves Me He Loves Me Not" (which became a minor club hit), and "Dear Michael" (which became a minor R&B hit, reaching No. 50).[4]
After taking time away from acting to attend Pepperdine University, Fields appeared in a 1993 episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, in which Will Smith pretended to marry her in an attempt to seduce her.[5] Fields had a starring role in the hit Fox sitcom Living Single as Regina "Reginé" Hunter from 1993 to 1998.[6] In this role, Fields would act alongside her real-life mother Chip Fields, who played her character's mother on the show.[7]
Following the end of Living Single, Fields began performing R&B and rap music with a group called Impromp 2.[8] With her degree from Pepperdine University, Fields also began directing. Fields directed a number of episodes of the All That! spin-off Kenan & Kel, in which she also appeared in two episodes.[9] She has worked as a director on the sitcoms Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns, Tyler Perry's House of Payne and BET's Let's Stay Together.[10][11][12]
Fields guest-starred on television shows such as UPN's One on One, The Golden Palace, and Martin. She appeared as herself on HBO's The Comeback. On February 1, 2007, Fields was reunited with her co-star Lisa Whelchel on WFAA-TV's Good Morning Texas. Fields was in Dallas to promote her appearance in the production Issues: We've All Got 'Em when Whelchel was introduced as a surprise guest. It marked the first time in six years (since The Facts of Life Reunion movie) that Fields and Whelchel had seen each other.
Fields has worked with her husband Christopher Morgan on projects. In 2010, she and Morgan produced and directed a Christmas television special called Holiday Love. They shot the entire show in three days. Holiday Love aired on TV One and a second episode aired for Christmas, 2011. In an interview that included background on the show, Fields described the special as "restorative and transformative" of her Christian faith.[13] Fields revived Holiday Love on the Internet in 2013.[14]
On August 18, 2015, it was announced that she would be joining the cast of the Bravo reality television show The Real Housewives of Atlanta for its eighth season.[15] On March 21, 2016, she announced that she would not return to the show for another season.
On March 8, 2016, Fields was announced as one of the celebrities who will compete on season 22 of Dancing with the Stars. She was partnered with professional dancer Sasha Farber.[16] On May 2, 2016, during a double elimination, Fields and Farber were eliminated and finished the competition in 8th place.
In 2017, Fields played the role of Theresa Newman in the Christian film A Question of Faith, which featured Fields' first co-starring appearance in a feature film and premiered in theaters on September 29, 2017.[17]
Since May 2021, Fields has starred on Netflix's The Upshaws.
Personal life
editFields was married to film producer Johnathon Franklin Freeman from 1995 to 2001 for six years.[18] Fields gave birth to her first child, Sebastian Alexander Morgan, by then-boyfriend Broadway actor Christopher Morgan, on May 4, 2007.[19] The couple introduced their son the following week in People magazine.[20] On July 23, 2007, they were married in a private ceremony officiated by Pastor Donnie McClurkin. In July 2013, Fields announced on the talk show The Real that she and her husband were expecting another son;[21] on December 3, 2013, they welcomed Quincy Xavier Morgan in Atlanta, Georgia.[22]
She is one-eighth African-Caribbean in blood.
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Have I Got a Christmas for You | Sharon Hayes | TV movie |
| 1980 | The Comeback Kid | Molly | TV movie |
| Children of Divorce | Denise Williams | TV movie | |
| 1982 | The Kid with the Broken Halo | Teri Desautel | TV movie |
| The Facts of Life Goes to Paris | Dorothy 'Tootie' Ramsey | TV movie | |
| 1987 | The Facts of Life Down Under | Dorothy 'Tootie' Ramsey | TV movie |
| 1999 | Uninvited Guest | Mecca | |
| 2000 | Hidden Blessings | Carrie McNichols | TV movie |
| Glow | Miss Downey | ||
| 2001 | Me & Mrs. Jones | Desiree | |
| The Facts of Life Reunion | Dorothy 'Tootie' Ramsey | TV movie | |
| 2010 | Monster Mutt | Valerie Williams | TV movie |
| 2012 | What to Expect When You're Expecting | Social Worker | |
| A Cross to Bear | Joan | TV movie | |
| 2014 | For Better or For Worse | Roseanne | TV movie |
| 2017 | A Question of Faith | Theresa Newman | |
| Wrapped Up In Christmas | Courtney Widmore | TV movie | |
| 2018 | Merry Wish-Mas | Celine | TV movie |
| 2019 | You Light Up My Christmas | Emma Simmons | TV movie |
| 2021 | Adventures in Christmasing | Parker Baldwin | |
| 2024 | The Gutter | Vicki |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Baby... I'm Back! | Angie Ellis | Main Cast |
| 1978-79 | Good Times | Kim | Recurring Cast: Season 6 |
| 1979 | Roots: The Next Generations | Lydia Haley | Episode: "Part VI (1939-1950)" |
| Mork & Mindy | Patti | Episode: "Mork's Health Hints" | |
| 1979-81 | Diff'rent Strokes | Dorothy 'Tootie' Ramsey | Guest: Seasons 1-3, Recurring Cast: Season 4 |
| 1979-88 | The Facts of Life | Dorothy 'Tootie' Ramsey | Main Cast |
| 1980 | Soul Train | Herself | Episode: "Cameo/Edmund Sylvers/Kim Fields" |
| The Righteous Apples | LaShawn | Episode: "A Dream Fulfilled" | |
| 1983 | Go | Herself | Recurring Guest |
| 1984 | American Bandstand | Herself | Episode: "Episode #27.29" |
| Hot Potato | Herself | Recurring Guest | |
| Family Feud | Herself | Episode: "Super Teens" | |
| Pryor's Place | Rita | Episode: "Cousin Rita" | |
| 1984-85 | Body Language | Herself | Recurring Guest |
| 1986 | One to Grow On | Herself | Episode: "Try New Things" |
| 1987 | Wordplay | Herself | Recurring Guest |
| 1987-89 | The New Hollywood Squares | Herself/Panelist | Recurring Guest |
| 1988 | Disneyland | Herself | Episode: "Disneyland's All-Star Comedy Circus" |
| 227 | Donna Dalton | Episode: "The Roommate" | |
| 1988-89 | Win, Lose or Draw | Herself | Recurring Guest |
| 1992 | The Golden Palace | Trisha | Episode: "Can't Stand Losing You" |
| Martin | Monica Hurd | Episode: "Radio Days" | |
| 1993 | Roc | Ruth | Episode: "Second Time Around" |
| The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Monique | Episode: "The Best Laid Plans" | |
| 1993-97 | Living Single | Regina "Regine" Hunter | Main Cast |
| 1994 | An Evening at the Improv | Herself/Host | Episode: "Episode #15.3" |
| 1995 | The Crew | Regina "Regine" Hunter | Episode: "The Mating Season" |
| The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Herself | Episode: "For Whom the Wedding Bells Toll" | |
| 1996 | C Bear and Jamal | Maya (voice) | Main Cast |
| 1997-99 | Kenan & Kel | Miss Horn | Guest Cast: Seasons 2 & 4 |
| 1998 | Hollywood Squares | Herself/Panelist | Recurring Guest |
| Cupid | Theresa | Episode: "Hung Jury" | |
| 2000 | Strong Medicine | Lottie | Episode: "Side Effects" |
| 2001 | Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? | Herself | Episode: "Classic TV Edition, Show 1 & 2" |
| Biography | Herself | Episode: "Kim Fields: A Little Somethin' Somethin'" | |
| Intimate Portrait | Herself | Episode: "Kim Fields" | |
| The Drew Carey Show | Kate's Double | Episode: "What's Wrong with This Episode IV" | |
| The Wonderful World of Disney | Dorothy 'Tootie' Ramsey | Episode: "The Facts of Life Reunion" | |
| The Steve Harvey Show | Cousin Chloe | Episode: "Dissin' Cousins" | |
| 2002 | Inside TV Land | Herself | Episode: "Inside TV Land: African Americans in Television - Variety" |
| I Love the '80s | Ms. Swain | Episode: "1980" & "1981" | |
| 2003 | Star Dates | Herself | Episode: "Kim Fields" |
| Cedric the Entertainer Presents | Herself | Episode: "Episode #1.12" | |
| Intimate Portrait | Herself | Episode: "Gladys Knight" | |
| Miss Match | Elizabeth Greene | Episode: "Matchmaker, Matchmaker" | |
| 2004 | Def Poetry Jam | Herself | Episode: "Episode #4.5" |
| The Division | Principal Theresa Ogden | Episode: "Zero Tolerance: Part 1 & 2" | |
| One on One | Ms. Swain | Guest Cast: Seasons 3-4 | |
| 2005 | The Comeback | Herself | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2006 | Eve | Rochelle | Episode: "Banishing Acts" |
| 2008 | The Cleaner | Carla Anders | Episode: "Lie with Me" |
| 2009 | Whatever Happened To? | Herself | Episode: "Roommates" |
| 2010 | Lens on Talent | Herself | Episode: "Race Relations" |
| Hot 50 of 2010 Countdown | Herself | Episode: "20 to 10... El DeBarge, Lalah Hathaway, Kim Fields, Ginuwine, Kem" | |
| Meet the Browns | Director | Episode: "Meet the Neelys" | |
| 2015-16 | The Real Housewives of Atlanta | Herself | Main Cast: Season 8 |
| 2016 | Dancing with the Stars | Herself/Contestant | Contestant: Season 22 |
| Hollywood Today Live | Herself/Guest Co-Host | Episode: "May 27, 2016" | |
| Greatest Hits | Herself | Episode: "Greatest Hits: 1990–1995" | |
| American Masters | Herself | Episode: "Norman Lear: Just Another Version Of You" | |
| 2017 | Battle of the Network Stars | Herself/Contestant | Episode: "TV Sitcoms vs. TV Kids" |
| Dish Nation | Herself/Guest Co-Host | Episode: "Episode #6.21" & "#6.83" | |
| Living the Dream | Rhoda | Main Cast: Season 1 | |
| 2018 | Celebrity Family Feud | Herself | Episode: "Team Vanilla Ice vs Kim Fields and Team Ice-T & Coco vs Vivica A. Fox" |
| 2019 | Cobra Kai | Sandra Robinson | Episode: "The Moment of Truth" |
| 2019-20 | The Very Very Best of the 70s | Herself | Recurring Guest |
| 2020 | Insecure | Mabel | Episode: "Lowkey Trippin" |
| 2021 | Entertainment Tonight | Herself/Guest Co-Host | Episode: "Kevin Hart Exclusive!" |
| History of the Sitcom | Herself | Recurring Guest | |
| Live in Front of a Studio Audience | Herself | Episode: "The Facts of Life" & "Diff'rent Strokes"[23] | |
| 2021- | The Upshaws | Regina Upshaw | Main Cast |
| 2022 | To Tell the Truth | Herself/Panelist | Episode: "Oliver Hudson, Kim Fields and London Hughes" |
| Name That Tune | Herself/Contestant | Episode: "The Good, the Shag, and the 90210 Icons" | |
| The Talk | Herself/Guest Co-Host | Episode: "Marcia Gay Harden/Kim Fields/Kym Whitley" | |
| 2023 | Celebrity Wheel of Fortune | Herself/Celebrity Contestant | Episode: "Kel Mitchell, Kim Fields and Penn Jillette" |
| 2024 | Impractical Jokers | Herself | Episode: "Kim Fields" |
Music videos
edit| Year | Artist | Song | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | The Boys | "A Little Romance" | |
| 1994 | Boyz II Men | "On Bended Knee" | Nathan's Girlfriend |
| 2021 | Tito Jackson | "Love One Another" |
Directing
edit| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | Living Single | 2 episodes |
| 1996–2000 | Kenan & Kel | 27 episodes |
| 2000 | Noah Knows Best | Episode: "Lost Night" |
| 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd | Episode: "April Fools" | |
| 2001–02 | Taina | 5 episodes |
| 2002 | Teen Talk | |
| 2005 | Discoverin Monk and Trane: One Night at Carnegie Hall | Short |
| Eve | Episode: "Break Up to Make-Up" | |
| 2006 | A Royal Birthday | Miniseries |
| 2007 | Just Jordan | Episode: "Krumpshakers" |
| 2007 Anguilla Tranquility Fest | Short | |
| 2007–22 | Tyler Perry's House of Payne | 39 episodes |
| 2011 | Let's Stay Together | 3 episodes |
| 2012 | The Rickey Smiley Show | |
| 2015 | By Any Means | 2 episodes |
| 2019 | Raven's Home | Episode: "Bah Humbugged" |
| 2020 | Tyler Perry's Young Dylan | 5 episodes |
| 2021 | The Ms. Pat Show | 2 episodes |
| 2021 | All The Queen's Men | 7 episodes |
| 2021–23 | That Girl Lay Lay | 6 episodes |
| 2022 | Haus of Vicious | 8 episodes |
| 2023 | The Upshaws | Episode: "Treading Water" |
| 2024 | Extended Family | Episode: "The Consequences of Writing Things Down" |
References
edit- ^ Cedrone, Lou (October 21, 1977). "Special For Kids, Gag Show, Pilot, Bing Film, Nostalgia Due Archived February 6, 2020, at the Wayback Machine". The Evening Sun (Baltimore, Maryland). p. B1.
- ^ "Kim Fields: Following in Mother's Footsteps Archived February 6, 2020, at the Wayback Machine". The Los Angeles Times. May 13, 1979.
- ^ "NBC: The Facts of Life Archived February 6, 2020, at the Wayback Machine". The Odessa American (Odessa, Texas). July 20, 1980.
- ^ "Disc Dedicated to Michael Jackson Archived February 6, 2020, at the Wayback Machine". The Tennessean (Nashville, Tennessee). February 22, 1984.
- ^ "Fields Remembers Worst Moment on 'Fresh Prince' Archived February 6, 2020, at the Wayback Machine". Chicago Tribune. The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa). p. 9L.
- ^ Smith, Stacy (August 18, 1993). "New Fox Show 'Living Single' Offers Laughs Archived February 6, 2020, at the Wayback Machine". The Daily Utah Chronicle (Salt Lake City, Utah). p. 9.
- ^ "Did You Know: Queen Latifah & Kim Fields' Actual Mothers Played Their Moms On 'Living Single'". Global Grind. June 10, 2022.
- ^ Metason, Impromp2 Featuring Kim Fields - Mocha Soul, archived from the original on May 19, 2021, retrieved May 19, 2021
- ^ Connors, Claire (July 14, 1997). "All That and a Side of Fries Archived February 6, 2020, at the Wayback Machine". The South Bend Tribune (South Bend, Indiana).
- ^ "Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns Archived February 6, 2020, at the Wayback Machine". Philadelphia Daily News. December 8, 2010.
- ^ "Tyler Perry's House of Payne Archived February 6, 2020, at the Wayback Machine". The Atlanta Constitution. November 9, 2009. p. D3.
- ^ Brett, Jennifer (March 15, 2012). "A Chat With Cast of 'Let's Stay Together' Archived February 6, 2020, at the Wayback Machine". The Atlanta Constitution. p. D2.
- ^ "Dr. Duru interviews Kim Fields". December 23, 2011. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
- ^ "Catching Up with Kim Fields for the Holidays". ABC News. November 29, 2013. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
- ^ "Real Housewives of Atlanta Starts Filming With Transgender Model Amiyah Scott and Kim Fields (Tootie!)". E! News. August 18, 2015. Archived from the original on July 3, 2019. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
- ^ "'Dancing With the Stars' 2016: Season 22 Celebrity Cast Revealed Live on 'GMA'". ABC News. March 8, 2016. Archived from the original on March 30, 2019. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
- ^ "TV Premiere Dates (2019-20) - Metacritic". Metacritic. August 12, 2019. Archived from the original on October 11, 2018. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
- ^ Brown, L.T. (July 18, 1995). "Actress Is Married Archived February 6, 2020, at the Wayback Machine". The Indianapolis News. p. C2.
- ^ Silverman, Stephen M. (May 6, 2007). "Actress Kim Fields Welcomes a Baby Boy Archived March 31, 2016, at the Wayback Machine". People. Retrieved July 16, 2010.
- ^ Introducing Sebastian Alexander Morgan Archived July 19, 2010, at the Wayback Machine Celebrity Babies blog; People Magazine. May 11, 2007. Retrieved July 16, 2010.
- ^ "Kim Fields Pregnant, Expecting Second Child, Boy Quincy Xavier". Archived from the original on July 26, 2013. Retrieved July 25, 2013.
- ^ "Kim Fields gives birth to second son". Archived from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
- ^ Schwartz, Ryan (December 7, 2021). "ABC's Facts of Life Live Begins With OG Cast Reunion — Grade Reenactment". TVLine. Archived from the original on December 8, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
External links
edit- Kim Fields at IMDb