On this day in comedy on May 12, 1969 Comedic Actress, Director, Kim Victoria Fields was born New York City, New York.
Thanks to actress / stage mother Chip Fields, Kim got an early start in show business. Following a craft honing period of performing on commercials, TV movies (Have I Got a Christmas for You) and guest starring roles in sitcoms (Good Times), Fields got her first co-starring role in the Demond Wilson / Denise Nicholas show, Baby, I’m Back. The return didn’t last long and Fields was back to making guest appearances (Different Strokes, Mork & Mindy) until she learned The Facts of Life.
The part of “Tootie” put Fields on the sitcom map. She had a catchphrase (“We’re in troou-ble”) and a following. Why not? The Facts of Life was a ratings bonanza for NBC from 1979 to 1988 (spinning off several specials) and allowed Fields to branch off into other areas of show business, such as recording. Fields released a disco single (“He Loves Me He Loves Me Not”) and the R&B hit, “Dear Michael” while on The Facts of Life.
Once the show ended, Fields took time off to complete her education at Pepperdine University. Then in 1993 she returned with a vengeance on the Fox sitcom, Living Single, co-starring with Queen Latifah, Erika Alexander and Kim Coles. They played four friends doing what the title says – living single. During the show’s run Fields took her skills learned at Pepperdine and started directing, beginning with a couple of episodes of Living Single. She then transitioned into a 26 episode run of directing, Kenan & Kel, then helming installments of Tyler Perry’s House of Payne, his Meet the Brown’s and BET’s Let’s Stay Together.
Once Living Single went off the air, Fields started rapping with the group Impromp 2. She also went back to guest starring (One on One, The Steve Harvey Show, The Drew Carey Show, Eve). In 2015 she began a short stint on The Real Housewives of Atlanta and she competed on Dancing with the Stars in 2016.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
Check out this clip:
