Kim Basinger

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Birthday:

8 December 1953, Athens, Georgia, USA

Birth Name:

Kimila Ann Basinger

Height:

170 cm

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 Texas 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. Show less «

I work in a strange business, and trust is a word that's not even in the vocabulary.

I think any girl who comes to Hollywood with sex symbol or bombshell hanging over her has a rough road.

I feel there are two people inside me - me and my intuition. If I go against her, she'll screw me every time, and if I follow her, we get al...Show more »

I feel there are two people inside me - me and my intuition. If I go against her, she'll screw me every time, and if I follow her, we get along quite nicely. Show less «

My hand still shakes when I sign autographs. I still go and sit in the movies like everyone else and look up there and go "God! Movie stars!...Show more »

My hand still shakes when I sign autographs. I still go and sit in the movies like everyone else and look up there and go "God! Movie stars! Wow!" And I'm in this business. I walk out there just fascinated and I always want to stay like that. I'm just a little kid going to these movies and I don't ever want to change. Show less «

You have to be a little unreal to be in this business.

[on Sean Connery] I fantasize about riding an Arabian horse bareback with him along a sandy beach. We fall naked to the ground and, as the h...Show more »

[on Sean Connery] I fantasize about riding an Arabian horse bareback with him along a sandy beach. We fall naked to the ground and, as the horse wanders off along the water's edge, we make passionate love in the moonlight. It always leaves me hot and bothered -- I just love the man. Show less «

[on kissing in the movies] There's an absolute art to it. You have to think it's as good as what's coming later.

[on performing in the nude] I thoroughly enjoy it, actually.

I don't really live in a time zone. I don't abide by the rules here on earth.

All of us are male and female. Take me--I'm strong; I'm weak; I'm everything. It's intriguing to see a man who has chosen not to pick up on ...Show more »

All of us are male and female. Take me--I'm strong; I'm weak; I'm everything. It's intriguing to see a man who has chosen not to pick up on all the stereotypical male traits, who keeps only the most powerful ones, and leaves a lot of the stuff that society lays on you at home. Show less «

Nine 1/2 Weeks (1986) represented freedom. A lot of people didn't particularly care for the male character in that film because of the way h...Show more »

Nine 1/2 Weeks (1986) represented freedom. A lot of people didn't particularly care for the male character in that film because of the way he treated my character. But the interesting thing was that their relationship was all about the abandonment of all preset rules on earth. It was all about living on the edge, to the fullest. [It] was about seeing how far you could go in life. On every level, but especially emotionally. How far down could you go, how seedy could it get, how hard could you hit bottom. Show less «

You can't play with people's feelings too much. That's the thing that amazes me about jumpin' around. Because it's dangerous after a while. ...Show more »

You can't play with people's feelings too much. That's the thing that amazes me about jumpin' around. Because it's dangerous after a while. Emotionally dangerous. For yourself, but also, what about the others? A lot of people don't want to put up with being just one of a crowd. And you don't know, in this day and age, how they'll react once they find out--there's some scary things happenin' out there. Show less «

A lot of women are intrigued by a man who doesn't do the normal things a man would do. It makes them think from different parts of their bod...Show more »

A lot of women are intrigued by a man who doesn't do the normal things a man would do. It makes them think from different parts of their body. Sexually, emotionally, they just go someplace else. Show less «

Physically, I was always so uninhibited. Just let me keep my mouth shut! I wrote; that's how I talked.

Believe me, I'm no Mother Teresa. I've done a lot of wild-ass things in my life. It's just that I can be wild without drugs or alcohol. And ...Show more »

Believe me, I'm no Mother Teresa. I've done a lot of wild-ass things in my life. It's just that I can be wild without drugs or alcohol. And so can anybody. Show less «

I became an actress in my own eyes in Nine 1/2 Weeks (1986). I did what I wanted to do emotionally. I built myself up and tore myself down s...Show more »

I became an actress in my own eyes in Nine 1/2 Weeks (1986). I did what I wanted to do emotionally. I built myself up and tore myself down so many times that I was electrically disturbed after it was over; marbles were rolling off the table. Show less «

I think staying and looking and feeling young have a lot to do with your beliefs. It's only society that put 24 hours in a day. Twenty four ...Show more »

I think staying and looking and feeling young have a lot to do with your beliefs. It's only society that put 24 hours in a day. Twenty four hours a day, 365 days a year -- from one year old to 60 or 70 or 80-years-old. The clock just rules the hell out of all of us and it's so sad. Show less «

[after she publicly chastised the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences over not nominating Do the Right Thing (1989) for Best Picture] ...Show more »

[after she publicly chastised the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences over not nominating Do the Right Thing (1989) for Best Picture] It was almost like everybody was in shock. I didn't want people to come up to me and sock me in the face. I didn't want my ass kissed. I didn't want any reaction. I just wanted to get it off my chest. Show less «

Let's face it, we all got big egos. And we need to have 'em fed.

In Hollywood some people are notorious for being notorious. I equate several people in this industry with serial killers. Most serial killer...Show more »

In Hollywood some people are notorious for being notorious. I equate several people in this industry with serial killers. Most serial killers were abandoned at a very young age. And they had to survive. I see them as little things grappling after foodstuffs in garbage cans. Not like the homeless exactly, but . . . Show less «

There's so much said about people and so much of it is bullshit. Sometimes there will be a writer who has written something so outrageous th...Show more »

There's so much said about people and so much of it is bullshit. Sometimes there will be a writer who has written something so outrageous that I want to hire him for my production company, because his imagination has to be dealt with. Show less «

I have great respect for every part of the body, believe me!

The truth about beauty is if you always have it, you always know it. I know people are attracted to me. It's just there. But, Jesus, if you ...Show more »

The truth about beauty is if you always have it, you always know it. I know people are attracted to me. It's just there. But, Jesus, if you are going to take the package, take the whole package. Show less «

When I see need, I understand it. Whether it's emotional or physical or mental need, we all need. Not that we necessarily have to stand for ...Show more »

When I see need, I understand it. Whether it's emotional or physical or mental need, we all need. Not that we necessarily have to stand for being needy. Show less «

There are a lot of women who just love to have sex, period, and don't want a commitment. But then one day, a lot of 'em find themselves bore...Show more »

There are a lot of women who just love to have sex, period, and don't want a commitment. But then one day, a lot of 'em find themselves bored with that. 'Cause you get tired of partyin', and goin' to clubs--how much clubbin' can you do after a while? You know, I love to go to clubs; I love to dance. I'm crazy, out of my mind. But I don't jump from one person to another. For my own peace of mind, I don't like to sleep around. I've never been interested in that. I really love to be with who I'm with. I mean, I just love it beyond. Show less «

When I came to L.A., I said, 'I want to take everything. I want to try it all.' And some friends said, 'Oh, try this.' That's always the way...Show more »

When I came to L.A., I said, 'I want to take everything. I want to try it all.' And some friends said, 'Oh, try this.' That's always the way it gets started. And you know what? I tried cocaine, and I found that it made people sleep during the day. Every time I took it, I said, 'This is a joke.' The next day, I couldn't even . . . it's a debilitating drug. I hated that it made me so physically worn-out. Show less «

I was probably the worst model that ever lived. I made a lot of money though, mostly for magazines and commercials. Put it all in my pocketb...Show more »

I was probably the worst model that ever lived. I made a lot of money though, mostly for magazines and commercials. Put it all in my pocketbook. I didn't even have a bank account. I walked around with $25,000 checks. I went to buy a TV one day in this hardware store and I gave the guy this $25,000 check. He said, "You're walking around with a check with your name on the back of it, endorsed?". He led me to the Bank of America. Thank God for people like that! Show less «

I love men. And I love sex. It's very important to me--the romance part and everything else. You can have wild and nasty, wonderful, crazy s...Show more »

I love men. And I love sex. It's very important to me--the romance part and everything else. You can have wild and nasty, wonderful, crazy sex, and you can be romantic too, all in one. You can have the whole package, man. You have have anything you want! Show less «

My parents thought I was crazy. But I never was a rebel, I just did things my own way. I've just always believed you can get anything you wa...Show more »

My parents thought I was crazy. But I never was a rebel, I just did things my own way. I've just always believed you can get anything you want in this life, anything you want. Don't tell me it cannot be done. There's no such word as impossibility. So they thought, on that note, I'm a crazy woman, crazy little girl, crazy. Because people are so socially structured to follow a pattern. Show less «

My favorite movie of anything I've done is Nine 1/2 Weeks (1986). I ran the gamut of emotions you could ever possibly do as an actress. It w...Show more »

My favorite movie of anything I've done is Nine 1/2 Weeks (1986). I ran the gamut of emotions you could ever possibly do as an actress. It was like an exorcism for me. There was nothing I couldn't do after I did Nine and a Half Weeks. It was crossing the river, as I always say. You can choose to stay on this side and you go up to the river's edge and then you come back and you can get all this work along the edge doing your same little emotional tricks and you can be a star. But if you really want to become an actress, you've got to cross that river, and I think that was my crossing of my emotional river, knowing that I could do anything. It was the biggest high of my life the day I finished that film. Show less «

If you're gonna depend on medicine, they're comin' up with things that are gonna help women feel more secure on the outside. But no medicine...Show more »

If you're gonna depend on medicine, they're comin' up with things that are gonna help women feel more secure on the outside. But no medicine you're gonna put on externally is gonna help you until your inside starts believing things--believing in life and believing in good. And when I say 'good,' I might leave off one of those o's and just say 'God.' Whatever that means to you. I'm not pushing religion or anything--it's just believin'. Show less «

Love scenes are the pits. You're sweating like a pig, asking for water. Baby oil is all over everything. I mean, does that sound romantic?

With every project I've ever done, I've always treated it like I'm still in school. Each time you try to go a little further, get a little d...Show more »

With every project I've ever done, I've always treated it like I'm still in school. Each time you try to go a little further, get a little deeper, feel a little more, sculpt it a little better. Show less «

Women are important, and they have to be in the movies. So, what are you going to do? All we have to do is all hold our hands and stand up a...Show more »

Women are important, and they have to be in the movies. So, what are you going to do? All we have to do is all hold our hands and stand up and say "No." We can stop having babies, we can stop having sex, everything. And then women will rule the world. Show less «

I never had to be a waitress. I never had to do a job that I really didn't want to do.

I'm sorry that all of the people who've seen Nine 1/2 Weeks (1986) never saw it in its original form because so much was cut out of it, even...Show more »

I'm sorry that all of the people who've seen Nine 1/2 Weeks (1986) never saw it in its original form because so much was cut out of it, even the European version. Show less «

[describing her first marriage] I had a friendship with this person. And then I grew to love him as a friend. But I was not IN love with Ron...Show more »

[describing her first marriage] I had a friendship with this person. And then I grew to love him as a friend. But I was not IN love with Ron at all. I only loved him. And being in love is a WHOLE different thing from loving someone. We were pals. He was a protector; he cared about me an awful lot. And I cared about his well-being. But I was a very unhappy girl, because my in-love fantasy was not being fulfilled. Show less «

The highest compliment a performer can receive is when someone stops you and says, 'You were so real.' That's what I'm after now. I want to ...Show more »

The highest compliment a performer can receive is when someone stops you and says, 'You were so real.' That's what I'm after now. I want to hear those words a lot. Show less «

[on playing a nymphomaniac in The Man Who Loved Women (1983)] Getting into character was easy. I simply thought about sex all the time. I th...Show more »

[on playing a nymphomaniac in The Man Who Loved Women (1983)] Getting into character was easy. I simply thought about sex all the time. I thought about where we could do it and how. I scared myself. 'Kim,' I said, 'You'll be OK.' Show less «

[on Final Analysis (1992)] I was in my own world for that film. I never saw it.

I truly have no regrets, I try to live everyday in the present not having one foot in the future or one foot in the past. I try to stay in t...Show more »

I truly have no regrets, I try to live everyday in the present not having one foot in the future or one foot in the past. I try to stay in the present everyday and to be grateful and thankful to God for life. Show less «

You really have to be an observer to be a good actor. I feel that. If only a lot of actors would only shut up for a little while and watch w...Show more »

You really have to be an observer to be a good actor. I feel that. If only a lot of actors would only shut up for a little while and watch what's going on around them, they'd be a lot better off. Show less «

I don't care about embarrassing myself. I don't censor myself. That's stupid. You have to censor certain things, of course, but everybody do...Show more »

I don't care about embarrassing myself. I don't censor myself. That's stupid. You have to censor certain things, of course, but everybody does too much of it. It's a lie. It's one giant lie. Show less «

You know what's funny? After all the years I've been in Hollywood, I still don't know a lot of the directors and producers who are working t...Show more »

You know what's funny? After all the years I've been in Hollywood, I still don't know a lot of the directors and producers who are working today. I've never met them. I'm not a real social person, I'm shy and a lot of the business is just social. It really is. I don't think it's a bad game. But early on I didn't know there was a game. I know now. Show less «

I'm extremely competitive with myself. But I'm not actively competitive with other women in the business. Which may have been a mistake. I'v...Show more »

I'm extremely competitive with myself. But I'm not actively competitive with other women in the business. Which may have been a mistake. I've never had someone in my life, agent or otherwise, fighting for me. Show less «

I hated school. Seeing a school bus today depresses me.

I never related to dolls or playing nurse. If somebody gave me a doll I'd paint its fingernails and cut its hair.

[her thoughts about social media] Oh, dangerous. Robbing and dangerous. Although I'm infatuated and in love with information--I'm an informa...Show more »

[her thoughts about social media] Oh, dangerous. Robbing and dangerous. Although I'm infatuated and in love with information--I'm an information junkie, so I love it. I truly love it, but I think we're teetering on danger. Especially with young kids and teenagers and the way they communicate now and not have to go face-to-face. I just think there are quite a few negative things about it. It's just troubling. It's troubling, especially since I do have a teenager - I know what I'm talking about. But we'll see where it goes. Show less «

I'm very thankful that I've had such longevity and variety. There are so many things in this life that I want to do and I can't do them all....Show more »

I'm very thankful that I've had such longevity and variety. There are so many things in this life that I want to do and I can't do them all. I know that my inbox will be so full the day that I leave the planet. So you try to stay interested in life and bring some kind of comfort and pleasure to others on this planet as you're going through this journey. Show less «