Kimberly Payne Williams-Paisley (née Williams; born September 14, 1971) is an American actress known for her starring role in 10th Kingdom, roles on According to Jim and Nashville, as well as her breakthrough performance in Father of the Bride (1991), for which she was nominated for several awards, and its sequel, Father of the Bride Part II (1995). Throughout her acting career, she has guest-starred on TV shows including Tales from the Crypt, George Lopez and Less Than Perfect. She is also known for her roles in made-for-TV movies, including Safe House, The Christmas Shoes, and Lucky 7, and also her role as Laura Parker in Shade, a short film that she also wrote and directed. Williams is married to country musician Brad Paisley, with whom she has two sons; actress Ashley Williams is her sister.
Kimberly Williams-Paisley | |
|---|---|
 Williams-Paisley in June 2008 | |
| Born | Kimberly Payne Williams September 14, 1971 Rye, New York, U.S. |
| Other names | Kimberly Williams |
| Alma mater | Northwestern University |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1988–present |
| Known for | According to Jim Father of the Bride |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Ashley Williams (sister) Neal Dodson (brother-in-law) |
| Website | kimberlywilliams-paisley |
Early life
editWilliams-Paisley was born in Rye, New York, the daughter of Linda Barbara (née Payne), a fund-raiser, and Gurney Williams III, a health and science writer.[1][2] She has a sister, Ashley, also an actress,[3] and a brother, Jay. Williams has been in show business since the age of 13. In 1989 she directed the Rye High School Musical Revue. She left Northwestern University during her sophomore year to appear in the 1991 film version of Father of the Bride but returned to complete her degree in drama. While there, she was a sister of the Alpha Phi sorority.
Career
editWilliams-Paisley's breakthrough role was Annie Banks in Father of the Bride (1991) and Father of the Bride Part II (1995), with Steve Martin and Diane Keaton.[4] She later appeared in Indian Summer (1993), Coldblooded (1995), The War at Home (1996), and in 1996 landed the lead role in the ABC drama series Relativity. She won critical acclaim for her performance,[4] but the series was canceled after 17 episodes due to low ratings. In 2000, Williams-Paisley starred as Virginia in the fantasy miniseries The 10th Kingdom.
From 2001 to 2008, Williams-Paisley played the role of Dana in the ABC sitcom According to Jim, opposite Jim Belushi and Courtney Thorne-Smith. She left the show after its seventh season, but she came back for the show's final episode in 2009. On stage, Williams-Paisley replaced Arija Bareikis as Sunny in The Last Night of Ballyhoo, written by Alfred Uhry (of Driving Miss Daisy fame) sometime later in the play's February 1997 to June 1998 run.[5] During the 2000s, she also starred in number of made for television movies, and also guest starred on Less than Perfect, Boston Legal, and Royal Pains. In film, she starred opposite Matthew McConaughey in 2006 drama We Are Marshall.
In 2012, Williams-Paisley began starring in the recurring role of Peggy Kenter in the ABC drama series Nashville.[6] In December 18, 2015, Williams-Paisley starred in Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip as Samantha.
Her mother, Linda, was diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia, which is a form of dementia. Williams-Paisley is the author of Where the Light Gets In, published on April 5, 2016. The book tells the story of her mother's illness from her diagnosis up until her death. Her mother died in November 2016, seven months after the book was published.[7]
Personal life
editOn March 15, 2003, Williams married country music singer Brad Paisley.[8] In February 2007, she gave birth to their first child, a son, in Nashville, Tennessee, where the family lives.[9] Their second son was born in April 2009.[10]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Wild Hearts | ||
| 1991 | Father of the Bride | Annie Banks | |
| 1993 | Samuel Beckett Is Coming Soon | Kim | |
| 1993 | Indian Summer | Gwen Daugherty | |
| 1995 | Coldblooded | Jasmine | |
| Father of the Bride Part II | Annie Banks-MacKenzie | ||
| 1996 | The War at Home | Karen Collier | |
| 1998 | Safe House | Andi Travers | |
| Just a Little Harmless Sex | Allison | ||
| 1999 | Elephant Juice | Dodie | |
| Simpatico | Young Rosie | ||
| 2002 | Ten Tiny Love Stories | Five | |
| 2003 | Shade | Laura Parker | Short film; also producer, director, writer |
| How to Go Out on a Date in Queens | Amy | ||
| 2004 | Identity Theft | Michelle Brown | |
| 2005 | Porco Rosso | Fio | Voice role- Disney Dub |
| 2006 | How to Eat Fried Worms | Helen Forrester | |
| We Are Marshall | Sandy Lengyel | ||
| 2012 | Eden Court | Bonnie Duncan | |
| 2014 | Ask Me Anything | Margaret Spooner | |
| 2015 | Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip | Samantha | |
| 2017 | Speech & Debate | Susan | |
| You Get Me | Mrs. Hanson | ||
| 2018 | The Christmas Chronicles | Claire Pierce | |
| 2020 | The Violent Heart | Helen | |
| Father of the Bride, Part 3(ish) | Annie Banks-MacKenzie | Short film | |
| The Christmas Chronicles 2 | Claire Pierce | ||
| 2023 | Dog Gone | Ginny Marshall | |
| Jesus Revolution | Charlene |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | ABC Afterschool Special | Vanessa | Episode: "Stood Up!" |
| 1994 | Tales from the Crypt | Hiley Zeller | Episode: "The Bribe" |
| 1996 | Jake's Women | Molly | Theatrical play |
| Relativity | Isabel Lukens | Series regular (17 episodes) | |
| 2000 | The 10th Kingdom | Virginia Lewis | Miniseries |
| 2001 | Follow the Stars Home | Dianne Parker- McCune | Television film (Hallmark Hall of Fame) |
| 2001–09 | According to Jim | Dana | Series regular (165 episodes); also directed 3 episodes |
| 2002 | The Christmas Shoes | Maggie Elizabeth Andrews | Television film (CBS) |
| 2003 | Lucky 7 | Amy Myer | Television film; also co-producer |
| 2004 | Identity Theft: The Michelle Brown Story | Michelle Brown | Television film (Lifetime); also co-producer |
| George Lopez | Vanessa Brooks | Episode: "E.I.? E.I. OH" | |
| 2005 | Less than Perfect | Laura | Episode: "Get Away" |
| 2008 | Wonder Pets | Mama Armadillo (voice) | Episode: "Save the Armadillo" |
| Boston Legal | Attorney Elisa Brooks | Episode: "Last Call" | |
| 2010 | Amish Grace | Ida Graber | Television film (Lifetime) |
| 2012 | Royal Pains | Sam Chard | Episode: "Business and Pleasure" |
| 2012–13 | Nashville | Peggy Kenter | Recurring role; 22 episodes |
| 2014 | Two and a Half Men | Gretchen | Recurring role; 6 episodes |
| 2017 | Darrow and Darrow | Claire Darrow | Television film (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries) |
| The Christmas Train | Eleanor Carter | Television film (Hallmark Hall of Fame) | |
| 2018 | Darrow & Darrow 2 | Claire Darrow | Television film |
| Darrow & Darrow: Body of Evidence | |||
| 2019 | Dolly Parton's Heartstrings | Emily | Episode: "Jolene"[11] |
| The Flash | Renee Adler | 2 episodes | |
| Witness to Murder | Claire Darrow | Hallmark Movie | |
| 2020 | A Nashville Christmas Carol | Spirit of Christmas Present | |
| 2021 | Sister Swap: A Hometown Holiday | Jennifer | |
| Sister Swap: Christmas in the City |
As producer, writer, and/or director
edit| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Lucky 7 | Co-producer |
| 2004 | Identity Theft: The Michelle Brown Story | Co-producer; also played the lead character |
| 2006 | Shade | Producer, director, writer |
| 2006-2008 | According to Jim | Director; 3 episodes |
| 2007 | Numero Dos | Director, writer |
| 2010 | When Mom's Away | Executive producer |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Association | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | MTV Movie Awards | Best Breakthrough Performance | Father of the Bride | Nominated |
| 1996 | Satellite Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Dramatic Television Series | Relativity | Nominated |
| 2006 | Heartland Film Festival | Crystal Heart Award for Best Dramatic Short Film[citation needed] | Shade | Won |
| Vision Award for Best Short Film[citation needed] | Shade | Won | ||
| Sedona International Film Festival | Outstanding Acting & Directing[citation needed] | Shade | Won |
Bibliography
edit- Where the Light Gets In: Losing My Mother Only to Find Her Again (2016)
References
edit- ^ "Kimberly Williams Biography (1971–)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
- ^ "Gurney Williams 3d, Yale '63, Weds Linda Payne in Mt. Kisco". The New York Times. June 25, 1967.
- ^ Baker, K.C. (March 31, 2016). "Kimberly Williams-Paisley Leaned on Country Superstar Husband Brad Paisley During Her Mother's Struggle with Dementia: 'He Keeps Me Laughing'". People. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
- ^ a b "Kimberly Williams-Paisley Biography". Tvguide.com. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
- ^ The Broadway League. "The Last Night of Ballyhoo | IBDB: The official source for Broadway Information". IBDB. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 26, 2012). "Kimberly Williams-Paisley Getting Promoted To Regular On ABC's 'Nashville'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
- ^ Stump, Scott. "'Opening my heart': Actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley reveals mother's dementia". TODAY.com. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
- ^ "Brad Paisley & Kimberly Williams Expecting". people.com. September 19, 2006. Archived from the original on October 6, 2012. Retrieved December 6, 2009.
- ^ "CMT: News: Brad Paisley Announces Son's Name". Archived from the original on February 1, 2009. Retrieved November 9, 2007.
- ^ Brad Paisley (April 20, 2009). "The Paisleys Reveal Newborn Son's Name! – Babies, Brad Paisley". People.com. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
- ^ Porter, Rick (November 1, 2018). "Dolly Parton Netflix Series 'Heartstrings' Sets Cast for 'Jolene'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 2, 2018.