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. 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 and playing a small-town Texan beauty in Nadine. Her breakout role was as photojournalist Vicki Vale in the blockbuster hit Batman. 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. Kim's salary for I Dreamed of Africa 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.



I Dreamed of Africa (2000): $5,000,000
The Marrying Man (1991): $2,500,000
No Mercy (1986): $1,000,000

Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#40). [1995] She describes her father as an introspective, classically trained trumpeter, her mother as a flamboyant, extroverted "Lucy-like" housewife. Went to high school with Keith Strickland of 'The B-52's' . Listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1984" in John Willis' Screen World, Vol. 36. [1984] Ex-sister-in-law of Daniel Baldwin, Chynna Phillips, William Baldwin and Stephen Baldwin. Ex-cousin-in-law of Joseph Baldwin. First "Bond Girl" (she played Domino in Never Say Never Again (1983) to win an Oscar (won for L.A. Confidential (1997)). The only other actress to do so is Halle Berry. Measurements: 35 1/2C-24-35 1/2 (but mostly wears a 34C bra) (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine). She and Alec Baldwin met and fell in love in 1990 on the set of the trouble-plagued movie The Marrying Man (1991). Her grandmother was part Cherokee Indian. She is also of German, Swedish and Irish ancestry. Was originally cast in Kansas City (1996) as Carolyn. Sister of Mick, Skip, Ashley and Barbara. Met and married Ron Snyder on the set of her film Hard Country (1981). Born at 11:04 AM. Was ranked #3 in a poll for MovieFone's top ten sexiest Bond girls, behind Ursula Andress and Halle Berry. Was considered for the role in Ghost Busters (1984) that went to Sigourney Weaver. Had a long-term relationship with model Dale Robinette in the 1970s. They lived together in New York, and he moved with her to Los Angeles when she decided to become an actress.