Kimberly Elise

Kimberly Elise Trammel (born April 17, 1967) is an American actress.

Her performance helped her land a role the next year in Beloved alongside Oprah Winfrey and Danny Glover, a horror-drama film based on Toni Morrison's 1987 novel of the same name, directed by Jonathan Demme.

Despite being a box office bomb, Elise received praise for her performance, and well as Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Actress and Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture.

She also received her first NAACP Image Award nomination.

She made her feature-film debut in Set It Off (1996), and later received critical acclaim for her performance in Beloved (1998).

During her career, Elise has appeared in films such as John Q., The Manchurian Candidate, and The Great Debaters, all alongside Denzel Washington; Diary of a Mad Black Woman and For Colored Girls, both directed by Tyler Perry; as well as Dope, Almost Christmas, Death Wish, and Ad Astra.

Elise made her big screen debut in the 1996 crime action film Set It Off (1996) directed by F. Gary Gray, in which she played one of four women who resort to robbing a bank for money.

Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah and Vivica A. Fox co-star in film which became a critical and box office success, grossing over $41 million.

In 1997 she was cast in the Family Channel original television movie The Ditchdigger's Daughters, based on the Pulitzer-prize nominated and critically acclaimed 1995 memoir The Ditchdigger's Daughters: A Black Family's Astonishing Success Story, written by Yvonne S. Thornton and Jo Coudert.

She received critical acclaim for her role in this film, and in 1997, she was recognized as Best Supporting Actress in a Movie or Miniseries at the 19th annual CableACE Awards.

Later, she appeared again opposite Denzel Washington in The Great Debaters, based on an article written about the Wiley College debate team by Tony Scherman for the spring 1997 issue of American Legacy.

In 2000, Elise starred in The Loretta Claiborne Story playing Loretta Claiborne.

The movie was aired as a part of The Wonderful World of Disney at ABC in early 2000.

She received good reviews for performance as Claiborne.

Later that year, she was female lead in Jamie Foxx's movie Bait, the film was a huge financial failure, and received mostly negative reviews from critics.

The following year, she starred opposite Gregory Hines in the biographical drama Bojangles.

In 2002–2003, she made guest appearances on the UPN comedy series Girlfriends in which she played an HIV-positive woman, and in the Showtime drama Soul Food.

In 2002, Elise starred alongside Denzel Washington in the crime film John Q.

It became a box office success, grossing over $100 million.

She next had a leading role in the independent drama Woman Thou Art Loosed portraying Michelle, an abused young woman who finally got the help she needed behind bars.

This role won her a Black Reel award for Best Actress and well as received Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead nomination.

She later starred in the political thriller The Manchurian Candidate, co-starring with Denzel Washington a second time.

She received a nomination for Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead for her performance in the 2004 drama film, Woman Thou Art Loosed, and played the leading roles in a number of made-for-television movies.

Elise also starred in the CBS crime drama series Close to Home (2005–07) and the VH1 comedy-drama series Hit the Floor (2013-2016).

She is a four-time NAACP Image Awards winner.

Elise was born as Kimberly Elise Trammel in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the daughter of Erma Jean (née Johnson), an elementary school teacher, and Marvin Trammel, who owns an executive search firm.

She has three siblings.

She attended The American Film Institute as a Directing Fellow and at the University of Minnesota earned a BA in Mass Communications.

In 2005, Elise went to star in the comedy drama film Diary of a Mad Black Woman written by Tyler Perry and directed by Darren Grant.

she received positive reviews for her performance, while film received mostly negative reviews.

The film still was huge box office success, grossing over $50 million against a budget of $5 million.

She won her first NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for this movie.

From 2005 to 2007, Elise starred in the CBS crime drama series Close to Home, playing the Marion County, Indiana (Indianapolis) prosecutor Maureen Scofield.

Her character was killed off in the last episode of the series.

She received NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series in 2006 for this series.

The series was cancelled in May 2007.

She later guest starred in two Shonda Rhimes' dramas; Private Practice in 2007, and Grey's Anatomy in 2009.

In 2007, Elise has appeared in two biographical drama films.

First was Pride opposite Terrence Howard based upon the true story of Philadelphia swim coach Jim Ellis.

in 2009, she starred opposite Cuba Gooding Jr. in the television film Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story, winning NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special.