Kimberly Norris Guerrero facts for kids

Kimberly Norris Guerrero (born in 1967) is an American actress and screenwriter. She has acted in many movies and TV shows, often playing roles of Native American women. Kimberly played General Custer's Native American wife in the movie Son of the Morning Star. She also appeared as a guest star in popular TV shows like Walker, Texas Ranger, Longmire, Grey's Anatomy, and Seinfeld. She was also in the mini-series 500 Nations. Kimberly has played the famous Cherokee chief Wilma Mankiller twice. Besides acting, she is a college professor, a speaker, and a Native American activist. She also helped start two groups that support young people in Native American communities.

Early Life and Education

Kimberly Norris was born in 1967 in Oklahoma. She was adopted by the Norris family when she was five months old and grew up in Idabel, Oklahoma. Her adopted parents made sure she learned about her Native American heritage from a young age. By age six, she was learning native dances and songs from the local Choctaw community.

In high school, Kimberly was a cheerleader. She won the title of Miss Oklahoma Teen in 1985 and then the National Teen title that same year. After graduating, she moved closer to Hollywood to follow her dream of acting. She went to UCLA and earned a degree in History.

Entertainment Career Highlights

Acting Roles and Appearances

Kimberly started her acting career in 1988 by doing voices for the Japanese animated movie My Neighbor Totoro. Her first acting role was in 1991 in the TV mini-series Geronimo. Her university mentor, Professor Hanay Geiogamah, helped her get this start.

Early in her career, Kimberly appeared in the TV special Geronimo and the soap opera As The World Turns. She also played Kate Bighead, General George Armstrong Custer's Native American wife, in Son of the Morning Star. This role led to her often being cast in similar parts in Hollywood.

Kimberly played two different characters in the TV drama Longmire. She was also Sheriff Nina White in the ABC show Blood & Oil. Many people know her best for playing Winona, Jerry Seinfeld's Native American girlfriend, in the "The Cigar Store Indian" episode of Seinfeld. She has guest starred in many other popular TV series, including Charmed, The Sopranos, Grey's Anatomy, Bones, and Walker, Texas Ranger. She also acted with Ernest Borgnine in the Frozen Stupid TV movie and the film Barn Red. In 2020, she played Bernice Blackburn in the first season of the Amazon Prime Video series The Wilds.

Her notable film roles include a part in the 1995 mini-series 500 Nations. She also played the important role of Cherokee Nation chief, Wilma Mankiller, in The Cherokee Word for Water (2013). Her portrayal of Mankiller was praised by Chief Mankiller's friend, the famous activist Gloria Steinem.

Writing for the Screen

Since 2015, Kimberly has also been working as a screenwriter. She wants to help change how Native Americans are shown in Hollywood movies. This part of her career grew after she had a bad experience as an extra in the movie The Revenant. She felt embarrassed by how the director showed Native Peoples inaccurately. Kimberly also wrote and directed the short film Standing Cloud in 2001, which featured her niece.

Theatre Performances

Kimberly has performed in many plays on stage. These include shows at the Public Theater, Steppenwolf Theatre, and the Royal National Theatre in London. She also performed on Broadway. One of her most important stage roles was playing Johnna Monevata, a Native American housekeeper, in the play August: Osage County. This play won a Tony Award and ran for two years.

Teaching and Academia

As of 2021, Kimberly Norris-Guerrero is an associate professor at the University of California, Riverside. She works in the Department of Theatre, Film, and Digital Production. She is also the artistic director there.

Personal Life and Community Work

Kimberly is married to actor and music composer Johnny Guerrero. They live in Southern California. She is a member of the Colville Indian tribe and also has Salish–Kootenai heritage. Her brother-in-law, Dan Guerrero, used to be the athletic director at UCLA.

Kimberly and her husband helped start the Akatubi Film and Music Academy. This academy trains young people, both Native and non-Native, who live in tribal communities and want to work in film and music. She also co-founded The Style Horse Collective. This group shares the life stories of Indigenous communities and people through film, music, and online projects.

Awards and Recognition

Kimberly has been a finalist for several important awards and fellowships. These include the Rockefeller New Media Fellowship, The ABC-Disney Television Writing Fellowship, and the Humanitas Award in Screenwriting.

Filmography

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Kimberly Guerrero para niños

• List of Native American actors