Kimberly Norris Guerrero facts for kids

Kimberly Norris Guerrero (born in 1967) is an American actress and screenwriter. She has appeared in many movies and TV shows, often playing Native American characters. Kimberly has been in popular TV series like Walker, Texas Ranger, Longmire, Grey's Anatomy, and Seinfeld. She also appeared in the mini-series 500 Nations. She has played Cherokee chief Wilma Mankiller twice. Besides acting, Kimberly Norris Guerrero is a college professor, a speaker, and an activist for Native American rights. She also helped start two non-profit 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. Her mother, Kay Norris, helped her start learning native dance and songs from the local Choctaw community when she was six.

As a high school student, Kimberly was a cheerleader. In 1985, she won the title of Miss Oklahoma Teen and then the National Teen title. After graduating from Idabel High School, she wanted to be close to Hollywood to follow her dream of acting. She went to UCLA and earned a degree in History.

Entertainment Career

Kimberly Norris Guerrero has had a long career in entertainment, working as an actress and a writer.

Acting Roles

Kimberly started her entertainment 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, Gen. George Armstrong Custer's Native American wife, in the mini-series Son of the Morning Star. This role led her to often play Native American characters in Hollywood.

Kimberly played two different characters in the drama Longmire. She was also Sheriff Nina White in ABC's TV show Blood & Oil. Many people know her for playing Winona, Jerry Seinfeld's Native American girlfriend, in the The Cigar Store Indian episode of Seinfeld. She has also appeared in many other popular TV shows, including Charmed, The Sopranos, Grey's Anatomy, Bones, and Walker, Texas Ranger. She starred with Ernest Borgnine in the TV movie Frozen Stupid 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 Cherokee Nation chief Wilma Mankiller in the 2013 film The Cherokee Word for Water. Her portrayal of Mankiller was praised by activist Gloria Steinem.

Screenwriting Work

Since 2015, Kimberly Norris Guerrero has been working as a screenwriter. She wants to help change how Native Americans are shown in Hollywood movies. She felt it was important to do this after an experience as an extra in the 2015 film The Revenant. She felt that the director showed Native Peoples in a way that was not accurate or respectful. In 2001, Norris-Guerrero wrote and directed a short film called Standing Cloud. Her niece, Nathalie Standingcloud, who is also an actress and artist, was in the film.

Theatre Performances

Kimberly Norris Guerrero has performed in many plays on stage. These include shows at the off-Broadway Public Theater, Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, and the Royal National Theatre in London. She also performed at San Diego's Old Globe Theatre and 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 she was part of its first two-year run in Chicago, on Broadway, in London, and in Sydney.

Career in Education

As of July 2025, Kimberly Norris Guerrero is an associate professor. She works in the Department of Theatre, Film, and Digital Production at the University of California, Riverside. She is also the artistic director there.

Personal Life and Community Work

Kimberly Norris Guerrero 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 is Dan Guerrero, who used to be the athletic director at UCLA.

Kimberly and her husband helped start the Akatubi Film and Music Academy. This academy helps train young people, both Native and non-Native, who live in tribal communities and are interested in careers in film and music. Kimberly also helped create The Style Horse Collective. This group uses film, music, and online projects to share the life stories of Indigenous communities and individuals.

Awards and Recognition

Kimberly Norris Guerrero has been recognized for her talent. She was a finalist for the Rockefeller New Media Fellowship. She was also a finalist for The ABC-Disney Television Writing Fellowship and the Humanitas Award in Screenwriting.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

See also

In Spanish: Kimberly Guerrero para niños

• List of Native American actors