Disclosure: Many thanks to Hachette Book Group for providing this book for review
As long as I can remember Kim Fields has been on the scene. I grew up watching her as the roller skating "Tootie" on Facts of Life and later as the stylish "Regine" on Living Single and most recently on RHOA. We practically grew up together.She's been in the acting game for a while and that smile, that beautiful smile has always graced her face. That glowing smile amidst working in a no holds barred industry where dozens, if not hundreds, of actors vying for a single role yet she never seemed to be discouraged and she always seemed to be working in her teens, 20s, 30s and even now in her 40s.
In her book Blessed Life she shares the experience of auditioning for the same role as Janet Jackson and being a little starstruck. However, it's her stories of her mom which drew me in. There's a respect and appreciation for her mother which comes through loud and clear in her book.
Fields acknowledges her faith as a driving force in her work life and also in her personal life. She never succumbed to the tragedies like some of her fellow child actors. She stayed above the drama. Even as a cast member of the RHOA franchise, Fields shied away from the reality TV melodrama unlike her castmates who seemed to thrive in the drama they created. Not Kim. She thrived in motherhood. In her marriage. In her faith.
From “Facts of Life” to “Living Single” to “Dancing with the Stars” to wife and mom, here’s the BLESSED LIFE of Kim Fields, veteran actress, TV personality, and star.
Kim Fields has lived most of her life with people thinking they know her, which is understandable. From her first job on a Mrs. Butterworth syrup commercial at age 7, she has spent 40 years in the public eye. There were 9 years as Dorothy “Tootie” Ramsey on the classic sitcom The Facts of Life, 5 more in her 20s starring as Regine Hunter on the seminal coming-of-age show Living Single, and most recently appearing as herself on Real Housewives of Atlanta and Dancing with the Stars.
Behind the camera, she has directed episodes of Kenan & Kel, Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns and House of Payne, and BET’s Let’s Stay Together. Between gigs, the pop culture icon’s life has included theater, spoken word, music, speaking engagements, and simply being present to the point that she cannot go a day without someone stopping her to say, “When I was a kid, I wanted to be Tootie” or “You were my role model.”
When I was a kid, I wanted to be TootieFlattered and blessed, after four decades in the business, Kim finally understands the role she has played onscreen and off as a successful, outspoken African-American woman. However, for as much as she’s been in the public eye, people have really never known her the way they think they have, and that’s because she, herself, spent most of her life figuring herself out. Now, at age 48, she is ready to set the record straight. She says, “It’s not that I’ve been misunderstood. It’s that I finally feel like I understand me enough to tell the life story that I’ve been asked to write for years.” It will be a chronicle of living, learning, and keen moments of self-discovery as she’s journeyed through the many facets and chapters of life. Fields found faith at age 14 and has found God to be right there every step of the way since then.
Through her stories we are given a glimpse into her life and her career. She shares how her faith has helped guide her, strengthen her and shaped her along the way.
When I was a kid, I wanted to be Tootie, but now that I'm an adult, I realize I'm more like Kim Fields and living a blessed life.
Blessed Life by Kim Fields will be available at bookstores nationwide and online retailers including Barnes and Noble and Amazon on November 14.
Can't wait? Click here to read an excerpt from Blessed Life or find a retailer near you.
What's your favorite Kim Fields role?