# Kim Fields
**Kim Fields** (full name Kim Victoria Fields-Morgan) is an American actress, director, producer, and writer who rose to fame as a child performer as Dorothy "Tootie" Ramsey on the NBC sitcom *The Facts of Life* (1979–1988) and later starred as Regine Hunter on the Fox sitcom *Living Single* (1993–1998). She has since built a substantial directing career and currently stars as Regina Upshaw on the Netflix sitcom *The Upshaws* (2021–present).[1](https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/kim-fields-39) • [2](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/88214/kim-fields)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1969, New York City, to an acting family; her mother is the actress Chip Fields[1](https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/kim-fields-39) |
| Signature roles | Dorothy "Tootie" Ramsey on *The Facts of Life* (1979–1988); Regine Hunter on *Living Single* (1993–1998)[1](https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/kim-fields-39) |
| Current series | Regina Upshaw on Netflix's *The Upshaws* (2021–present), where she also directs and serves as consulting producer[2](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/88214/kim-fields) • [3](https://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/upshaws-star-kim-fields-signs-172402767.html) |
| Directing output | Nearly 180 episodes of television across comedy, dramedy, and drama, including *Kenan & Kel*, Tyler Perry's *House of Payne* and *Meet the Browns*, and *The Neighborhood*[4](https://www.kimfieldsofficial.com/career-highlights) • [5](https://www.dga.org/craft/dgaq/issues/1302-spring-2013/close-up-kim-fields) |
| Education | B.A. in communications and film, Pepperdine University, 1990[1](https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/kim-fields-39) |
| Awards | NAACP Image Award for Best Director for the stage production *Vanities* (1994); Image Award for *Fight the Good Fight* (1995)[6](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/fields-kim-1969) |
| Family | Married actor Christopher Morgan on July 23, 2007; two sons, Sebastian and Quincy[1](https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/kim-fields-39) • [7](https://abc.com/cast/d003a5f2-621a-4162-b156-93aee74812a3) |
## Early life and child acting
Fields was born in 1969 in New York City into an acting family; her mother, [Chip Fields](https://www.edgepedia.org/chip-fields), and her sister, Alexis, were actresses.[1](https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/kim-fields-39) She began acting at age five and had her first memorable role at age seven in a [Mrs. Butterworth's](https://www.edgepedia.org/mrs-butterworths) syrup commercial; she later recalled that seeing [Janet Jackson](https://www.edgepedia.org/janet-jackson) auditioning for the same commercial was her first encounter with self-doubt, and that her mother intervened with a pep talk.[1](https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/kim-fields-39) • [8](https://www.wabe.org/kim-fields-talks-showbiz-and-life-lessons/) Her early television work included the short-lived series *Baby, I'm Back*, guest appearances on *Good Times*, *Diff'rent Strokes*, and *Mork & Mindy*, and the miniseries *Roots: The Next Generations*, in which she played Alex Haley's daughter.[1](https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/kim-fields-39) • [9](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/tv/1985/08/25/kim-fields/41d2814a-dc69-4aae-81f4-d16ce076302f/)
**The Facts of Life.** In 1979, at about age 10, Fields was cast as Dorothy "Tootie" Ramsey on *The Facts of Life*, a spin-off of *Diff'rent Strokes* about girls at a boarding school, and she played the role for the show's entire run from 1979 to 1988, growing up on screen in front of the television audience.[1](https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/kim-fields-39) • [10](https://www.ontvtonight.com/guide/cast/15449973/kim-fields/) Tootie, the gossip-loving student at the Eastland School, became the role with which Fields remained most identified; she reprised it in the television movies *The Facts of Life Goes to Paris* (1982), *The Facts of Life Down Under* (1987), and *The Facts of Life Reunion* (2001).[10](https://www.ontvtonight.com/guide/cast/15449973/kim-fields/) • [11](https://www.tvsa.co.za/actors/viewactor.aspx?actorid=6437) A 1980s cultural account notes that in an era of limited television roles for Black performers, Fields as Tootie was one of the few prominent recurring Black characters on American television.[12](https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/10/the-unwritten-rules-of-black-tv/619816/)
## Education and transition to adult roles
After *The Facts of Life* ended, Fields enrolled at [Pepperdine University](https://www.edgepedia.org/pepperdine-university) and graduated in 1990 with a B.A. in communications and film.[1](https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/kim-fields-39) While a student she founded the production company Victory Entertainment, specializing in television, film, and theater.[1](https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/kim-fields-39) She has described deliberately planning for a career beyond child stardom, saying she did not want to be a "has-been at age 18" and kept asking herself what the next job would be.[5](https://www.dga.org/craft/dgaq/issues/1302-spring-2013/close-up-kim-fields)
In 1993 she returned to series television as Regine Hunter on Fox's *Living Single*, opposite [Queen Latifah](https://www.edgepedia.org/queen-latifah), Kim Coles, Erika Alexander, John Henton, and T.C. Carson.[1](https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/kim-fields-39) The show, set in a Brooklyn brownstone and centered on four Black women friends in New York, ran five seasons and became a touchstone of 1990s television; Regine, a boutique employee and determined social climber, marked Fields's transition into mature comedic roles.[13](https://time.com/5818529/best-hangout-shows-social-distancing/) • [14](https://www.ijpc.org/uploads/files/IJPC%20Student%20Journal%20-%20Kim%20Wynne.pdf) Her mother made guest appearances on the show playing Regine's mother.[1](https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/kim-fields-39)
## Directing career
**Behind the camera.** Fields broke into directing in the late 1990s with teen sitcoms and children's programs at [Nickelodeon](https://www.edgepedia.org/nickelodeon), including *Kenan & Kel* and *Taina*, and directed several episodes of *Living Single* during its run.[5](https://www.dga.org/craft/dgaq/issues/1302-spring-2013/close-up-kim-fields) She has said her own experience as a young multi-camera performer gave her an advantage with young actors, and that she learned the multi-camera craft from *The Facts of Life* directors such as John Bowab, Asaad Kelada, and Ellen Gittelsohn.[5](https://www.dga.org/craft/dgaq/issues/1302-spring-2013/close-up-kim-fields) Her short film *Silent Bomb* (1994), about a policewoman who contracts HIV from a blood transfusion, earned her Director of the Year honors from the Black American Cinema Society.[7](https://abc.com/cast/d003a5f2-621a-4162-b156-93aee74812a3) • [5](https://www.dga.org/craft/dgaq/issues/1302-spring-2013/close-up-kim-fields)
In 2009, [Tyler Perry](https://www.edgepedia.org/tyler-perry) invited her to join the directing teams of his TBS sitcoms *House of Payne* and *[Meet the Browns](https://www.edgepedia.org/meet-the-browns-tv-series)*, produced at his Atlanta studios on a schedule of one episode filmed per day, with directors assigned three or four episodes a week; she ultimately directed nearly 90 episodes across the two series.[5](https://www.dga.org/craft/dgaq/issues/1302-spring-2013/close-up-kim-fields) • [3](https://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/upshaws-star-kim-fields-signs-172402767.html) Her later directing credits include *The Rickey Smiley Show*, *Let's Stay Together*, *The Neighborhood* (CBS), *Extended Family* (NBC), *The Ms. Pat Show*, *That Girl Lay Lay*, *All the Queen's Men*, and *Haus of Vicious*, and she has directed episodes of *The Upshaws* while serving as its consulting producer.[7](https://abc.com/cast/d003a5f2-621a-4162-b156-93aee74812a3) • [3](https://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/upshaws-star-kim-fields-signs-172402767.html) Her own career summary counts nearly 180 directed television episodes across single- and multi-camera formats, including pilots and first-season episodes.[4](https://www.kimfieldsofficial.com/career-highlights)
## Later acting and producing
Fields's screen work after *Living Single* includes the HBO series *[The Comeback](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-comeback-tv-series)*, Lifetime's *The Division* and *Strong Medicine*, A&E's *The Cleaner*, the film *What to Expect When You're Expecting* (2012), and the television movie *A Cross to Bear* (2012).[7](https://abc.com/cast/d003a5f2-621a-4162-b156-93aee74812a3) She created the holiday entertainment brand *Holiday Love*, starring in Christmas specials she also produced, co-wrote, and directed.[7](https://abc.com/cast/d003a5f2-621a-4162-b156-93aee74812a3) In 2019 she starred in and executive produced the Lifetime movie *You Light Up My Christmas*, which reunited her with *Facts of Life* co-stars [Lisa Whelchel](https://www.edgepedia.org/lisa-whelchel), Mindy Cohn, and [Nancy McKeon](https://www.edgepedia.org/nancy-mckeon).[15](https://www.etonline.com/latest/people/kim-fields)
**Reality television and recent work.** In 2015 Fields joined the cast of Bravo's *The Real Housewives of Atlanta* for its eighth season, appearing as herself while living in Atlanta with her family.[7](https://abc.com/cast/d003a5f2-621a-4162-b156-93aee74812a3) • [16](https://www.bravotv.com/people/kim-fields) In 2016 she competed on season 22 of *Dancing with the Stars*, partnered with professional dancer [Sasha Farber](https://www.edgepedia.org/sasha-farber).[7](https://abc.com/cast/d003a5f2-621a-4162-b156-93aee74812a3) Since 2021 she has starred as Regina Upshaw opposite [Wanda Sykes](https://www.edgepedia.org/wanda-sykes) and [Mike Epps](https://www.edgepedia.org/mike-epps) on Netflix's *The Upshaws*, whose fifth and final season was announced for January 2026.[3](https://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/upshaws-star-kim-fields-signs-172402767.html) • [2](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/88214/kim-fields) In 2021 she also co-created and starred in the Paramount/MTV Entertainment Studios film *Adventures in Christmasing*, executive produced through her company K-Lab Studios.[3](https://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/upshaws-star-kim-fields-signs-172402767.html)
## Writing and other ventures
Fields published her autobiography, *Blessed Life* (2018), which traces her life and career from [Harlem](https://www.edgepedia.org/harlem) to Hollywood, and she has worked as an award-winning audiobook narrator.[17](https://www.essence.com/entertainment/blessed-life-kim-fields) • [4](https://www.kimfieldsofficial.com/career-highlights) In 2017 she launched the premium coffee and tea company Signature Blends by KF, and she runs the traveling wellness retreat Refresh by Kim Fields.[3](https://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/upshaws-star-kim-fields-signs-172402767.html) • [18](https://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/life-begins-end-comfort-zone-213103801.html)
## Personal life
Fields married actor Christopher Morgan on July 23, 2007, seven months after the birth of their son Sebastian Alexander Morgan on March 4, 2007; the couple has a second son, Quincy.[1](https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/kim-fields-39) • [7](https://abc.com/cast/d003a5f2-621a-4162-b156-93aee74812a3) She was previously married to Johnathon Franklin Freeman from 1995 until their divorce.[19](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004917/bio/) • [6](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/fields-kim-1969)
## References
1. [Kim Fields's Biography, The HistoryMakers](https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/kim-fields-39)
2. [Kim Fields, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/88214/kim-fields)
3. ['The Upshaws' Star Kim Fields Signs With Innovative Artists Entertainment, Yahoo News](https://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/upshaws-star-kim-fields-signs-172402767.html)
4. [Career Highlights, Kim Fields official site](https://www.kimfieldsofficial.com/career-highlights)
5. [Kid Stuff: Kim Fields, DGA Quarterly, Spring 2013](https://www.dga.org/craft/dgaq/issues/1302-spring-2013/close-up-kim-fields)
6. [Fields, Kim 1969–, Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/fields-kim-1969)
7. [Kim Fields, Dancing with the Stars cast biography, ABC](https://abc.com/cast/d003a5f2-621a-4162-b156-93aee74812a3)
8. ['Living Single' actress Kim Fields talks showbiz and life lessons, WABE](https://www.wabe.org/kim-fields-talks-showbiz-and-life-lessons/)
9. [Kim Fields, The Washington Post, August 25, 1985](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/tv/1985/08/25/kim-fields/41d2814a-dc69-4aae-81f4-d16ce076302f/)
10. [Kim Fields TV Schedule, Movies & Shows, On TV Tonight](https://www.ontvtonight.com/guide/cast/15449973/kim-fields/)
11. [Kim Fields, TVSA](https://www.tvsa.co.za/actors/viewactor.aspx?actorid=6437)
12. [Not Enough Has Changed Since Sanford and Son, The Atlantic](https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/10/the-unwritten-rules-of-black-tv/619816/)
13. [10 Delightful Hangout Shows for People Who Miss Hanging Out, TIME](https://time.com/5818529/best-hangout-shows-social-distancing/)
14. [Hip-Hop Journalists, IJPC Student Journal](https://www.ijpc.org/uploads/files/IJPC%20Student%20Journal%20-%20Kim%20Wynne.pdf)
15. [Kim Fields, Entertainment Tonight](https://www.etonline.com/latest/people/kim-fields)
16. [Kim Fields, The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Bravo](https://www.bravotv.com/people/kim-fields)
17. [Kim Fields Reflects On Her 40 Years In Show Business, Essence](https://www.essence.com/entertainment/blessed-life-kim-fields)
18. ['Life Begins At The End Of Your Comfort Zone': Kim Fields Redefines Wellness With Her Traveling Retreat, Yahoo News](https://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/life-begins-end-comfort-zone-213103801.html)
19. [Kim Fields Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004917/bio/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames Ev to F*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license