# Kim Hamilton
**Kim Hamilton** (born Dorothy Mae Aiken; September 12, 1932 – September 16, 2013) was an American film and television actress whose career spanned more than half a century, from the early 1950s to the late 2000s. She was known for the film noir *Odds Against Tomorrow* (1959) opposite [Harry Belafonte](https://www.edgepedia.org/harry-belafonte), an uncredited role as Helen Robinson in *To Kill a Mockingbird* (1962), and a series of television firsts for Black performers, including a speaking role on *Leave It to Beaver* and early appearances on the soap opera *Days of Our Lives*.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | September 12, 1932, Los Angeles, California; birth name Dorothy Mae Aiken (IMDb gives "Dorothy May Aiken")[1](https://www.nndb.com/people/243/000353181/) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0358001/bio/) |
| Died | September 16, 2013, Los Angeles, California, of natural causes, aged 81[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0358001/) |
| Signature films | *Odds Against Tomorrow* (1959, as Ruth), *The Leech Woman* (1960), *To Kill a Mockingbird* (1962, uncredited), *The Wild Angels* (1966), *Body and Soul* (1981, as Mrs. Johnson)[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/kim_hamilton) • [5](https://prabook.com/web/kim.hamilton/2135812) |
| Television firsts | The only African-American to appear in a speaking role on *Leave It to Beaver*; one of the first African-American actors on *Days of Our Lives*[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0358001/bio/) • [6](https://www.thetvdb.com/people/280868-kim-hamilton?sort=alphabetically&types=all) |
| Longest TV role | Victoria Spaulding on *Guiding Light*, 97 episodes in 1984[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0358001/) |
| Marriages | Robert Henry Hamilton (married 1951, divorced 1969, two children); Dave Geisel (1962–1965); actor Werner Klemperer (until his death on December 6, 2000)[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0358001/bio/) • [1](https://www.nndb.com/people/243/000353181/) |
| Final credit | A 2008 episode of the ABC series *Private Practice*[5](https://prabook.com/web/kim.hamilton/2135812) |
## Early life and start in acting
Hamilton was born in Los Angeles and initially wanted to be a model, but could not work in the fashion industry because of her short stature and race. She found an advertisement in the *Los Angeles Times*, which led to acting classes and an agent[5](https://prabook.com/web/kim.hamilton/2135812).
Her professional debut came on the 1950s television sitcom *Amos 'n' Andy*, where she played Andy's girlfriend, played by Spencer Williams, for several episodes. The series was controversial for its portrayal of African-American characters, but it gave Hamilton professional experience and introduced her to network television audiences[7](https://www.theshot.com/actors/kim-hamilton) • [5](https://prabook.com/web/kim.hamilton/2135812). She also spent a period in London pursuing acting, but returned to the United States after British Actors' Equity Association and the Secretary of State for Employment denied her a work permit, a practice commonly used against American actors at the time[5](https://prabook.com/web/kim.hamilton/2135812).
## Film career
Hamilton's early film credits established her in features at a time when roles for Black actresses were scarce. She appeared in *Something of Value* (1957) with [Rock Hudson](https://www.edgepedia.org/rock-hudson), the Harry Belafonte crime film *Odds Against Tomorrow* (1959) as Ruth, *The Leech Woman* (1960) with Phillip Terry, the [Dick Shawn](https://www.edgepedia.org/dick-shawn) adventure *The Wizard of Baghdad* (1960), and the [Peter Fonda](https://www.edgepedia.org/peter-fonda) picture *The Wild Angels* (1966)[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/kim_hamilton). Her other film work included *Kotch* (1971), a voice role in Ralph Bakshi's *Heavy Traffic* (1973), *Lady of the House* (1978), and *Body and Soul* (1981) starring Leon Isaac Kennedy, in which she played Mrs. Johnson[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/kim_hamilton) • [1](https://www.nndb.com/people/243/000353181/).
**To Kill a Mockingbird.** In Robert Mulligan's 1962 adaptation of [Harper Lee](https://www.edgepedia.org/harper-lee)'s novel, Hamilton appeared uncredited as Helen Robinson, the widow of [Tom Robinson](https://www.edgepedia.org/tom-robinson)[5](https://prabook.com/web/kim.hamilton/2135812). She was the film's last surviving African-American adult cast member with a speaking role[5](https://prabook.com/web/kim.hamilton/2135812). In 2007 the Harlem community honored her for her part in the movie[8](https://eoi1zaragoza.org/wp-content/uploads/To_kill_a_Mockingbird.pdf).
## Television career
Hamilton appeared in more than sixty television series and television films over her career[5](https://prabook.com/web/kim.hamilton/2135812). Through the 1960s she built a reputation as a dependable character actress, becoming one of the first Black actresses to secure recurring work on American network television at a time when Black performers were often confined to stereotypical parts or isolated guest appearances[7](https://www.theshot.com/actors/kim-hamilton).
Two appearances are regularly cited as milestones. On *Leave It to Beaver* she played a maid in the 1963 episode "The Parking Attendants"; IMDb records her as the only Black performer to have a speaking role in the series[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0358001/bio/). She was also one of the first African-American actors to appear on the soap opera *Days of Our Lives*[6](https://www.thetvdb.com/people/280868-kim-hamilton?sort=alphabetically&types=all).
Her later television work was extensive. She played the original Mrs. Willis on *All in the Family* in episodes featuring George and Louise Jefferson; Roxie Roker later made the role famous on *The Jeffersons*[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0358001/bio/). From 1984 she played Victoria Spaulding on *Guiding Light* for 97 episodes[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0358001/). Genre fans know her as Songi in "Final Mission," a 1990 episode of *Star Trek: The Next Generation*[5](https://prabook.com/web/kim.hamilton/2135812). Guest roles ran from 1960s series such as *The Twilight Zone*, *Ben Casey*, and *[Dr. Kildare](https://www.edgepedia.org/dr-kildare-tv-series)* through *Kojak*, *Sanford and Son*, *Good Times*, *Quincy, M.E.*, *Gimme a Break!*, *Designing Women*, *Law & Order*, *The Practice*, and *The Client*, among many others[9](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/kim-hamilton/credits/3000420411/). Her last television credit was a 2008 episode of *[Private Practice](https://www.edgepedia.org/private-practice-tv-series)*, in which she played Frances[5](https://prabook.com/web/kim.hamilton/2135812) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0358001/).
## Personal life and death
Hamilton married three times. Her first marriage, at age 18, was to Robert Henry Hamilton on January 13, 1951; the couple had two children and divorced in 1969. Her second marriage was to television director Dave Geisel, from 1962 to 1965. She then had a long relationship with the actor [Werner Klemperer](https://www.edgepedia.org/werner-klemperer), whom she married; he died on December 6, 2000[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0358001/bio/) • [1](https://www.nndb.com/people/243/000353181/). The marriage date is reported differently across sources: IMDb dates the wedding to April 21, 1998, while NNDB records the couple as dating from 1976 to 1997 and marrying in 1997[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0358001/bio/) • [1](https://www.nndb.com/people/243/000353181/).
She died on September 16, 2013, four days after her 81st birthday, in Los Angeles, of natural causes. She was survived by her daughter, four grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0358001/) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0358001/bio/).
## References
1. [Kim Hamilton, NNDB](https://www.nndb.com/people/243/000353181/)
2. [Kim Hamilton – Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0358001/bio/)
3. [Kim Hamilton, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0358001/)
4. [Kim Hamilton Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/kim_hamilton)
5. [Kim Hamilton, Prabook World Biographical Encyclopedia](https://prabook.com/web/kim.hamilton/2135812)
6. [Kim Hamilton, TheTVDB.com](https://www.thetvdb.com/people/280868-kim-hamilton?sort=alphabetically&types=all)
7. [The Acting Legend Of Kim Hamilton, The Shot](https://www.theshot.com/actors/kim-hamilton)
8. [To Kill a Mockingbird (study text), EOI Zaragoza](https://eoi1zaragoza.org/wp-content/uploads/To_kill_a_Mockingbird.pdf)
9. [Kim Hamilton List of Movies and TV Shows, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/kim-hamilton/credits/3000420411/)
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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: 1940s to 1960s › Surnames H*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: 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