Kim Dickens

About Kim Dickens

The former model who walked the runway as part of Calvin Klein's 1994 spring collection appeared in regional theater, commercials and music videos before making her film debut as Vincent Gallo's tomboyish girlfriend in "Palookaville" (1996). Her TV-movie debut came in NBC's "Voice from the Grave: From the Files of 'Unsolved Mysteries'" (1996), and her second film, Kiefer Sutherland's feature directorial debut "Truth or "Consequences, N.M." (1997), once again placed her alongside Gallo. As a tremulous, revenge-seeking daughter in Jake Kasdan's directorial debut, "Zero Effect" (1998), Dickens provided Bill Pullman with an unusual and effective foil, and "Mercury Rising" (1998) offered her as the female lead amidst heavyweights Bruce Willis and Alec Baldwin. Her TV credits include the movies "Two Mothers for Zachary" (ABC, 1996) and "Heart Full of Rain" (CBS, 1997) and guest spots on ABC's "Spin City" and UPN's "Swift Justice".

After a supporting role in Alfonso Cuaron's interpretation of Charles Dickens' "Great Expectations" (1998) and a small part in the straight-to-video release, "The White River Kid" (1999), she made an appearance as an eccentric veterinarian in the poorly-received horror flick, "Hollow Man" (2000). The small feature roles kept on coming: she was seen in "The Gift" (2000), "Committed" (2000) and "The House of Sand and Fog" (2003). Dickens faired better on television, landing the lead in the Showtime movie, "Things Behind the Sun" (2001), playing an up-and-coming singer living a Janis Joplin-like existence. She had a regular gig as a rookie FBI agent on the CBS detective series, "Big Apple" (2001), but network cut the show in less than a month. Dickens appeared as a regular in "Out of Order" (Showtime, 2003), another short-lived series about a Hollywood screenwriting couple that finds their marriage in trouble because of drugs, depression and extra-marital affairs. Dickens finally landed a regular role in a series that stayed on air longer than a month, playing a prostitute in HBO's award-winning revisionist western, "Deadwood" (2004- ).

Education

Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, New York , New York

Vanderbilt University, Nashville , Tennessee

Lee High School, Huntsville , Alabama

American Academy of Dramatic Arts, New York , New York

Career Milestones

Appeared in regional and summer stock stage productions

Made stage debut in a student production of David Mamet's "Sexual Perversity in Chicago" at Vanderbilt University

1994

Featured as a model in Calvin Klein's spring collection

1996

Made feature debut playing Vincent Gallo's love interest in "Palookaville"

1996

TV-movie debut, NBC's "Voice from the Grave: From the Files of 'Unsolved Mysteries'"

1997

Cast as Rick Schroder's former girlfriend in the CBS movie "Heart Full of Rain"

1997

Re-teamed with Gallo in Kiefer Sutherland's feature directorial debut, "Truth or Consequences, N.M."

1998

Cast opposite Ben Stiller and Bill Pullman as the mysterious and elusive suspect, Gloria, in the Jake Kasdan directed "Zero Effect"

1998

Played Maggie, Finn's (played by Ethan Hawke) sister, in an update of the Charles Dickens' classic "Great Expectations"

1998

Starred opposite Bruce Willis in the Harold Becker-directed thriller "Mercury Rising"

2000

Briefly seen as Cate Blanchett's pal in "The Gift"

2000

Had featured role as one of the scientists in "The Hollow Man"

2001

Cast as FBI agent Sarah Day in David Milch's critically lauded, but short-lived CBS drama "Big Apple"

2001

Starred as a rising rock star suffering from post-traumatic rape syndrome in "Things Behind the Sun"; earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Female Lead

2003

Cast in Showtime's short-lived series "Out of Order"

2003

Had a small yet well received role in the Academy Award nominated "The House of Sand and Fog"

2004

Cast as Joanie Stubbs, the Madame of the Bella Union, in David Milch's critically acclaimed HBO series "Deadwood"

2004

Played a heroin addict in "Goodnight, Joseph Parker" with Debi Mazar and Paul Sorvino

2006

Played Cassidy Phillips, the divorcée who was conned by Sawyer, on ABC's "Lost"

2006

Portrayed the ex-wife of Tobacco's chief spokesman, Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart) in Jason Reitman's satirical comedy "Thank You for Smoking"

2008

Had a recurring role as Shelby Saracen on NBC's "Friday Night Lights"

2009

Cast as Ms. Boswell, one of Oher's teachers, in the Oscar nominated film "The Blind Side"

2010

Played Janette Desautel, a hardworking chef in post-Katrina New Orleans, in the HBO series "Treme"