Kimberly Norris Guerrero

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Kimberly Norris Guerrero
Born
Kimberly Norris

1967 (1967)
Oklahoma
NationalityAmerican Indian
Other namesKimberly Guerrero
OccupationActress, screenwriter
Years active1988–present
Notable work
Spouse(s)
Johnny Guerrero
​
(m. 1996)​

Kimberly Norris (married name Guerrero), (born 1967), is a Native American actress in film, TV, and stage; and a screenwriter. She has over two dozen screen appearances, generally playing roles of Indigenous women. Norris played Gen. Custer's Indian wife in the movie Son of the Morning Star, and guest starred in TV shows such as Longmire, Grey's Anatomy, and Seinfeld. She appeared in the well received mini-series, 500 Nations, and twice played Cherokee chief Wilma Mankiller. Norris-Guerrero is also a college professor, motivational speaker, Native American activist, and co-founder of two non-profit organizations aimed at aiding youth in Native American communities.

Early life[]

Norris was born in 1967 in Oklahoma to Linda Standing Cloud.[1][2] After being adopted by the Norris family at the age of five months, she was raised in Idabel, Oklahoma.[1] Her adopted parents exposed her at an early age to the Native American culture that was her heritage. Her mother, Kay Norris, ensured that she started learning native dance and song from the local Choctaw community by the age of six.[2] As a high school student, Norris was a cheerleader, and also won the title of Miss Oklahoma Teen at the 1985 statewide pageant. She went on to win the National Teen title that year.[3] She graduated from Idabel High School soon after, and, wanting to be close to Hollywood in order to fulfill a childhood dream of acting, attended UCLA, where she obtained a degree in History.[4]

Entertainment career[]

Acting[]

Norris launched her entertainment career in 1988 while doing a number of character voices in the Japanese anime adventure, My Neighbor Totoro.[3] Her acting debut came in 1991 with help from her university mentor, Professor Hanay Geiogamah, who worked as a producer for the TNT network's mini-series, Geronimo.[3][5]

Early in her career, Norris appeared in the TV special, Geronimo; the soap opera As The World Turns; and the first two episodes of the mini-series, Son of the Morning Star, where she played the character Kate Bighead, Gen. George Armstrong Custer's Indian wife (a role that she claims caused her to thereafter become a niche-player in Hollywood).[4][3] Norris played two different characters in the long running A&E drama, Longmire,[6] and she was Sheriff Nina White in ABC's prime-time TV soap, Blood & Oil. She is perhaps best known for playing the role of Winona, Jerry Seinfeld's Native American girlfriend, in the "The Cigar Store Indian" episode of the NBC network series, Seinfeld.[3] She has appeared and guest starred in many popular TV series, including: Charmed, The Sopranos, Grey's Anatomy, Bones, and Walker, Texas Ranger.[citation needed] She starred with Ernest Borgnine in the first offering of the Frozen Stupid TV movie franchise and again in the film, .[5] She played Bernice Blackburn in the first season of the Amazon Prime Video series, The Wilds (2020).[3]

"I got there, and they started painting my teeth yellow and put this dirt in my hair. My hair was caked with dirt. They put dirt all over my face, all over my arms, and my fingernails, and my hands. I was filthy. Everybody was filthy. And I was so confused. Pawnee people, and Natives in general, were never like that."
— Kimberly Norris-Guerrero, on performing in the major motion picture, The Revenant[3]

Noted film credits include a recurring role in 1995's eight part mini-series, 500 Nations, and the pivotal role of Cherokee Nation chief, Wilma Mankiller, in (2013).[1][3][5] Her depiction of Mankiller was praised by Chief Mankiller's friend and female activist, Gloria Steinem.[3]

Screenwriting[]

Norris is widening her role in the entertainment business and has been, in addition to acting and teaching, working as a screenwriter since 2015 to help change the stereotypical depictions of Native Americans in Hollywood.[3] This broadening of her career came about—in part—due to the treatment she received while acting as a non-credited extra in The Revenant in which she was embarrassed by the director's inaccurate depiction of historic Native Peoples as dirty and slovenly individuals.[3] Norris-Guerrero wrote and directed the 2001 short film, Standing Cloud, which featured her niece, actress-artist Nathalie Standingcloud.[7]

Theatre[]

Norris has appeared in numerous stage productions, including those at the off-Broadway Public Theater; Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago; Royal National Theatre, London; San Diego's Old Globe; and Broadway.[1] One of her most significant roles on stage was originating the part of the Native American housekeeper Johnna Monevata, in the initial two-year run of the Tony Award winning play, August: Osage County, first presented by the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, on Broadway, in London and in Sydney.[3][2]

Personal life[]

Norris is married to actor and music composer, Johnny Guerrero. They reside in Southern California. Norris-Guerrero is an Associate Professor at UC Riverside in the Department of Theatre, Film and Digital Production, where she also serves as the current Artistic Director. [4][3] She is an enrolled reservation member of the Colville Indian tribe, and also has Salish–Kootenai heritage.[4][2]

She is the sister-in-law of UCLA's former-athletic director, Dan Guerrero.[2]

Academia career and other work[]

As of May 2021, Norris-Guerrero is working as the associate professor in the Department of Theatre, Film, and Digital Production at the University of California, Riverside.[4]

Norris and husband Guerrero helped co-found the , which was started to aid in the training of Native and non-Native youth residing in tribal communities who are interested in careers in the film and music industries. , designed to relate the life stories of Indigenous communities and individuals through film, music, and online production, is yet another organization co-founded by Norris. Often stating that “story is medicine,” she has been a dedicated advocate helping other Native Americans find their way in and through the entertainment industry in hopes of combating the misrepresentation and underrepresentation of Native people on stage and screen. A change that she believes will ultimately help bring healing to Indigenous communities.[4]

Awards[]

Norris has been a finalist for the Rockefeller New Media Fellowship, The ABC-Disney Television Writing Fellowship, and the Humanitas Award in Screenwriting.[1]

Filmography[]

Film[]

Year Title Role Notes
1988 My Neighbor Totoro chorus voices animated film
1998 Naturally Native[3][4] Kimberly Norris Guerrero Comedy-drama
2001 Escanaba in da Moonlight[3][4] Wolf Moon Dance Soady Comedy film
2001 Folly Island Anne Comedy film
2003 Dreamkeeper Pretty woman
2003 American Indian Graffiti: This Thing Life Aunt Kay
2004 Charleen Independent short
2004 Hidalgo[3] Frank's Mother
2004 Barn Red Lydia Bailey Co-starring with Ernest Borgnine
2009 Taking Chances Mary Born Kicking Comedy
2012 Francis Wellman Horror film
2013 [2] Wilma Mankiller
2014 Francis Wellman
2014 Janet
2015 The Revenant[3] Indian Uncredited role
2018 A Wrinkle in Time[3][4] Camazotz woman Uncredited role
2020 The Glorias[4][5] Wilma Mankiller
2020 The Dark Divide[3] Teresa
2021 Catch the Fair One Jaya
2021 Montana Story Valentina

Television[]

Year Title Role Notes
1991 Son of the Morning Star[3][5] Kate Bighead Custer TV mini-series
1992 As the World Turns[3] Simone Bordeau 1 episode
1993 Northern Exposure Bonnie Norell episode, "Heal Thyself"
1993 Geronimo[3] Herself TV film
1993 Seinfeld[2][3] Winona episode, "The Cigar Store Indian"
1994 Knight Rider 2010 Maria Made for TV movie
1995 500 Nations[3] TV miniseries, episodes: "Clash of Cultures"
"The Ancestors"
1996 Raven Hawk Rhyia's Mother Made for TV movie
1997 Vanishing Point Connie Made for TV movie
2000 The Lost Child Dorrine Made for TV movie
2000 Walker, Texas Ranger[6] Leona Gentry episode: "White Buffalo"
2001 Charmed Isabel Lightfeather episode: "The Good, the Bad and the Cursed"
2004 The Sopranos[5] Dealer #1 episode: "Sentimental Education"
2008 Frozen Stupid[5] Stormy TV movie
2010 Grey's Anatomy[6] Lindsay McNeil episode: "Slow Night, So Long"
2010 American Indian Actors Herself Documentary short
2012 Longmire[3] Joanna episode: "Dogs, Horses and Indians"
2014 Longmire Neena Wapasha episode: "Miss Cheyenne"
2015 Blood & Oil[3] Sheriff Nina White 2 episodes: "Art of the Deal," "Departures"
2016 Bones[3] Alice Tuuq episode: "The Stiff in the Cliff"
2019 Republic of Sarah Mary Made for TV movie
2019 [6] Naomi Made for TV movie
2020 Stormy Made for TV movie
2020 The Wilds[3] Bernice Blackburn episode: "Day Twenty-Two"
2020 Rutherford Falls Renee Thomas episode: "Terry Thomas"
2021 Reservation Dogs Auntie B Main character

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Kimberly Guerrero; Howl Around WebPage; retrieved June 4, 2021
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Blindsided Actress Says SI Smeared Mom in OSU Football Scandal Expose; ICT Staff; interview article; September 13, 2018; "Indian Country Today; retrieved June 5, 2021
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab The Thespian: Five Acts of Kimberly Norris-Guerrero; article; Feb 11, 2016; Rosenbaum, Cary; Tribal Tribune, online; retrieved June 4, 2021
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the UCLA American Indian Studies Center; "Native Bruins: Past, Present & Emerging;" UCLA American Indians Study Center; accessed June 3, 2021
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Interview with Kimberly Guerrero; "You Might Know...": partial transcript, radio interview; Retrieved June 2021
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Kimberly Norris Guerrero; webpage; Rotten Tomatoes, accessed June 5, 2021
  7. ^ "Return to Niobrara – Cast Information" (PDF). Rose Theater. Retrieved June 8, 2021.

External links[]

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