# Kim Hamilton

Kim Hamilton (born Dorothy Mae Aiken; September 12, 1932 – September 16, 2013) was an American film and television actress, as well as a director, writer, and artist. Her career spanned more than half a century, from the early 1950s to 2010. Hamilton's early film credits included the 1959 film noir Odds Against Tomorrow opposite Harry Belafonte and The Leech Woman in 1960. She was also one of the first African-American actors to appear on the soap opera Days of Our Lives and was the only African-American to appear in a speaking role on Leave It to Beaver.
Hamilton portrayed, in an uncredited role, Helen Robinson in the 1962 film adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird, based on Harper Lee's novel of the same name. She was the film's last surviving African-American adult cast member with a speaking role.

## Early life and career

Hamilton was born in Los Angeles, California and, as a young woman, initially wanted to work as a model. However, she said she could not find work in the fashion industry, owing to her short stature and race. Instead, prompted by an advertisement in the Los Angeles Times, she enrolled in acting classes and enlisted the services of an agent. Hamilton made her professional acting debut in the 1950s television sitcom Amos 'n' Andy, playing the girlfriend of Andy (Spencer Williams) in several episodes.
She briefly moved to London to pursue acting there. Hamilton was able to find some roles but returned to the United States after the 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.
Hamilton appeared in more than 60 television series and television films throughout her career. In 1960, she guest-starred in an episode of The Twilight Zone titled "The Big Tall Wish." In 1963 and 1964, she played a high-school librarian on two episodes of the popular series My Three Sons. She was also one of the first black actresses to appear on the soap opera Days of Our Lives. She made numerous guest appearances on popular television shows, including Adam-12, The Thin Man, General Hospital, Sanford and Son, Good Times, The Jeffersons, In the Heat of the Night, All In The Family, and Law & Order. She portrayed Songi in "Final Mission," a 1990 episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Her last television credit was a 2008 episode of the ABC series Private Practice.
Hamilton was also an artist, director, and writer. In her final works, she was credited as Kim Rousseau.
In December 2007, Hamilton was honored for her career achievements by Columbia University and the Harlem community at an event held at the Museum of the City of New York. Hamilton's honor was part of series of Columbia University's Big Read program, which focused on To Kill a Mockingbird through guest lectures, productions, and panel discussions.

## Personal life and death

Kim Hamilton was married twice. Her first marriage, at age 18, was to Robert Henry Hamilton in 1951. They had two children and divorced ten years later. Her son Robert predeceased her.. She then dated German-born actor Werner Klemperer for more than two decades before they married in 1997. They remained together until Klemperer's death on December 6, 2000.
In her later years, Hamilton divided her time between her home in Manhattan and her other residence in her hometown of Los Angeles. In 2013, four days after her 81st birthday, she died of undisclosed causes while in Los Angeles.

## Filmography
### Films

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1957 | Something of Value | Kipi's Wife | Uncredited |
| 1959 | Odds Against Tomorrow | Ruth Ingram | |
| 1960 | The Leech Woman | Young Malla | |
| 1961 | The Wizard of Baghdad | Teegra, Yasmin's Servant | Uncredited |
| 1962 | A Public Affair | Mrs. Hendrickson | |
| 1962 | To Kill a Mockingbird | Helen Robinson, Tom's Wife | Uncredited |
| 1966 | The Wild Angels | Nurse | |
| 1971 | Kotch | Emma Daly | |
| 1973 | Heavy Traffic | | Voice |
| 1981 | Body and Soul | Mrs. Johnson | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1955 | Damon Runyon Theater | | Season 1 Episode 5: "Numbers and Figures" |
| 1955 | The Amos 'n Andy Show | Charmaine | Season 4 Episode 8: "Kingfish Teaches Andy to Fly" |
| 1957 | General Electric Theater | Miranda | Season 6 Episode 1: "The Questioning Note" |
| 1958 | The Thin Man | Emmeline | Season 1 Episode 37: "The Screaming Doll" |
| 1960 | The Twilight Zone | Frances | Season 1 Episode 27: "The Big Tall Wish" |
| 1961 | Whiplash | Martin Watling | Season 1 Episode 15: "The Remittance Man" |
| 1961 | 87th Precinct | First Sunbather | Season 1 Episode 1: "The Floater" |
| 1962 | The New Breed | Sally Wick | 2 episodes |
| 1962 | Checkmate | Miss Williams (Mrs. in credits) | Season 2 Episode 24: "Trial by Midnight" |
| 1962 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | The Maid | Season 7 Episode 36: "First Class Honeymoon" |
| 1962 | Stoney Burke | Beth Ann Sutter | Season 1 Episode 5: "The Mob Riders" |
| 1962–1963 | Ben Casey | Dorothy Garrison / Jane Demarest | 2 episodes |
| 1963 | 77 Sunset Strip | Letha | Season 6 Episode 6: "White Lie" |
| 1963 | Leave it to Beaver | The Maid | Season 6 Episode 17: "The Parking Attendants" |
| 1963–1964 | My Three Sons | Librarian | 2 episodes |
| 1965 | Dr. Kildare | Nurse Hammond | Season 5 Episode 1: "Behold the Great Man" |
| 1966 | Daniel Boone | Naomi | Season 3 Episode 8: "Onatha" |
| 1967 | Me and Benjy | Vivian | TV Movie |
| 1967 | Insight | Barbara Walton / Diane | 2 episodes |
| 1967–1974 | Mannix | Alice Bradley / Hallie Woods / Diana Lee | 3 episodes |
| 1968 | General Hospital | Dr. Tracy Adams | Episode 1412: "Episode #1.1412" |
| 1968–1982 | Days of Our Lives | Nurse West / Miss Jenkins / Nurse Leona / Penelope Wade | 7 episodes |
| 1969–1972 | The Mod Squad | Delores Sutton / Mildred Jameson | 2 episodes |
| 1971 | Here's Lucy | Jane the Office Manager | Season 4 Episode 1: "Lucy and Flip Go Legit" |
| 1971 | The Man and the City | | Season 1 Episode 10: "Run for Daylight" |
| 1972–1975 | Sanford and Son | Carol Davis / Grace | 2 episodes |
| 1973 | Police Story | Harriet Parsons | Season 1 Episode 0: "Slow Boy" |
| 1973 | Adam-12 | Mrs. Hardy / Mrs. Anderson | 2 episodes |
| 1973–1974 | The Rookies | Duty Nurse / Irene | 2 episodes |
| 1974 | Shaft | Marcia Tyler | Season 1 Episode 5: "Shaft and the Cop Killer" |
| 1974 | Kojak | Sergeant Donna Mill | Season 2 Episode 3: "Hush Now, Don't You Die" |
| 1974 | All in the Family | Mrs. Helen Willis | Season 4 Episode 20: "Lionel's Engagement" |
| 1974 | Chopper One | Nurse | Season 1 Episode 10: "Deadly Carrier" |
| 1974 | Mooch | Nurse | TV Movie |
| 1974 | That's My Mama | Melvina | Season 1 Episode 5: "Clifton's Sugar Mama" |
| 1975 | Emergency! | Estelle Lee Dickens | Season 5 Episode 2: "The Old Engine Cram" |
| 1975 | Good Times | Betty Edwards | Season 3 Episode 5: "Florida's Rich Cousin" |
| 1975 | Marcus Welby, M.D. | Elsbeth Byars / Velma Stokes | 2 episodes |
| 1975 | Bronk | Hannah | Season 1 Episode 12: "Deception" |
| 1977 | Future Cop | June Bundy | Season 1 Episode 4: "Carlisle Girl" |
| 1977 | The Fat Albert Christmas Special | Marge Franklin / Nurse (voice) | TV Movie |
| 1978 | Project U.F.O. | Diane Armstrong | Season 1 Episode 3: "Sighting 4003: The Fremont Incident" |
| 1978 | Doctors' Private Lives | Kitty | TV Movie |
| 1978 | A Family Upside Down | Paula | TV Movie |
| 1978 | Lady of the House | Mary | TV Movie |
| 1978 | Vega$ | Ernie | Season 1 Episode 9: "Lost Women" |
| 1978–1979 | Tarzan and the Super 7 | Microwoman / Christy Cross / Mother Plant (voice) | 33 episodes |
| 1979 | Stone | Carla Brown | TV Movie |
| 1979 | Stone | Carla Brown | Season 1 Episode 0: "Pilot" |
| 1979 | The White Shadow | Carol Simpson | Season 2 Episode 5: "A Silent Cheer" |
| 1980 | Quincy M.E. | Mrs. Hester | Season 5 Episode 19: "T.K.O." |
| 1981 | Sanford | Admitting Clerk | Season 2 Episode 3: "Fred Has the Big One" |
| 1981 | Buck Rogers in the 25th Century | Nurse Paulton | Season 2 Episode 4: "Mark of the Saurian" |
| 1983 | The Jeffersons | Pauline | Season 9 Episode 14: "My Maid... My Wife" |
| 1983 | ABC Weekend Special | Mrs. Stowe | Season 6 Episode 4: "All the Money in the World" |
| 1983–1984 | Matt Houston | Judge / Nathaniel's Mother | 2 episodes |
| 1984 | St. Elsewhere | Judge Dr. Linda Purcell | Season 2 Episode 12: "Hearing" |
| 1984 | Paper Dolls | Eleanor | 4 episodes |
| 1984 | Guiding Light | Victoria Tamerlaine Spaulding | Episode dated December 3 |
| 1984 | Riptide | Mrs. Collins | Season 2 Episode 8: "It's a Vial Sort of Business" |
| 1985 | Gimme a Break! | Della | Season 4 Episode 18: "Alabamy Bound: Part 2" |
| 1985 | Alice | Mrs. Reynolds | Season 9 Episode 15: "Vera's Grounded Gumshoe" |
| 1986 | Simon & Simon | Nurse Elsa Jelkes | Season 6 Episode 12: "Tonsillitis" |
| 1987 | Designing Women | Annabelle | Season 2 Episode 3: "Anthony Jr." |
| 1990 | Star Trek: The Next Generation | Songi | Season 4 Episode 9: "Final Mission" |
| 1991–1994 | In the Heat of the Night | Mrs. Johnson / Ellen Shore | 2 episodes |
| 1992–1996 | Law & Order | Judge Vivian Jackson / Marcella Klein | 2 episodes |
| 1993 | Trade Winds | Madame DeGaulle | Miniseries 3 episodes |
| 1996 | The Client | Rosine Chalmers | Season 1 Episode 20: "Past Imperfect" |
| 2002 | Girlfriends | Mother Dent (voice) | Season 2 Episode 14: "Willie or Won't He II: The Last Chapter?" |
| 2002 | The Practice | Supreme Court Justice | Season 7 Episode 2: "Convictions" |
| 2008 | Private Practice | Frances | Season 2 Episode 6: "Serving Two Masters" |