Kristin Davis | |
|---|---|
 Davis in 2018 | |
| Born | Kristin Landen Davis (1965-02-23)February 23, 1965 (age 60) Boulder, Colorado, U.S. |
| Education | Rutgers University–New Brunswick (BFA) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1988–present |
| Children | 2 |
Kristin Landen Davis (also listed asKristin Lee Davis; born February 23, 1965)[1] is an American actress and producer. She is known for playingCharlotte York in theHBO romantic comedy seriesSex and the City (1998–2004). She received nominations at theEmmys and theGolden Globes in 2004 for her role as Charlotte, and reprised the role in the filmsSex and the City (2008) andSex and the City 2 (2010), as well as the revival of the showAnd Just Like That... (2021–2025) onHBO Max.
Davis's big break came in 1995, when she was cast as the villainous Brooke Armstrong in the Fox prime time soap operaMelrose Place (1995–1996). Her film credits includeThe Shaggy Dog (2006),Deck the Halls (2006),Couples Retreat (2009),Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012) andHoliday in the Wild (2019). Davis made herBroadway debut playing Mabel Cantwell in the 2012 revival ofThe Best Man, and herWest End debut playing Beth Gallagher in the original 2014 stage production ofFatal Attraction.
Davis was born on February 23, 1965, inBoulder, Colorado.[2] She is an only child, and her parents divorced when she was a baby.[2] She was adopted by her stepfather, then-University of Colorado Boulder professor Keith Davis,[3] after he married her mother, Dorothy, a university data analyst, in 1968.[4] She has three stepsisters from her father's first marriage.[5] Early in her childhood, she and her parents moved toColumbia, South Carolina, where her father served asprovost and taught psychology at theUniversity of South Carolina.
Davis wanted to be an actress from the age of nine, when she was cast in the Workshop Theatre production ofSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Davis lived in South Carolina until she graduated fromA.C. Flora High School in 1983.[2] She then moved toNew Jersey, where she attendedRutgers University. Davis graduated with a BFA degree in acting from Rutgers University'sMason Gross School of the Arts in 1987.[5]
After graduation in 1987, Davis moved to New York and waited tables before opening ayoga studio with a friend. In 1991, she acted in a couple of episodes of the daytime drama (soap opera)General Hospital. She later guest-starred onDr. Quinn, Medicine Woman andER, and acted in made-for-television movies. Her big break came in 1995 when she landed the role of villainess Brooke Armstrong Campbell on the Fox nighttime soap operaMelrose Place. She left the show after one year when producers decided to kill off the character. The following year, Davis guest-starred in two episodes ofSeinfeld.
In 1998, Davis was cast asCharlotte York in the HBO romantic comedy seriesSex and the City and remained an integral cast member until the series ended in 2004. In 1999, along with the rest of the cast, she was awarded theWomen in FilmLucy Award in recognition of her excellence and innovation in her creative works that have enhanced the perception of women through the medium of television.[6] She receivedPrimetime Emmy Award nomination forOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series her role as Charlotte in the final season, and well asGolden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film nomination.[7] During her time in the show, Davis guest-starred onFriends in the episode "The One with Ross's Library Book", andWill & Grace episode "Will & Grace & Vince & Nadine". She played leading roles in the 1999 miniseriesAtomic Train alongsideRob Lowe, and television movies includingBlacktop (2000),Three Days (2001) andThe Winning Season (2004).
Davis hosted theVH1 show200 GreatestPop Culture Icons in 2003. In 2005, she starred in atelevision pilot entitledSoccer Moms in which she andGina Torres star as suburban mothers who moonlight as private detectives. She starred as Miss Spider in the animated television seriesMiss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends and was a guest judge on theLifetime programProject Runway.
In 2012, Davis starred in and produced the Lifetime television filmOf Two Minds[8] In 2014, she returned to series television with starring role in the short-lived CBS sitcomBad Teacher.[9] In 2016, she starred inHallmark Channel filmA Heavenly Christmas.[10] In 2020, she hosted Fox reality seriesLabor of Love.[11]
Davis made her movie debut in the 1988 comedy slasher filmDoom Asylum. In 1990s, she had secondary roles in filmsNine Months (1995) andSour Grapes (1998). Her later films includeThe Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3D (2005), oppositeDavid Arquette andGeorge Lopez; the 2006 version ofThe Shaggy Dog, oppositeTim Allen, andDeck the Halls, oppositeMatthew Broderick andDanny DeVito.
Davis appeared in 2008'sSex and the City feature film, under the direction of executive producerMichael Patrick King.[12] The film was a box office success and amassed $415 million at the worldwide box office, despite mixed reviews.[13][14] It was Davis' first movie to reach #1 at the US box office. Davis reprised her role of Charlotte York a second time in 2010'sSex and the City 2, which grossed $290 million worldwide but was widely panned by critics.[15][16] She remained interested in a third installment of the franchise.[17]
In 2009, Davis co-starred in the romantic comedy filmCouples Retreat, a comedy chronicling four couples who partake intherapy sessions at a tropical island resort.Jon Favreau, who also co-wrote the script, played her husband.[18] The film opened at No. 1 during its opening weekend at the USbox office, making it her second film to do so. In 2010, Davis was cast as the mother of Josh Hutcherson's character in the adventure movieJourney 2: The Mysterious Island.[19] The film opened theatrically in February 2012 and passed the $100 million mark at the US box office, being Davis' third film to achieve this.[20]
In 2015, Davis was credited as producer on thedocumentaryGardeners of Eden, that comments on the illegalivory trade.[21] In 2019, Davis starred in and produced romantic comedy-drama filmHoliday in the Wild forNetflix.[22] The film was pitched to her, after the producers had noticed her philanthropic work with elephants.[22] She later played a leading role and produced the 2021 thriller filmDeadly Illusions about a bestselling female novelist (Davis) who is suffering from writer's block and hires an innocent young woman to watch over her twin children.[23]
Davis made herBroadway debut in July 2012, when she replacedKerry Butler in the revival ofGore Vidal'sThe Best Man at theGerald Schoenfeld Theatre.[24] She made herWest End debut playing Beth Gallagher inFatal Attraction at theTheatre Royal, Haymarket, in March 2014.[25][26]
Shortly after the wide release of theSex and the City feature film, in June 2008,Belk, the nation's largest privately owned department store chain, announced a partnership with Davis. The arrangement includes a ladies' apparel and accessories line that debuted in 2008 in 125 store locations and online, with eventual plans for expanding availability to other store locations. In Belk's press release about the product line launch, Davis cited her upbringing in South Carolina as part of her inspiration for working with the chain.[27] In late 2009 Belk cancelled the arrangement, citing the difficult economic conditions prevailing, while Davis said she hoped to take the line elsewhere.[28]
Davis is a Global Ambassador forOxfam, and has campaigned in support of their work since 2004, travelling to locations including Haiti, Mozambique, and South Africa.[29] In 2011 she gave a tearful interview withBBC News describing the situation at the Dadaab refugee camp inKenya where she witnessed the impact ofdrought.[30]
During her 2009 visit to Africa, Davis, a lifelong lover ofelephants, discovered an abandoned baby elephant and arranged for it to be taken to a wildlife rehabilitation center. In recognition of the attention she has brought to the plight of orphaned African elephants, Davis won theHumane Society's 2010 Wyler Award, which is bestowed on a celebrity or public figure who has made news on behalf of animals.[31] She is also a patron of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust which works to protect elephants and other wildlife in Kenya.[32]
In 2023, Davis was awardedThe Perfect World Foundation Award for her exceptional contributions to wildlife conservation and advocacy. This prestigious honor, often referred to as "The Conservationist of the Year," recognizes individuals who have made a significant impact on the protection of biodiversity.[33]
Davis has worked with theUnited Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and is included on their list of "High Profile Supporters".[34] In 2015 she visited the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. Davis later filmed a fund-raising appeal supporting the UNHCR, and in 2016 visited Australia to promote the UNHCR's work, focussing on the plight of women victims of sexual violence in Congo.[35]
In 2011, Davis adopted a daughter,[36] and in 2018, she adopted a son.[37] The family resides in the hills of Brentwood,Los Angeles,California.
Davis is a recoveringalcoholic and says she was introduced to alcohol early as part of her Southern upbringing.[5][38]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Doom Asylum | Jane | |
| 1995 | Nine Months | Tennis Attendant | |
| Alien Nation: Body and Soul | Karina Tivoli | ||
| 1998 | Traveling Companion | Annie | |
| Sour Grapes | Riggs | ||
| 1999 | Atomic Train | Megan Seger | |
| 2005 | The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D | Max's Mom | |
| 2006 | The Shaggy Dog | Rebecca Douglas | |
| Deck the Halls | Kelly Finch | ||
| 2008 | Sex and the City | Charlotte York Goldenblatt | |
| 2009 | Couples Retreat | Lucy Tippaglio | |
| 2010 | Sex and the City 2 | Charlotte York Goldenblatt | |
| 2011 | Jack and Jill | Delilah | |
| 2012 | Journey 2: The Mysterious Island | Elizabeth Anderson | |
| 2019 | Holiday in the Wild | Kate Conrad | Also executive producer |
| 2021 | Deadly Illusions | Mary Morrison | |
| 2024 | Cash Out | Amelia Decker |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | General Hospital | Betsy Chilson, R.N. | 23 episodes |
| N.Y.P.D. Mounted | Young Lady | Television film | |
| 1992 | Mann & Machine | Cathy | Episode: "Billion Dollar Baby" |
| 1993 | The Larry Sanders Show | Bri | Episode: "The Breakdown: Part II" |
| 1994 | Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman | Carey McGee | Episode: "Thanksgiving" |
| 1995 | ER | Leslie | Episode: "Luck of the Draw" |
| 1995–1996 | Melrose Place | Brooke Armstrong | 32 episodes, recurring cast (season 3), main cast (season 4) |
| 1996 | The Ultimate Lie | Claire McGrath | Television film |
| 1997 | The Single Guy | Leslie | Episode: "Johnny Hollywood" |
| A Deadly Vision | Babette Watson | Television film | |
| Seinfeld | Jenna | Episodes: "The Pothole" / "The Butter Shave" | |
| 1998–2004 | Sex and the City | Charlotte York Goldenblatt | 94 episodes |
| 2000 | Friends | Erin | Episode: "The One with Ross' Library Book" |
| Sex and the Matrix | Charlotte York MacDougal | Short parody | |
| Take Me Home: The John Denver Story | Annie Denver | Television film | |
| Blacktop | Sylvia | ||
| 2001 | Someone to Love | Lorraine | |
| Three Days | Beth Farmer | ||
| 2004 | Will & Grace | Nadine | Episode: "Will & Grace & Vince & Nadine" |
| The Winning Season | Mandy | Television film | |
| 2004–2008 | Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends | Miss Spider | 35 episodes (Voice role) |
| 2005 | Soccer Moms | Brooke | Television pilot |
| 2012 | Of Two Minds | Billie Clark | Television film, also producer |
| 2014 | Bad Teacher | Ginny Taylor-Clapp | 13 episodes |
| 2016 | A Heavenly Christmas | Eve | Television film |
| 2020 | Labor of Love | Herself | Host |
| 2021–2025 | And Just Like That... | Charlotte York Goldenblatt | 21 episodes, also executive producer |
| Year | Title | Role | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | The Best Man | Mabel Cantwell | Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre |
| 2014 | Fatal Attraction | Beth Gallagher | Theatre Royal Haymarket |
| Organizations | Year | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Comedy Award | 2001 | Funniest Supporting Female Performer in a TV Series | Sex and the City | Nominated | |
| Golden Globe Awards | 2004 | Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film | Nominated | ||
| Humane Society | 2010 | Wyler Award | Herself | Honored | |
| People's Choice Award | 2009 | Favorite Cast | Sex and the City | Nominated | |
| The Perfect World Foundation | 2023 | Conservationist of the year | Herself | Honored | |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2004 | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Sex and the City[a] | Nominated | |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | 2001 | Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Sex and the City | Nominated | |
| 2002 | Won | ||||
| 2003 | Nominated | ||||
| 2004 | Won | ||||
| 2005 | Nominated | ||||
| Women in Film Honors | 1999 | Lucy Award | Herself | Honored |
2/23/65.
