Kathy Kinney
Kathy Kinney (born November 3, 1954, in Stevens Point, Wisconsin) is an American actress, voice actress, and comedian. She gained considerable popularity in the late 1990s for playing Mimi Bobeck, the outrageously made-up, flamboyantly vulgar, and vindictive nemesis of Drew Carey on the sitcom The Drew Carey Show.[1] She had been involved in television, feature film, and stage work for years.
| Kathy Kinney | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 3, 1954 Stevens Point, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Medium | Stand-up comedy, television, film, voice |
| Nationality | American |
| Notable works and roles | Newhart and Mimi Bobeck on The Drew Carey Show |
Biography
Early life
Kinney was born in Stevens Point, Wisconsin,[2] the daughter of Irish American parents Marian and Harold Kinney, an automobile dealer.[3] Her father died when she was 15 years old.[2]
After high school, Kathy Kinney worked for the California Conservation Corps between 1972 and 1974. After completing a six-month Back Country season in Kings Canyon, she left the program with thousands of dollars in scholarships. She attended the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point in the seventies and officially received her degree in 2016. [4] In 1976, she moved to New York City, where she found work as a secretary at WCBS-TV.[2] Her boss enjoyed hunting, and sometimes she chatted with him about his hunting trips, occasionally quipping, "So, did you kill anything this week?" She used this experience to inspire herself for the role of Mimi. During this time at WCBS she worked nights at New York comedy clubs to improve her improvisational comedy skills. This led to a job teaching improv classes. Director Bill Sherwood attended; he later wrote a part for her in his 1986 film, Parting Glances.
Career
Armed with the success of Parting Glances, Kinney visited friends in Los Angeles, and decided to permanently move there to pursue a career in acting. In L.A., Kinney worked hard as a character actress, getting small roles in various TV series such as Seinfeld (Season 4, Episode 22, "The Handicap Spot)," Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (with Drew Carey, contemporaneous with The Drew Carey Show's second season), Grace Under Fire, Full House, Boy Meets World, The Larry Sanders Show, and My Name Is Earl. Her first memorable television role is generally considered her regular stint on Newhart as Miss Goddard, the town librarian (1989–1990).[2]
Kinney has avoided auditions for what she calls "the heavy-girl roles". Critics occasionally grumble that Mimi, her character on The Drew Carey Show, is a waddling fat joke, but her weight has never seemed to be the point of a fat joke. "One time I had to say to Drew, 'Aw, you're just fat,' as the ultimate put-down. I personally don't like it, but if fat jokes slip in because they're funny, I don't care." She is, however, less comfortable about being typecast because of her weight. "Once in a while I would lose some weight, just by accident, and someone would say to me, 'You're going to diet yourself out of a career,'" she says. "And I tell them, 'I'm losing weight, not my talent.' Why is it the first thing [some people] look at is the shape? It points up to me the prejudice that still exists." The Mimi Bobeck character was written only into the pilot of The Drew Carey Show.[2] The character interviewed for a cosmetics job at Winfred-Louder and when not hired, because of her garish makeup, raised a big fuss and threatened to sue. Positive public reaction prompted the Mimi storyline to continue, as the store hired her as a secretary to prevent her from suing. The show aired from 1995 to 2004.[5]
Kinney has also appeared in the American version of Whose Line Is It Anyway?, again working with Drew Carey.
In addition to her television roles, Kinney has appeared in several movies, including Arachnophobia, Stanley & Iris, Scrooged, Three Fugitives, Lenny the Wonder Dog, and This Boy's Life. In 2006 she visited Iraq with former co-star Drew Carey and his Improv All-Star Team, a series of USO performance for American troops; film of her appearance appears in the documentary Patriot Act: A Jeffrey Ross Home Movie.
In 2008, Kinney became the co-creator and star of MrsP.com, an entertainment website for children.[1] Kinney portrays Mrs. P, an eccentric redhead who loves books and reads classic children's stories from her magical library.[6] After nearly two years in development, the site launched in beta on November 10, 2008.
On March 24, 2009, Kinney appeared in character as Mimi in the beginning of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. A week later (April Fools' Day), Kinney reprised her role as Mimi during that day's The Price Is Right,[1] hosted by Carey, appearing as a guest model.[7] She repeated the role on April Fool's Day 2010, this time usurping the post of executive producer. She replaced the show's announcer with a man in a monkey suit along with using 4 male models.[7]
She guest starred on The Penguins of Madagascar as Rhonda the walrus, Marlene's disgusting roommate, in the 2009 episode "Roomies." Rhonda made a second appearance in the episode "The Hoboken Surprise" in 2011.
In March 2010, Kinney co-authored with Cindy Ratzlaff a book entitled Queen of Your Own Life: The Grown-up Woman's Guide to Claiming Happiness and Getting the Life You Deserve, published by Harlequin.[6]
Kinney also guest-starred on The Secret Life of the American Teenager.[1] Beginning in March 2011, Kinney appeared in Drew Carey's Improv-A-Ganza.
In September 2019, Kinney appeared on American Housewife. She played the lunch lady in the episode "Bigger Kids, Bigger Problems" and she reunites with former co-stars Drew Carey, Ryan Stiles and Diedrich Bader as part of ABC's Cast from the Past Week.
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1986 | Parting Glances | Joan | |
| 1988 | Scrooged | IBC Nurse | |
| 1989 | Three Fugitives | Receptionist | |
| 1990 | Stanley & Iris | Bernice | |
| Arachnophobia | Blaire Kendall | ||
| 1991 | The Linguini Incident | Denise | |
| 1993 | This Boy's Life | Marian | |
| Mr. Jones | Homeless Lady | ||
| 2000 | Business of Acting | Herself | Documentary |
| Picking Up the Pieces | Mrs. Tatler | ||
| Lost in the Pershing Point Hotel | Red Neck Nurse | ||
| Behind the Seams | Freddie | ||
| 2003 | Bitter Jester | Herself | Documentary |
| 2004 | Al Roach: Private Insectigator | Betty Earwiggins | Short film |
| 2005 | Lenny the Wonder Dog | Lisa Lathers | |
| 2010 | Starter Home | Sandi | Short film |
| Television | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1988 | Inherit the Wind | Woman at Depot | TV movie |
| Promised a Miracle | Cindy Wilson | TV movie | |
| 1989-1990 | Newhart | Prudence Godard | 9 episodes |
| 1990 | Grand | Marge | Season 2 episode 8: "Lady Luck" |
| 1991 | Tagteam | Instructor | TV movie |
| Dream On | Nora | Season 2 episode 9: "Play Melville for Me" | |
| 1992 | Cruel Doubt | Skeptical Neighbor | Mini-series |
| The Larry Sanders Show | Dog Trainer | Season episode 1: "What Have You Done for Me Lately?" | |
| Step by Step | The Proctor | Season 2 episode 1: "S.A.T. Blues" | |
| 1993 | Seinfeld | Bystander | Season 4 episode 22: "The Handicap Spot" |
| Fallen Angels | Mrs. Sullivan | Season 1 episode 3: "The Quiet Room" | |
| 1994 | Bakersfield P.D. | Mrs. Blaisher | Episode 17: "Last One Into the Water" |
| 1995 | Full House | Mrs. Bedrosian | Season 8 episode 14: "Super Bowl Fun Day" |
| Boy Meets World | Rifkin | Season 2 episode 16: "Danger Boy" | |
| Grace Under Fire | Nurse | Season 2 episode 18: "Emmet Bypass" | |
| Runway One | Proprietor of Motel | TV movie | |
| 1995-2004 | The Drew Carey Show | Mimi Bobeck / Mimi Bobeck Carey | Main role - 233 episodes |
| 1996 | Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman | Katie Banks | Season 4 episode 9: "Ghosts" |
| 1997 | Coach | Mimi Bobeck | Season 19 episode 15: "Viva Las Ratings" |
| 1998 | General Hospital | Waitress | Episode: April 2, 1998 |
| The Brian Benben Show | The Facilitator | Episode 3: "Brian's Got Back, Part 1" | |
| Whose Line Is It Anyway? | Herself | Season 1 episode 2: September 9, 1998 | |
| Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place | Mimi Bobeck | Season 2 episode 6: "Two Guys, a Girl and a Psycho Halloween" | |
| 1998-1998 | ABC TGIF | Mimi Bobeck | 2 episodes - Previews of upcoming episodes of The Drew Carey Show |
| 1999 | Chicken Soup for the Soul | Episode: "The Seed Jar" | |
| The Hughleys | Mimi Bobeck Carey | Season 2 episode 1: "Young Guns" | |
| 1999-2000 | The Norm Show | Mimi Bobeck Carey / Betty | Also known as Norm Show 2 episodes |
| 1999-2001 | Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot | Jenny the Monkey | Also known as The Big Guy and Rusty Credited as Kathryn Kinney Voice 26 episodes |
| 1999-2003 | Hollywood Squares | Herself / Mimi - Panelist | 25 episodes |
| 2001 | Drew Carey's Improve All-Stars | Herself | |
| Nikki | Vegas Woman | Season 1 episode 12: "Let It Ride" | |
| Rock & Roll Back to School Special | Mimi Bobeck (Money) Carey | TV special | |
| 2002 | Pyramid | Herself / Celebrity Contestant | 1 episode |
| 3-South | Voice Episode 2: "Stomach Pump" | ||
| What's New, Scooby-Doo? | Sheriff Ellen Perkins | Voice Season 1 episode 14: "Scooby-Doo Christmas" | |
| 2003 | Fillmore! | O'Farrell's Mom | Voice Season 1 episode 13: "A Forgotten Yesterday" |
| CatDog | Brat | Voice Season 3 episode 8: "Harasslin' Match/Dog the Not-So-Mighty" | |
| 2004 | Green Screen Show | Herself | Episode #1.2 |
| 2007 | My Name Is Earl | Officer Bowman | 3 episodes |
| 2009-2010 | The Price Is Right | Mimi Bobeck | 2 episodes |
| 2009-2011 | The Penguins of Madagascar | Rhonda | 2 episodes |
| 2009-2013 | The Secret Life of the American Teenager | Bunny / Butcher Shop Lady | 33 episodes |
| 2011 | Working Class | Dot | Episode 5: "Lunch Lady" |
| Drew Carey's Improv-A-Ganza | Herself / Performer | 19 episodes | |
| Love Bites | Karen | Episode 5: "Stand and Deliver" Segment: "Not to Speak" | |
| 2016 | Baby Daddy | Judy | Season 5 episode 15: "Unholy Matrimony" |
| 2019 | American Housewife | Lunch Lady | Season 4 episode 3: "Bigger Kids, Bigger Problems" |
| 2020 | Stumptown | Franny Lewis | Episode 12: "Dirty Dexy Money" |
References
- Melissa, Melissa (August 26, 2009). "Kathy Kinney and the emancipation of Mimi". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
- Storm, Jonathan (December 3, 1996). "She's The Big Draw On `Drew' As Sharp-tongued Mimi, Kathy Kinney Holds Her Own With Funnyman Drew Carey. Who's The Person Behind The Muumuu And All That Makeup?". philly.com. Philadelphia Media Network. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
- Kathy Kinney Biography, filmreference.com; accessed January 5, 2018.
- Kathy Kinney Biography - Yahoo! Movies
- "Your Town Stevens Point: Kathy Kinney: A Wisconsin Girl at Heart". WSAW-TV. December 19, 2014. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
- "Kathy Kinney, Who Played Drew Carey's TV Nemesis, Looks Back On Iconic 'Mimi' Role". The Huffington Post. November 3, 2014. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
- Dawidziak, Mark (March 30, 2010). "Kathy Kinney reprising Mimi character on Drew Carey's 'The Price is Right'". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
