Actress Kim Basinger will star in "Elvis Has Left the Building." The State Investment Council of New Mexico voted last week to loan $7.5 million to a private company to underwrite nearly all the cost of the film, which will be shot in the Albuquerque area.
Early years: Basinger was born Dec. 8, 1953, in Athens, Ga. She was enrolled in dance classes to help overcome shyness. As a teen, she competed in beauty contests and won the Junior Miss Georgia pageant, which took her to New York City.
Career: Basinger won a contract with the Ford Modeling Agency, and soon had signed on as the Breck Shampoo girl. She also studied acting. In 1978, she won the starring role in the TV movie "Katie: Portrait of a Centerfold." Basinger made the low-budget drama "Hard Country," but her screen career didn't gel until 1983, when she was cast in "Never Say Never Again." She also posed for Playboy and followed with the films "9½ Weeks," "Batman," and "The Marrying Man."
Basinger's decision to not appear in the film "Boxing Helena," after verbally committing to the project, led to a lawsuit which she lost, then appealed and won. Her legal bills forced her to declare bankruptcy.
In 1997, she made a comeback in "L.A. Confidential," for which she won an Oscar. This was followed by a three-year break and two box-office flops. In 2002, Basinger won rave reviews for the drama "8 Mile."
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Personal: Basinger married and divorced makeup artist Ron Britton. She married actor Alec Baldwin in 1993. They had a child and were divorced in 2002. Basinger is an outspoken animal-rights activist.
In her words: "Sometimes it takes the truth a little longer to cross the finishing line. When people start finding out the truth, they all turn around. It's all about time. You have to have patience."
Web link: www.konary.com/kim/
Sources: Associated Press, Movies.yahoo.com, Cybernation.com, Tawjihe.com, Konary.com
