Kim Richards

Kim Erika Richards was born September 19, 1964 in Mineola, North Hempstead, Long Island, New York to Kathleen Mary Dugan & Kenneth Edwin Richards, a business executive. She is of Irish, English, and Welsh descent. Kim made her TV commercial debut at four months in a diaper ad. By age four and a half Kim had already appeared in 20 TV commercials. Richards made her television series debut in 1970 on the show _Nanny and the Professor (1970)_ (qv). Kim later had substantial recurring roles on the TV programs _James at 16 (1977)_ (qv) and _Hello, Larry (1979)_ (qv). Richards achieved fame as psychic alien girl Tia in the terrific Disney family feature _Escape to Witch Mountain (1975)_ (qv) and its equally solid sequel _Return from Witch Mountain (1978)_ (qv). Kim also played an obnoxious little brat who gets brutally killed in 'John Carpenter' (qv)'s fantastic urban action cult gem _Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)_ (qv). Among the TV shows Richards has done guest spots on are _The Magical World of Disney (1954)_ (qv), _The Rockford Files (1974)_ (qv), _Police Woman (1974)_ (qv), _Little House on the Prairie (1974)_ (qv), _Family (1976)_ (qv), _Alice (1976)_ (qv), _CHiPs (1977)_ (qv), _The Dukes of Hazzard (1979)_ (qv), _The Love Boat (1977)_ (qv), _Diff'rent Strokes (1978)_ (qv), _Project U.F.O. (1978)_ (qv), _Magnum, P.I. (1980)_ (qv) and _Medical Center (1969)_ (qv). Kim was reunited with her "Witch Mountain" co-star 'Ike Eisenmann' (qv) for the hilariously horrible made-for-TV horror howler _Der Höllenhund (1978)_ (qv) (Richards did a career interview for the recent DVD of this film). Kim played more mature adult roles in the mid 80s movies _Meatballs Part II (1984)_ (qv) and _Tuff Turf (1985)_ (qv) in which Richards gives a performance as a teenage gang leader's brash girlfriend. Richards took a hiatus from acting to raise her four children Brook, Whitney, Chad and Kimberly. After a lengthy absence from the big screen, 'Kim Richards' (qv) made a welcome comeback with a fine portrayal of 'Christina Ricci' (qv)'s bitter estranged mother in the excellent _Black Snake Moan (2006)_ (qv). She's the sister of fellow actress 'Kyle Richards' (qv) -- they appeared together in _The Car (1977)_ (qv) as 'James Brolin' (qv)'s daughters -- and 'Kathy Hilton' (qv), who is the mother of 'Paris Hilton' (qv).::woodyanders