'Beverly Hills, 90210' Actress Kimmarie Johnson Dies at 50
Kimmarie Johnson, the actress and model who appeared on "Beverly Hills, 90210" and in the comedy "Dude, Where's My Car?," has died. She was 50.
Johnson died peacefully on Wednesday, Nov. 4, about a week after suffering a "heart event" at her Los Angeles home, her niece, Rhonda Scott, told TMZ and People, according to Hello! Magazine.
A Sudden Health Emergency
Scott said Johnson was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Oct. 27. Doctors there diagnosed her with what Scott described as a "heart aneurysm condition." No official cause of death has been released.
In a statement to People, Scott remembered her aunt fondly. "She radiated a light so strong and bright," she said, adding that everyone who met Johnson "felt nothing but positive energy."
"We will miss her tremendously and will continue to honor her life forever," Scott said.
Johnson is survived by her son, Cameron Nino, a Los Angeles-based musician who was born in 2003.
From Pennsylvania to the Runway
Born in Pittsburgh on April 8, 1976, Johnson grew up in nearby Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania. She studied elementary education and child psychology at California University of Pennsylvania before moving to New York City to pursue modeling.
Johnson was working as a flight attendant when a modeling agency signed her, The Daily Beast reported.
She worked with major brands, including Vidal Sassoon, Oscar de la Renta and United Colors of Benetton, according to Yahoo Entertainment.
She also competed in pageants, winning the Miss Pennsylvania USA title in 1992 and representing the state at the 1993 Miss USA pageant, where she was a finalist. She won the state crown without any prior pageant training.
Her Hollywood Career
Johnson moved to Los Angeles in 1996 to try her hand at acting. She studied with acting coach Janet Alhanti and kept modeling, working with Lady Foot Locker and the LA California Mart, before she began landing roles on TV and in film.
In 1998, she appeared in "The Following Options," an episode from the ninth season of the hit teen drama "Beverly Hills, 90210." Two years later, she had a part in "Dude, Where's My Car?," the 2000 comedy starring Ashton Kutcher and Seann William Scott.
Her other TV credits included Pamela Anderson's action-comedy series "V.I.P." and Wanda Sykes' Fox sitcom "Wanda at Large." She also appeared in a string of independent films, including "Shadow Fury," "Gang Warz," "Break a Leg," "Diary of a Tired Black Man" and "Legacy." Her final listed acting credit was the 2017 film "Tucker's War," according to Deadline.
Johnson stepped back from acting for a time after her son was born, a period in which she also took classes at The Groundlings, the famed Los Angeles improv school. She later returned to performing, including lead roles in stage productions between 2007 and 2010.
Beauty Brand and Recent Work
Beyond acting, Johnson built a career as a producer and entrepreneur. She was an executive producer on the independent action film "The Last Eve" in 2005, which won Best Action Feature Film at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival. She later served as an executive producer on "Kimchi Warrior" in 2010.
In 2011, she launched her own skin care and beauty company, SkinGlow by Kimmarie. Its first product, a shea butter, followed in 2012.
She stayed busy in the months before her death. In August, she appeared on the cover of the digital edition of Grazia Slovenia and shared an Instagram post showing a collaboration with Luna Fashion House. Earlier this year, she attended the Los Angeles premiere of "Michael," the biopic about Michael Jackson.
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