The Robertson Treatment – Kimberly Elise

"Kimberly is such an emotionally available and wonderful actress, that half the time I really was doing what you see in the scenes-trying to keep her together." --Denzel Washington

Such praise from Hollywood royalty is proof positive that Kimberly Elise is about to see her box office clout soar to new heights. Ever since her feature film debut as Tisean in the 1996 heist flick, "Set It Off," Elise has managed to navigate through the severe dearth of quality roles for black women, to blossom into one of the most respected actresses in the field. From the envious sister Denver in "Beloved," to the 1997 Family Channel film "The Ditchdigger's Daughter for which she won a Cable Ace Award, the little girl from Minnesota has carefully chosen roles that challenge her chops, while spittng in the face of stereotype.

Elise now finds herself headlining opposite Denzel Washington in Nick Cassavetes' new emotion-packed drama "John Q," where the two play financially-strapped, working-class couple John Q. and Denise Archibald. When their son Michael becomes sick and needs an emergency heart transplant, John's health insurance refuses to foot the bill, plunging the desperate father into a hopeless state that ultimately involves taking the emergency room hostage.

As his supportive, yet disconsolate wife, Denise could've drowned in her own tears as her son's hope of getting on the transplant list faded along with his deteriorating health. To tap into those emotions, Elise had to rely heavily on her working relationship with Washington. "We definitely had a dependence on each other," says Elise. "We believed that we were married and we were going through the situation. I guess we both have great imagination, a great respect for each other and trust. He felt like my husband and I felt like I needed him. That made it easy."

Elise admits, however, that it took a while to get over the fact that she was starring opposite Denzel, citing a scene where John and Denise were to snuggle on the bleachers of their son's baseball game. "Nick wanted me to lean back between Denzel's legs, you know, like a real couple would," says Elise. "That was so uncomfortable for me. It just took everything because it was still Denzel Washington. Halfway through that day, I was all in there and just really comfortable, but it took time to get to that point."

Born in Minneapolis in 1971, it took time for the actress to find her way to Hollywood. "I always say I'm so glad I grew up in Minnesota," says Elise. "How many young black women have had that experience--going to a school that was almost completely white, skiing and skating and all of that stuff that we did?" She took filmmaking classes at Minneapolis Community College, and received a communications degree from the University of Minnesota before going on to The American Film Institute.

After small television roles on "In the House" and "The Sentinel," Elise was suddenly thrust out of anonymity when she landed the role opposite Vivica A. Fox, Queen Latifah and Jada Pinkett Smith in "Set it Off." I go back and look at some of the ["Set It Off"] promotional stuff we did and I was just sitting there in shock throughout the whole thing," laughs Elise. "A lot of it I don't remember because I was just stunned. It happened so quickly and it was so huge, but it was a lot of fun."

Elise's next role is in the upcoming film "Ill Gotten," where she plays the girlfriend of a gunned-down Chicago basketball legend. With a brand new baby girl, Elise says that motherhood has given her a fresh perspective on life and her soaring career. "It makes me understand love on a whole different level and not be self-centered and thinking about your own life," says Elise. "You have a whole 'nother life and future to think about. It just shifts priorities in a good way-makes the real trivial things really trivial, and that's important."

• Good Bets - TV: The charismatic life of legendary New York senator Adam Clayton Powell is dramatized in the upcoming Showtime tele-film "Keep The Faith, Baby." Featuring an excellent performance by Harry Lennix as the legendary politician, the film delves into the personalities and circumstances that defined this great man's life. Also on Showtime is another good bet for TV watchers is "10,000 Black Men Named George." Directed by Robert Townsend and starring Andre Braugher, Charles Dutton and Mario Van Pebbles, this film highlights the 12-year battle by A. Philip Randolph to unionize railway porters.

• Good Bets - Music: The Essence of Nancy Wilson is a new 80-song retrospective covering the full spectrum of her amazing career with her long-time music home Captiol Records. Internationally known for her elegant and sophisticated blend of jazz, pop and rhythm and blues, Wilson, who has outsold every Capitol act except, will celebrate her 50th anniversary in the music business next February. Compiled and produced by David Nathan and featuring liner notes from A. Scott Galloway, this 4-disc box set features Wilson specialties like "Guess Who I Saw Today," "The Folks Who Live On The Hill," "The Greatest Performance of My Life," "How Many Broken Wings," and countless other.

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