Kasi Lemmons
Director · Actress
67 years (Feb 24, 1959)St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Known for
An American actress and acclaimed filmmaker better known today for her work behind the camera. As an actress she played the FBI trainee Ardelia Mapp in 'The Silence of the Lambs' (1991) before turning to directing, where she won wide praise for feature films and became a leading voice in American cinema. Her dual career spans performance and authorship with equal seriousness. Kasi Lemmons is a respected American talent, remembered on screen for a notable supporting role but chiefly celebrated as a distinguished director and storyteller.
Kasi Lemmons
Director · Actress
Known for
An American actress and acclaimed filmmaker better known today for her work behind the camera. As an actress she played the FBI trainee Ardelia Mapp in 'The Silence of the Lambs' (1991) before turning to directing, where she won wide praise for feature films and became a leading voice in American cinema. Her dual career spans performance and authorship with equal seriousness. Kasi Lemmons is a respected American talent, remembered on screen for a notable supporting role but chiefly celebrated as a distinguished director and storyteller.
13 Movies
Plays Det. Marie Mitchell
Hard Target
1993
Plays Bernadette Walsh
Candyman
1992
Plays Ardelia Mapp
The Silence of the Lambs
1991
Plays Roberta Washington
Disconnect
2013
Plays Jackie
Vampire's Kiss
1989
Plays Ramona
The Projectionist
2026
Plays Angry Black Woman
Waist Deep
2006
Plays Perry
School Daze
1988
Plays Cookie
The Five Heartbeats
1991
Plays Madonna
Gridlock'd
1997
Plays Angenelle
'Til There Was You
1997
Plays Nina Blackburn
Fear of a Black Hat
1994
Plays June Vanderpool
Drop Squad
1994
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
Half the Picture
Full Filmography
The Projectionist
Ramona
2026
Disconnect
Roberta Washington
2013
Waist Deep
Angry Black Woman
2006
'Til There Was You
Angenelle
1997
Gridlock'd
Madonna
1997
Drop Squad
June Vanderpool
1994
Walker, Texas Ranger
Diane Warren
1994Season 2
ER
Gamma Knife Tech · 1 episode
1994–
Fear of a Black Hat
Nina Blackburn
1994
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Kasi Lemmons and where are they from?
Kasi Lemmons is 67 years old, born on February 24, 1959 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
What are the most famous roles of Kasi Lemmons?
Kasi Lemmons is best known for roles in The Silence of the Lambs, Candyman, Hard Target.
How many movies has Kasi Lemmons been in?
Over a 42-year career (since 1984), Kasi Lemmons has appeared in 13 movies and 5 TV shows.
What was Kasi Lemmons's first movie?
The career of Kasi Lemmons began with 11th Victim (1984).
What is Kasi Lemmons's most recent movie or series?
Kasi Lemmons's most recent release is The Projectionist, which premiered on February 19, 2026.
What TV shows has Kasi Lemmons appeared in?
On television, Kasi Lemmons has appeared in ER, Walker, Texas Ranger, The Cosby Show, Murder, She Wrote.
Kasi Lemmons
1959-02-24 · St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Kasi Lemmons (/ˈkeɪsi/; born Karen Diane Lemmons, February 24, 1959) is an American film director, screenwriter, and actress. She made her directorial debut with Eve's Bayou (1997), followed by The Caveman's Valentine (2001), Talk to Me (2007), Black Nativity (2013), Harriet (2019), and Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022). She also directed the Netflix limited series Self Made (2020) and an episode of ABC's Women of the Movement (2022).
She is also known as an actress, having started her career with roles in commercials with McDonald's and Levi's. She made her film debut in Spike Lee's School Daze (1988). She continued acting in Vampire's Kiss (1989), The Silence of the Lambs (1991), and Candyman (1992). Film scholar Wheeler Winston Dixon described her as "an ongoing testament to the creative possibilities of film".Kasi Lemmons, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.