Kim Coles

Kim Coles studied at North Carolina Central University and Brooklyn Technical High School. The recorded working language is English. Works named in the authority record are Living Single. Distinctions recorded are NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series.

• Birth Name — Kimberly Coles • Born — 11 January 1962 • Birthplace — New York City, U.S. • Known for — Synclaire James – Living Single • Occupation — * Actress • comedian • game show host • Education — North Carolina Central University • Years Active — 1988–present

Coles was born in Brooklyn, New York City. Her father was an Episcopal priest. and was the first black Dean of the Pratt Institute. She attended a private Lutheran school and was quiet and studious until high school, when her sense of humor emerged. She graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School in 1980. In 1984 Coles was first runner-up among 45 contestants in the first Big Beautiful Woman Fashion and Beauty Pageant in Atlantic City, sponsored by Big Beautiful Woman Magazine. That development led to a change in plans for Coles, who was in college and was considering a career in cultural anthropology. She began modeling for Lane Bryant and made Burger King commercials.

• Illustration — Coles in 1998 Encouraged by the audience's response to her comedy sketch at the beauty pageant, Coles began her career in stand-up comedy in 1984. "Once I saw the reaction of the audience," she said, "I knew this was what I wanted to do." After a nightclub owner told her that she should gain 40 pounds for a "Nell Carter look", she instead changed her eating habits and began exercising, losing 50 pounds in five months. Coles has appeared on many television shows, including Frasier ("Dr." Mary Thomas), Six Feet Under, Celebrity Mole, Living Single and The Geena Davis Show. Early in her career, she appeared as one of the hosts of It's Showtime at the Apollo. She was an original cast member on the sketch comedy series In Living Color that appeared on the FOX network. After the first season, Coles was informed by a phone call from her agent that she had been fired. Coles later learned Keenen Ivory Wayans did not think she was versatile enough, which she disagreed with, stating: "How could I show my versatility if I wasn’t able to perform?", describing Wayans as sometimes overlooking her for parts in sketches. After leaving "In Living Color", she then got the role as Synclaire James on Living Single and won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series. She appeared as the mother of Spirit on UPN's One on One. Coles is a published author; her book is called I'm Free But It Will Cost You, Hyperion Books, 1998. Coles appeared on Celebrity Mole: Hawaii and was the first contestant to be eliminated. At the reunion of the show, she was one of two celebrities (the other was Michael Boatman) to correctly guess that Frederique van der Wal was the series' saboteur, Kathy Griffin was the winner, and Erik von Detten was the runner-up. Coles also joined other celebrities for a weight loss journey on the VH-1 reality show, Celebrity Fit Club. After 16 weeks, she lost a total of 24 lbs, and dropping nearly 4 percentage points in body fat, going from 34.7% to 31%. She accomplished this with the help of her team, "Ralphie's Angels". She lost 10.2% of her body weight, dropping down to 196 lbs. Coles was a regular panelist on the 2000 revival of To Tell the Truth during its second season. She was also featured as a guest host on two episodes of The View. Coles was a co-host of the syndicated daytime television show In The Loop With iVillage alongside The Apprentice winner Bill Rancic and fellow season one contestant Ereka Vetrini. She has recently joined the cast of 10 Items or Less on TBS. On September 30, 2009, she hosted the game show Pay It Off, lasted for one season on BET, which is similar to Debt. In 2010, she appeared on RuPaul's Drag Race. She appeared in an episode of TV One's series "Life After" in late 2011. Coles has also performed as a stand-up comedian, with some of her material dealing with her struggle with being overweight at times.

Coles married Reggie Mckiver, a former SWAT police officer, in the Dominican Republic in 2015.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1988–1991 — Showtime at the Apollo — Herself — Recurring Guest • 1990 — In Living Color — Herself/Cast Member — Main Cast: Season 1 • 1992–1994 — An Evening at the Improv — Herself — Episode: "Episode #9.18" & "#13.13" • 1993 — Martin — Bonquisha — Episode: "Baby You Can Drive My Car" • 1993–1998 — Living Single — Synclaire James-Jones — Main Cast • 1995 — The Crew — Synclaire James — Episode: "The Worst Noel" • 1996 — MADtv — Herself — Episode: "Episode #1.17" & "#2.3" • The Show — Deandra — Episode: "Deandra and Them" • 1999 — New Attitudes — Herself/Host — Main Host • Hollywood Squares — Herself/Panelist — Recurring Panelist • 2000 — Frasier — Dr. Mary Thomas — Guest Cast: Seasons 7–8 • 2000–2001 — The Geena Davis Show — Judy Owens — Main Cast • 2001 — The Test — Herself/Panelist — Episode: "The Self-Respect Test" • Headliners & Legends with Matt Lauer — Herself — Episode: "Halle Berry" • Biography — Herself — Episode: "Kim Fields: A Little Somethin' Somethin'" • Weakest Link — Herself — Episode: "Comedians #3 Special" • 2002 — Six Feet Under — Dolores — Episode: "The Liar and the Whore" • 2002–2003 — Pyramid — Herself/Celebrity Contestant — Recurring Guest • 2002–2004 — One on One — Leilani Jones — Recurring Cast: Season 2 & 4, Guest: Season 3 • 2003 — The Mole — Herself — Contestant: Season 3 • Star Search — Herself/Guest Judge — Episode: "The One with Living Single Star Kim Coles" • The Parkers — Florence — Episode: "That's What Friends Are For" • 2003–2004 — Coming to the Stage — Herself/Judge — Main Judge • 2004 — Steve Harvey's Big Time Challenge — Herself — Episode: "Episode #2.11" • My Wife and Kids — Childcare Instructor — Episode: "Childcare Class" • 2005 — Black in the 80s — Herself — Recurring Guest • Celebrity Fit Club — Herself/Contestant — Contestant: Season 1 • Queer Edge with Jack E. Jett & Sandra Bernhard — Herself/Co-Host — Recurring Co-Host • 2006 — The Tom Joyner Show — Herself — Episode: "Episode #1.14" & "#1.20" • Celebrity Poker Showdown — Herself/Contestant — Episode: "Tournament 8, Game 2" • 2006–2007 — Comics Unleashed — Herself — Recurring Guest • 2007 — The View — Herself/Co-Host — Episode: "June 11 & 14, 2007" • In the Loop with iVillage — Herself/Co-Host — Main Co-Host • 2009 — GSN Live — Herself — Episode: "Kim Coles" • 10 Items or Less — Mercedes "Mercy" P. Jones — Recurring Cast: Season 3 • 2010 — RuPaul's Drag Race — Herself/Guest Judge — Episode: "Starrbootylicious" • 2011 — Life After — Herself — Episode: "Kim Coles: Life After 'Living Single'" • Celebrity Ghost Stories — Herself/Contestant — Episode: "Mickey Rooney/Eric Mabius/Brande Roderick/Kim Coles" • Love That Girl! — Dr. Sarah Van Jones — Episode: "Head Shrunk" • 2012 — Let's Stay Together — Carol — Episode: "Waiting to XXXhale" • The Soul Man — Wanda — Recurring Cast: Season 1 • 2013 — Big Morning Buzz Live — Herself/Panelist — Episode: "Sylvester Stallone/Jerry Springer/Tim Love" • Wendell and Vinnie — Suzanne — Episode: "Of Mothers & Gardens" • 2014 — Life with La Toya — Herself — Episode: "What Happens in Vegas..." • Gotham Comedy Live — Herself/Host — Episode: "Anthony Anderson" & "Kim Coles" • Off the Chain — Herself — Episode: "Episode #3.1" • Baby Daddy — Vice Principal Peters — Episode: "Livin' on a Prom" • Quick Draw — Mrs. Tannenbaum — Episode: "The Grasshopper Plague" • 2016 — Celebrity Food Fight — Herself/Contestant — Episode: "Make Mine a Ruben Studdard" • Mann and Wife — Donna — Episode: "Mann Up" • 2019 — Sister Circle — Herself/Guest Co-Host — Episode: "August 26, 2019" • 2020 — 25 Words or Less — Herself/Contestant — Recurring Guest • 2021 — Soul of a Nation — Herself — Episode: "Black Joy" • History of the Sitcom — Herself — Episode: "Just Friends" & "Facing Race" • 2022 — The Talk — Herself/Guest Co-Host — Episode: "Episode #12.191" & "#12.192" • Dark Side of the 90s — Herself — Episode: "Black Sitcoms' Last Laugh" • The Surreal Life — Herself — Recurring Guest • Finding Happy — Jo Garrett — Main Cast • Home Economics — Tamara — Episode: "Sunday New York Times, $6" • 2023 — Rewind the '90s — Herself — Episode: "Comedy Rebellion" • See It Loud: The History of Black Television — Herself — Recurring Guest • Dark Side of Comedy — Herself — Episode: "Gilda Radner" • Days of Our Lives — Nurse Whitley King — Regular Cast • 2025 — Mid-Century Modern — Yvonne — Episode: "Never Have I Ever" • 2025–present — Vampirina: Teenage Vampire — Dean Merriweather — Recurring Guest

• Year — Title • 2020 — Fierce Funny & Fly

Kim Coles is recorded as having received NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series. Recorded at birth as Kim LaShaunda Coles.