Kimberly Williams-Paisley

Kimberly Williams-Paisley (née Williams, born September 14, 1971 ) is an American actress known for her starring role in The 10th Kingdom, and roles on According to Jim and Nashville, as well as her breakthrough in Father of the Bride, for which she was nominated for several teen awards, and its sequel, Father of the Bride Part II (1995). Throughout her career, she has guest starred on shows including Tales from the Crypt, George Lopez and Less than Perfect. She is also known for her roles in made-for-TV movies, including Safe House, The Christmas Shoes, and Lucky 7, and also her role as Laura Parker in Shade, a short film that she also wrote and directed. Williams is married to country musician Brad Paisley, with whom she has two sons; actress Ashley Williams is her sister.

Early life Williams-Paisley was born in Rye, New York, the daughter of Linda Barbara (née Payne), a fund-raiser, and Gurney Williams III, a health and science writer. She has a sister, Ashley, also an actress, and a brother, Jay. Williams has been in show business since the age of 13. In 1989, she directed the Rye High School Musical Revue. She left Northwestern University during her sophomore year to appear in the 1991 film version of Father of the Bride but returned to complete her degree in drama. While there, she was a sister of the Alpha Phi sorority.

Career Williams-Paisley's breakthrough role was Annie Banks in Father of the Bride (1991) and Father of the Bride Part II (1995), with Steve Martin and Diane Keaton. She later appeared in Indian Summer (1993), Coldblooded (1995), The War at Home (1996), and in 1996 landed the lead role in the ABC drama series Relativity. She won critical acclaim for her performance, During the late 1990s and 2000s, she starred in a number of made for television movies including Safe House, The Christmas Shoes, and Lucky 7, and also guest starred on Tales from the Crypt, George Lopez, Less than Perfect, Boston Legal, and Royal Pains. In film, she starred opposite Matthew McConaughey in 2006 drama We Are Marshall.

In 2012, Williams-Paisley began starring in the recurring role of Peggy Kenter in the ABC drama series Nashville, and in 2014 had a recurring role as Gretchen in CBS comedy series Two and a Half Men. In December 18, 2015, Williams-Paisley starred in Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip as Samantha. She also played Claire Pierce in the Netflix holiday films The Christmas Chronicles (2018) and The Christmas Chronicles 2 (2020). In 2020, Williams-Paisley reprised the role of Annie Banks in the short film Father of the Bride Part 3(ish). In 2025, she began starring as Cammie Raleigh in the series 9-1-1: Nashville.

Personal life On March 15, 2003, Williams married country music singer Brad Paisley. In February 22, 2007, she gave birth to their first child, a son named William Huckleberry, also called "Huck", in Nashville, Tennessee, where the family lives. Their second son, Jasper Warren, was born on April 17, 2009.

Her mother, Linda, was diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia, which is a form of dementia. Williams-Paisley is the author of Where the Light Gets In, published on April 5, 2016. The book tells the story of her mother's illness from her diagnosis up until her death. Her mother died in November 2016, seven months after the book was published.

Filmography

Film

Television

As producer, writer, and/or director

Awards and nominations