Facts of life Tootie
Dorothy 'Tootie' Ramsey was a fictitious character from the television series "The Facts of Life."
She was portrayed for the duration of the series by actress Kim Fields. Fields played Tootie from age 12 to age 21.
Many people who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s recognise Kim Fields as Dorothy "Tootie" Ramsey from The Facts Of Life.
She also appeared as Tootie on Diff'rent Strokes, the show from which The Facts of Life was split off.
In the first season of The Facts of Life, when Tootie was 12 years old, Fields was only nine years old, so she was actually growing up onscreen.
The actress told People in 2021 that being a young star, especially on such a renowned series, is crazy.
She stated, "You don't understand 'This show is groundbreaking.'"
You are simply thankful to have a job. I certainly did not believe that it would become as monumental as it did.
It was a unique form of coming of age. And to accomplish so in those circumstances was just remarkable.
"She kept acting, and because of her amazing experience, Fields got many important roles".
After The Facts of Life, Fields continued to work steadily, appearing in top programs such as Martin, 227, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as a celebrity guest.
As a grownup, she regained sitcom popularity in 1993 when she joined the main cast of Living Single as the vain, boy-crazy Regine Hunter.
She reprised the role in an episode of The Crew, a short-lived television series.
Tootie Biography
Tootie's family is local to Washington, D.C.
She attended Eastland Academy in Peekskill, New York, and was most well known for her fondness for roller skates, gossipy nature, and braces.
Her chattering frequently landed her and her friends in hot water, and she was known for her slogan, "We're in trou-ble!" which she constantly referred as an explanation whenever she broke a school rule.
She once befriended Fred, who suggested she exclusively mingle with black people in order to discover "her genuine roots."
Edna Garrett, her mentor, rescued her at the last minute from a borderline kiddie porn operation where she had been misled by a photographer.
Tootie was nearly forced into prostitution during a solo journey to New York City until Mrs. Garrett rescued her and brought her home.
Tootie continued to battle with the racial issue when her best friend Natalie Green dated a relative of hers, prompting her to interfere and create friction with Natalie.
Her favourite musician as a teenager was Jermaine Jackson, and through him, she learnt a difficult lesson about idol worship.
In her final years at Eastland, Tootie helped Mrs Garrett with her bakery, Edna's Edibles, and after graduating in 1986, she worked full-time at the gift shop, Over Our Heads.
She later attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London to pursue an acting career, and she later became a talk show host in Hollywood.
At some point, she married her long-term boyfriend, Jeff Williams. Jeff's death left Tisha Williams as a single parent to their daughter, Tisha.
At this point, she no longer used her nickname, "Tootie," and was referred to by her given name.
Eventually, she chose to end her talk show, "Wake Up With Dorothy," and relocate to New York to pursue theatre once more, which led to her co-owning the Peekskill Playhouse.
She decided to let Tisha attend the reopened Eastland Academy while staying in Peekskill.
Trivia : Tootie
- In the premiere episode, Tootie's penchant for gossip earns her the nickname "Speak Up America."
- In reality, Kim Fields wore braces for three years, until 1984, when they were removed.
- The makers of The Facts of Life employed Tootie's roller skates to disguise Fields' small stature and give her additional height.
Tootie Long lasting Friendship with Janet Jackson
Tootie was involved in nearly every significant plotline in the series.
When Jackson played Charlene on Diff'rent Strokes, she and Fields became fast friends.
Fields shared a video on Instagram earlier this month with the comment "as if no time had passed" after the two reconnected at this year's Essence Festival in New Orleans.
Her co-star from Living Single, Erika Alexander, and former Real Housewives of Atlanta cast member, Cynthia Bailey, were among the celebs who commented on the post to support the long-standing friendship.
She has no interest in returning to the reality show circuit.
Due to the high level of controversy that surrounded Fields' season of RHOA, many fans wondered if she would return.
Unfortunately, in her opinion, that's not going to happen.
However, none of her previous castmates had a role in this. During a 2021 interview with ET, Fields stated, "After celebrating 40 years in the entertainment industry,
I found myself wondering, "At this point, the mandate is, and continues to be, [asking myself], what haven't I done?
"I'm in search of unchartered waters. This was already done, therefore there's no need to do it again."