Bahamas Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper, in his role as Acting Prime Minister, welcomed actress and producer Kim Fields to Freeport, Grand Bahama on Thursday, July 25. During her three-day visit, the actress participated in the various activities of the island’s popular Goombay Summer Festival.
“It was a treat today to meet with film and TV actress and producer Kim Fields in Grand Bahama. She has pledged to help The Bahamas in developing our film and TV industry. We talked about that and about support for the Orange economy. She’s a big fan of The Bahamas and we’re fans of hers. Looking forward to fruitful collaboration,” Cooper, who is also minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, noted in a post on his Facebook page.
Fields-first gained fame as a child actress on the television series Good Times (1978–1979), and rose to greater prominence for her role as Dorothy “Tootie” Ramsey in the NBC sitcom Diff’rent Strokes (1979–1981), as well as its spin-off The Facts of Life (1979–1988), the longest running sitcom of the 1980s.
On its website, www.bustle.com notes, “In the decades since, Fields went on to do theater, direct several sitcoms (including Tyler Perry’s House of Payne), write a memoir, and launch her own collection of gourmet coffee and teas. It’s a testament to the Harlem native’s decades-long-acting career as a Hollywood rarity who overcame the child star curse and refused to fade into obscurity.”
In another post, Cooper added that he got to show his “island skills of chopping a coconut” and “actress, producer and friend of The Bahamas Ms. Kim Fields also got a full immersion. Great fun. Great time. Great Culture!”