Kimila Ann "Kim" Basinger ( , often mispronounced ; born December 8, 1953) is an American actress and former fashion model who has appeared in 38 feature films. She began her acting career on television in 1976 and made her film debut in the 1981 drama Hard Country. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Lynn Bracken in the 1997 film L.A. Confidential.