A native New Yorker, Kimberly Williams-Paisley began her career doing commercials and appearing in the ABC After School Special Stood Up as a teenager. As a sophomore at Northwestern University, she was chosen from hundreds of hopefuls for the coveted role of Steve Martin's daughter in the remake of Father of the Bride. Despite her auspicious debut, Williams returned to Northwestern to complete her degree. While at Northwestern she did, however, find time for a starring role in Touchstone Picture's ensemble comedy drama, Indian Summer.

After college, Williams resumed her acting career, winning critical praise as Isabel Lukens in the series Relativity, created by Ed Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz. She also starred in Touchstone's The War at Home, and reprised her role with Steve Martin and Diane Keaton in Father of the Bride Part II. She starred in Cold Blooded, appeared in Neil Simon's Jake's Women ? a critically-acclaimed Hallmark Hall of Fame production ? and starred in Samuel Beckett is Coming Soon.Williams was also seen in the 10-hour mini-series The Tenth Kingdom. She also appeared on the big screen again; first, in the independent romantic comedy Just a Little Harmless Sex, and then in Simpatico, a filmed adaptation of the Sam Shephard play. She also starred in the movie Follow The Stars Home and The Christmas Shoes. .

On stage, Williams appeared in the Los Angeles run of Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues, opposite Phylicia Rashad and Carol Kane, and performed off-Broadway in the same show. Williams' other stage credits include her Broadway debut in the Tony Award-winning Best Drama The Last Night of Ballyhoo and the 1998 Geffen Playhouse production of All in the Timing in Los Angeles. She made her London stage debut in David Mamet's Speed the Plow.