Katherine Bailess, a Vicksburg native, is giving Los Angeles a taste of Southern hospitality in the VH1 series “Hit the Floor.”

Bailess, 35, plays Kyle Hart, one of the elite Los Angeles ‘Devil Girl’ professional basketball dancers who also just happen to be from Mississippi.

As for her home of Mississippi, Bailess said she often jokes about some of the stereotypes many have.

“Sometimes I say I didn’t wear shoes, and I drove a tractor to school and they go ‘really?’” she said. “But when they visit they say, ‘Wow, Vicksburg is really classy and warm and hospitable.’”

Bailess is the daughter of Bobby and Natalie Bailess, and a graduate of St. Aloysius High School. After focusing on dance and musical theatre at Marymount Manhattan College in New York, she went on the study at the William Esper Studio’s two-year intensive program.

“I love living in Los Angeles, but I do miss the South. I miss my family and friends, and I miss the sunsets. I always go watch the sunsets by the river. It’s my little secret getaway when I go home. It’s like ‘I’m going to Walmart mom,’ and then I go to the overlook and watch the sun go down. I always take a picture,” she said. “I think it’s the most beautiful sunset with the bridges.”

Bailess has appeared on TV shows including “Gilmore Girls,” “One Tree Hill,” “The Loop” and “NCIS,” and her film credits include “From Justin to Kelly” and “Bring It On Again.”

“I’m proud to be from Mississippi,” Bailess said. “I know it sounds cheesy, but it’s true. When people ask me where I’m from I say Miss Sippy.”