Kathryn Kates

Early work

Kathryn began her career in Los Angeles. She was one of 25 actors (including fellow member John Larroquette) who became Founding Members of The Colony Theatre. Kathryn and her colleagues took up residence at The Studio Theatre in the Silver Lake District of Los Angeles and for the next 25 years produced award winning stage productions. For the first six years (1975 to 1981), she, along with Barbara Beckley, was co general manager of The Colony and together they produced all of the company’s plays. She has the distinction of being the only actress to ever play opposite John Larroquette as his mother, lover, and wife: as his mother in Enter Laughing (Cast Theatre, 1974); his wife in A Company of Wayward Saints (Colony Theatre 1978); and his lover in The Lady's Not For Burning (Colony Theatre, 1979). Kathryn also appeared in many other of The Colony’s L.A.Drama Critics’ Circle award-winning productions such as The Grapes Of Wrath and Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles (El Rey Theatre with Ed Harris). Over the years, The Colony Theatre has evolved from a small ensemble of actors into a well-established, award-winning, nationally recognized theatre, renowned for high quality productions. It has been listed in the Encyclopædia Britannica Almanac as one of “25 Notable US Theater Companies.”

Career

Kathryn currently has a recurring role in the Network/Lionsgate series Orange Is the New Black, written by Jenji Kohan, creator of Weeds, as Jason Biggs' mother. She was a series lead in the CBS/Showtime pilot, Gurland on Gurland, playing Myrna Birnbaum, which was written, directed and produced by Andrew Gurland, and executive producer Glenn Gordon Caron. She also appeared in Reggie Rock Bythewood’s new pilot for the BET network, Gun Hill, as Bora. One of Kathryn's most memorable roles is her recurring appearance on Seinfeld as The Counter Woman in the iconic episodes The Dinner Party (1994) and The Rye (1996). Other recurring roles have been on the Disney hit series Lizzie McGuire as the zany neighbor, Mrs. Carrabino (You’re a Good Man, Lizzie McGuire, 2002 and My Fair Larry, 2003 ). Other television appearances include her roles as the nosy neighbor, Mrs. Luckovich on Pan Am (2011), as June Starr in Judging Amy with Tyne Daly (2003), as Ginny in Caroline In The City with Lea Thompson, as Mrs. Bowman in Hudson Street with Tony Danza (1996), and as Mable Maloney in a 2 part Matlock, TV series, The Witness Killings (1991).

Kathryn has worked in film, recently for director Daryl Wein in Lola Versus starring Greta Gerwig, Debra Winger and Bill Pullman; and for Paul Moshe Mones in Dovid Moyer as Odel, the Orthodox cook. She has also worked with such notable directors as Don Siegel (in Jinxed opposite Bette Midler, 1982 ) and Lamont Johnson in the television movie, Life of The Party and The Story of Beatrice (1982) with Carol Burnett. She has received acting awards, Drama Logue Award best actress for her role as Ruby in Marsha Norman's Getting Out (1982), and more recently Best Supporting Actress nomination from the MITF in NYC for her work in Gray Matters as the high-powered agent, Miriam Berger (2010).

Since relocating to New York City in 2006, she has appeared in over twenty Off and Off Off Broadway productions, has toured Europe (Bucharest, Sibiu and Stockholm) with Saviana Stanescu's Waxing West, and has worked in some of New York's most iconic venues, such as The Public, La Mama Etc., Urban Stages, The Soho Playhouse, The Cherry Lane, and several times on Theatre Row. She was the Palestinian Aunt in the New York Theatre Workshop production of Food and Fadwa, on Theatre Row in Herman Kline's Midlife Crisis, and, most recently starred along with Greg Mullavey and Gaby Hoffmann in The Last Seder. She is currently a company member of Daniel Talbott’s Rising Phoenix Rep.

Early life

Kathryn was born in New York City, the second daughter of Louis Kates and his wife, the actress Madlyn Cates, who is known to millions for her memorable role in the original Mel Brooks movie, The Producers, starring Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder (1968). Madlyn's role as The Concierge is oft quoted: "I'm not a madame, I'm a concierge", a line which has become as famous as the movie itself. Kathryn's sister, Mallory Kates, is an entrepreneur and her brother, Joshua Kates, is a psychotherapist.