Kathryn Kates Biography

Kathryn Kates is an American actress now living and working in New York City. She is probably best known for her recurring role on Seinfeld in the iconic episodes, The Marble Rye and The Dinner Party (The Babka episode). Kathryn is active in the New York theater scene and is often featured in commercials, films, cable & television series and off & off-off Broadway theater productions.

Early work

Kathryn moved from New York to Los Angeles in 1974 to pursue her career. She was one of 25 actors (including fellow member John Larroquette) who became Founding Members of The Colony Theatre. They took up residence at The Studio Theatre in the Silver Lake District of Los Angeles and for the next 25 years produced award winning theatre. For the first 6 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. Last season she was cast as 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. Kathryn is probably best known for her recurring role on Seinfeld as The Counter Woman in the iconic episodes The Dinner Party (1994) and The Rye (1996). Ms. Kates also had a recurring role 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.

Filmography

Film & Television Credits

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2013	Lola Versus	Long Island Woman	Post Production
2013	Orange Is The New Black	Amy Kanter-Bloom	(TV series) 3 Episodes
2011	Pan Am	Mrs. Luckovich	(TV Series) Episode, Truth or Dare
2011	Monkey Man	Mrs. Howard	Film
2010	Rescue Me	Gumball's Mother	(TV Series) Episode, Gumball's Mother Sanctuary
2009	Lott Oh	Gertrude	Short Film
2009	Out of The Fog	Ludmilla Bashilevsky	Film
2009	Check-Up: From the Gently Twisted Life of Michael Kleinfeld	Susan Kleinfeld	Short Film
2008	Saveta's Gift	Looba	Short Film
2003	10-8: Officers on Duty	Mrs. Berman	(TV Series)
2003	The Wild Bunch	Mrs. Berman	Uncredited
2003	Judging Amy	June Starr	(TV Series) Episode, Into The Fire
2003	Lizzie McGuire	Mrs. Carrabino	(TV Series) Episode, My Fair Larry - Recurring Role
2002	Lizzie McGuire	Mrs. Carrabino	(TV Series) Episode, You're a Good Man, Lizzie McGuire
1998	Caroline in the City	Ginny	(TV Series) Episode, Caroline and the Little White Lies
1997	Asylum	Nurse Taylor	Film
1997	The Nurse	Marsha Harriman	Film
1996	Hudson Street	Mrs. Bowman	(TV Series) Episode, Having My Baby
1996	Seinfeld	Counter Woman	(TV Series) Episode, The Rye - Recurring Role
1994	Seinfeld	Counter Woman	(TV Series) Episode, The Dinner Party - Recurring Role
1994	Thunder Alley	Nurse #1	(TV Series) Episode, Never Say Die
1991	Teenage Exorcist	Maid	Film
1991	Matlock	Mabel Maloney	(TV series), Episode The Witness Killings - Recurring Role
1991	Matlock	Mabel Maloney	(TV series), Episode The Witness Killings: Part 2
1990	Pastime	Ethel	Film
1983	The Taming of the Shrew	Player 4	Video
1982	Jinxed	Miss Nina	Film - with Bette Midler
1982	Life of the Party: The Story of Beatrice	Diedre	TV Movie - with Carol Burnett