Katharine Ross
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Notes
Some sources give her birth year as 1942.
"She brought a very important woman's touch to Evie's story, taking it even one step furtjer than even Louis [L'Amour] had," said producer John Kuri. According to husband Sam Elliott, "Of all the times that Katharine and I have worked together, her work has never been better than in this film. Louis was right, Kate was the one to play Evie Teale." --from TNT's "Conagher" press material
Biography
Katharine Ross first attracted attention as Anne Bancroft's daughter in Mike Nichols' "The Graduate" (1967). Ross added impressive credits to her resume as the female lead in George Roy Hill's blockbuster "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969). As Etta Place, the woman in love with Redford's Sundance Kid, she skillfully negotiated the film's seriocomic tone. She and Redford worked together in "Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here" (also 1969), Abraham Polonsky's period drama about an American Indian (Robert Blake) who kidnaps his white lover (Ross) and is reluctantly pursued by the local sheriff (Redford). While her character was perhaps the least defined in the piece, Ross delivered a fine performance. avoiding cliche. She also gave strong performances in the modern whodunit "They Only Kill Their Masters" (1972) and the scary "The Stepford Wives" (1975). Perhaps her most notable performance may have been her award-winning supporting turn as the hooker daughter of Jewish refugees in "Voyage of the Damned" (1976). She was paired with future husband Sam Elliott in "The Legacy" (1979). More recently, Ross was cast as the overly proper, somewhat fragile aunt of a young girl whose mother has attempted suicide in "Home Before Dark" (1997). After reprising one of her best feature roles in the TV movie "Wanted: The Sundance Woman" (ABC, 1976), Ross accepted the regular role of the much married socialite Francesca Scott Colby Hamilton on the ABC primetime soap opera "The Colbys" (1985-87). She has frequently worked on the small screen opposite her husband, notably as the second wife of a Houston plastic surgeon (Elliott) who may have been involved in the death of his first wife in "Murder in Texas" (NBC, 1981). The pair have also starred together in the likable Western "Louis L'Amour's 'The Shadow Riders'" (CBS, 1982) and the biopic "Houston: The Legend of Texas" (CBS, 1986). They also co-wrote and co-starred in the 1991 TNT movie "Conagher," based on another Louis L'Amour novel.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Writer (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (Short)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1962
Joined San Francisco Workshop; appeared in "The Devil's Disciple" at The Balcony Theater (date approximate)
1962
TV acting debut, an episode of the NBC series "Sam Benedict"
1965
Film acting debut in "Shenandoah"
1967
Nominated for an Oscar as Best Suporting Actress for her performance as Elaine Robinson in "The Graduate"
1969
Played probably her best known role, Etta Place, opposite Paul Newman and Robert Redford in George Roy Hill's "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"
1969
Acted opposite Redford in "Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here", blacklisted director Abraham Polonsky's first film in 21 years
1975
Starred in the sci-fi horror film, "The Stepford Wives"
1976
Reprised the role of Etta Place in the ABC movie "Wanted: The Sundance Woman" (retitled "Mrs Sundance Rides Again")
1976
Earned a Golden Globe for her role as the prostitute daughter of Jewish refugees in "Voyage of the Damned"
1979
Starred opposite future husband Sam Elliott in "The Legacy"
1981
Co-starred with Elliott in "Murder in Texas", an NBC miniseries
1982
Appeared in first Louis L'Amour Western "The Shadow Riders" (CBS), starred opposite Elliott
1985
Had regular role as Francesca Scott Colby Hamilton in the ABC primetime soap opera "The Colbys"
1991
Co-wrote and starred in the TNT movie "Conagher"; fifth TV project with Elliott
1997
Had featured role in "Home Before Dark"; screened at film festivals
2001
Played a psychiatrist treating the title character (Jake Gyllenhaal) in cult film, "Donnie Darko"
2007
Co-starred in the indie film, "Eye of the Dolphin"
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Family
Companions
Bibliography
Notes
Some sources give her birth year as 1942.
"She brought a very important woman's touch to Evie's story, taking it even one step furtjer than even Louis [L'Amour] had," said producer John Kuri. According to husband Sam Elliott, "Of all the times that Katharine and I have worked together, her work has never been better than in this film. Louis was right, Kate was the one to play Evie Teale." --from TNT's "Conagher" press material
