Kathryn Walker

Summary

Kathryn Walker is an American theater, television and film actress.

Kathryn Walker
Born
Alma materWells College
OccupationActress
Spouse
(m. 1985; div. 1995)
Partner(s)Douglas Kenney
(?–1980, his death)

Early life edit

Walker was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Wells College in Aurora, New York, and was a Fulbright Scholar in music and drama.[1]

Career edit

Walker's career began on the off-Broadway New York stage with her performance in Slag in 1971. On Broadway she appeared in The Good Doctor (1974), A Touch of the Poet (1977), Private Lives (1983) and Wild Honey (1986), among others. She also has been a sporadic presence on daytime drama, including Search for Tomorrow and Another World, and received an Emmy award for her outstanding performance as First Lady Abigail Adams in PBS's 13-part epic miniseries The Adams Chronicles (1976). On film, she has co-starred or played secondary femme roles in Blade (1973), Slap Shot (1977), Girlfriends (1978), and Rich Kids (1979), and she also played John Belushi's wife in the dark, oddball comedy Neighbors (1981). Walker also narrated the 2004 PBS reality series, Colonial House, based on the format of experiential history.

With the late William Alfred, she co-founded The Athens Street Company. In 1997, she was Rothschild Artist in Residence at Radcliffe College. Her six-part documentary series The Millennium Journal has been shown on the PBS cable channel Metro Arts. Over the years, she has become a strong force outside of acting. She has helmed many of the 92nd Street Y's classical theater productions, directing and/or adapting plays such as Euripides' Hekabe (2004); Sophocles' Elektra (2002); Euripides' Medea (2001); The Bacchae of Euripides (2000); and her own adaptation of Fagles' The Iliad (2006). She lives in both New York City and Tesuque, New Mexico.

In 2008, her novel, A Stopover in Venice was published.[2][3]

In popular culture edit

Walker was portrayed in the film Burton & Taylor by Sarah Hadland, and by Emmy Rossum in the film A Futile and Stupid Gesture.

Personal life edit

Walker's relationship with writer Douglas Kenney lasted until his death in 1980 at the age of 33. She was married to singer James Taylor from 1985 to 1996.[4][5]

Filmography edit

Film edit

Year Title Role Notes
1973 Blade Maggie
1977 Slap Shot Anita McCambridge
1978 Girlfriends Carpel's Receptionist
1978 Mandy's Grandmother Susan Short
1979 Rich Kids Madeline Philips
1981 Neighbors Enid Keese
1985 D.A.R.Y.L. Dr. Ellen Lamb
1993 Emma and Elvis Alice Winchek

Television edit

Year Title Role Notes
1972 Search for Tomorrow Emily Rogers Hunter 1 episode
Look Homeward, Angel Helen Gant TV film
The House Without a Christmas Tree Miss Thompson TV film
1973 Rx for the Defense Hilda Kempter TV film
The Thanksgiving Treasure Miss Peggy Thompson TV film
1974 All My Children Eileen Littlejohn TV series
1975 Another World Barbara Weaver TV series
Beacon Hill Fawn Lassiter Main role
1976 Medical Center Dr. Talley "The Stranger"
The Adams Chronicles Abigail Smith Adams TV miniseries
1978 The Winds of Kitty Hawk Katharine Wright TV film
1979 Too Far to Go Marion TV film
3 by Cheever Louise Bentley "O Youth and Beauty!"
1980 F.D.R.: The Last Year Anna TV film
1981 A Whale for the Killing Dr. Linda McFarland TV film
Family Reunion Louisa King TV film
1982 American Playhouse Lena Brock "Private Contentment"
1983 Special Bulletin Susan Myles TV film
1985 Private Sessions Claire Braden TV film
1986 Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry Sarah TV film
1988 The Murder of Mary Phagan Sally Slaton TV miniseries
1990 Against the Law Paulette Belinoff "The Women"
2000 Suddenly Susan Jenny "Girls Night Out"
2002 Frontier House Narrator TV miniseries
2004 Colonial House Narrator TV miniseries
2006 Texas Ranch House Additional narration TV miniseries

Broadway edit

References edit

  1. ^ White, Timothy (2002). James Taylor: Long Ago and Far Away. Omnibus Press. p. 288. ISBN 0-7119-9193-6.
  2. ^ Walker, Kathryn (2008). A Stopover in Venice. Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 9780307267061. OCLC 212855019.
  3. ^ Connelly, Sherryl (August 17, 2008). "A Stopover in Venice' paints romantic picture". New York Daily News.
  4. ^ "Wedding of James Taylor and Kathryn Walker". Getty Images. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  5. ^ Farber, Jim (14 March 2020). "James Taylor Opens up About His 'Crazy and Dangerous' Streak: 'I'm Really Lucky to Have Survived'". Parade. Retrieved 27 June 2021.

External links edit