Katharine Ross


Actor
Katharine Ross

About

Also Known As
Katharine Juliet Ross
Birth Place
Los Angeles, California, USA
Born
January 29, 1940

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 t...

Photos & Videos

The Stepford Wives - Movie Poster
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - Movie Posters
They Only Kill Their Masters - Publicity Art

Family & Companions

Conrad L Hall
Companion
Director of photography. Together the the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Sam Elliot
Husband
Actor. Met while filming "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969); together since 1978 when they co-starred in "The Legacy"; married in 1984.

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)

The Hero (2017)
Eye of the Dolphin (2007)
Donnie Darko (2001)
Big Guns Talk: The Story of the Western (1997)
Home Before Dark (1997)
A Climate For Killing (1991)
Conagher (1991)
Red-Headed Stranger (1986)
Gone to Texas (1986)
Secrets of a Mother and Daughter (1983)
Travis Mcgee: Empty Copper Sea (1983)
Wrong Is Right (1982)
Marian Rose White (1982)
The Shadow Riders (1982)
Wait Until Dark (1982)
The Final Countdown (1980)
Rodeo Girl (1980)
The Legacy (1979)
Murder by Natural Causes (1979)
The Betsy (1978)
The Swarm (1978)
Wanted: The Sundance Woman (1976)
Voyage Of The Damned (1976)
The Stepford Wives (1975)
Le Hasard Et La Violence (1973)
Get to Know Your Rabbit (1972)
Terrific-looking girl
They Only Kill Their Masters (1972)
Kate [Bingham]
Fools (1970)
Anais Appleton
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
Etta Place
Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here (1969)
Lola
Hellfighters (1968)
Tish Buckman
Games (1967)
Jennifer Montgomery
The Graduate (1967)
Elaine Robinson
Mister Buddwing (1966)
Janet
Shenandoah (1965)
Ann
The Singing Nun (1965)
Nicole Arlien

Writer (Feature Film)

Conagher (1991)
Screenplay

Cast (Special)

Dustin Hoffman: First in His Class (2001)
Paul Newman - Bravo Profile (2001)
Robert Redford: Hollywood Outlaw (2000)
American Film Institute Salute to Dustin Hoffman (1999)
Performer
Paul Newman: Hollywood's Charming Rebel (1995)
Jimmy Stewart: Hometown Hero (1993)
Tattle: When to Tell a Friend (1988)

Cast (Short)

Searchers for a Special City (1966)
Herself

Cast (TV Mini-Series)

Murder In Texas (1981)
Origins of the Mafia (1974)

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"

Photo Collections

The Stepford Wives - Movie Poster
The Stepford Wives - Movie Poster
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - Movie Posters
Here are a few original-release movie posters from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford.
They Only Kill Their Masters - Publicity Art
Here is a piece of art used to publicize MGM's They Only Kill Their Masters (1972), starring James Garner and Katharine Ross.

Videos

Movie Clip

Graduate, The (1967) -- (Movie Clip) Do You Always Drive Like This? Ben (Dustin Hoffman), who's been having an affair with Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft), who's forbidden him to date her daughter Elaine (Katharine Ross), gets railroaded by his parents (William Daniels, Elizabeth Wilson), and business-partner Mr. Robinson (Murray Hamilton), in The Graduate, 1967.
Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969) -- (Movie Clip) Keep Goin', Teacher Lady First appearance by schoolteacher Etta Place (Katharine Ross), previously not mentioned in the story, finding Robert Redford (the second title character) lurking in her house, a provocative bit by screenwriter William Goldman and director George Roy Hill, in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1969.
Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969) -- (Movie Clips) Raindrops... Butch (Paul Newman) awakens Etta (Katharine Ross) with his new bicycle, on which they romp to B.J. Thomas' singing Burt Bacharach and Hal David's hit "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1969.
Shenandoah (1965) -- (Movie Clip) A Lot Of Noisy Silence Exposition, introducing the cast, during the Civil War, James Stewart as farmer and father Charlie Anderson addresses his sons, Philip Alford entering, then Glenn Corbett, James McMullan, Patrick Wayne (Duke’s son), Charles Robinson, and Tim McIntire, his daughter (Rosemary Forsyth) and daughter-in-law (Katharine Ross) silent, early in Shenandoah, 1965.
Shenandoah (1965) -- (Movie Clip) Women Are Like That Virginia widower farmer Charlie Anderson (James Stewart), abstaining from the Civil War, relates to his soon-to-be son-in-law, Confederate recruit Sam (Doug McClure), while the bride (Rosemary Forsyth), attempts to understand her sister-in-law (Katharine Ross), in Shenandoah, 1965, from James Lee Barrett’s original screenplay.
Shenandoah (1965) -- (Movie Clip) A Horrible Thing To Behold His youngest son taken prisoner as a (wrongly) suspected Confederate, neutral Virginia farmer Charlie (James Stewart) consults with his eldest son (Glenn Corbett) about rescue options, then visits with his daughter-in-law (Katharine Ross) and his first grandchild, Andrew V. McLaglen directing, in Shenandoah< 1965.
Graduate, The (1967) -- (Movie Clip) Open, Sounds Of Silence Director Mike Nichols’ unorthodox opening, introducing Paul Simon’s landmark song, performed with Art Garfunkel, as Ben (Dustin Hoffman, title character, in his first lead role, sharing top billing with Anne Bancroft and Katharine Ross) arrives at LAX, in The Graduate, 1967..
Stepford Wives, The (1975) -- (Movie Clip) Here In Ajax Country Bobbie Markowe (Paula Prentiss) fairly bounds into the picture, delighted to meet her fellow new citizen Joanna (Katharine Ross), both of them happy to discover they're not the only ones wondering what's up in this town, early in The Stepford Wives, 1975.
Stepford Wives, The (1975) -- (Movie Clip) It's A Casserole Day one in the Connecticut suburb, the first of the natives, Carol Van Sant (Nanette Newman) greets transplanted New Yorker Walter (Peter Masterson), who then has an odd exchange with her husband (Josef Sommer), then tries to reassure his wife Joanna (Katharine Ross), in The Stepford Wives, 1975.
Stepford Wives, The (1975) -- (Movie Clip) That's Why We're Moving! Something of an artful opening from director Bryan Forbes, Katharine Ross clearly ambivalent about leaving New York, Peter Masterson her more enthusiastic husband, opening The Stepford Wives, 1975, from the popular Ira Levin novel, featuring Paula Prentiss and Patrick O'Neal.
Stepford Wives, The (1975) -- (Movie Clip) The Friendliest Accident New in town, the Eberharts (Katharine Ross, Peter Masterson, young Mary Stuart Masterson and Ronny Sullivan) observe an odd fender bender between Carol Van Sant (Nanette Newman) and Kit Sunderson (Carole Mallory) at the grocery, in The Stepford Wives, 1975, from Ira Levin's novel.
Stepford Wives, The (1975) -- (Movie Clip) I'll Just Die If I Don't Get This Recipe Dale (Patrick O'Neal), the former Disney engineer, seems the life of the pool party, as non-conforming new gals Joanna (Katharine Ross) and Bobbie (Paula Prentiss) arrive and Carol (Nanette Newman) appears to malfunction, one of the first indisputably weird events in The Stepford Wives, 1975.

Trailer

Family

Cleo Elliot
Daughter
Born c. 1985.

Companions

Conrad L Hall
Companion
Director of photography. Together the the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Sam Elliot
Husband
Actor. Met while filming "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969); together since 1978 when they co-starred in "The Legacy"; married in 1984.

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