Kate Mulgrew

Biography

Kate Mulgrew was born on 29 April 1955 in Dubuque, Iowa, USA. She is an American actress and author whose career spans television, film, theatre, and voice acting. She studied at the Stella Adler Conservatory in New York and began her professional career in the 1970s.

Mulgrew first gained recognition as Mary Ryan on the daytime soap opera Ryan's Hope. She later appeared in productions such as Mrs. Columbo, Cheers, Murphy Brown, Murder, She Wrote, and The Black Donnellys. Her film credits include Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985), Throw Momma from the Train (1987), and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002).

Her most iconic role came in Star Trek: Voyager (1995–2001), where she portrayed Captain Kathryn Janeway, becoming the first female captain to lead a Star Trek television series. Her performance earned her a Saturn Award and a Golden Satellite Award. She later reprised Janeway in the animated series Star Trek: Prodigy.

Mulgrew reached another generation of viewers with Netflix's Orange Is the New Black (2013–2019), playing Galina “Red” Reznikov, the formidable head of the prison kitchen. The role earned her a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2014.

She has also enjoyed an acclaimed theatre career, including her award-winning performance as Katharine Hepburn in Tea at Five and her Obie Award-winning performance in Iphigenia 2.0. Beyond acting, she is a bestselling author of the memoirs Born with Teeth and How to Forget: A Daughter's Memoir.