About Kathryn Kates
Kathryn Kates, 73, American actress (The Many Saints of Newark, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Shades of Blue), lung cancer.
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Full Biography
|Kathryn Jane Kates (January 29, 1948 – January 22, 2022) was an American actress. She was known for appearances on Seinfeld in the episodes "The Rye" and "The Dinner Party." She also appeared in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Orange Is the New Black, The Many Saints of Newark among other roles in television and film. Kates also has many off-Broadway credits.
Early life and career
Kathryn Jane Kates was born in New York City on January 29, 1948. Her father, Louis Kates, was an electronics engineer. Her mother, Sylvia Kates, was an actress who worked under the stage name Madelyn Cates. Kathryn Kates graduated from Great Neck North Senior High School in 1967. She graduated from Tisch School of the arts at New York University in 1971. Ms. Kates moved to Los Angeles in 1974 where she began her acting career. She is one of 25 actors who are founding members of The Colony Theatre, at The Studio Theatre in the Silver Lake district of Los Angeles. Kates, was co-general manager with Barbara Beckley of The Colony from 1975 to 1981. Kates and Beckley produced all of the company's plays during those years. Kathryn Kates played opposite John Larroquette as his mother, lover, and wife: as his mother in Enter Laughing (Cast Theatre, 1974); as his wife in A Company of Wayward Saints (Colony Theatre 1978); and as his lover in The Lady's Not For Burning (Colony Theatre, 1979). Kates also appeared in many of The Colony Theater's L.A. Drama Critics' Circle award-winning productions such as The Grapes of Wrath and The Martian Chronicles.
Later career
One of Kates's most memorable roles was her recurring appearance on Seinfeld as The Counter Woman in the episodes "The Dinner Party" (1994) and "The Rye" (1996). Other recurring roles have been on the Disney series Lizzie McGuire as Mrs. Carrabino ("You're a Good Man, Lizzie McGuire",[citation needed] 2002 and "My Fair Larry", 2003),[citation needed] on Pam Am (2011) as Mrs. Luckovich,[citation needed] as June Starr in Judging Amy[citation needed] (2003), as Ginny in Caroline in the City, as Mrs. Bowman in Hudson Street (1996), and as Mable Maloney in a two-part Matlock, "The Witness Killings" (1991). Kates had a recurring role in the Orange Is the New Black. She was a series lead in the CBS/Showtime pilot Gurland on Gurland, playing Myrna Birnbaum. She also appeared in Reggie Rock Bythewood's pilot for the BET network, Gun Hill, as Bora.
Kates worked in film, for director Daryl Wein in Lola Versus, and for Paul Moshe Mones in Dovid Moyer as Odel, the Orthodox cook. She also worked with Don Siegel (in Jinxed!,) and Lamont Johnson in the television movie Life of The Party: The Story of Beatrice (1982). She won the Drama Logue Award for best actress for her role as Ruby in Marsha Norman's Getting Out (1982), and in 2010 received a Best Supporting Actress nomination from the MITF in NYC for her work in Gray Matters as the high-powered agent, Miriam Berger (2010).
After relocating to New York City in 2006, Kates appeared in over twenty off- and off-off-Broadway productions, and toured Europe (Bucharest, Sibiu and Stockholm) with Saviana Stanescu's Waxing West, 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, more recently starred along with Greg Mullavey and Gaby Hoffmann in The Last Seder. She was a company member of Daniel Talbott's Rising Phoenix Rep.
Death
Kates died of lung cancer at her brother's home in Lake Worth, Florida on January 22, 2022, a week short of turning 74.
Filmography
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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Articles & News
- "Kathryn Kates, Actress of 'Seinfeld' Babka Fame, Dies at 73"nytimes.com
- "Kathryn Kates Dies: 'Many Saints Of Newark', 'Seinfeld' & 'SVU' Actress Was 73"deadline.com
Reported coverage of Kathryn Kates; each link opens the original article on the publisher's own site.
Books & Media
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathryn_Kates
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Kathryn Kates's archived record and the sources above.
1.What was the date of Kathryn Kates's birth?
- A.January 22, 1948
- B.January 29, 1950
- C.February 29, 1948
- D.January 29, 1948correct
Kathryn Kates was born in New York City on January 29, 1948.
Source: Early life and career section
2.What was the stage name of Kathryn Kates's mother, Sylvia Kates?
- A.Sylvia Stone
- B.Madelyn Catescorrect
- C.Madelyn Kates
- D.Sylvia Saint
Kathryn Kates's mother, Sylvia Kates, was an actress who worked under the stage name Madelyn Cates.
Source: Early life and career section
3.In what year did Kathryn Kates graduate from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University?
- A.1967
- B.1974
- C.1975
- D.1971correct
Kathryn Kates graduated from Tisch School of the arts at New York University in 1971.
Source: Early life and career section
4.Kathryn Kates moved to which city in 1974 to begin her acting career?
- A.Chicago
- B.Los Angelescorrect
- C.New York City
- D.Miami
Ms. Kates moved to Los Angeles in 1974 where she began her acting career.
Source: Early life and career section
5.With whom did Kathryn Kates serve as co-general manager of The Colony Theatre from 1975 to 1981?
- A.Greg Mullavey
- B.Marsha Norman
- C.Saviana Stanescu
- D.Barbara Beckleycorrect
Kates was co-general manager with Barbara Beckley of The Colony from 1975 to 1981.
Source: Early life and career section
6.In which 1974 production at the Cast Theatre did Kathryn Kates play the mother of John Larroquette?
- A.The Lady's Not For Burning
- B.A Company of Wayward Saints
- C.Enter Laughingcorrect
- D.The Grapes of Wrath
Kathryn Kates played opposite John Larroquette as his mother in Enter Laughing (Cast Theatre, 1974).
Source: Early life and career section
7.What was the name of the character Kathryn Kates played in the Seinfeld episodes 'The Dinner Party' and 'The Rye'?
- A.The Counter Womancorrect
- B.June Starr
- C.Mrs. Carrabino
- D.Mable Maloney
One of Kates's most memorable roles was her recurring appearance on Seinfeld as The Counter Woman in the episodes 'The Dinner Party' and 'The Rye'.
Source: Later career section
8.On which Disney series did Kathryn Kates play the character Mrs. Carrabino?
- A.Lizzie McGuirecorrect
- B.Hudson Street
- C.Matlock
- D.Caroline in the City
Kathryn Kates had a recurring role on the Disney series Lizzie McGuire as Mrs. Carrabino.
Source: Later career section
9.Which award did Kathryn Kates win for her role as Ruby in Marsha Norman's 'Getting Out'?
- A.Tony Award
- B.L.A. Drama Critics' Circle Award
- C.MITF Best Supporting Actress Award
- D.Drama Logue Awardcorrect
She won the Drama Logue Award for best actress for her role as Ruby in Marsha Norman's Getting Out (1982).
Source: Later career section
10.In which city did Kathryn Kates relocate in 2006 before performing in various off-Broadway productions?
- A.Los Angeles
- B.Lake Worth
- C.Bucharest
- D.New York Citycorrect
After relocating to New York City in 2006, Kates appeared in over twenty off- and off-off-Broadway productions.
Source: Later career section
11.Kathryn Kates was a company member of which theatrical group?
- A.The Studio Theatre
- B.Rising Phoenix Repcorrect
- C.The Colony Theatre
- D.New York Theatre Workshop
She was a company member of Daniel Talbott's Rising Phoenix Rep.
Source: Later career section
12.What was the cause of Kathryn Kates's death?
- A.Heart failure
- B.Stroke
- C.Lung cancercorrect
- D.Pneumonia
Kates died of lung cancer at her brother's home in Lake Worth, Florida on January 22, 2022.
Source: Death section
13.Where did Kathryn Kates pass away?
- A.Bucharest, Romania
- B.Los Angeles, California
- C.Lake Worth, Floridacorrect
- D.New York City, New York
Kates died of lung cancer at her brother's home in Lake Worth, Florida on January 22, 2022.
Source: Death section
14.Which television show featured Kathryn Kates as Mable Maloney?
- A.Judging Amy
- B.Gun Hill
- C.Matlockcorrect
- D.Pam Am
Kates appeared as Mable Maloney in a two-part Matlock episode titled 'The Witness Killings' (1991).
Source: Later career section
15.In what year did Kathryn Kates die?
- A.2019
- B.2021
- C.2022correct
- D.2020
Kathryn Kates passed away on January 22, 2022.
Source: Death section
16.What was Kathryn Kates's father's profession?
- A.Theatre producer
- B.Electronics engineercorrect
- C.High-powered agent
- D.Acting coach
Her father, Louis Kates, was an electronics engineer.
Source: Early life and career section
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