Katharine Ross is an American legendary actress, known for her performances in many Hollywood classics such as The Graduate and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Since the early 1960s, Katharine Ross has become one of the brightest lights among Hollywood’s other stars. Her work has left an indelible mark that remains a landmark in both the film and theatre worlds.
Important Details about Katharine Ross
- Birth Name: Katharine Juliet Ross
- Date of Birth: 29 January 1940
- Born in: Los Angeles, California
- Education: Las Lomas High School, Santa Rosa Junior College
- Major Works: The Graduate (Elaine Robinson), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (Etta Place), The Stepford Wives (Joanna Eberhart)
- Awards: Academy Award nomination, BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award
- Spouse: Sam Elliott(married 1984)
- Children: Cleo Rose Elliott (born 1984)
- Hobbies: Horse riding
Early Life
Katharine Ross was born on January 29, 1940, in Los Angeles, California. She hailed from a family that was closely associated with the military; her father served in the Navy and worked as a public relations man for the Associated Press. At Las Lomas High School in Walnut Creek, California, Katharine developed a keen interest in acting. She furthered her education at Santa Rosa Junior College where she learned more about the theatrical world.
Acting Career of Katharine Ross
Katharine Ross, the iconic actress began her acting career in the early 1960s. She was trained at the Actors Workshop in San Francisco and appeared in several plays. Katharine’s first episode of television was in 1962 as Sam Benedict. She soon found regular appearances on television shows, and the experience would serve her well in subsequent roles.
Film Success: The Graduate
In 1967, Ross starred in The Graduate, her most prominent role. Here she portrayed the usually clever and perspicacious Elaine Robinson – a young woman caught up in a complex romantic plot with a character played by Dustin Hoffman. For her performance in The Graduate, she brought home her first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, which had practically turned her an overnight star. Today, The Graduate is regarded as a classic film and Ross’s performance is still cherished.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
With this success with The Graduate, in 1969, Katharine Ross gained the starring role as Etta Place opposite Robert Redford in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. All of that cinematic success with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid kept her firmly based in Hollywood. The film was a box office success, and the movie is still loved today.
Other Popular Films
Katharine Ross continued to make films through the 1970s. She starred in The Stepford Wives in 1975, the wife of a man (played by Peter Masterson) who suspects that his new neighbors are concealing secrets about their wives, all of whom seem to be dominated by the husbands. The movie has become a cult classic. Voyage of the Damned (1976) and The Betsy (1978) were also released, bringing her to the public eye.
Katharine Ross Marriage and Private Life
Katharine Ross has been married five times. Her previous four marriages ended in divorce. However, she finally settled with actor Sam Elliott whom she married in 1984. The couple met on the set of The Legacy in 1978. They have one daughter, Cleo Rose Elliott, born in 1984. Katharine Ross and Sam Elliott became one of Hollywood’s most loved couples, and they have been together for decades.
Television Work and Later Career
Besides filming work, Katharine Ross also had some television work. Some of the films she featured in for television include Murder by Natural Causes and The Shadow Riders. She appeared in the movie Conagher in 1989. It is a film based on a novel by Louis L’Amour. Her husband, Sam Elliott, co-starred in the film made them go higher in front of their fan as a couple. Ross has explored unique modes through her television work. Her versatility is reflected in her endeavor to express herself within various genres.
Awards and Recognition
Katharine Ross has won several awards. She was nominated for an Academy Award for The Graduate. She also received a BAFTA Award for acting in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. In 1976, she also received a Golden Globe Award for her acting in Voyage of the Damned. Awards for Katharine Ross prove her ability professionalism, and success with different kinds of roles.
Katharine Ross Hobbies: Interest in Horses and other Activities
Aside from acting, Katharine Ross is an animal lover, especially horses. She has been horseback riding and owns horses. In her own words, these are fun activities that relieve her. An interest in horses has been an activity that she has had for quite some time in her life.
Katharine Ross in the 21st Century
Much later in life, Katharine Ross kept quite a low profile but remained active in certain projects. Married to Sam Elliott, she has long-lasting matrimony with the “King Cowboy” Elliott, who sometimes appears together in public or in movies. This darling couple in Hollywood has endearingly offered their combined marital and professional talent for all these years. The admirers never cease showering her appreciation for her past performances, and she remains a legend as an actress.
Conclusion
Katharine Ross has had the kind of career in Hollywood, where she played significant roles in the most celebrated films. Such roles as those played in The Graduate and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid are legendary while her work in The Stepford Wives and a host of others shows her talent on the full range. Off the screens, Katharine Ross is revered for a long marriage that has stood the test of time with Sam Elliott, besides her passion for horses. She remains to be one of Hollywood’s most respected actresses and continues to inspire with her work to this day.
