Kate McNeil

Last updated
Kate McNeil
Born (1958-08-07) August 7, 1958 (age 67)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1981–present
Spouse
Roy Friedland
(m. 1987)
Children2

Kate McNeil (born August 7, 1958) is an American actress. [1] She starred in the CBS daytime soap opera As the World Turns from 1981 to 1984, and in 1983 had the leading role in the slasher film The House on Sorority Row . McNeil was also the female lead in the 1988 horror film Monkey Shines .

Contents

Early years

The daughter of the president of the U.S. Cocoa Corporation, McNeil grew up in Gladwyne, a suburb in Lower Merion Township, of Montgomery County, west of Philadelphia, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. [2] In high school, she said, "I was in a lot of plays, and I was a bit wild." [3] She went on to study theater further at Ithaca College, in Ithaca, New York. [3]

Career

McNeil began her acting career on the daytime soap opera As the World Turns in 1981. The following year of 1982, she appeared in the low-budget comedy Beach House. The next year, she starred in the slasher / horror film The House on Sorority Row . [4] 1985, saw Kate McNeil appearing in the TV miniseries Kane & Abel and afterwards in 1986 she was featured in another miniseries, the historical epic about the American Civil War (1861-1865), the sequel / second of three in the series, North and South Book II, based on the thick three-volumes set of historical fiction books North and South by acclaimed author John Jakes (1932-2023). She later co-starred in director George A. Romero's horror film Monkey Shines two years afterwards in 1988. In the 1990s, Kate McNeil appeared as Janet Gilchrist, fiance and then wedded wife of famous TV teen-ager character of the 1970s, now older and more mature main character "John Boy" Walton (Richard Thomas, born 1951), in the final three of subsequent six sequel / reunion made-for-TV films aired in the 1990s (1993, 1995 and 1997), following the long-running The Waltons TV series of 1971/1972 to 1981.

Also in the early 1990s, McNeil was a cast member of two television shows, WIOU and Bodies of Evidence . McNeil has also made numerous individual television episodes with guest appearances. She has appeared on Amazing Stories (1985), Simon & Simon , Designing Women , Midnight Caller , Quantum Leap (1989), The X-Files , Murder, She Wrote , Touched By An Angel (S8, Ep21), Babylon 5 , Diagnosis Murder , Veronica Mars , Bones , The Mentalist , and Mad Men .

Personal life

McNeil has been married to Roy Friedland, a director and script writer, [3] since 1987. They have two children.[ citation needed ]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1982Beach HouseCindy
1983 The House on Sorority Row Katherine 'Katey' Rose
1988 Monkey Shines Melanie Parker
1994 I'll Do Anything Stacy
1995 Sudden Death Kathi
1997Shadow DancerDet. Frances Hayes
2000 Space Cowboys Female Astronaut #1
2001 The Caveman's Valentine Betty
2001 Glitter Karen Diana
2002Until MorningGillian Scott

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1981–1984 As the World Turns Karen Haines Stenbeck DixonTV series
1985 Kane and Abel Florentyna RosnovskiTV miniseries
1986Vital SignsKristiTV film
1986 North and South Augusta BarclayTV miniseries
1987 Amazing Stories Patty O'NeilEpisode: "Blue Man Down"
1988 Simon & Simon Trish Van AlderEpisode: "The Richer They Are the Harder They Fall"
1988, 1993 Murder, She Wrote Carrie Palmer, Kate WaldenEpisodes: "Harbinger of Death", "A Virtual Murder"
1989 Designing Women Libby CokerEpisode: "The Junies"
1989–90 Anything but Love GailEpisodes: "Hearts and Bones", "Partying Is Such Sweet Sorrow"
1990 Midnight Caller Rev. SummerEpisode: "Planes"
1990The BakeryDana BuchananTV film
1990–91 WIOU Taylor YoungMain role
1991 Dear John CarolEpisode: "Kirk's Ex-Wife"
1992–93 Bodies of Evidence Det. Nora HoughtonMain role
1993 Quantum Leap Olivia Barrett CovingtonEpisode: "The Leap Between States"
1993 A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion Janet GilchristTV film
1994 Babylon 5 Janice RosenEpisode: "The Quality of Mercy"
1995 A Walton Wedding Janet GilchristTV film
1995Best DefenseMichelle BestTV film
1996 Diagnosis: Murder Jennifer Stratton / JoanEpisode: "Murder Murder"
1996 Escape Clause Sarah RamsayTV film
1997 A Walton Easter Janet Gilchrist WaltonTV film
1997 Sleeping with the Devil LizTV film
1997 Promised Land Laura DunbarEpisode: "To Everything a Season"
1998–99 Love Boat: The Next Wave Pat KennedyEpisodes: "Smooth Sailing", "Getting to Know You", "Love Floats: The St. Valentine's Day Massacre"
1999 Providence RandiEpisode: "Pig in Providence"
1999 Ally McBeal Marianne HarperEpisode: "Let's Dance"
1999 Half a Dozen Babies Lynda SmirzTV film
2000 The X-Files Nan WiederEpisode: "Theef"
2000 Nash Bridges Rose TorryEpisode: "Hard Cell"
2000One KillMaj. Leslie NesbittTV film
2000 American Tragedy Dr. ClarksonTV film
2001 Family Law JennyTV series
2001 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Sharon WoodburyEpisode: "Chaos Theory"
2001 ER Mrs. PendryEpisode: "Partly Cloudy, Chance of Rain"
2002 Touched by an Angel Sarah BerringtonEpisode: "For All the Tea in China"
2003–04 American Dreams Doris MasonEpisodes: "The Long Goodbye", "Chasing the Past", "No Way Out"
2004 NCIS Comm. Margaret GreenEpisode: "The Good Samaritan"
2004 Without a Trace Atty. Marian CostelloEpisode: "Two Families"
2005 Cold Case Beth AdamsEpisode: "Blank Generation"
2005 Star Trek: Enterprise Cmdr. CollinsEpisode: "Affliction"
2005 Veronica Mars Betina CasablancasEpisode: "Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner"
2005 Bones Audrey SchillingEpisode: "The Girl in the Fridge"
2008 The Mentalist Katherine BlakelyEpisode: "The Thin Red Line"
2010Proposition 8 Trial Re-EnactmentChristine Van AkenTV documentary
2010 Law & Order: LA Patricia NelsonEpisode: "Pasadena"
2011 Big Love Sister MaryEpisodes: "A Seat at the Table", "Certain Poor Shepherds"
2012 Mad Men Edith HuffEpisode: "Dark Shadows"
2012 Longmire Maureen MaceEpisode: "An Incredibly Beautiful Thing"
2012 NCIS: Los Angeles Carol AdamsEpisode: "Recruit"
2016 Code Black Anne StringerEpisode: "Blood Sport"
2016 Grey's Anatomy Tess' MomEpisode: "I Am Not Waiting Anymore"
2021 Them Dr. Frances MoynihanEpisodes: "Day 9", "Day 10"

References

  1. Lavin, Cheryl. "Celebrity fastrack." Carlisle, Pennsylvania: The Sentinel, February 1, 1991, p. D3 (subscription required).
  2. Walstad, David. "From Gladwyne to prime time." Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 28, 1992, TV Week section, p. 4 (subscription required).
  3. 1 2 3 Hughes, Mike (October 31, 1990). "Kate McNeil's role reflection of real life". California, San Bernardino. The San Bernardino County Sun. p. 34. Retrieved November 2, 2015 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  4. Mannikka, Eleanor. "The House on Sorority Row (1983) - Mark Rosman,Paul Schiff - Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related". AllMovie. Retrieved 20 June 2015.