Kathryn Leigh Scott (born Marlene Kringstad;
[Biography:]
Kathryn Leigh Scott
". Retrieved on September 28, 2010 January 26, 1943) is an American television and film actress and writer who is best remembered for playing several roles on ''
Dark Shadows
''Dark Shadows'' is an American gothic soap opera that aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971. The show depicted the lives, loves, trials, and tribulations of the wealthy Collins family of Collinsport ...
''.
Early life
Scott was born in
Robbinsdale, Minnesota
Robbinsdale is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota,. The population was 13,953 at the time of the 2010 census.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
Minnesota ...
, of Norwegian descent.
Career
Scott grew up on a farm in
Robbinsdale, Minnesota
Robbinsdale is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota,. The population was 13,953 at the time of the 2010 census.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
Minnesota ...
, the daughter of Ole Kringstad, a Norwegian immigrant, and Hilda Karlsgodt Kringstad, of Norwegian descent. She attended
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world.
Charte ...
in their summer "cherub" program while in high school. In 1962 she moved to New York to study at the
American Academy of Dramatic Arts
The American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) is a private performing arts conservatory with two locations, one in Manhattan and one in Los Angeles. The academy offers an associate degree in occupational studies and teaches drama and related art ...
on a scholarship while working as a
Playboy Bunny
A Playboy Bunny is a waitress who works at a Playboy Club and selected through standardized training. Their costumes were made up of lingerie, inspired by the tuxedo-wearing Playboy rabbit mascot. This costume consisted of a strapless corset te ...
in the original New York
Playboy Club
The Playboy Club was initially a chain of nightclubs and resorts owned and operated by Playboy Enterprises. The first Playboy Club opened in Chicago in 1960. Each club generally featured a Living Room, a Playmate Bar, a Dining Room, and a Club R ...
at 59th and Fifth Avenue. Upon graduation from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Kathryn landed the ingénue lead in the classic Gothic daytime drama
Dark Shadows
''Dark Shadows'' is an American gothic soap opera that aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971. The show depicted the lives, loves, trials, and tribulations of the wealthy Collins family of Collinsport ...
(ABC, 1966-1971), and starred in the 1970 MGM feature ''
House of Dark Shadows
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
'' in 1970. Kathryn played four roles in the series: Maggie Evans, Josette du Pres, Lady Kitty Hampshire and Rachel Drummond.
In 1971, she moved to
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, with her fiance, Time/Life photojournalist Ben Martin. In Paris, Kathryn played twins in the
French language
French ( or ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European family. It descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire, as did all Romance languages. French evolved from Gallo-Romance, the Latin spoken in Gaul, and more specifically in Nor ...
film ''L'alfomega.'' After marrying later that year in
Vikebukt
Vikebukt is a village in Vestnes Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. Along the eastern side of the mouth of the Tresfjorden, it is located just south of where the fjord meets the Romsdalsfjorden. The village has a population (2013 ...
,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
, she and her husband moved to
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, where she continued working as an actress. She appeared in several television films including ''Crime of Passion'', ''Harriet's Back In Town'', ''
The Turn of the Screw
''The Turn of the Screw'' is an 1898 horror novella by Henry James which first appeared in serial format in ''Collier's Weekly'' (January 27 – April 16, 1898). In October 1898, it was collected in ''The Two Magics'', published by Macmill ...
'', ''Marked Personal'', ''Come Die With Me'', ''Dial M For Murder'', ''Space: 1999'', and the miniseries ''Late Call'', ''Edward The King'', and ''The Exiles.'' Scott also appeared in the 1980 British television series ''Hammer House of Horror'' episode, "Visitor From The Grave." She also appeared in the feature films ''
Brannigan'' with John Wayne; ''
Providence
Providence often refers to:
* Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion
* Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity
* Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...
'' with
Dirk Bogarde
Sir Dirk Bogarde (born Derek Jules Gaspard Ulric Niven van den Bogaerde; 28 March 1921 – 8 May 1999) was an English actor, novelist and screenwriter. Initially a matinée idol in films such as ''Doctor in the House'' (1954) for the Rank Organ ...
, directed by
Alain Resnais
Alain Resnais (; 3 June 19221 March 2014) was a French film director and screenwriter whose career extended over more than six decades. After training as a film editor in the mid-1940s, he went on to direct a number of short films which included ...
; ''
The Great Gatsby
''The Great Gatsby'' is a 1925 novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, near New York City, the novel depicts First-person narrative, first-person narrator Nick Carraway's interactions with mysterious mil ...
'', with
Robert Redford
Charles Robert Redford Jr. (born August 18, 1936) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the List of awards and nominations received by Robert Redford, recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Awards, Academy Award from four nomi ...
and
Mia Farrow
Maria de Lourdes Villiers "Mia" Farrow ( ; born February 9, 1945) is an American actress. She first gained notice for her role as Allison MacKenzie in the television soap opera '' Peyton Place'' and gained further recognition for her subsequent ...
, directed by
Jack Clayton
Jack Isaac Clayton (1 March 1921 – 26 February 1995) was a British film director and producer who specialised in bringing literary works to the screen.
Overview
Starting out as a teenage studio "tea boy" in 1935, Clayton worked his way up ...
; and ''
The Greek Tycoon
''The Greek Tycoon'' is a 1978 American biographical romantic drama film, of the ''roman à clef'' type, directed by J. Lee Thompson. The screenplay by Morton S. Fine is based on a story by Fine, Nico Mastorakis, and Win Wells, who loosely ba ...
'' with
Anthony Quinn
Manuel Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001), known professionally as Anthony Quinn, was a Mexican-American actor. He was known for his portrayal of earthy, passionate characters "marked by a brutal and elemental v ...
and
Jacqueline Bisset
Winifred Jacqueline Fraser Bisset ( ; born 13 September 1944) is a British actress. She began her film career in 1965 and first came to prominence in 1968 with roles in '' The Detective'', ''Bullitt'', and ''The Sweet Ride'', for which she rec ...
. In 1974, she played Nurse Kelly in a six-month run of ''
Harvey
Harvey, Harveys or Harvey's may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Harvey'' (play), a 1944 play by Mary Chase about a man befriended by an invisible anthropomorphic rabbit
* Harvey Awards ("Harveys"), one of the most important awards ...
'' with
James Stewart
James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military pilot. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality h ...
, directed by Sir
Anthony Quayle
Sir John Anthony Quayle (7 September 1913 – 20 October 1989) was a British actor and theatre director. He was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his supporting role as Thomas Wolsey in the film ''Anne of the Thousand Days'' (1969). ...
, at the
Prince of Wales Theatre
The Prince of Wales Theatre is a West End theatre in Coventry Street, near Leicester Square in London. It was established in 1884 and rebuilt in 1937, and extensively refurbished in 2004 by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, its current owner. The theatre ...
, London. The following year she was in a new play, ''Le Weekend'', at the
Bristol Old Vic
Bristol Old Vic is a British theatre company based at the Theatre Royal, Bristol. The present company was established in 1946 as an offshoot of the Old Vic in London. It is associated with the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, which became a fin ...
,
Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
, England.
In 1978 Scott moved to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
to star in the CBS series ''
Big Shamus, Little Shamus'' with
Brian Dennehy
Brian Manion Dennehy (; July 9, 1938 – April 15, 2020) was an American actor of stage, television, and film. He won two Tony Awards, an Olivier Award, and a Golden Globe, and received six Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Dennehy had roles in ...
. She guest-starred in a succession of television series, and then returned to England to film ''
The Last Days of Patton
''The Last Days of Patton'' is a 1986 American made-for-television biographical drama film and sequel to the 1970 film ''Patton'', which portrays the last few months of the general's life. George C. Scott reprises the role of General George S ...
'' with
George C. Scott
George Campbell Scott (October 18, 1927 – September 22, 1999) was an American actor, director, and producer who had a celebrated career on both stage and screen. With a gruff demeanor and commanding presence, Scott became known for his port ...
; ''
Murrow'' with
Daniel J. Travanti
Daniel J. Travanti (born Danielo Giovanni Travanti; March 7, 1940) is an American actor. He is best known for playing police captain List of Hill Street Blues characters#Main characters, Frank Furillo in the television drama series ''Hill Stree ...
; ''Voice of the Heart'' with
James Brolin
James Brolin (, born Craig Kenneth Bruderlin; July 18, 1940) is an American actor. Brolin has won two Golden Globes and an Emmy. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on August 27, 1998. He is the father of actor Josh Brolin.
He ...
; and ''Chandlertown'' with
Powers Boothe
Powers Allen Boothe (June 1, 1948 – May 14, 2017) was an American actor. He won an Emmy in 1980 for his portrayal of Jim Jones in '' Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones''. He also played saloon owner Cy Tolliver on '' Deadwood'', "C ...
.
In 1985, Scott launched Pomegranate Press, Ltd. to publish books about the entertainment industry, including guide books, biographies, textbooks and coffee table art books. She wrote ''The Bunny Years'' (the 25-year history of Playboy Clubs told through the women who worked as Bunnies), which was sold to Imagine Entertainment's Brian Grazer. She also co-produced a two-hour special for the A&E Network, and a one-hour documentary for BBC-1 and Canadian TV, based on the book. Pomegranate has published over 50 nonfiction titles, including Scott's books ''Lobby Cards: The Classic Films'' (Benjamin Franklin Award for Best Coffee TableBook) and ''Lobby Cards: The Classic Comedies'', both of which were published in the U.K. by Bloomsbury. She published a trade paperback edition of the hardcover biography ''Coya Come Home'', with a foreword by
Walter Mondale
Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale (January 5, 1928 – April 19, 2021) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 42nd vice president of the United States from 1977 to 1981 under President Jimmy Carter. A U.S. senator from Minnesota ...
(2012).
Scott wrote ''Dark Shadows Memories'', to coincide with the series' 20th anniversary, and ''Dark Shadows Companion'' as a 25th anniversary tribute. She has written three novels -- ''Dark Passages'' (2012), ''Down and Out in Beverly Heels'' (2013), and ''Jinxed'' (2015); a memoir, ''Last Dance at the Savoy'' (Cumberland Press, 2016); and a trilogy of books on care-giving: ''Now With You, Now Without'', ''The Happy Hours'', and ''A Welcome Respite'' (Grand Harbor, 2017).
Scott plays Mamie Eisenhower in the feature film ''The Eleventh Green'' (2019) with Campbell Scott. She has also recently appeared in ''
Three Christs
''Three Christs'', also known as ''State of Mind'', is a 2017 American drama film directed, co-produced, and co-written by Jon Avnet and based on Milton Rokeach's nonfiction book '' The Three Christs of Ypsilanti''. It screened in the Gala Pre ...
'' (2018) with Richard Gere and Juliana Margulies, and Woody Allen's ''
A Rainy Day in New York
''A Rainy Day in New York'' is a 2019 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen, and starring Timothée Chalamet, Elle Fanning, Selena Gomez, Jude Law, Diego Luna, and Liev Schreiber. The film follows the romantic exploit ...
'' (2018). She appeared in Hallmark Channel's ''Broadcasting Christmas'' (2016) and Lifetime's ''A Wedding to Die For'' (2017), and has a recurring role as George Segal's girlfriend Miriam in ''
The Goldbergs.'' She wrote ''Dark Shadows: Return to Collinwood'' (2012), and appeared in a cameo role in the Johnny Depp/Tim Burton film ''
Dark Shadows
''Dark Shadows'' is an American gothic soap opera that aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971. The show depicted the lives, loves, trials, and tribulations of the wealthy Collins family of Collinsport ...
'' (2012).
After Scott's divorce from Ben Martin in 1990, they continued as partners in Pomegranate Press and remained close until his death in 2017. Scott married Geoff Miller, founding editor and publisher of Los Angeles Magazine in 1991. He died from progressive supra-nuclear palsy in 2011. Kathryn is a national volunteer spokesperson for CurePSP.
She has served on the Boards of the Beverly Hills Women's Club and the Women's Club of Hollywood.
Pomegranate Press
In 1986, Scott founded Pomegranate Press, which published her books about ''Dark Shadows'', as well as other books authored by her, including ''The Bunny Years'', about the 25-year history of Playboy Bunnies, and coffee table books on film art. Pomegranate Press has also published books by other authors, mainly nonfiction entertainment titles. Today, she continues to work as an actress (''
Three Christs
''Three Christs'', also known as ''State of Mind'', is a 2017 American drama film directed, co-produced, and co-written by Jon Avnet and based on Milton Rokeach's nonfiction book '' The Three Christs of Ypsilanti''. It screened in the Gala Pre ...
'' with Richard Gere, 2017) and writer (''Last Dance At the Savoy'', ''Now With You, Now Without''). She reprised a number of her ''Dark Shadows'' roles in a
series of audio dramas. Scott co-wrote (with Jim Pierson) ''Dark Shadows: Return to Collinwood'', an updated retrospective on the original series, including the
Tim Burton remake with
Johnny Depp
John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Award ...
, in which Scott has a cameo role. The book was released on April 3, 2012 via Pomegranate Press.
Personal life
Scott married her first husband, photographer
Ben Martin, in 1971. They divorced in 1990, although the two remained business partners in Pomegranate Press. Martin died in February 2017.
In 1991, she married
''Los Angeles'' magazine founder Geoff Miller. She and Miller remained together until his death from
progressive supranuclear palsy
Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a late-onset degenerative disease involving the gradual deterioration and death of specific volumes of the brain. The condition leads to symptoms including loss of balance, slowing of movement, difficulty ...
in 2011.
Filmography
Television
Notes
References
External links
*
*
Interview with Kathryn Leigh ScottPomegranate PressOriginal Dark Shadows Audio Dramas starring Kathryn Leigh Scott*
Audio interview with Kathryn Leigh Scott on Deep Dish Radio re: Acting career and publishingIf not now, when?
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, Kathryn Leigh
1943 births
Actresses from Minnesota
American film actresses
American people of Norwegian descent
American television actresses
American women writers
Living people
People from Robbinsdale, Minnesota
21st-century American women