Katherine Boyer Waterston (born March 3, 1980) is a British-American actress. She made her feature film debut in ''

Michael Clayton ''Michael Clayton'' is a 2007 American legal thriller film written and directed by Tony Gilroy in his feature directorial debut and starring George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, and Sydney Pollack. Clooney plays lawyer Michael Clayton, w ...

'' (2007). She had supporting roles in films including ''

Robot & Frank ''Robot & Frank'' is a 2012 American science fiction comedy-drama film directed by Jake Schreier from a screenplay by Christopher Ford. The film stars Frank Langella, Susan Sarandon, Peter Sarsgaard, James Marsden, and Liv Tyler. ''Robot & Fra ...

,'' ''

Being Flynn ''Being Flynn'' is a 2012 American drama film written and directed by Paul Weitz and starring Robert De Niro, Julianne Moore and Paul Dano, released in select theatres in the United States on March 2, 2012. It was based on '' Another Bullshit Nigh ...

'' (both 2012) and ''

The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby ''The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby'' is the collective title of three films written and directed by Ned Benson in his directorial debut, and starring Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy, alongside a supporting cast of Viola Davis, Bill Hader, Kathe ...

'' (2013), before her breakthrough performance in ''

Inherent Vice ''Inherent Vice'' is a novel by American author Thomas Pynchon, originally published in August 2009. A darkly comic detective novel set in 1970s California, the plot follows sleuth Larry "Doc" Sportello whose ex-girlfriend asks him to investigat ...

'' (2014). She portrayed

Chrisann Brennan Chrisann Brennan (born September 29, 1954) is an American painter and memoirist. She is the author of '' The Bite in the Apple'', an autobiography about her relationship with Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. They had one child, Lisa Brennan-Jobs. ...

in ''

Steve Jobs Steven Paul Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011) was an American entrepreneur, industrial designer, media proprietor, and investor. He was the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple; the chairman and majority shareholder of Pixar; a ...

'' (2015), and went on to star in ''

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them ''Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'' (often referred to as simply ''Fantastic Beasts'') is a 2001 guide book written by British author J. K. Rowling (under the pen name of the fictitious author Newt Scamander) about the magical creat ...

'' (2016) and its

sequels A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...

. Her other film roles were in '' Alien: Covenant'' (2017), ''

Logan Lucky ''Logan Lucky'' is a 2017 American heist comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh, based on a screenplay credited to Rebecca Blunt. Soderbergh came out of retirement to direct the film and distributed it independently through his own company, ...

'' (2017), ''

The Current War ''The Current War'' is a 2017 American historical drama film inspired by the 19th-century competition between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse over which electric power delivery system would be used in the United States (often referred to ...

'' (2017), ''

Mid90s ''Mid90s'' (stylized as ''mid90s'') is a 2018 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film written and directed by Jonah Hill, in his feature directorial debut, inspired by Hill's own childhood in the mid-1990s. It stars Sunny Suljic, Lucas Hedges ...

'' (2018) and ''

The World to Come ''The World to Come'' is a 2020 American drama film directed by Mona Fastvold, from a screenplay by Ron Hansen (novelist), Ron Hansen and Jim Shepard, based upon Shepard's story of the same name. It stars Katherine Waterston, Vanessa Kirby, Chr ...

'' (2020).

Early life

Katherine Boyer Waterston was born March 3, 1980 in

Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...

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 ...

, the daughter of American parents, Lynn Louisa (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Woodruff), a former model, and actor

Sam Waterston Samuel Atkinson Waterston (born November 15, 1940) is an American actor. Waterston is known for his work in theater, television and, film. He has received a Primetime Emmy Award, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award, and has receive ...

. She holds

dual citizenship Multiple/dual citizenship (or multiple/dual nationality) is a legal status in which a person is concurrently regarded as a national or citizen of more than one country under the laws of those countries. Conceptually, citizenship is focused on ...

. Her father is of English and Scottish descent. Her sister is actress Elisabeth Waterston and her brother is director Graham Waterston. She has an older half-brother,

James Waterston James Waterston (born January 17, 1969) is an American actor whose first role was playing Gerard Pitts in the 1989 film ''Dead Poets Society''. Personal life Waterston grew up in New York City, the son of actor Sam Waterston and Barbara Rutle ...

, also an actor. She was raised in

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

, and graduated from the

Loomis Chaffee School The Loomis Chaffee School (; LC or Loomis) is a selective independent, coeducational, college preparatory school for boarding and day students in grades 9–12, including postgraduate students, located in Windsor, Connecticut, seven miles north ...

in 1998. She earned her BFA in Acting from

Tisch School of the Arts The New York University Tisch School of the Arts (commonly referred to as Tisch) is the performing, cinematic and media arts school of New York University. Founded on August 17, 1965, Tisch is a training ground for artists, scholars of the a ...

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...

Career

In 2007, Waterston made her big screen debut starring in the independent drama film '' The Babysitters'' appearing alongside

John Leguizamo John Alberto Leguizamo Peláez (; ; born July 22, 196013:04) is an American actor, comedian, and film producer. He has appeared in over 100 films, produced over 20 films and documentaries, made over 30 television appearances, and has produced ...

and

Cynthia Nixon Cynthia Ellen Nixon (born April 9, 1966) is an American actress, activist, and theater director. For her portrayal of Miranda Hobbes in the HBO series ''Sex and the City'' (1998–2004), she won the 2004 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supp ...

. Also in 2007, Waterston performed in the play ''Los Angeles'' by Julian Sheppard and in 2008, she performed in the play ''Kindness'' by

Adam Rapp Adam Rapp (born June 15, 1968) is an American novelist, playwright, screenwriter, musician and film director. His play ''Red Light Winter'' was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2006. Early life Rapp was born in Chicago to Mary Lee (née Baird; died ...

. In 2010, Waterston played the role of Gena in the original Off-Broadway production of

Leslye Headland Leslye Headland (born 1980) is an American film and television director, producer, screenwriter, and playwright. She is known for the play and 2012 film ''Bachelorette'' and 2015 film '' Sleeping with Other People''. She co-created the Netflix se ...

’s ''Bachelorette'', played in the 2011 film version by

Lizzy Caplan Elizabeth Anne Caplan (born June 30, 1982) is an American actress. Her first acting role was on the television series ''Freaks and Geeks'' (1999–2000). She received wider recognition with roles in the films ''Mean Girls'' (2004) and ''Cloverfi ...

. In 2011, she played Anya in the

Classic Stage Company Classic Stage Company, or CSC, is a classical Off-Broadway theater. Founded in 1967, Classic Stage Company is one of Off-Broadway's oldest theaters. Its 199-seat theatre is the former Abbey Theatre located at 136 East 13th Street between Third a ...

revival of ''

The Cherry Orchard ''The Cherry Orchard'' (russian: Вишнёвый сад, translit=Vishnyovyi sad) is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by ''Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate edition ...

''. Also in 2011, she performed in ''Dreams of Flying, Dreams of Falling'', also by

, at the

After playing supporting roles in films including ''

Enter Nowhere ''Enter Nowhere'' (also known as ''The Haunting of Black Wood'') is a 2011 psychological thriller film directed by Jack Heller and starring Scott Eastwood, Sara Paxton, and Katherine Waterston. The film was rereleased under the title ''The Haunt ...

'' (2011), ''

'' (2012), '' The Letter'' (2012), and ''

'' (2013), Waterston was cast in the crime film ''

'' written and directed by

Paul Thomas Anderson Paul Thomas Anderson (born June 26, 1970), also known by his initials PTA, is an American filmmaker. He made his feature-film debut with ''Hard Eight (film), Hard Eight'' (1996). He found critical and commercial success with ''Boogie Nights'' ( ...

. The film and her performance received generally positive reviews from critics. The following year, she appeared in ''

Queen of Earth ''Queen of Earth'' is a 2015 American psychological thriller film written, co-produced and directed by Alex Ross Perry. The film stars Elisabeth Moss, Katherine Waterston and Patrick Fugit. Plot Catherine is in the midst of a breakup with he ...

'' and ''

'' playing

. In 2016, Waterston was cast as

Tina Goldstein This is a list of characters from the ''Fantastic Beasts'' films. Introduced in ''Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'' Newt Scamander Newt Scamander is an introverted British wizard and magizoologist, as well as a noteworthy graduat ...

in the fantasy film ''

'' opposite

Eddie Redmayne Edward John David Redmayne (; born 6 January 1982) is an English actor. Known for his roles in biopics and blockbusters, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, a BAFTA Award, and two Olivier Awards. He ...

. The film received generally positive reviews from critics and emerged a commercial success after grossing $814 million worldwide. Waterston reprised her role in '' Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald'' in 2018, and had a short part in '' Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore'' (2022). In 2017, she starred alongside

Michael Fassbender Michael Fassbender (born 2 April 1977) is an Irish actor. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Critics' Choice Movie Award, and nominations for two Academy Awards, four British Academy Film Award ...

in the science fiction horror film '' Alien: Covenant'' directed by

Ridley Scott Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is a British film director and producer. Directing, among others, science fiction films, his work is known for its atmospheric and highly concentrated visual style. Scott has received many accolades thr ...

. Also that year she starred in the

Steven Soderbergh Steven Andrew Soderbergh (; born January 14, 1963) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer and editor. A pioneer of modern independent cinema, Soderbergh is an acclaimed and prolific filmmaker. Soderbergh's direc ...

's comedy-drama ''

'' and

Alfonso Gomez-Rejon Alfonso Gomez-Rejon (sometimes Alfonso Gómez-Rejón; born November 6, 1972, in Laredo, Texas) is an American film and television director. His television program credits include ''Hunters'', '' Glee'' and ''American Horror Story''. He was nomi ...

's historical drama ''

''. The following years she starred in the independent films '' State Like Sleep'' (2018), ''

'' (2018), ''

Amundsen Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen (, ; ; 16 July 1872 – ) was a Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He was a key figure of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. Born in Borge, Østfold, Norway, Amundsen began ...

'' (2019) and ''

'' (2020). In 2020, she starred in the British-American horror drama series ''

The Third Day ''The Third Day'' is a 1965 suspense thriller film directed by Jack Smight and starring George Peppard and Elizabeth Ashley. It was based on a novel by Joseph Hayes. Plot Steve Mallory has been involved in a car crash, and it appears he has k ...

'' alongside

Jude Law David Jude Heyworth Law (born 29 December 1972) is an English actor. He received a British Academy Film Award, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards, two Tony Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. In 2007, he received an Honorary Césa ...

. In 2022, she joined the cast of the second season of

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...

period drama series ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a cli ...

''.

Personal life

Waterston was previously in a six-year relationship with American playwright and director

. His 2011 three-play collection ''The Hallway Trilogy'' is dedicated to her; she appeared as Rose Hathaway in ''Part 1: Rose'' in its premiere at the

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater Rattlestick Theater is a non-profit off-Broadway theater based in the West Village The West Village is a neighborhood in the western section of the larger Greenwich Village neighborhood of Lower Manhattan, New York City. The traditional b ...

. In November 2018, Waterston confirmed that she was expecting her first child. Her son was born in 2019.

Filmography

Film

Television

Shorts

Video games

Stage

Awards and nominations

Katherine+Waterston+2015+Film+Independent+R6i4MCPQAsql

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Waterston, Katherine Living people 21st-century American actresses Actresses from London Actresses from New York City American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses American people of English descent American people of Scottish descent Tisch School of the Arts alumni 1980 births