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Katherine Tupper "Kitty" Winn (born February 21, 1943) is a former American actress. She is best known for her roles as the
heroin addict Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a substance use disorder characterized by cravings for opioids, continued use despite physical and/or psychological deterioration, increased tolerance with use, and withdrawal symptoms after discontinuing opioids. Op ...
Helen in the romantic drama '' The Panic in Needle Park'' (1971), for which she won the Best Actress award at the
1971 Cannes Film Festival The 24th Cannes Film Festival was held from 12 to 27 May 1971. The Palme d'Or went to '' The Go-Between'' by Joseph Losey. The festival opened with ''Gimme Shelter'', a documentary about English rock band The Rolling Stones directed by David May ...
, and her recurring role of Sharon Spencer in the horror film franchise ''
The Exorcist ''The Exorcist'' is a 1973 American supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin and written for the screen by William Peter Blatty, based on his 1971 The Exorcist (novel), novel of the same name. It stars Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, ...
''.


Early life

Kitty Winn was born on February 21, 1943 in
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...
, the daughter of Army officer James J. Winn (1907–1990) and Molly Pender Brown Winn (1912–1997). She had one brother. Winn traveled widely during much of her childhood, having spent time in the United States, England, Germany, China, India, and Japan. Her mother is the stepdaughter of U.S. General of the Army, former
US Secretary of State The United States secretary of state is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The office holder is one of the highest ranking members of the president's C ...
, and former
US Secretary of Defense The United States secretary of defense (SecDef) is the head of the United States Department of Defense, the executive department of the U.S. Armed Forces, and is a high ranking member of the federal cabinet. DoDD 5100.1: Enclosure 2: a The ...
George C. Marshall George Catlett Marshall Jr. (December 31, 1880 – October 16, 1959) was an American army officer and statesman. He rose through the United States Army to become Chief of Staff of the US Army under Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry ...
and daughter of
Katherine Tupper Marshall Katherine Boyce Marshall ( ''née'' Tupper; October 8, 1882 – December 18, 1978) was an actress, writer, and wife of soldier and statesman George C. Marshall. Early life and education Katherine Boyce Tupper was born the youngest of three c ...
.


Career

Winn's career has spanned a wide range of dramatic productions on stage, in motion pictures and on television. She studied acting at Centenary Junior College and
Boston University Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with ...
, graduating from the latter in 1966. During her college years Winn acted in student productions at Centenary Junior College, Boston University, and
Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...
and summer stock for two summers at The Priscilla Beach Theatre, south of Boston. Shortly after college she joined the company at
American Conservatory Theater The American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) is a nonprofit theater company in San Francisco, California, United States, that offers both classical and contemporary theater productions. It also has an attached acting school. History The Amer ...
in San Francisco, where she remained for four years under the artistic direction of William Ball. In the fall of 1970 Winn left American Conservatory Theater to star opposite
Al Pacino Alfredo James Pacino (; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he has received numerous accolades: including an Academy Award, two Tony Awards, and two Primetime Emmy A ...
in the film '' The Panic in Needle Park'', for which she won the Best Actress award at the
1971 Cannes Film Festival The 24th Cannes Film Festival was held from 12 to 27 May 1971. The Palme d'Or went to '' The Go-Between'' by Joseph Losey. The festival opened with ''Gimme Shelter'', a documentary about English rock band The Rolling Stones directed by David May ...
. Although she went on to do several more films, including ''
They Might Be Giants They Might Be Giants (often abbreviated as TMBG) is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years, Flansburgh and Linnell frequently performed as a duo, often accompanied by a dr ...
'' (1971) and ''
The Exorcist ''The Exorcist'' is a 1973 American supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin and written for the screen by William Peter Blatty, based on his 1971 The Exorcist (novel), novel of the same name. It stars Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, ...
'' (1973), she spent most of her career in theater. She played
Cordelia Cordelia is a feminine given name. It was borne by the tragic heroine of Shakespeare's ''King Lear'' (1606), a character based on the legendary queen Cordelia. The name is of uncertain origin. It is popularly associated with Latin '' cor'' (geni ...
in '' The Tragedy of King Lear'' for
KCET KCET (channel 28) is a secondary PBS member television station in Los Angeles, California, United States. It is owned by the Public Media Group of Southern California alongside the market's primary PBS member, Huntington Beach–licensed KOCE-TV ...
in 1983, and soon retired from acting. She did not return to the stage again until 2011, when she played the lead in ''The Last Romance'' at the
San Jose Repertory Theatre The San Jose Repertory Theatre (a.k.a. San Jose Rep) was the first resident professional theatre company in San Jose, California. It was founded in 1980 by James P. Reber. In 2008, after the demise of the American Musical Theatre of San Jose, th ...
. For this performance, she was nominated for a best actress award by the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle.


Body of work


Theatre


Motion pictures


Movies for television


Series for television


Awards


Cannes Film Festival


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Winn, Kitty 1943 births Living people Actresses from Washington, D.C. American stage actresses Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress winners 21st-century American women Centenary University alumni Boston University alumni