Facts About Katharine Ross That Are Uncovering A Side The Public Hasn't Seen

She entered the mainstream with an iconic performance in The Graduate, but Katharine Ross had been acting for a long while before getting her big break. A classic California beauty, her career spans at least two generations of film and television, and she shared the screen with heavyweights like Paul Newman and Dustin Hoffman. Yet, there is a side to her the public never saw in tabloid headlines or film reviews.

LA Native

Katharine Ross was born in Hollywood on January 29, 1940. At the time, her father was stationed there as a member of the Navy. The young beauty would eventually return and call Southern California home, but not before a little detour!

SoCal to NorCal

When Katharine was young, her family moved to Walnut Creek, California, a suburban area east of San Francisco. Without a surefire plan, Katharine enrolled at a community college so she could pursue her education without taking any huge financial risks. 

Amateur Hour

While at community college, Katharine joined the acting students in a production of Roger and Hammerstein's The King and I. Before the play debuted, however, Katharine had a realization: this performance wasn't enough for her. She left for San Francisco and joined a company called The Actors Workshop. There, she starred in the company’s performances for three years.

"Balcony" Nudity

During one of her roles in The Actors Workshop, in a production of Jean Genet’s The Balcony, Katharine appeared nude on stage! At the end of her three years with the Actors Workshop, in 1960, she got together with the actor Joel Fabiani. The two married rather quickly, but divorced after only two years.