Katherine Elizabeth Callan (née Borman) is an American actress and writer using the variation K Callan, known for playing Clark Kent's mother Martha in the ABC television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. She has most recently appeared as Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, in the Christian historical drama The Chosen.[1]
K Callan | |
|---|---|
| Born | Katherine Elizabeth Borman Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Alma mater | North Texas State University |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, author |
| Years active | 1956–present |
| Known for | Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman |
| Children | 3 |
| Website | www |
Early years
editCallan was born in Dallas, Texas.[citation needed] When she was 5 years old, she felt that she wanted to act. She did so in school, and as a student at North Texas State University at Denton, she studied drama. She went on to teach drama at a Catholic girls' school, and she began a children's theatre.[2]
Career
editCallan first appeared on television in an episode of Route 66 that happened to be shooting in Dallas. She resumed her on-camera career in 1970, guest-starring in roles on One Day at a Time, St. Elsewhere, Carnivàle, JAG, Coach and King of the Hill. She played a key role in the Emmy Award-winning episode "Cousin Liz" of All in the Family and portrayed the mother of April Stevens Ewing in several episodes of the penultimate season of Dallas. She played Daisy LaRue in the TV show Meet the Browns and appeared as Mrs. Monroe, Gabe Duncan's teacher, in Good Luck Charlie. She also appeared in the third-season finale of Desperate Housewives as Ilene Britt, the mother of Edie Britt (Nicollette Sheridan), and has portrayed Lily's maternal grandmother on several episodes of How I Met Your Mother. She played the part of Charlie (as an elderly woman) in Heroes for one episode.
She appeared in the films Joe (1970), A Touch of Class (1973), The Onion Field (1979), American Gigolo (1980), A Change of Seasons (1980), Fast-Walking (1982), and Knives Out (2019), as well as the 1972 television adaptation of the 1966 Lanford Wilson play The Rimers of Eldritch.
She has written several books, including The Los Angeles Agent, The Script Is Finished, Now What Do I Do?, Directing Your Directing Career,[2] and How to Sell Yourself as an Actor. She received her acting training at HB Studio[3] in New York City.
Callan made TV commercials for products, including Anacin, Endust, Geritol, and Sanka.[4]
Personal life
editCallan was married to and divorced from author James Ruskin Callan. The couple have three children, Jamie Callan, Kelly Callan, and Kristi Callan.
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Joe | Mary Lou Curran | as K. Callan |
| 1971 | Lady Liberty | Subway Lady | Uncredited |
| 1972 | Hail | Mrs. Burd | |
| 1973 | A Touch of Class | Patty Menkes | as K. Callan |
| 1979 | Fast Break | Ms. Tidwell | |
| 1979 | The Onion Field | Mrs. Powell | |
| 1980 | American Gigolo | Lisa Williams | |
| 1980 | A Change of Seasons | Alice Bingham | |
| 1982 | Fast-Walking | Motel Manager | |
| 1991 | The Unborn | Martha Wellington | |
| 1991 | Frankie and Johnny | Frankie's Mother | |
| 1998 | Border to Border | Mrs. Piston | |
| 1999 | A Fare to Remember | Ginny | |
| 2002 | Devious Beings | Lady Jane | |
| 2005 | Nine Lives | Marisa | |
| 2005 | Crazylove | Mrs. Hallstrom | |
| 2006 | Midnight Clear | Eva | |
| 2007 | Coyote County Loser | Maggie Hopps | |
| 2010 | Why Did I Get Married Too? | Ms. Tannenbaum | |
| 2012 | Not That Funny | Toogey Richmonde | |
| 2013 | Samuel Bleak | Elaine | |
| 2019 | Knives Out | Wanetta "Great Nana" Thrombey |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Route 66 | Western Union Operator | Episode: "Aren't You Surprised to See Me?" |
| 1972 | Great Performances | Evelyn Jackson | Episode: "The Rimers of Eldritch" |
| 1976–1977 | One Day at a Time | Alice Butterfield | 4 episodes |
| 1977 | Barney Miller | Gwen Baxter | Episode: "Fire '77" |
| 1977 | The Four of Us | Marie | unsold pilot |
| 1977 | Fish | Mrs. Lester | 2 episodes |
| 1977 | All in the Family | Veronica Cartwright | Episode: "Cousin Liz" |
| 1977 | James at 16 | Mrs. Stevens | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 1977 | Rhoda | Dr. Sanders | Episode: "Who's Why" |
| 1978 | Family | Sophie Sullivan | Episode: "Starting Over" |
| 1979 | Ike: The War Years | Mrs. Westerfield | Two-part TV movie |
| 1979 | Blind Ambition | Mrs. Kleindienst | TV Miniseries |
| 1979–1980 | Joe's World | Katie Wabash | Regular role |
| 1982 | Police Squad! | Charlotte Burton | Episode: "The Butler Did It (A Bird in the Hand)" |
| 1983 | Cutter to Houston | Connie Buford | Regular role |
| 1983 | Knots Landing | Mrs. Dunne | Episode: "The Fatal Blow" |
| 1983 | Newhart | Janet Ebersol | Episode: The Visitors |
| 1985 | Hollywood Wives | Catherine | TV Miniseries |
| 1985 | St. Elsewhere | Patty Galecki | 2 episodes |
| 1986 | Moonlighting | Carolyn Kandinsky | Episode: In God We Strongly Suspect |
| 1986 | It's a Living | Dot's Mom | Episode: Oddest Couple |
| 1987 | Highway to Heaven | Mrs. Lowell | Episode: Normal People |
| 1989 | Quantum Leap | Lenore Mackenzie | Episode: "The Americanization of Machiko - August 4, 1953" |
| 1990 | Dallas | Amy Stevens | 4 episodes |
| 1993–1997 | Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman | Martha Kent | Regular role |
| 1993 | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | Alsia | Episode:"Rivals" |
| 2000 | Diagnosis: Murder | Various roles | One episode |
| 2000–2003 | King of the Hill | Tilly Hill (voice) | 3 episodes |
| 2003–2005 | Carnivale | Eleanor McGill | Recurring role, 8 episodes |
| 2006 | Cold Case | Helen Russell | Episode "The Hen House" |
| 2007 | Desperate Housewives | Ilene Britt | Episode "Getting Married Today" |
| 2007–2012 | How I Met Your Mother | Grandma Lois | 3 episodes |
| 2009–2010 | Meet the Browns | Miss Daisy/Daisy LaRue | 20 episodes |
| 2011, 2020 | NCIS | various roles | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Getting On | Susan Dayward | 3 episodes |
| 2016 | Veep | Judy Sherman | Recurring role |
| 2017 | Grey's Anatomy | Janis | One episode |
| 2021 | Brooklyn Nine-Nine | Carol | 1 episode |
| 2023 | Poker Face | Betty | Episode "Time of the Monkey" |
References
edit- ^ "K Callan". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 2, 2013. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
- ^ a b Mendoza, N. F. (December 29, 1995). "Superman's Mom: It's a Natural". The Herald-News. New Jersey, Passaic. Los Angeles Times. p. 22. Retrieved October 16, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ HB Studio Alumni
- ^ Fallon, Beth (March 28, 1972). "The girl next door cleans up on commercials". Daily News. New York, New York City. p. 28. Retrieved October 16, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
Bibliography
edit- Callan, K. (1987). The New York Agent Book. ISBN 978-0-961733-61-2.
- The Los Angeles Agent Book. Sweden Press. 1992. ISBN 978-0-961733-68-1.
- How to Sell Yourself As an Actor: From New York to Los Angeles and Everywhere in Between. Sweden Press. 1992. ISBN 978-0-961733-67-4.
- Script Is Finished, Now What Do I Do?. Sweden Press. 1993. ISBN 978-1-878355-00-3.
- Callan, K. (1993). The Life of the Party. ISBN 1-878355-23-6.
- Callan, K. (1994). Directing your directing career. ISBN 978-1-878355-11-9.
- The Life of the Party 2. 1997. ISBN 978-1-878355-06-5.