Click Here

Kate Burton

Person Score

 
9.4 Superb
22 votes

Your Score

Biography

Recent Role:
Dr. Ellis Grey on Grey's Anatomy
Gender:
Female
Born:
9-10-1957
Birthplace:
Geneva, Switzerland
AKA:
Katherine Burton
Kate was born in Switzerland in 1957, but she was raised in Manhattan after her parents got divorced. Her parents were Richard Burton and Sybil Williams Christopher. Kate is also the step daughter of Elizabeth Taylor and Jordan Christopher. She earned a bachelor's degree in Russian studies and European history from Brown University in 1979; and she studied at Yale University school of Drama, and soon, she started her stage career. During her studying at Yale University, her roommate was More href="http://www.tv.com/jane-kaczmarek/person/1714/summary.html">Jane Kaczmarek (Malcom in the Middle).



Her first important role was in a 1982 production of the Noel Coward play Present Laughter, which was directed by George C. Scott. Next year, she appeared in the Broadway production of Doonesbury, playing J.J.



In 1984, Kate co-starred with her father in the CBS miniseries called "Ellis Island." But that wasn't her only role, she was a guest star and a co-star (and still is) in many shows. We could see her in "Law and Order", or "Numb3rs, and also "The West Wing... but for all fans of Grey's Anatomy she is known as Ellis Grey, a famous surgeon and Meredith Grey's (Ellen Pompeo) mother. But the most interesting part in that role is that she has Alsheimer's disease. She considers herself as an American actress, but she retains her British citizenship.



Judging Amy, The Practice, Spenser: For Hire etc. are just several of many shows that Kate has appeared in. She also appeared in several movies like Anne of the Thousand Days, Sherrybaby, Stay, Swimfan etc. and we will see her in a movie called "Quid Pro Quo."



She received two Tony Award nominations in 2002 for in the same year for two different productions.



Kate actually received a 2002 Tony Award nomination for "Best Leading Actress" in a Play for her role as Hedda in Hedda Gabler and she received a 2002 Tony Award nomination for "Best featured actress" in a Play for her role as Mrs. Kendal. There were other awards, and she was nominated for "Best Leading Actress" once again in 2006, which was a very busy year for her. In 2007, Kate joined the Broadway cast of Spring Awakening.



Kate has a son, Morgan Ritchie (born in 1988) and a daughter, Charlotte Ritchie (born in 1998) and her husband is Michael Ritchie. Ritchie is an artistic Director of the Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles and one of the producers of the Broadway musical The Drowsy Chaperone. She has an autistic sister Jessica, and half-sister Amy Cristopher.

From the Forums

More Topics
More Topics

Kate Burton News

More
  •  
    9.8 Superb
    This actress has the skills of being someone great on television. hide show

    This actress is a jaw dropper. On Grey's Anatomy, the episode where she came to the hospital and all the truth was revealed about her condition and that embarrassed Meredith, I must say that her perfomance on that particular episode was 'BRILLIANT'. She nailed that character. She is one character I miss a lot. Kate Burton has talent. Everytime I think about that episode. I think about this scene specifically.
    Ellis Grey-'[pants] My-My work is what counts, it's what pays for this house it pays for...it pays for you and it pays for, it pays for Meredith, And for your precious lifestyle. So why don't you just leave me alone and let me do it?" *long awkward pause* I didn't think that she got enough credit for her work and I just wanted to say that I absolutely loved her performance in that scene, it was excellent. They chose a brilliant actress to pull off that scene. You actually believed her, believed that she believed George was Thatcher. *Applause Applause* Kate Burton. You did a Fabulous job.

    Do you agree?
     
    Report Abuse
  •  
    10 Perfect
    American TV has only shown us a glimps of this actress' skills hide show

    Kate Burton's abilities as an actress are terribly underused on American TV. In her own words, she is usually the sweet wife or the sweet dead wife. Only in the last couple years in her role as Dr. Ellis Grey, mother of the title character, Dr. Meredith Grey, on Grey's Anatomy has she been able to show her range as an actress. In the role as former renown surgeon with Alzheimers we get to see some of Burton's range. One can see the drive that brought Ellis to her former job as head of surgery and pushed away the young Meredith, which could be easily charicaturized by a lesser actress. Burton brings a wide range of emotion in line with her role showing sadness, desperation, and even passion in addition to Ellis' commitment and drive to her medical career. Many years of experience, especially on the Broadway, show in her acting.

    I hope to see more of Kate Burton on TV, but I am not holding my breath. Unfortunately, packaging and youth, not quality and substance, are prevalent on American TV nowdays. Hopefully more shows like Grey's Anatomy will give her and other actors of her quality the exposure they and the American viewing public deserve.

    Do you agree?
     
    Report Abuse
 

Top Contributors

What is a TV.com Contributor?