Kathryn Kates, ‘Orange is the New Black’ and ‘Seinfeld’ actress, dead at 73
“Our mighty @officialkathrynkates has passed away. She will always be remembered and adored in our hearts as the powerful force of nature she was,” Kates’ representatives at Headline Talent Agency said in an Instagram post on Monday.
“She loved this craft and had enough patience to fill 10 ships. A true icon. We will miss you,” the agency added.
Kates was 73 when she died, according to Deadline, which was the first outlet to report her death.
“Kathryn has been our client for many years, and we have grown much closer to her in this last year since she knew of her cancer returning,” Headline Talent Agency said in a statement to Deadline, adding: “She was always incredibly brave and wise and approached every role with the greatest of passion. She will be greatly missed.”
According to a biography on her own website, Kates moved from her native New York to Los Angeles in 1974 to pursue her acting career. There she was an influential figure in the local theater scene, becoming one of the founders of the Colony Theatre in Burbank, California.
With a TV career spanning more than three decades Kates performed in a number of era-defining shows.
She had a recurring role in the ’90s sitcom “Seinfeld,” starring alongside Jerry Seinfeld and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
She also featured in the gritty Netflix series “Orange is the New Black,” and the legal drama “The Good Fight,” as well as appearing in “The Sopranos” origin film “The Many Saints of Newark.”
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