edgepedia

American actors: 1970s to 1990s

2,398 articles

Kathy Baker

Kathy Baker, born Katherine Whitton Baker in Midland, Texas, is an American actress best known for playing Dr. Jill Brock on the Emmy-winning series Picket Fences.

Kathy Bates

Kathy Bates (Kathleen Doyle Bates, born 1948, Memphis) is an American actress who won the Best Actress Oscar for Misery (1990), two Emmys (Two and a Half Men, American Horror Story: Coven), and now stars in CBS's Matlock.

Kathy Kinney

Kathy Kinney (born 1954, Stevens Point, Wisconsin) is an American actress and comedian, also known as Kathryn Kinney, famous as Mimi Bobeck on The Drew Carey Show (1995–2004), with film roles in Parting Glances, Arachnophobia, and This Boy's Life, and later the children's character Mrs. P.

Kathy Najimy

Kathy Najimy (born 1957, San Diego) is an American actress and activist known as Sister Mary Patrick in Sister Act, Mary Sanderson in Hocus Pocus and Hocus Pocus 2, the voice of Peggy Hill on King of the Hill, and half of the Obie-winning Kathy & Mo Show.

Katie Holmes

Katie Holmes (Kate Noelle Holmes, born 1978, Toledo, Ohio) is an American actress and director known as Joey Potter on Dawson's Creek (1998-2003), Rachel Dawes in Batman Begins, and for directing All We Had, Alone Together, and the 2026 Tribeca film Happy Hours with Joshua Jackson.

Kato Kaelin

Kato Kaelin, born Brian Gerard Kaelin (1959, Milwaukee), is an American actor and media personality famous as the houseguest and prosecution witness in O.J. Simpson's 1995 murder trial, later a reality-TV figure.

Kay Lenz

Kay Lenz (Kay Ann Lenz, born 1953, Los Angeles) is an American actress, Golden Globe-nominated for Breezy (1973) and an Emmy winner for Midnight Caller (1989), formerly married to David Cassidy.

Ke Huy Quan

Ke Huy Quan (Jonathan Ke Quan), Vietnamese-born Chinese-American actor and stunt choreographer, born in Saigon; child star of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and The Goonies, and 2023 Best Supporting Actor Oscar winner for Everything Everywhere All at Once.

Keith Carradine

Keith Carradine (born 1949, San Mateo, California), American actor and songwriter, son of John Carradine, half-brother of David, brother of Robert. Won the 1976 Oscar for "I'm Easy" from Nashville; known for The Duellists, Pretty Baby, The Long Riders, Deadwood, Dexter, and Madam Secretary.

Keith Coogan

Keith Coogan (born Keith Eric Mitchell, 1970) is an American actor, grandson of Jackie Coogan; known for Adventures in Babysitting, Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead, Toy Soldiers, and voicing Young Tod in The Fox and the Hound.

Keith David

Keith David (born Keith David Williams, 1954) is an American character and voice actor with 400-plus screen credits, three Emmys for Ken Burns narration, Goliath in Gargoyles, Childs in The Thing, and the lead in President Curtis.

Keith Szarabajka

Keith Szarabajka (born 1952, Oak Park, Illinois) is an American actor known for Mickey Kostmayer in The Equalizer, Daniel Holtz in Angel, Gerard Stephens in The Dark Knight, Adam Engell in Argo, and video-game voice roles in Mass Effect, Halo 4, and Fallout: New Vegas.

Kel Mitchell

Kel Mitchell (Kel Johari Rice Mitchell, born 1978) is an American actor and comedian, an original All That cast member, star of Kenan & Kel, and Ed in Good Burger (1997) and Good Burger 2 (2023).

Kelli Williams

Kelli Williams (born 1970, Los Angeles) is an American actress and TV director known for Lindsay Dole on The Practice, Dr. Gillian Foster on Lie to Me, and directing episodes of Found, All American, and The Resident.

Kellie Martin

Kellie Martin (Kellie Noelle Martin, born 1975) is an American actress known for Becca Thatcher on Life Goes On, Lucy Knight on ER, and Hallmark's Mystery Woman and Hailey Dean Mysteries film series; Emmy-nominated, Yale art history graduate.

Kellie Waymire

Kellie Waymire (1967-2003), American stage, TV, and film actress known for Elizabeth Cutler on Star Trek: Enterprise, Melissa on Six Feet Under, and her Drama-Logue-winning role in the play Sylvia; died of cardiac arrhythmia at 36.

Kelly Bishop

Kelly Bishop (born 1944, birth name Carole Bishop) is an American actress and dancer, Tony winner as Sheila in A Chorus Line (1975), Marjorie Houseman in Dirty Dancing, and Emily Gilmore in Gilmore Girls; distinct from therapists and other namesakes named Kelly Bishop.

Kelly Hu

Kelly Hu (胡凱莉), born 1968 in Honolulu, is an American actress and the first Asian American Miss Teen USA (1985), known for The Scorpion King, X2's Lady Deathstrike, Arrow, Phineas and Ferb, BMF, and AAPI representation advocacy.

Kelly Lynch

Kelly Lynch (born 1959, Golden Valley, Minnesota) is an American actress known for Drugstore Cowboy (1989), Road House, The L Word, and Magic City, with an Independent Spirit Award nomination for The Beans of Egypt, Maine.

Kelly McGillis

Kelly McGillis (born 1957, Newport Beach, California) is an American actress known for Witness (1985), Top Gun (1986), and The Accused (1988), later focusing on theater, independent films, and recovery work.

Kelly Preston

Kelly Preston (Kelly Kamalelehua Smith, 1962-2020), American actress in over 60 films, known for Twins, Jerry Maguire, and For Love of the Game; married John Travolta in 1991; died of breast cancer.

Kelly Ward

Kelly Ward (born 1956, San Diego) is an American actor, voice director, and writer, famous as T-Bird Putzie in Grease (1978) and Pvt. Johnson in The Big Red One; he later voice-directed Disney Television Animation series and won an Emmy.

Kelsey Grammer

Kelsey Grammer (born 1955, Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands) is an Emmy-winning American actor known as Dr. Frasier Crane on Cheers and Frasier, the voice of Sideshow Bob on The Simpsons, and Beast in X-Men and Avengers: Doomsday.

Ken Howard

Ken Howard (Kenneth Joseph Howard Jr., 1944–2016), American actor, Tony winner for Child's Play, Emmy winner for Grey Gardens, star of The White Shadow, and first elected president of SAG-AFTRA.

Ken Kercheval

Ken Kercheval (Kenneth Marine Kercheval, 1935–2019), American actor, played Cliff Barnes, J.R. Ewing's rival, on Dallas 1978–1991 and its 2012–2014 revival; Broadway and film credits, Soap Opera Digest Award winner.

Ken Marino

Ken Marino (Kenneth Joseph Marino, born 1968) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and director from The State and MTV, known for Ron Donald in Party Down, Streeter in The Other Two, Wet Hot American Summer, Burning Love, and Middle Aged Dad Jam Band.

Ken Olin

Ken Olin (born 1954) is an American actor, director, and producer known for Michael Steadman on thirtysomething and for executive producing and directing Alias, Brothers & Sisters, This Is Us, and Tracker.

Ken Wahl

Ken Wahl (born Anthony Calzaretta, 1954, Chicago) is an American actor known for The Wanderers (1979) and as Vinnie Terranova on Wiseguy (1987–90), Golden Globe winner, retired after a 1992 broken neck.

Kene Holliday

Kene Holliday (Kenneth Earl Holliday, born 1949), American actor; Tyler Hudson on Matlock (1986–1989) and Sergeant Curtis Baker on Carter Country; voice of G.I. Joe's Roadblock; Independent Spirit-nominated for Great World of Sound.

Kenneth Mars

Kenneth Mars (1935-2011), American character actor and comedian; Franz Liebkind in The Producers and Inspector Kemp in Young Frankenstein; voice of King Triton and Grandpa Longneck.