# Kathryn Walker
**Kathryn Walker** (born 1943) is an American actress who has worked in theater, television, and film since the early 1970s. She won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1976 for her performance as Abigail Smith Adams in the PBS miniseries *The Adams Chronicles*, and is known on film for roles in *Slap Shot* (1977), *Rich Kids* (1979), *Neighbors* (1981), and *D.A.R.Y.L.* (1985).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0907923/) • [2](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/kathryn-walker)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1943, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0907923/) |
| Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actress For A Single Appearance In A Drama Or Comedy Series, 1976, for *The Adams Chronicles* on PBS[2](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/kathryn-walker) |
| Stage debut | Off-Broadway in *Slag* (1971), followed by Broadway credits in *The Good Doctor*, *A Touch of the Poet*, *Private Lives*, and *Wild Honey*[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0907923/bio/) |
| Notable film roles | Anita McCambridge in *Slap Shot* (1977); Madeline Philips in *Rich Kids* (1979); Enid Keese, John Belushi's wife, in *Neighbors* (1981); Dr. Ellen Lamb in *D.A.R.Y.L.* (1985)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0907923/) |
| Marriage | Married singer James Taylor on December 14, 1985; divorced in 1995[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0907923/bio/) |
| Novel | *A Stopover in Venice* (Knopf, 2008), a fictionalized account of her marriage to James Taylor[4](https://www.movie-list.com/actors/kathryn-walker) |
| Later directing | Directed and adapted classical theater at New York's 92nd Street Y, including Euripides' *Medea* (2001) and her own adaptation of Fagles' *The Iliad* (2006)[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0907923/bio/) |
## Stage career
Walker's professional career began on the off-Broadway New York stage with her performance in *Slag* in 1971.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0907923/bio/) The Broadway record at IBDB documents her subsequent credits in detail.[5](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/kathryn-walker-63803) She was a replacement performer in *The Good Doctor* (1973–74) and performed in the one-night production *Mourning Pictures* (1974). In *A Touch of the Poet* (December 1977 to April 1978) she played Sara Melody as an original cast member of the revival.[5](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/kathryn-walker-63803)
**Private Lives and Wild Honey.** In the 1983 Broadway revival of [Noël Coward](https://www.edgepedia.org/noel-coward)'s *Private Lives*, Walker was the standby for Amanda Prynne and also starred as Sybil Chase in the original cast; the production ran in two overlapping engagements, from May to July and from July 20 to November 6, 1983, with Walker's standby and also-starring credits running from July 20 to August 14.[5](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/kathryn-walker-63803) In the original production of *Wild Honey* (December 18, 1986, to January 11, 1987), she appeared as Anna Petrovna.[5](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/kathryn-walker-63803) An *International Television Almanac* entry notes that her stage roles included *Private Lives* with [Elizabeth Taylor](https://www.edgepedia.org/elizabeth-taylor) and [Richard Burton](https://www.edgepedia.org/richard-burton).[6](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-International-Television-Almanac/1988/International-Television-Almanac-1988-Whos-Who.pdf)
## Television
Walker worked in series television while getting her start, including a part on the NBC soap *Another World*, and received the 1976 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress For A Single Appearance In A Drama Or Comedy Series for *The Adams Chronicles* on PBS, the 13-part miniseries in which she played Abigail Smith Adams, the daughter of John and [Abigail Adams](https://www.edgepedia.org/abigail-adams).[2](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/kathryn-walker) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0907923/bio/) • [10](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073952/fullcredits/) The Television Academy database records her career total as one nomination and one Emmy.[2](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/kathryn-walker)
She built a substantial record in made-for-television movies. Her credits include Miss Thompson in *The House Without a Christmas Tree* (1972), the title's *The Winds of Kitty Hawk* (1978) as Kate Wright, *A Whale for the Killing* (1981) as Dr. Linda McFarland, *Family Reunion* (1981) as Louisa King opposite [Bette Davis](https://www.edgepedia.org/bette-davis), Susan Myles in the acclaimed *Special Bulletin* (1983), Claire Braden in *Private Sessions* (1985), Sarah in *Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry* (1986), and Marie St. Claire in *Uncle Tom's Cabin* (1987).[7](https://thetvdb.com/people/403263-kathryn-walker) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0907923/) Later television work includes Sally Slaton in the 1988 miniseries *The Murder of Mary Phagan* and a 1990 appearance on *Against the Law*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0907923/)
## Film
On film Walker has played co-star or supporting roles beginning with Maggie in *Blade* (1973).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0907923/) Her most widely seen credits cluster in the late 1970s and 1980s: she played Anita McCambridge in the hockey comedy *Slap Shot* (1977), which stars [Paul Newman](https://www.edgepedia.org/paul-newman); Madeline Philips in *Rich Kids* (1979), opposite [Trini Alvarado](https://www.edgepedia.org/trini-alvarado) and [John Lithgow](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-lithgow); Enid Keese, the wife of John Belushi's character, in the dark comedy *Neighbors* (1981), alongside Dan Aykroyd and Cathy Moriarty; and Dr. Ellen Lamb in the science-fiction family film *D.A.R.Y.L.* (1985).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0907923/) • [8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/kathryn_walker) Later credits include Lily Boyd in *Bullseye* (1986), the thriller *Dangerous Game* (1987), and *Uncle Tom's Cabin* (1987).[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/kathryn_walker) Her final listed screen acting credit is Alice Winchek in *Emma and Elvis* (1992).[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/kathryn_walker)
On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, *Slap Shot* is her highest-rated film at 87 percent from critics, while *D.A.R.Y.L.* is her lowest at 50 percent.[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/kathryn_walker)
## Narration and documentary work
Walker served as narrator for a sequence of PBS reality-documentary series that placed modern families in historical living conditions: *Frontier House* (2002), *Colonial House* (2004), and additional narration for *Texas Ranch House* (2006).[9](https://watch.plex.tv/sv/person/kathryn-walker-1) TheTVDB lists her as a guest in four 2006 *NOVA* episodes, including "The Family That Walks On All Fours" and "Dimming The Sun."[7](https://thetvdb.com/people/403263-kathryn-walker)
## Writing and later work
In 2008, Walker published the novel *A Stopover in Venice* (Knopf), described by IMDb as a fictionalized account of her marriage to [James Taylor](https://www.edgepedia.org/james-taylor).[4](https://www.movie-list.com/actors/kathryn-walker) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0907923/) With the poet and playwright William Alfred, she co-founded The Athens Street Company, and in 1997 she was the Rothschild Artist in Residence at [Radcliffe College](https://www.edgepedia.org/radcliffe-college).[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0907923/bio/) Her six-part documentary series *The Millennium Journal* has been shown on the PBS cable channel Metro Arts.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0907923/bio/)
Her directing work at the 92nd Street Y's classical theater productions includes [Euripides](https://www.edgepedia.org/euripides)' *Hekabe* (2004), [Sophocles](https://www.edgepedia.org/sophocles)' *Elektra* (2002), Euripides' *Medea* (2001), *The Bacchae of Euripides* (2000), and her own adaptation of [Robert Fagles](https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-fagles)' translation of *The Iliad* (2006).[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0907923/bio/)
## Personal life
Walker was married to singer-songwriter James Taylor from December 14, 1985, until their divorce in 1995.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0907923/bio/) Before that marriage she was the longtime companion of [Douglas Kenney](https://www.edgepedia.org/douglas-kenney), the comedy writer, until his death in 1980 at the age of 32.[4](https://www.movie-list.com/actors/kathryn-walker) A graduate of Wells College in Aurora, New York, she was elected to [Phi Beta Kappa](https://www.edgepedia.org/phi-beta-kappa) and also held a Fulbright Scholarship covering music and drama.[4](https://www.movie-list.com/actors/kathryn-walker)
## References
1. [Kathryn Walker (I), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0907923/)
2. [Kathryn Walker: Emmy Awards and Nominations, Television Academy](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/kathryn-walker)
3. [Kathryn Walker: Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0907923/bio/)
4. [Kathryn Walker: Movies, Full List, Trailers and Where to Watch, Movie List](https://www.movie-list.com/actors/kathryn-walker)
5. [Kathryn Walker: Broadway Cast & Staff, IBDB](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/kathryn-walker-63803)
6. [International Television Almanac 1988: Who's Who, WALKER, KATHRYN](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-International-Television-Almanac/1988/International-Television-Almanac-1988-Whos-Who.pdf)
7. [Kathryn Walker, TheTVDB](https://thetvdb.com/people/403263-kathryn-walker)
8. [Kathryn Walker: Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/kathryn_walker)
9. [Kathryn Walker: Movies and TV Shows, Plex](https://watch.plex.tv/sv/person/kathryn-walker-1)
10. [imdb.com](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073952/fullcredits/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames U to We*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 20, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 20, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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