Mary Kathleen Gordon

Birthplace

Peoria, Illinois, USA

Biography

MaryKathleen Gordon aka Kathy was raised in Peoria, IL. This Irish Catholic Midwesterner might look like a Nun, but relishes playing darker roles. She is warm, yet twisted - a playful Lioness who gets what she wants. Destined to be a character actress, at 14 she played the 40 year old shopkeeper in Peoria's Community Children's Theatre production of Nicolo and Nicolette! After graduating with a BA in Theatre from Butler University, MaryKathleen hit the boards, working 7 seasons of midwestern summer stock theatre as a triple threat. In '78, MKG took her tap dancing prowess west where she delighted audiences at San Francisco's Magic Theatre, playing the Buddha Bottom in "Minnie Mouse and the Tap-Dancing Buddha. Turning to "serious acting", she attended The American Conservatory Theatre's Summer Training Program in 1979. Landing in NYC in the early 80s, MKG studied with Greg Zittel of the Neighborhood Playhouse, as she worked steadily in commercials. Known as the "That Singing Comedienne", MaryKathleen hit the piano bar circuit with her one-woman shows, "Don't Call Me Mary" and "60 Seconds from Sanity". Her off-off-off-Broadway tour de force was as the the lead in Nicky Silver's dark comedy, "Fetid Itch". Backstage's review stated, "MaryKathleen Gordon carries the entire play in the role of Wilma. She is fantastic, quirky and unpredictable - a potential comic superstar" Wanting to do more film and TV as well as live near the ocean and wear shorts year round, Kathy moved to Los Angeles. There, she felt a longing to become a Mom, and adopted her beautiful baby boy in 2003. Mom is definitely her starring role, as the ups and downs of single parenting have deepened her sense of dark humor. LA has been very good to MKG, with juicy roles in many major episodics. From the drug dealing receptionist in Weeds to the grief-stricken Mother in Cold Case, to Giggling Secretary #75 on Murphy Brown, MaryKathleen brings power, playfulness, compassion and complexity to all her character roles. She is now Bi-Coastal, splitting her time between LA and NYC.