Katherine Elizabeth Callan (née Borman) is an American actress and writer using the variation K Callan, known for playing Clark Kent's mother Martha in the ABC television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. She has most recently appeared as Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, in the Christian historical drama The Chosen.[1]

K Callan
Born
Katherine Elizabeth Borman

Alma materNorth Texas State University
Occupation(s)Actress, author
Years active1956–present
Known forLois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
SpouseJames Ruskin Callan
Children3
Websitewww.kcallan.com Edit this at Wikidata

Early years

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Callan was born in Dallas, Texas.[citation needed] When she was 5 years old, she felt that she wanted to act. She did so in school, and as a student at North Texas State University at Denton, she studied drama. She went on to teach drama at a Catholic girls' school, and she began a children's theatre.[2]

Career

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Callan first appeared on television in an episode of Route 66 that happened to be shooting in Dallas. She resumed her on-camera career in 1970, guest-starring in roles on One Day at a Time, St. Elsewhere, Carnivàle, JAG, Coach and King of the Hill. She played a key role in the Emmy Award-winning episode "Cousin Liz" of All in the Family and portrayed the mother of April Stevens Ewing in several episodes of the penultimate season of Dallas. She played Daisy LaRue in the TV show Meet the Browns and appeared as Mrs. Monroe, Gabe Duncan's teacher, in Good Luck Charlie. She also appeared in the third-season finale of Desperate Housewives as Ilene Britt, the mother of Edie Britt (Nicollette Sheridan), and has portrayed Lily's maternal grandmother on several episodes of How I Met Your Mother. She played the part of Charlie (as an elderly woman) in Heroes for one episode.

She appeared in the films Joe (1970), A Touch of Class (1973), The Onion Field (1979), American Gigolo (1980), A Change of Seasons (1980), Fast-Walking (1982), and Knives Out (2019), as well as the 1972 television adaptation of the 1966 Lanford Wilson play The Rimers of Eldritch.

She has written several books, including The Los Angeles Agent, The Script Is Finished, Now What Do I Do?, Directing Your Directing Career,[2] and How to Sell Yourself as an Actor. She received her acting training at HB Studio[3] in New York City.

Callan made TV commercials for products, including Anacin, Endust, Geritol, and Sanka.[4]

Personal life

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Callan was married to and divorced from author James Ruskin Callan. The couple have three children, Jamie Callan, Kelly Callan, and Kristi Callan.

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1970 Joe Mary Lou Curran as K. Callan
1971 Lady Liberty Subway Lady Uncredited
1972 Hail Mrs. Burd
1973 A Touch of Class Patty Menkes as K. Callan
1979 Fast Break Ms. Tidwell
1979 The Onion Field Mrs. Powell
1980 American Gigolo Lisa Williams
1980 A Change of Seasons Alice Bingham
1982 Fast-Walking Motel Manager
1991 The Unborn Martha Wellington
1991 Frankie and Johnny Frankie's Mother
1998 Border to Border Mrs. Piston
1999 A Fare to Remember Ginny
2002 Devious Beings Lady Jane
2005 Nine Lives Marisa
2005 Crazylove Mrs. Hallstrom
2006 Midnight Clear Eva
2007 Coyote County Loser Maggie Hopps
2010 Why Did I Get Married Too? Ms. Tannenbaum
2012 Not That Funny Toogey Richmonde
2013 Samuel Bleak Elaine
2019 Knives Out Wanetta "Great Nana" Thrombey

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1962 Route 66 Western Union Operator Episode: "Aren't You Surprised to See Me?"
1972 Great Performances Evelyn Jackson Episode: "The Rimers of Eldritch"
1976–1977 One Day at a Time Alice Butterfield 4 episodes
1977 Barney Miller Gwen Baxter Episode: "Fire '77"
1977 The Four of Us Marie unsold pilot
1977 Fish Mrs. Lester 2 episodes
1977 All in the Family Veronica Cartwright Episode: "Cousin Liz"
1977 James at 16 Mrs. Stevens Episode: "Pilot"
1977 Rhoda Dr. Sanders Episode: "Who's Why"
1978 Family Sophie Sullivan Episode: "Starting Over"
1979 Ike: The War Years Mrs. Westerfield Two-part TV movie
1979 Blind Ambition Mrs. Kleindienst TV Miniseries
1979–1980 Joe's World Katie Wabash Regular role
1982 Police Squad! Charlotte Burton Episode: "The Butler Did It (A Bird in the Hand)"
1983 Cutter to Houston Connie Buford Regular role
1983 Knots Landing Mrs. Dunne Episode: "The Fatal Blow"
1983 Newhart Janet Ebersol Episode: The Visitors
1985 Hollywood Wives Catherine TV Miniseries
1985 St. Elsewhere Patty Galecki 2 episodes
1986 Moonlighting Carolyn Kandinsky Episode: In God We Strongly Suspect
1986 It's a Living Dot's Mom Episode: Oddest Couple
1987 Highway to Heaven Mrs. Lowell Episode: Normal People
1989 Quantum Leap Lenore Mackenzie Episode: "The Americanization of Machiko - August 4, 1953"
1990 Dallas Amy Stevens 4 episodes
1993–1997 Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Martha Kent Regular role
1993 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Alsia Episode:"Rivals"
2000 Diagnosis: Murder Various roles One episode
2000–2003 King of the Hill Tilly Hill (voice) 3 episodes
2003–2005 Carnivale Eleanor McGill Recurring role, 8 episodes
2006 Cold Case Helen Russell Episode "The Hen House"
2007 Desperate Housewives Ilene Britt Episode "Getting Married Today"
2007–2012 How I Met Your Mother Grandma Lois 3 episodes
2009–2010 Meet the Browns Miss Daisy/Daisy LaRue 20 episodes
2011, 2020 NCIS various roles 2 episodes
2013 Getting On Susan Dayward 3 episodes
2016 Veep Judy Sherman Recurring role
2017 Grey's Anatomy Janis One episode
2021 Brooklyn Nine-Nine Carol 1 episode
2023 Poker Face Betty Episode "Time of the Monkey"

References

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  1. ^ "K Callan". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 2, 2013. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
  2. ^ a b Mendoza, N. F. (December 29, 1995). "Superman's Mom: It's a Natural". The Herald-News. New Jersey, Passaic. Los Angeles Times. p. 22. Retrieved October 16, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ HB Studio Alumni
  4. ^ Fallon, Beth (March 28, 1972). "The girl next door cleans up on commercials". Daily News. New York, New York City. p. 28. Retrieved October 16, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.

Bibliography

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