Katharine Houghton
Encyclopedia
Katharine Houghton is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Joanna "Joey" Drayton, a Caucasian
woman who brings home an African-American fiancé to meet her parents, in the 1967
film Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
. Katharine Hepburn
, who played the mother of Houghton's character in the film, was in real life Houghton's aunt.
, the second child of Marion Hepburn and Ellsworth Grant. She attended Sarah Lawrence College
and majored in philosophy
and art
. Houghton was named after her maternal grandmother, Katharine Martha Houghton Hepburn
. Her aunt, Katharine Hepburn
, was instrumental in helping Houghton launch her career. The acting torch was further passed along in the family to actress Schuyler Grant
, Houghton's niece.
Houghton has played leading roles in over sixty productions on Broadway
, off-Broadway
and in Regional Theatres across America. She won the Theatre World award for her performance in A Scent of Flowers off Broadway in 1969.
She has appeared in ten films, most recently The Last Airbender
, directed by M. Night Shyamalan
, in 2010.
Eleven of her plays have been produced. Her play Buddha was published in Best Short Plays of 1988. Her musical, "Bookends," premiered at NJ Rep Co. summer of 2007, received rave notices and garnered the theatre the highest box office sales in their eleven year history. Since then it has twice been part of The York Theatre’s Developmental Reading Series.
She has presented lectures at venues across the country including the 2001 Fall Concert & Lectures Series at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
and at The Cosmopolitan Club. She lectured at MOMA again in June, 2008, presenting "Saucy Gamine, Reluctant Penitent, and Glorious Victor," a review of her aunt's roller coaster ride in Hollywood as reflected in three of her films.
and has translated the works of others for the stage, as well as writing her own plays.
In 1975, Houghton wrote for her husband, actor/writer Ken Jenkins
, a children's story, "The Wizard's Daughter," which is collected in the book, Two Beastly Tales, illustrated by Joan Patchen, her husband's first wife.
She lives today in Southern California with her husband and has three children.
Caucasian race
The term Caucasian race has been used to denote the general physical type of some or all of the populations of Europe, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Western Asia , Central Asia and South Asia...
woman who brings home an African-American fiancé to meet her parents, in the 1967
1967 in film
The year 1967 in film involved some significant events. It is widely considered as one of the most ground-breaking years in film.-Events:* December 26 - The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour airs on British television....
film Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner is a 1967 American drama film starring Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier and Katharine Hepburn, and featuring Hepburn's niece Katharine Houghton...
. Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Houghton Hepburn was an American actress of film, stage, and television. In a career that spanned 62 years as a leading lady, she was best known for playing strong-willed, sophisticated women in both dramas and comedies...
, who played the mother of Houghton's character in the film, was in real life Houghton's aunt.
Life and career
Houghton was born in Hartford, ConnecticutHartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
, the second child of Marion Hepburn and Ellsworth Grant. She attended Sarah Lawrence College
Sarah Lawrence College
Sarah Lawrence College is a private liberal arts college in the United States, and a leader in progressive education since its founding in 1926. Located just 30 minutes north of Midtown Manhattan in southern Westchester County, New York, in the city of Yonkers, this coeducational college offers...
and majored in philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
. Houghton was named after her maternal grandmother, Katharine Martha Houghton Hepburn
Katharine Martha Houghton Hepburn
Katharine Martha Houghton Hepburn was an American feminist social reformer and a leader of the suffrage movement in the United States. Hepburn served as president of the Connecticut Woman's Suffrage Association before joining the National Woman's Party. Alongside Margaret Sanger, Hepburn co-founded...
. Her aunt, Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Houghton Hepburn was an American actress of film, stage, and television. In a career that spanned 62 years as a leading lady, she was best known for playing strong-willed, sophisticated women in both dramas and comedies...
, was instrumental in helping Houghton launch her career. The acting torch was further passed along in the family to actress Schuyler Grant
Schuyler Grant
Schuyler Grant is an American actress best known for supporting roles in television, including the popular Anne of Green Gables mini-series.-Family ties:...
, Houghton's niece.
Houghton has played leading roles in over sixty productions on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
, off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
and in Regional Theatres across America. She won the Theatre World award for her performance in A Scent of Flowers off Broadway in 1969.
She has appeared in ten films, most recently The Last Airbender
The Last Airbender
The Last Airbender is a 2010 American fantasy adventure film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. It is a live-action film adaptation of the first season to the Nickelodeon animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender....
, directed by M. Night Shyamalan
M. Night Shyamalan
Manoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan,known professionally as M. Night Shyamalan, is an Indian-born American screenwriter, film director, and producer known for making movies with contemporary supernatural plots that climax with a twist ending. He is also known for filming his movies in and around...
, in 2010.
Eleven of her plays have been produced. Her play Buddha was published in Best Short Plays of 1988. Her musical, "Bookends," premiered at NJ Rep Co. summer of 2007, received rave notices and garnered the theatre the highest box office sales in their eleven year history. Since then it has twice been part of The York Theatre’s Developmental Reading Series.
She has presented lectures at venues across the country including the 2001 Fall Concert & Lectures Series at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
and at The Cosmopolitan Club. She lectured at MOMA again in June, 2008, presenting "Saucy Gamine, Reluctant Penitent, and Glorious Victor," a review of her aunt's roller coaster ride in Hollywood as reflected in three of her films.
Writing
Houghton is also a playwrightPlaywright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
and has translated the works of others for the stage, as well as writing her own plays.
In 1975, Houghton wrote for her husband, actor/writer Ken Jenkins
Ken Jenkins
Ken Jenkins is an American actor, best known for his role as Dr. Bob Kelso, the Chief of Medicine on the American comedy Scrubs....
, a children's story, "The Wizard's Daughter," which is collected in the book, Two Beastly Tales, illustrated by Joan Patchen, her husband's first wife.
She lives today in Southern California with her husband and has three children.