Kate Burton

About Kate Burton

Daughter of Richard Burton and Sybil Williams.
Co-starred with her father, Richard Burton in the critically-received CBS miniseries Ellis Island (1984). He died shortly thereafter.
Played the mother of Ellen Pompeo on TV show Grey's Anatomy (2005), although Kate was 12 years older than Ellen.
Earned a BA in Russian studies and European history from Brown University.
Highly respected and talented audio book reader. She is constantly represented among best-selling audio titles.
Born in Switzerland, she was raised in Manhattan after her parents' famous divorce.
Has retained her British citizenship, yet considers herself an American actress.
Half-sister of Maria Burton, who was adopted by Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.
Former stepdaughter of Elizabeth Taylor and Sally Burton.
Son, Morgan Ritchie (b. 1988), and daughter, Charlotte Frances (b.1998), with Michael Ritchie.
At first intent on a diplomatic career, she majored in history and Russian studies at Brown University in Rhode Island, before being swayed by her acting heritage in her senior year. She went on to earn an MFA at the Yale School of Drama.
Met future husband Michael Ritchie while she was making her Broadway debut in "Present Laughter" in 1982. He was the stage manager.
Her husband is a theatre director.
Kate Burton made her Broadway debut in 1982 in a revival of Noël Coward's play Present Laughter; she played the young, naive ingenue character Daphne Stillington (who idolizes the main character, Garry Essendine, played in that production by George C. Scott). Thirty-five years later, Burton appeared in another revival of Private Lives, this time playing Liz Essendine, Garry's knowing and experienced estranged (and then reunited) wife. In the 2017 production, Kevin Kline played Garry.
Studied at Yale University School of Drama, where she was a classmate of Jane Kaczmarek.
Playwright/actor Emlyn Williams was her godfather.
In 2002, she was nominated for two Tony Awards: as Best Actress (Play) for portraying the title character in a revival of Henrik Ibsen's "Hedda Gabler," and as Best Actress (Featured Role - Play) for a revival of "The Elephant Man". This made her one of only three actors (the others are Amanda Plummer and Dana Ivey) to be Tony-nominated for two acting awards in the same year.
She has an autistic sister, Jessica, and a half-sister, Amy Cristopher, from her mother's marriage to actor Jordan Christopher.
Friend of Jane Kaczmarek.
On Broadway, in the hit show "Spring Awakening" playing all the adult female roles. She had worked on the musical before when it was in workshop.
Mother of Morgan Ritchie.
Performing in Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard in Boston's Huntington Theater.
Husband, Michael Ritchie, is the director of Massachusetts' Williamstown Theatre Festival.
Nominated for the 2005 Tony Award (New York City) for Actress in a Drama for "The Constant Wife".
Step-daughter of actor Jordan Christopher.