For me there’s a lot of coverage for women in front of the camera – I’m interested in women who are in jobs we don’t necessarily think of,” says actress, writer, producer, and activist Kathleen Robertson.
A dynamic force both in Hollywood and her native Canada, Kathleen – who’s entering the 3rd season of her hit show Murder In e First, sees acting as just one avenue for her creative energy. “Each season feels like a new show, it feels very much like starting a new project each time.” at search for reinvention remains active in Kathleen’s life – it’s the creative engine that has pushed her career forward from an early age. “I always knew from a really young age,” she says, “I can remember being six years old and saying – yeah I’m going to be an actor and move to Los Angeles, everybody thought I was crazy. I did some stu in Toronto,” she continues, “it has a great industry, tons of features and television shows there. By the time I moved to Los Angeles I already had a lot of experience.”
Her arrival in LA quickly landed a role on the show that de ned both the decade and the image of her freshly adopted home. “My first big American job was Beverly Hills, 90210 – I had no idea what I was getting into, how big it was – and then it became this huge thing.”
MURDER IN THE FIRST (TNT)
Kathleen’s career over the decades continues with a range of uniquely crafted, emotionally nuanced performances. Writing remains a focus for her as well, with her adaptation of the infamous Kenneth Anger book, Hollywood Babylon in works with ER, West Wing, and Shameless producer John Wells.
Her passion for expanding women’s roles in the larger world is in line with Kathleen’s multifaceted approach to Hollywood. “I think it’s important to encourage our youth, especially women to want to be smart and have a great education and push through boundaries. So much focus is placed on the way we look and things that are insignifcant in the scheme of things – I’m interested in that other space.” Kathleen works directly with Step Up – an organization empowering young girls to succeed in roles previously closed to most women.
For Kathleen, achievement in the entertainment world rests on an understanding of its limitations. “I’ve always been sensitive to reality – and Hollywood is not reality.” Her understanding of what’s meaningful, her core values and a personally gauged sense of worth – these are her measurements of true, personal success.
WRITTEN BY CORY TALLMAN
