Katherine Waterston

Katherine Waterston
Waterston at the Japan premiere of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in 2016
Born
Katherine Boyer Waterston

(1980-03-03) March 3, 1980[1]
Westminster, London, England[2]
Citizenship
  • United Kingdom
  • United States[3]
Alma materNew York University
OccupationActress
Years active2003–present
Children1
FatherSam Waterston[2]
RelativesJames Waterston
(paternal half-brother)[4]

Katherine Boyer Waterston (born March 3, 1980) is a British-born American actress. She made her feature film debut in Michael Clayton (2007). She had supporting roles in films including Robot & Frank, Being Flynn (both 2012) and The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby (2013), before her breakthrough performance in Inherent Vice (2014). She portrayed Chrisann Brennan in Steve Jobs (2015), and went on to star as Tina Goldstein in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) and its sequels. Her other film roles include Alien: Covenant (2017), Logan Lucky (2017), The Current War (2017), Mid90s (2018) and The World to Come (2020).

Early life

Katherine Boyer Waterston was born March 3, 1980,[1] in Westminster, London, the daughter of American parents, Lynn Louisa (née Woodruff), a former model, and Sam Waterston, an actor[2][5][6] She is a middle child, with a sister, actor Elisabeth Waterston, and a brother, director Graham Waterston.[7][4] She also has an older paternal half-brother, actor James Waterston.[4][8]

Raised in Connecticut,[7] Waterston graduated from the Loomis Chaffee School, Windsor, Connecticut, in 1998.[9] She is a graduate of New York University Tisch School of the Arts.[2]

Career

Waterston's first starring role on film was in the 2007 independent drama The Babysitters, alongside John Leguizamo and Cynthia Nixon. Also in 2007, Waterston performed in the play Los Angeles by Julian Sheppard. The following year, she acted in Kindness, a play by Adam Rapp.[10] In 2010, Waterston played Gena in the original Off-Broadway production of Leslye Headland's Bachelorette, the role played by Lizzy Caplan in the 2011 film version. In 2011, she played Anya in the Classic Stage Company revival of The Cherry Orchard.[11] Also in 2011, she performed in Rapp's Dreams of Flying, Dreams of Falling at the Classic Stage Company.[12]

After supporting roles in films including Enter Nowhere (2011), Being Flynn (2012), The Letter (2012) and The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby (2013), Waterston was cast in the 2014 crime film Inherent Vice, written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. The film and her performance received generally positive reviews from critics.[13] The following year, she appeared in Queen of Earth and played Chrisann Brennan in director Danny Boyle's biographical drama Steve Jobs, starring Michael Fassbender.

In 2016, Waterston was cast as Tina Goldstein in the fantasy film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them opposite Eddie Redmayne. The film received generally positive reviews from critics and became a commercial success, grossing $814 million worldwide.[14] Waterston reprised her role in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald in 2018, and had a short part in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022).[15] In 2017, she starred alongside Fassbender for director Ridley Scott in the science fiction horror film Alien: Covenant. That year she also starred in Steven Soderbergh's comedy-drama Logan Lucky and Alfonso Gomez-Rejon's historical drama The Current War. Waterston's next starring roles were in the independent films State Like Sleep (2018), Mid90s (2018), Amundsen (2019) and The World to Come (2020). In 2020, she starred in the British-American horror drama series The Third Day alongside Jude Law. In 2022, she joined the cast of the second season of HBO period drama series Perry Mason.[16]

Personal life

As of 2017, by her description in interview, Waterston held dual citizenship,[3] English and American.

For a number of years she was in a relationship with American playwright Adam Rapp.[17][18] His 2011 three-play collection The Hallway Trilogy is dedicated to her;[19] she appeared as Rose Hathaway in Part 1: Rose in its premiere at the Rattlestick Playwrights Theater.[20]

In November 2018, celebrity media were reporting that Waterston was expecting her first child.[5] She has not made public who the father of her son is.[8]

Waterston is a supporter of transgender rights. She has cited her participation in the Fantastic Beasts franchise as a reason for her being so vocal, and has publicly denounced transphobic statements by series creator J.K. Rowling.[21][22]

Filmography

Key
Denotes titles that have not yet been released

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2007 Michael Clayton Third Year
The Babysitters Shirley Lyner
2008 Good Dick Katherine
2009 Taking Woodstock Penny
2011 Enter Nowhere Samantha
2012 Robot & Frank Shopgirl
Being Flynn Sarah
The Letter Julie
The Factory Lauren
2013 Night Moves Anne
The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Her Charlie
2014 Inherent Vice Shasta Fay Hepworth
Glass Chin Patricia Petals O'Neal
2015 Sleeping with Other People Emma
Queen of Earth Virginia
Steve Jobs Chrisann Brennan
Manhattan Romance Carla
2016 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Tina Goldstein
2017 Alien: Covenant Janet "Danny" Daniels
Logan Lucky Sylvia Harrison
The Current War Marguerite Westinghouse
2018 State Like Sleep Katherine Grand
Mid90s Dabney
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald Tina Goldstein
2019 Amundsen Bess Magids
2020 The World to Come Abigail
2022 Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore Tina Goldstein Cameo appearance
Babylon Estelle
2023 Asphalt City Nancy
The End We Start From O
2024 Afraid Meredith Pike
2025 Fear Street: Prom Queen Nancy Falconer
Fackham Hall Lady Davenport
2026 The Uprising TBA Post-production

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2012–2013 Boardwalk Empire Emma Harrow 5 episodes
2020 The Third Day Jess Miniseries, 5 episodes
2023 Perry Mason Ginny Ames Main role (season 2), 6 episodes
Slow Horses Alison Dunn Recurring (season 3)
2024 The Franchise Quinn Walker Episode: "Scene 54: The Lilac Ghost"
The Agency Naomi Main role

Shorts

Year Title Role Notes
2006 Orchids Beatrice
2011 Eat Claire
2012 Ástarsaga Solange
2015 Outlaws The Trapeze Artist
2017 Alien: Covenant - Prologue: Last Supper Janet "Danny" Daniels
2022 House Comes With A Bird Ruth

Video games

Year Title Voice role
2016 Lego Dimensions Tina Goldstein (voice)

Stage

Year Title Role Notes
2003 Smashing The Play Company
2007 Los Angeles Audrey The Flea Theater
2008 Kindness Frances Playwrights Horizons
2009 Reborning Kelly Summer Play Festival
2010 Bachelorette Gena McGinn/Cazale Theatre
2011 The Hallway Trilogy
(Part 1: Rose)
Rose Hathaway Rattlestick Playwrights Theater
Dreams of Flying Dreams of Falling Cora Cabot Classic Stage Company
2012 The Cherry Orchard Anya

Awards and nominations

Year Association Category Work Result
2014 Satellite Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Inherent Vice Nominated
Toronto Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actress Nominated
Village Voice Film Poll Best Supporting Actress Nominated
Indiewire Critics' Poll Best Supporting Actress Nominated
2015 Film Independent Spirit Awards Robert Altman Award Won
Denver Film Critics Society Best Supporting Actress Nominated
Awards Circuit Community Awards Best Cast Ensemble Steve Jobs Nominated
2016 Gold Derby Awards Ensemble Cast Nominated
Chlotrudis Awards Best Supporting Actress Queen of Earth Nominated
2017 Teen Choice Awards Choice Fantasy Movie Actress Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Nominated
2019 Teen Choice Awards Choice Sci-Fi/Fantasy Movie Actress Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald Nominated
2020 Stockholm International Film Festival Best Actress The World to Come Won
2023 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Babylon Nominated

References

  1. ^ a b AllMovie Staff (February 22, 2026). "Katherine Waterston". AllMovie.com. Retrieved February 22, 2026.
  2. ^ a b c d Carrillo, Jenny Cooney (November 2, 2016). "Fantastic Beasts' Katherine Waterston Career Hasn't Always Been Magical". The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH.com.au). Retrieved March 2, 2025.
  3. ^ a b Horowitz, Josh (host); Waterston; Katherine (May 17, 2017). Michael Fassbender (Vol. III) & Danny McBride; Katherine Waterston. Happy Sad Confused, Episode 159 (podcast). New York, NY: MTV Podcast Network. Event occurs at 1:11:42. Retrieved February 22, 2026. The Waterston interview segment occurs from 0:45:30-1:22:22, with the timestamp presenting the dual citizenship statement as presented. An archive of the podcast can be found at link, archive date November 27, 2019, access-date February 22, 2026.
  4. ^ a b c Gariano, Francesca (February 24, 2024). "Sam Waterston's 4 Children: All About Elisabeth, Katherine, James and Graham". People. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
  5. ^ a b Wilson, Samantha (November 14, 2018). "Katherine Waterston: 'Fantastic Beasts' Star Expecting First Child—Congrats". Hollywood Life. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
  6. ^ Soloski, Alexis (February 17, 2022). "Sam Waterston Is Still the Face of 'Law & Order'". The New York Times. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  7. ^ a b Fine, Marshall (May 2, 2008). "Katherine Waterston Doesn't Rest on Family Laurels". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on December 31, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2013. Waterston grew up in a small Connecticut town, a middle child in a family of actors. She routinely visited her father on movie sets and backstage at theaters.
  8. ^ a b Mercuri, Monica (February 22, 2024). "Meet Sam Waterston's Four Children — And See Which One of Them Guest Starred on Law & Order!". Soaps. Sheknows. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
  9. ^ Chizzik, Danielle (October 8, 2015). "Katherine Waterston is the Star You Haven't Heard of Yet". Town & Country. New York. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
  10. ^ "Welcome to New York; Now Go Find a Friend". The New York Times. October 14, 2008. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
  11. ^ "A Story of Survival of the Fittest". The New York Times. March 7, 2007. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  12. ^ "At a Dinner, Exotic Fare and Foul Play". The New York Times. October 4, 2011. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  13. ^ Stephanie Merry (January 8, 2015). "Katherine Waterston is ready for your lame questions about that 'Inherent Vice' sex scene". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 12, 2016. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  14. ^ "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them". Box Office Mojo.
  15. ^ "Why Is Tina Hardly In Fantastic Beasts 3? Her Absence Makes No Sense". ScreenRant. April 16, 2022.
  16. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 4, 2021). "'Perry Mason' Season 2: Katherine Waterston, Hope Davis Among 7 Joining Cast; Diarra Kilpatrick Promoted To Regular".
  17. ^ "Fantastic Beasts' Katherine Waterston on coping with Harry Potter mania". The Evening Standard. November 10, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  18. ^ Pollard, Alexandra (July 23, 2021). "Katherine Waterston: 'It's still pretty much a nightmare to be a woman'". The Independent. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
  19. ^ Rapp, Adam (2013). The Hallway Trilogy. New York: Theatre Communications Group. p. iv. ISBN 978-1559364164.
  20. ^ Stasio, Marilyn (February 28, 2011). "The Hallway Trilogy". Variety. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
  21. ^ Sharf, Zack (July 28, 2021). "Katherine Waterston: It Was 'Important' to Publicly Oppose J.K. Rowling's Anti-Trans Beliefs". IndieWire. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  22. ^ Walsh, Savannah (July 28, 2021). "Katherine Waterston on Why It's "Important" to Denounce J.K. Rowling's Transphobic Comments". Vanity Fair. Vanity Fair. Retrieved October 6, 2023.