Katharine Ross seemed to glide through Hollywood classics, but behind the elegance were sharp confrontations, secret tensions, and choices that stunned the industry. She rebuked Dustin Hoffman during a screen test, clashed with a celebrated director, survived a sickness-ridden shoot with soda and alcohol, and walked away from roles others would have chased. Four marriages, a remarkable late-life partnership, and one painful family crisis followed. Yet her most surprising chapter was still waiting offscreen ahead.
#1: Katharine Ross Is Born in Hollywood in 1940
Katharine Juliet Ross was born on January 29, 1940, in Hollywood, California. Her mother was Katharine Hall Ross, while her father, Dudley Tyng Ross, served as a naval officer and had previously worked for the Associated Press.
Although she entered the world near the heart of the movie industry, Hollywood would not define most of her childhood. Her father’s career soon carried the family far beyond Southern California.