Kitty Winn

Katherine Tupper Winn (born February 21, 1944) is a former American theatre and film actress. She is best known for her roles as the heroin addict Helen in the romantic drama The Panic in Needle Park, for which she won the Best Actress award at the 1971 Cannes Film Festival, and her recurring role of Sharon Spencer in the horror film franchise The Exorcist.

Kitty Winn
Born (1944-02-21) February 21, 1944
OccupationActress
Years active1961–1978, 1982–1983, 2011
Spouse(s)Morton Winston (1978-present)[1]
Children1[2]

Early life and career

Kitty Winn was born in Washington, D.C., the daughter of Army officer James J. Winn and Molly Brown Winn. Winn traveled widely during much of her childhood, including time spent in the United States, England, Germany, China, India and Japan. Her mother is the stepdaughter of U.S. General of the Army, former US Secretary of State and former US Secretary of Defense George Marshall.

Her career has spanned a wide range of dramatic productions on stage, in motion pictures and on television. She studied acting at Centenary Junior College and Boston University, graduating from the latter in 1966. During her college years Winn acted in student productions at Centenary Junior College, Boston University, and Harvard College and summer stock for two summers at The Priscilla Beach Theatre, south of Boston. Shortly after college she joined the company at American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, where she remained for four years under the artistic direction of William Ball.

In the fall of 1970 Winn left American Conservatory Theater to star opposite Al Pacino in the film The Panic in Needle Park, for which she won the Best Actress award at the 1971 Cannes Film Festival. Although she went on to do several more films, such as They Might Be Giants (1971) and The Exorcist (1973), she spent most of her career in theater.

She retired from acting in 1978 upon getting married and having a child, but returned to play Cordelia in The Tragedy of King Lear for KCET in 1983. She did not return to the stage again until 2011, when she played the lead in The Last Romance at the San Jose Repertory Theatre. For this performance, she was nominated for a best actress award by the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle.

Body of work

Theatre

Year Production Location Play Role
1961Centenary Junior CollegeAntigoneAntigone
1963Priscilla Beach TheatreCurious SavageFlorence
1963Priscilla Beach TheatreSong of BernadetteBernadette
1964Priscilla Beach TheatreNight of the IguanaMiss Jenks
1964Priscilla Beach TheatreGigiGigi
1964Priscilla Beach TheatreShot in the DarkJosefa Lantenay
1964Boston UniversityMeasure for MeasureMistress Overdon's girl
1964Boston UniversityToys in the AtticLily
1965Boston UniversityThe Rose TattooRosa
1965Harvard CollegeThe Beggars' OperaPolly Peachum
1966Boston UniversityThe Playboy of the Western WorldPegeen Mike
1967American Conservatory TheaterThe CrucibleMary Warren
1967American Conservatory TheaterThieves' CarnivalJuliette
1967American Conservatory TheatreCharley's AuntKitty
1968American Conservatory TheaterLong Day's Journey into NightCathleen
1968American Conservatory TheaterLe MisanthropeCelemene
1968American Conservatory TheaterUnder MilkwoodLily Smalls
1969American Conservatory TheaterRosencrantz and Guilderstern Are DeadOphelia
1969American Conservatory TheaterCharley's AuntKitty
1969ANTE Theatre and American Conservatory TheaterThe Three SistersIrina
1969The Mineola PlayhouseOur TownEmily (also with Henry Fonda) Michael York (actor)
1970American Conservatory TheaterGlory HallelujahNantelle Bowden
1970American Conservatory TheaterThe Rose TattooRosa
1970American Conservatory TheaterThe TempestMiranda
1972Long Wharf Theatre, New York Shakespeare in the Park, and Mark Taper ForumHamletOphelia (also with Stacy Keach, James Earl Jones and Colleen Dewhurst)
1975Phoenix TheatreKnuckle (off-Broadway premier)Jenny Wilbur (opposite Perry King)
1975Ahmanson TheatreRing Around the MoonIsabelle (opposite Michael York)
1977Long Wharf TheatreSt. JoanJoan
1978Coconut Grove PlayhouseOthelloDesdemona
1982Repertory Theatre of Saint LouisRomeo and JulietJuliet
2011San Jose Repertory TheatreThe Last RomanceCarol

Motion pictures

Year Name of Film Role
1971The Panic in Needle ParkHelen
1971They Might be GiantsGrace
1973The ExorcistSharon Spencer
1976PeeperMianne Prendergast
1977Exorcist II: The HereticSharon Spencer
1978MirrorsMarianne Whitman

Movies for television

Year Name of Film Role
1970The House That Would Not DieSara Dunning
1972The Life of Harriet Beecher StoweHarriet
1973Message to My DaughterMiranda Thatcher
1974The CarpentersSissy
1975Miles to Go Before I SleepMaggie Stanton
1977The Last HurrahMaeve Skeffington
1983The Tragedy of King LearCordelia

Series for television

Year Name of Series Role
1973The Streets of San FranciscoBarbara Talmadge
1975Beacon HillRosamond Lassiter
1977Kojak - "Kojak Days: Part 1"Carla Magid
1977Kojak - "Kojak Days: Part 2"Carla Magid

Awards

Cannes Film Festival

Year Performance Award
1971Helen in The Panic in Needle ParkBest Actress Award

References

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