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Kate Mulgrew stars as Captain Kathryn Janeway, the Starfleet Captain of the Starship U.S.S. Voyager in Star Trek: Voyager, the newest installment in the highly successful Star Trek franchise. When her ship, along with an enemy Maquis vessel, are caught up in a strange occurrence that sends them to the far reaches of the galaxy, it is Janeway's job to bring the two crews together and find a way home. As the first female to captain a Star Trek vessel, Kate Mulgrew is poised to step into television history. In commenting on her new role, Kate said "Captain Kathryn Janeway is the quintessential woman of the future . . . both commanding and discerning in her warmth; she's authoritative while remaining accessible." She added, "Beneath her extraordinary control runs a very deep vein of vulnerability and sensitivity that I look forward to exploring in seasons to come."
Born on April 29, 1955, Kate grew up in Dubuque, Iowa - the oldest girl in a family of eight. She left home at the age of 17 and traveled to New York City to study acting. Upon arriving there, Kate enrolled at New York University and was accepted into Stella Adler's Conservatory. At the end of her junior year, Kate left the university to commit herself full-time to her craft.
Exhibiting some of the legendary "luck of the Irish," Kate was immediately cast as Mary Ryan on the ABC daytime drama Ryan's Hope, while simultaneously earning the role of Emily in a production of "Our Town" at the American Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, CT. Her role as Mary Ryan lasted two years. Her theatrical stint ended a good deal sooner, but both set the stage for how her acting career would unfold.
At the age of 23, Kate was approached by then-head-of-NBC programming Fred Silverman, who offered her a starring role in a series he had created with her in mind -- Kate Columbo. The series found Kate playing the wife of one of TV's most beloved detectives, Lt. Columbo. While a critical success, the series was canceled after two seasons, although it can still be seen in syndication under the title Kate Loves A Mystery.
With several credits behind her, Kate's career blossomed. She went on to star in several feature films, including Love Spell: Isolt of Ireland alongside Richard Burton, and "A Stranger Is Watching," with Rip Torn. She traveled to Europe to film the ABC mini-series The Manions of America with Pierce Brosnan, and spent time in Mexico filming the feature "Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins." Kate went on to star in "Throw Momma From the Train "with Danny DeVito.
She returned to television as the star of the ABC drama Heartbeat, where she portrayed Doctor Joanne Springstein, the head of a medical clinic. This series, which aired for two seasons, won a People's Choice Award as Best Drama. Following this, Kate went on to co-star in the comedy series Man of the People alongside actor James Garner.
In addition to her television roles, Kate is also a veteran of numerous theatrical productions. She recently made her Broadway debut in "Black Comedy," a play written by Peter Schaeffer that also starred Nancy Marchand and Peter McNichol. Other stage appearances include starring roles in "Titus Andronicus" at the Shakespeare Theater in New York City's Central Park; and "Hedda Gabler" and "Measure for Measure" at Los Angeles' Mark Taper Forum.
Kate, the mother of two sons -- 11-year-old Ian and 10-year-old Alec -- has spent recent years guest-starring on several popular television comedies. She played a Boston Councilwoman, and Sam Malone's love interest, on several important episodes of Cheers, and won the Tracey Humanitarian Award forher portrayal of an alcoholic anchor woman on an episode of Murphy Brown.
The recipient of an Honorary Doctorate of Letters for Artistic Contribution from Seton Hall University, Kate currently resides in Hollywood, California, with her two sons.