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K Callan

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K Callan
Callan in 2024
Born
Katherine Elizabeth Borman

(1936-01-09) January 9, 1936 (age 89)
Alma materNorth Texas State University
Occupation(s)Actress, author
Years active1956–present
Known forLois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Children3
Websitewww.kcallan.com Edit this at Wikidata

Katherine Elizabeth Callan (née Borman; born January 9, 1936) is an American actress and writer, known for playing Clark Kent's mother Martha in the ABC television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. She has most recently appeared as Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, in the Christian historical drama The Chosen.[1]

Early years

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Callan was born on January 9, 1936.[2] When she was 5 years old, she felt that she wanted to act. She did so in school, and as a student at North Texas State University at Denton, she studied drama. She went on to teach drama at a Catholic girls' school, and she began a children's theatre.[3]

Career

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Callan first appeared on television in an episode of Route 66 that happened to be shooting in Dallas. She resumed her on-camera career in 1970, guest-starring in roles on One Day at a Time, St. Elsewhere, Carnivàle, JAG, Coach and King of the Hill. She played a key role in the Emmy Award-winning episode "Cousin Liz" of All in the Family and portrayed the mother of April Stevens Ewing in several episodes of the penultimate season of Dallas. She played Daisy LaRue in the TV show Meet the Browns and appeared as Mrs. Monroe, Gabe Duncan's teacher, in Good Luck Charlie. She also appeared in the third-season finale of Desperate Housewives as Ilene Britt, the mother of Edie Britt (Nicollette Sheridan), and has portrayed Lily's maternal grandmother on several episodes of How I Met Your Mother. She played the part of Charlie (as an elderly woman) in Heroes for one episode.

She appeared in the films Joe (1970), A Touch of Class (1973), The Onion Field (1979), American Gigolo (1980), A Change of Seasons (1980), Fast-Walking (1982), and Knives Out (2019), as well as the 1972 television adaptation of the 1966 Lanford Wilson play The Rimers of Eldritch.

She has written several books, including The Los Angeles Agent, The Script Is Finished, Now What Do I Do?, Directing Your Directing Career,[3] and How to Sell Yourself as an Actor. She received her acting training at HB Studio[4] in New York City.

Callan made TV commercials for products, including Anacin, Endust, Geritol, and Sanka.[5]

Personal life

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Callan was married for 11 years while she lived in Oklahoma, and her husband worked on his doctorate. When the marriage ended, she took her three children Jamie Callan, Kelly Callan, and Kristi Callan, and moved to New York.[6]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1970 Joe Mary Lou Curran As K. Callan
1971 Lady Liberty Subway Lady Uncredited
1972 Hail Mrs. Burd
1973 A Touch of Class Patty Menkes As K. Callan
1979 Fast Break Ms. Tidwell
The Onion Field Mrs. Powell
1980 American Gigolo Lisa Williams
A Change of Seasons Alice Bingham
1982 Fast-Walking Motel Manager
1991 The Unborn Martha Wellington
Frankie and Johnny Frankie's Mother
1995 Safe Mother Uncredited
1998 Border to Border Mrs. Piston
1999 A Fare to Remember Ginny
2002 Devious Beings Lady Jane
2005 Nine Lives Marisa
Crazylove Mrs. Hallstrom
2006 Midnight Clear Eva
2007 Coyote County Loser Maggie Hopps
2010 Why Did I Get Married Too? Ms. Tannenbaum
2012 Not That Funny Toogey Richmonde
2013 Samuel Bleak Elaine
2019 Knives Out Wanetta "Great Nana" Thrombey
2023 Pie in the Sky Mama
2024 Sew Torn Ms. Engel
TBA Bad Day Filming

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1962 Route 66 Western Union Operator Episode: "Aren't You Surprised to See Me?"
1964 The Secret Storm Gloria
1972 Great Performances Evelyn Jackson Episode: "The Rimers of Eldritch"
1976–1977 One Day at a Time Alice Butterfield 4 episodes
1977 Barney Miller Gwen Baxter Episode: "Fire '77"
The Four of Us Marie Unsold pilot
Fish Mrs. Lester 2 episodes
Fernwood 2 Night Alberta Cornwall
James at 16 Mrs. Stevens Episode: "Pilot"
All in the Family Veronica Cartwright Episode: "Cousin Liz"
Rafferty Betty Dane
Forever Fernwood 1st Woman
Rhoda Dr. Sanders Episode: "Who's Why"
1978 Family Sophie Sullivan Episode: "Starting Over"
Kaz Mrs. Rice
A Question of Love Reporter TV movie
1979 Visions Mary Lou
Insight Lorraine
Ike: The War Years Mrs. Westerfield Two-part TV movie
Blind Ambition Mrs. Kleindienst TV miniseries
The Waltons Nurse Corrigan
1979–1980 Joe's World Katie Wabash Regular role
1980 When the Whistle Blows Bulldog's wife
1980–1981 Secrets of Midland Heights Hilda Carroll
1981 This House Possessed Lucille TV movie
Flo Mrs. Carlin
Splendor in the Grass Miss Metcalf TV movie
1982 House Calls
Quincy, M.E. Karen Saundersen
Bosom Buddies Mrs. Wilson
Father Murphy Jane Sanders
Police Squad! Charlotte Burton Episode: "The Butler Did It (A Bird in the Hand)"
Lou Grant Louise Florence
1983 Private Benjamin Harriet Benjamin
Cutter to Houston Connie Buford Regular role
Knots Landing Mrs. Dunne Episode: "The Fatal Blow"
Newhart Janet Ebersol Episode: "The Visitors"
1984 AfterMASH Mrs. Bergstrom
Flight 90: Disaster on the Potomac Barbara Hamilton TV movie
E/R Gail Parker
1985 Remington Steele Martha Ryan
Sara Claire McKenna
Hollywood Wives Catherine TV miniseries
St. Elsewhere Patty Galecki 2 episodes
1985–1989 Hunter Mrs. Jorgensen / Linda Ryan 2 episodes
1986 Moonlighting Carolyn Kandinsky Episode: "In God We Strongly Suspect"
You Again? Kathryn
It's a Living Dot's Mom Episode: "Oddest Couple"
1987 Highway to Heaven Mrs. Lowell Episode: "Normal People"
Night Court Mrs. Jane Fletzker
Mr. President Janet Braden
The Hope Division Caroline Braden TV movie
CBS Summer Playhouse Jean
Duet Rose Kelly
The Magical World of Disney Betty's Mom
Rags to Riches Louis McMillan
1989 Live-In Roslyn
Quantum Leap Lenore Mackenzie Episode: "The Americanization of Machiko – August 4, 1953"
Incident at Dark River Constance Black TV movie
1989–1991 Coach Marion Williamson
1990 Dallas Amy Stevens 4 episodes
1991 Flight of Black Angel Mrs. Gordon TV movie
1992 Nurses Lila
1993–1997 Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Martha Kent Regular role
1993 FBI: The Untold Stories Jorene
L.A. Law Florence Hackett
1994 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Alsia Episode: "Rivals"
Birdland Laurel
1995 Saved by the Light Marion TV movie
1997 NYPD Blue Mrs. Hastings
Chicago Hope Emily Beck
1998 7th Heaven Grandma James
Mr. Murder Alice Stillwater TV miniseries
1999 Dawson's Creek Miss Constance Freckling
2000 Family Law Myra Hollenbeck
Diagnosis: Murder Jake's Landlady Episode: "Death by Design"
2000–2003 King of the Hill Tilly Hill (voice) 3 episodes
2001 The Fugitive Evelyn Butler
Kate Brasher Mrs. Warmus
2001–2004 The Division Mary Johnson / Halle McAdams 3 episodes
2002 Crossing Jordan Penelope Zimmerman
Body & Soul Cora Kilabrough
2003 JAG Esther Gale
2003–2005 Carnivàle Eleanor McGill Recurring role, 8 episodes
2004 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Martha Abernathy
Dragnet Lee's Adoptive Mother
2005 Without a Trace Luanne Countryman
Nip/Tuck Ellie Harkness
2006 Four Kings Mrs. Grayson
Heist Helen
Cold Case Helen Russell Episode: "The Hen House"
The Closer Julia Rose
2007 Desperate Housewives Ilene Britt Episode: "Getting Married Today"
'Til Death Mrs. Bauer
Drive Ceal Cousins
2007–2012 How I Met Your Mother Grandma Lois 3 episodes
2008 ER Kelly Robinson
2009 Castle Mrs. Delores Marsh
Mental Alexis Vilcek
2009–2010 Meet the Browns Miss Daisy/Daisy LaRue 20 episodes
2010 Heroes Charlie Andrews
The Mentalist Annabelle Draber
Law & Order: LA Louise Hammond
2011 Good Luck Charlie Mrs. Monroe
2011, 2020 NCIS Various roles 2 episodes
2013 Emily Owens, M.D. Lorraine Parks
Getting On Susan Dayward 3 episodes
2015 Justified Loretta's Grandaunt
Code Black Ruth
2016 Veep Judy Sherman Recurring role
2017 Grey's Anatomy Janis Episode: "In the Air Tonight"
2021 Brooklyn Nine-Nine Carol Episode: "Renewal"
2023 Poker Face Betty Episode: "Time of the Monkey"
2024 The Chosen Elizabeth Episode: "Promises"

References

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  1. ^ "K Callan". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 2, 2013. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
  2. ^ "UPI Almanac for Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025". UPI. 2025-01-09. actor K Callan wanted to act
  3. ^ a b Mendoza, N. F. (December 29, 1995). "Superman's Mom: It's a Natural". The Herald-News. New Jersey, Passaic. Los Angeles Times. p. 22. Retrieved October 16, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ HB Studio Alumni
  5. ^ Fallon, Beth (March 28, 1972). "The girl next door cleans up on commercials". Daily News. New York, New York City. p. 28. Retrieved October 16, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Mendoza, N. F (24 December 1995). "WITH AN EYE ON . . . : Her role as Superman's mom comes naturally to lifetime nurturer K Callan". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 17 June 2025.

Bibliography

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