Kathy Najimy | |
|---|---|
 Najimy in 2023 | |
| Born | Kathy Ann Najimy (1957-02-06)February 6, 1957 (age 68) San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1981–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Samia |
| Website | www |
Kathy Ann Najimy (/nəˈdʒɪmi/nə-JIM-ee;Arabic:كاثي أن نجيمي; born February 6, 1957)[1] is an American actress and activist. She was first nationally known for her feminist playThe Kathy and Mo Show, which she wrote and performed withMo Gaffney. On film, she is best known for her roles inSoapdish (1991),Sister Act (1992) and itssequel (1993),Hocus Pocus (1993) and itssequel (2022),Hope Floats (1998),The Wedding Planner (2001),Rat Race (2001),WALL-E (2008),Step Up 3D (2010),The Guilt Trip (2012),Tyler Perry'sA Madea Christmas (2013),A Christmas Melody (2015),Dumplin' (2018),Music (2021), andSingle All the Way (2021). On television, she is best known for her portrayal of Olive Massery on theNBC sitcomVeronica's Closet (1997–2000) and for voicingPeggy Hill on the animated television seriesKing of the Hill (1997–2010).
Najimy was born on February 6, 1957, inSan Diego, California,[2][3][4] the daughter ofLebanese-American parents Samia (née Massery;Arabic:سامية ماسري; 1928–2015)[5] and Fred Najimy (Arabic:فريد نجمي), a postal worker. Her mother immigrated from Lebanon to the United States in 1946.[6] She was raisedMaronite Catholic[7] and attendedCrawford High School. Her father died when she was 14.[8] She is a 1995 graduate ofSan Diego State University.[9]
Najimy andMo Gaffney's feminist comedy playThe Kathy and Mo Show premiered in 1981 and had three long termNew York City runs[10][11][12] and generated twoHBO specials,Parallel Lives andThe Dark Side.
Najimy's film career began in the early 1990s, with a number of offbeat minor roles inThe Fisher King,Soapdish,This Is My Life,The Hard Way. Her first major role was as Sister Mary Patrick in the 1992 comedySister Act, a role she reprised in 1993 inSister Act 2. She also starred inHocus Pocus as Mary Sanderson, alongsideBette Midler andSarah Jessica Parker, and the 1994 made-for-TV movieIn Search of Dr. Seuss as Kathy Lane. In 1999, she played the Stepmother inCinderElmo, a primetime special forSesame Street. In 2001, she co-starred in the hit comedy filmRat Race alongsideJohn Cleese,Rowan Atkinson,Cuba Gooding, Jr.,Whoopi Goldberg,Jon Lovitz andSeth Green. She has made four movies with Goldberg (Soapdish,Sister Act 1 and2, andRat Race). Najimy starred inDisney andPixar'sAcademy Award winning filmWALL-E andTyler Perry'sA Madea Christmas.
From film, Najimy expanded into television roles, including a dramatic recurring role onChicago Hope. She was part of the cast ofVeronica's Closet from 1997 to 2000. She played Wendy Keegan in HBO'sVeep for four seasons. She appeared withEllen DeGeneres in three episodes of her sitcomEllen, playing a different character each time (including a non-speaking cameo in the iconic "Puppy Episode"), and in the TV movieIf These Walls Could Talk 2. Najimy was a series regular season 4 ofUnforgettable, season 4 ofThe Big C, and season 3 ofNumbers. She guest-starred onThat's So Raven,Drop Dead Diva,Desperate Housewives,[13]Ugly Betty, andFranklin & Bash. She starred inTNT'sIn Search of Dr. Seuss.
Najimy starred asMae West in the Broadway hitDirty Blonde. She appeared in V'Day'sVagina Monologues on Broadway[14] and inNassim Soleimanpour's playsWhite Rabbit Red Rabbit andNassim. She is the co-creator and director of the musical revueBack to Bacharach and David, which ran in New York City in 1992 and 1993, and which she directed again in Los Angeles in April 2009.
Najimy starred asPeggy Hill inFox'sKing of the Hill from 1997 to 2010. Her voice is featured in the animated filmsBrother Bear 2,The Jungle Book: Mowgli’s Story,Cats Don't Dance, andTinkerbell. She has also lent her voice to hundreds of animated television shows and movies, includingBoJack Horseman,Rapunzel'sTangled Adventure,American Dad!,Hercules,Pepper Ann, and played a role in theNightmare Ned video game. In 2003, Najimy provided the voice of Margalo inStuart Little: The Animated Series, taking over fromMelanie Griffith, and in 2000 took over from Madeline Kahn as Mrs. Shapiro inLittle Bill. She stars inDisney Junior's reboot ofThe Rocketeer andAmy Poehler'sDuncanville.
In late July 2015, Najimy appeared in Disney'sDescendants as the Evil Queen.[15] Later that year, she took part in the successful Christmas TV movieA Christmas Melody starringMariah Carey,Brennan Elliott,Lacey Chabert andFina Strazza. It debuted on theHallmark Channel on December 19, 2015. The film was viewed by 3.95 million people upon its debut.[16][17]
She appeared inNetflix's 2018 filmDumplin' alongsideJennifer Aniston.[18]Dumplin' was released on December 7, 2018, on the platform.[19]
In 2021, she appeared in musical drama filmMusic, directed by singer-songwriterSia. In the United States, it was released in selectIMAX theatres for one night on February 10, 2021,[20] and was followed by apremium video on demand release across the country on February 12.[21][22] The same year, she starred in theNetflix Christmas romantic comedySingle All the Way alongsideMichael Urie,Philemon Chambers andJennifer Coolidge.[23]
In 2022, Najimy reprised her role as Mary Sanderson inHocus Pocus 2 forDisney+.[24]
Najimy is an activist and frequently travels the country to speak on issues of equal rights, safety, and self esteem for women and girls, LGBTQ rights, AIDS awareness, domestic violence, body image, and civil rights.[25] She has spoken at theHuman Rights Campaign,Planned Parenthood, andPFLAG. She was a surrogate speaker forHillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign.[26] In 2004, Najimy wasMs. Magazine's Woman of the Year[27] and a speaker at theMarch for Women's Lives.[28] She is an active member ofTime's Up.[29]
Najimy has also worked withPETA on a number of animal welfare issues and posed withTodd Oldham for the "I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" campaign.[30] PETA gave her their Humanitarian of the Year award in 2000[31] and their Compassionate Action Award in 2014.[32]
Najimy is a strong advocate for women's health and reproductive rights. She contributed to the groundbreaking book,The Choices We Made, which includes testimonials from women who believe in abortion rights.[33] Najimy is vocal about issues regardingbody image among women. In August 2006 she voiced her opinions over a remark made byHeidi Klum on the television seriesProject Runway after Klum said one model's outfit made her look plus-sized, which Najimy called "dangerous" and "irresponsible".[34]
Najimy created and produced the off-Broadway playGloria: A Life, about the life of activistGloria Steinem.[35] Starting in 2012, Najimy has been creating, directing, and co-writing personal monologues with actresses includingOlivia Wilde,Amy Schumer,Zosia Mamet,Debra Messing,Rosie Perez, andGabourey Sidibe. The pieces have been performed atGlamour Magazine's live evening of personal monologues titled "These Girls"[36] and at the 2017 and 2018 MAKERS conference.[37] Najimy is currently working on a documentary about the 53% of white women who voted for Donald Trump in 2016.[37] She has performed her solo show,Lift Up Your Skirt, at many venues including theAdelaide Cabaret Festival, ICONS atFire Island, and Feinstein's atThe Nikko inSan Francisco.[38] She is also currently producing a television series about the women's movement.[39]
Najimy uses her celebrity status to donate money to charities by appearing on game shows.[40] She appeared as a contestant on a celebrity version ofThe Weakest Link where she won $50,000 forThe Feminist Majority Foundation's Campaign to Stop Gender Apartheid inAfghanistan.[41] She won the season 6 tournament ofCelebrity Poker Showdown, donating the $100,000 toV-Day, an organization that helps stopviolence against women and girls. She was also crowned Grand Champion onCBS'sGameshow Marathon in 2006, donating the $100,000 winnings to Girls Best Friend, a charity that helps empower girls.[42] In 2013, Najimy was a contestant onRachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off on Team Rachael where she was playing for PETA, cooking only vegetarian food. She was eliminated on the Feb 3 episode, reaching third place.[43]
Before she became a known actress, in 1981, Najimy was a contestant onFamily Feud, which was used as the finale inGameshow Marathon. Najimy and her family were winners on both shows. Najimy also appeared on the$25,000 Pyramid as a civilian contestant, on the episode dated July 31, 1985. She claimed, on thePyramid show, that she also had been onAmerican Bandstand. She returned to the "Pyramid" (The $100,000 Pyramid) on the June 26, 2016, episode as a celebrity guest oppositeRosie O'Donnell.[44] She appeared once again in Season 2, Episode 7 on July 23, 2017, to play againstAlexandra Wentworth, helping her contestant partner win the $150,000 grand prize.[45][46]
In August 1998, Najimy married actor and singerDan Finnerty of The Dan Band.[47][48]Gloria Steinem officiated the ceremony.[47] Najimy and Finnerty have one daughter, musicianSamia.[49]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | The $25,000 Pyramid | Herself (contestant) | Celebrity Guests:Constance McCashin &LeVar Burton[51] |
| Walls of Glass | |||
| 1991 | The Kathy & Mo Show: Parallel Lives | Herself | Television special; also writer CableACE Award for Performance in a Comedy Special (shared withMo Gaffney) (1993) Nominated –CableACE Award for Writing an Entertainment Special (shared withMo Gaffney) (1993) |
| 1994 | In Search of Dr. Seuss | Kathy Lane | Television movie |
| Ellen | Theresa / Lorna Irons / Woman in Gay Bar | 3 episodes: "So Funny" (Season 2) / "Go Girlz" (Season 3) / "The Puppy Episode, Part 2" (Season 4) | |
| Extraterrorestrial Alien Encounter | Dr. Jane Femus | Short | |
| She TV | — | Also writer (1 episode) | |
| 1994-1996 | Duckman | Some People | Some Episodes |
| 1995 | The Kathy & Mo Show: The Dark Side | Herself | Television special; also writer CableACE Award for Comedy Special (shared withMo Gaffney, Paula Mazur &Dean Parisot) (1995) CableACE Award for Performance in a Comedy Special (shared withMo Gaffney) (1995) |
| 1996 | Adventures from the Book of Virtues | The Old Woman (voice) | Episode: "Self-Discipline" |
| Chicago Hope | Dr. Barbara 'Bix' Konstadt | Recurring role; 3 episodes Nominated –Viewers for Quality Television Award for Best Recurring Player (1996) | |
| 1997 | Early Edition | Psychic | Episode: "Psychic" |
| Shantay | Toyota Carter | Short | |
| 1997–1999 | Hey Arnold! | Madame Blanche (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 1997–2000 | Veronica's Closet | Olive Massery | 67 episodes OFTA Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Series (1998) OFTA Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (1998) |
| 1997–2010 | King of the Hill | Peggy Hill (voice) | 258 episodes Annie Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting by a Female Performer in an Animated Television Production (2001) OFTA Television Award for Best Voice-Over Performance (2001) Nominated –Annie Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting by a Female Performer in an Animated Television Production (1998) Nominated – OFTA Television Award for Best Voice-Over Performance (1998, 2004, 2005) |
| 1998–1999 | Hercules | Thespis the Muse (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 1998–2000 | Pepper Ann | Coach Doogan / Margot LaSandre / Additional voices | 5 episodes |
| 1999 | The Wild Thornberrys | Ostrich #1 / Sand Grouse (voices) | Episode: "Have Yourself a Thornberry Little Christmas" |
| The Sissy Duckling | Mother Duck #1 (voice) | Television film | |
| CinderElmo | Stepmother | Television movie | |
| 2000 | If These Walls Could Talk 2 | Doctor | Television movie; segment: "2000" |
| Leaving Peoria | Dr. Beatrice Albright | Short | |
| 2000–2003 | Little Bill | Mrs. Judith Shapiro (voice) | 3 episodes; succeededMadeline Kahn, the original voice of Mrs. Shapiro, shortly after her death in 1999. |
| 2001–2003 | Oswald | Bingette Bunny (voice) | 4 episodes |
| 2001 | The Legend of Tarzan | Dania (voice) | Episode: "Tarzan and the Rift" |
| 2002 | The Scream Team | Mariah | Television movie |
| 2003 | The Mummy | Calliope / Aglaophone #2 (voices) | Episode: "The Enemy of My Enemy" |
| Stuart Little | Margalo (voice) | Episode: "The Meatloaf Bandit" | |
| Ozzy & Drix | Loretta Epstein (voice) | Episode: "The Dream Factory" | |
| The Making of King of the Hill | Herself | Television documentary | |
| 2004 | Higglytown Heroes | Photographer Hero (voice) | Episode: "The Legend of Higgsquatch" |
| Rocket Power | Patsy (voice) | Episode: "Sammy's Fortune" | |
| 2005 | Wayside | Mrs. Peri Jewls (voice) | Television movie |
| Getting Played | Dr. Heidi Z. Klemmer | ||
| Balto III: Wings of Change | Dipsy (voice) | Video | |
| 2006 | Scooby-Doo! Pirates Ahoy! | Sunny St. Cloud (voice) | |
| Tom and Jerry: Shiver Me Whiskers | Blue Parrot Betty (voice) | ||
| Rugrats | Goosey (voice) | Direct-to-DVD episode: "Tales from the Crib: Three Jacks and a Beanstalk" | |
| That's So Raven | Lora Stelladora | Episode: "The Dress Is Always Greener" | |
| 2006–2007 | Numb3rs | Dr. Mildred Finch | 9 episodes |
| 2007 | The Suite Life of Zack & Cody | principal Mrs. Militich | Episode: "First Day of High School" |
| 2008 | Tinker Bell | Minister of Summer (voice) | Video |
| 2009 | Drop Dead Diva | Claire Porter | Episode: "The Magic Bullet" |
| Desperate Housewives | Detective Denise Lapera | Episode: "Careful the Things You Say" | |
| 2010 | Ugly Betty | Dr. Jayne Frankel | Episode: "Million Dollar Smile" |
| RuPaul's Drag Race | Herself (Guest Judge) | Episode: "Country Queens" | |
| 2011 | Mr. Sunshine | Myrna | Episode: "Employee of the Year" |
| Five | Rocky | Television movie | |
| Deck the Halls | Alvirah Meehan | ||
| 2011–2012 | Make It or Break It | Sheila / Sheila Baboyon / Kelly's Mom | 5 episodes |
| 2012 | Men at Work | Sasha Ryan | Episode: "Heterotextual Male" |
| How to Fall in Love | Kim | Television movie | |
| 2013 | Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off | Herself | Season 2 participant (TeamRachael) |
| The Big C | Therapist | 4 episodes | |
| 2014–2015 | Inside Amy Schumer | Herself | 2 episodes |
| 2014–2019 | Veep | Wendy Keegan | 10 episodes |
| 2015–2021 | Younger | Denise Heller | 8 episodes |
| 2015–2016 | Unforgettable | Sandra Russo | Series regular, 10 episodes |
| 2015 | A Christmas Melody | Sarah | Hallmark television movie |
| Descendants | The EvilQueen Grimhilde | Television movie | |
| Difficult People | Carol Donato | Episode: "The Children's Menu" | |
| 2016 | Harvey Beaks | Hanzi / Angry Bride | 4 episodes |
| The Jamz | Dan | 4 episodes Also consulting producer | |
| 2016–2017 | Graves | Sylvia Miller | 4 episodes |
| 2016–2018 | The $100,000 Pyramid | Herself (celebrity guest) | 5 episodes |
| 2017 | Elementary | Rayna Carno | Episode: "Rekt in Real Life" |
| BoJack Horseman | Marcy Jerominek (voice) | Episode: "Commence Fracking" | |
| The President Show | Ivana Trump | Episode: "I Came Up with Christmas: A President Show Christmas" | |
| 2018 | Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure | Mother Maud (voice) | Episode: "Freebird" |
| Crazy Ex-Girlfriend | Herself | Episode: "I Am Ashamed" | |
| 2019 | The Good Fight | Judge Gayle Eno | Episode: "The One Where Diane and Liz Topple Democracy" |
| Good Witch[52] | Willow | Episode: "The Road Trip" | |
| American Dad! | Cheryl (voice) | Episode: "Pride Before the Fail" | |
| The Rocketeer | Sareena Second (voice) | Main role | |
| 2020–2022 | Duncanville | Mayor, Additional voices | Recurring role |
| 2020 | Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Mayor Mira (voice) | Episode: "Raph's Ride-Along/Donnie vs. Witch Town" |
| Robot Chicken | Mary Sanderson (voice) | Episode: "Ghandi Mulholland in: Plastic Doesn't Get Cancer" | |
| Elena of Avalor | Peaches (voice) | Episode: "Heart of The Jaguar" | |
| 2021 | The Morning Show | Sylvia Portman | Episode: "My Least Favorite Year" |
| 2022 | Bee and PuppyCat: Lazy in Space | TempBot, Fighter (voice) | Episode: "Who Would Want This?" |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Warped Kart Racers | Peggy Hill | Archival recording |
| Year | Title | Artist | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | "Gummy Bear" | Ginger Minj | [53] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | The Further Adventures of Kathy and Mo | Performer | Off-Broadway Also author |
| 1989 | The Kathy & Mo Show: Parallel Lives | Off-Broadway Also playwright | |
| 2000 | Dirty Blonde | Various characters | Broadway |
| 2004 | Afterbirth: Kathy & Mo's Greatest Hits | Performer | Off-Broadway Also playwright |
| 2016 | White Rabbit Red Rabbit | Performer | Off-Broadway |
| 2018 | Nassim | ||
| 2024 | Gutenberg! The Musical! | Producer | Broadway |
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