Najimy, Kathy 1957–

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NAJIMY, Kathy 1957–

(Kathy Ann Najimy)

PERSONAL

Full name, Katherine Ann Najimy; born February 6, 1957, in San Diego, CA; daughter of Fred (a postal worker) and Samia Najimy; married Dan Finnerty (an actor, musician, and leader of the Dan Band), August 8, 1995; children: Samia. Education: Studied drama at San Diego State University. Avocational Interests: Skydiving, singing, game playing.

Addresses: Agent—Creative Artists Agency, 9830 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90212-1804; International Creative Management, 8942 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211.

Career: Actress, writer, and director. New Image Teen Theatre, worked as a resident director; Sisters on Stage (feminist theatre group), former member of company. Appeared in advertisements. Appeared as Dr. Femus in ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter, an amusement park attraction in Tomorrowland, Walt Disney World, c. 1995–2003. Public speaker and participant at various events, including the Feminist Expo 2000, Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, MD, and the New York Arab-American Comedy Festival. Project Angel Food, volunteer; involved with AIDS-related causes, animal rights organizations, and women's causes. Worked as a cafe hostess and a telephone company employee.

Awards, Honors: Obie Award (with Mo Gaffney), Village Voice, 1989, for The Kathy and Mo Show; American Comedy Award, funniest supporting female in a motion picture, c. 1992, and MTV Movie Award nomination, best breakthrough performance, 1993, both for Sister Act; CableACE (Annual Cable Excellence) Award, best performance in a comedy special, and CableACE Award nomination, best writing in an entertainment special, both 1993, both with Gaffney, for "Kathy & Mo: Parallel Lives," HBO Comedy Hour; American Comedy Award nomination, c. 1993, for Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit; Saturn Award nomination, best supporting actress, Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films, 1994, for Hocus Pocus; CableACE awards, best performance in a comedy special and best comedy special, both 1995, both with Gaffney, for "The Kathy and Mo Show: The Dark Side," HBO Comedy Hour; nominated for female discovery of the year, Hollywood Women's Press Club; Annie Award nomination, outstanding individual achievement for voice acting by a female performer in an animated television production, International Animated Film Society, 1998, and Annie Award, outstanding individual achievement for voice acting by a female performer in an animated television production, 2001, both for King of the Hill; named woman of the year, Ms. magazine, 2004; Artistic Achievement Award, Philadelphia Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, 2005; American Comedy Award nomination, for Veronica's Closet; Women's Image Network Award, best actress in a comedy series. Received various awards for charity work, including the Distinguished Achievement Award, Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center; Humanitarian of the Year Award and Founder Award, both Los Angeles Shanti; Humanitarian Award, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA); award from the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC); Rand Schrader Distinguished Achievement Award.

CREDITS

Film Appearances:

Crazed video store customer, The Fisher King, TriStar, 1991.

Lang's girl Friday, The Hard Way, Universal, 1991.

Tawny Miller, Soapdish, Paramount, 1991.

(Uncredited) Other People's Money (also known as Riqueza ajena), Warner Bros., 1991.

(As Kathy Ann Najimy) Angela, This Is My Life, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1992.

Marge, Topsy and Bunker: The Cat Killers, 1992.

Sister Mary Patrick, Sister Act, Buena Vista, 1992.

Mary Sanderson, Hocus Pocus, Buena Vista, 1993.

Sister Mary Patrick, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, Buena Vista, 1993.

Tippy, It's Pat (also known as It's Pat: The Movie), Buena Vista, 1994.

Acolyte, Jeffrey, Orion Classics, 1995.

Ruby, Nevada, Storm Entertainment, 1997.

Toyota Carter, Shantay, 1997.

Voice of Tillie Hippo, Cats Don't Dance (animated musical), Warner Bros., 1997.

Toni Post, Hope Floats, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1998.

Mrs. Simpson, Zack and Reba, 1998.

Motel maid, Bride of Chucky (also known as Chucky), Universal, 1998.

Voice of Chil the vulture, The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story (animated), Buena Vista Home Video, 1998.

Angela, Attention Shoppers (also known as Blue Light Special), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment, 1999.

Journey to a Hate Free Millennium: Stories of Hope and Compassion (also known as Journey to a Hate Free Millennium), New Light Media, 1999.

Life after Donna Dell (musical), 1999.

Dr. Albright, Leaving Peoria (short film), 2000.

Beverly "Bev" Pear, Rat Race (also known as Course folle), Paramount, 2001.

Geri, The Wedding Planner (also known as Wedding Planner—verliebt, verlobt, verplant), Columbia, 2001.

Curve (documentary), Prince Street Productions, 2002.

Voice of Dipsy, Balto III: Wings of Change (animated), Universal Studios Home Video, 2004.

Fortune teller, Bam Bam and Celeste, Salty Features, 2005.

Maggie, Say Uncle (also known as Donut Hole), Lantern Lane Entertainment, 2005.

Getting Played, New Line Home Video, 2005.

Television Appearances; Series:

Olive Massey, Veronica's Closet, NBC, 1997–2000.

Voices of Coach Doogan, Margot Lesandre, and other characters, Pepper Ann (also known as Disney's "Pepper Ann"), ABC and syndicated, 1997–2000.

Voices of Peggy Hill and other characters, King of the Hill (animated), Fox, beginning 1997.

The College of Comedy with Alan King (also known as The College of Comedy with Alan King, Part II), PBS, c. 2000.

Voice of Margalo the bird, Stuart Little (animated), HBO Family, 2003.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Kathy Lane, In Search of Dr. Seuss, TNT, 1994.

Lola Molina, Jackie's Back! (also known as Jackie's Back: Portrait of a Diva), Lifetime, 1999.

Doctor, "2000" (segment), If These Walls Could Talk 2, HBO, 2000.

Mariah, The Scream Team, The Disney Channel, 2002.

Television Appearances; Specials:

"Kathy & Mo: Parallel Lives" (also known as "The Kathy and Mo Show: Parallel Lives"), HBO Comedy Hour, HBO, 1991.

Out There, Comedy Central, 1993.

Host, Let's Make Sure Everybody Eats '95, TV Food Network, 1995.

"Kathy and Mo: The Dark Side," HBO Comedy Hour, HBO, 1995.

Comic Relief VII, HBO, 1995.

Lifetime Applauds: The Fight against Breast Cancer, Lifetime, 1995.

Cashier, Women without Implants, Lifetime, 1996.

Voice of Peggy Hill, Comic Relief VIII, HBO, 1998.

Stepmother, CinderElmo, Fox, 1999.

Voice of first mother duck, The Sissy Duckling (animated), HBO, 1999.

Voice of Tiny, Snowden's Christmas (animated), CBS, 1999.

Celebrity Weddings: InStyle, Lifetime, 1999.

Equality Rocks, VH1, 2000.

He's Having a Baby (documentary), Cinemax, c. 2003.

Herself, Boomer Nation (documentary), Arts and Entertainment, 2004.

Herself, American Express Jam Sessions, 2005.

Television Appearances; Awards Presentations:

The 67th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 1995.

Presenter, The 19th Annual CableACE Awards, TNT, 1997.

The 24th Annual People's Choice Awards, CBS, 1998.

The 51st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, Fox, 1999.

Presenter, The Second Annual Women Rock: Girls and Guitars, Lifetime, 2001.

Preshow host, TV Land Awards: A Celebration of Classic TV (also known as First Annual TV Land Awards), TV Land, 2003.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Contestant, The Family Feud, 1981.

Theresa, "So Funny," Ellen (also known as These Friends of Mine), ABC, 1994.

She TV, ABC, 1994.

Voice, "Cellar Beware," Duckman (animated; also known as Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man), USA Network, 1995.

Buyer number one, "Cher, Inc.," Clueless, ABC, 1996.

Dr. Barbara "Bix" Konstadt, "Hearts and Minds," Chicago Hope, CBS, 1996.

Dr. Barbara "Bix" Konstadt, "Life Lines," Chicago Hope, CBS, 1996.

Dr. Barbara "Bix" Konstadt, "Women on the Verge," Chicago Hope, CBS, 1996.

Lorna Irons, "Go Girlz," Ellen (also known as These Friends of Mine), ABC, 1996.

Voice, "The Color of Naught," Duckman (animated; also known as Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man), USA Network, 1996.

Claire, "The Psychic," Early Edition, CBS, 1997.

Voice of Madame Blanche, "Helga's Love Potion/Gerald's Secret," Hey Arnold! (animated), Nickelodeon, 1997.

Dr. Tyra, "The Good Doctor," For Your Love, The WB, 1998.

Herself, "Ellen: A Hollywood Tribute," Ellen (also known as These Friends of Mine), ABC, 1998.

Voice of ostrich, "Have Yourself a Thornberry Little Christmas," The Wild Thornberrys (animated), Nickelodeon, 1998.

Voice of Thespis the muse, "Hercules and the Muse of Dance," Hercules (animated; also known as Disney's "Hercules"), ABC and syndicated, 1998.

Narrator, Intimate Portrait: Cyndi Lauper, Lifetime, 1998.

The Rosie O'Donnell Show, syndicated, 1998.

Voice of Madame Blanche, "Headless Cabbie/Friday the 13th," Hey Arnold! (animated), Nickelodeon, 1999.

Narrator, Intimate Portrait: Melissa Etheridge, Lifetime, 1999.

Panelist, The List, VH1, 1999.

Happy Hour, USA Network, 1999.

Herself, Intimate Portrait: Kathy Najimy, Lifetime, 2000.

Herself, Joan Rivers: The E! True Hollywood Story, E! Entertainment Television, 2001.

"Scene Stealers Edition," Weakest Link, NBC, 2001.

Hollywood Unleashed, Animal Planet, 2001.

Pajama Party, Oxygen, 2001.

Herself, Tracey Ullman's "Visible Panty Lines" (also known as Visible Panty Lines), Oxygen, c. 2001.

Inside TV Land: 40 Greatest Theme Songs (documentary), TV Land, 2002.

Pyramid, syndicated, multiple episodes in 2002 and 2003.

Voices of Calliope and second aglaophone, "The Enemy of My Enemy," The Mummy: The Animated Series (animated), The WB, 2003.

Judge, Star Search, CBS, 2003.

The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn, CBS, 2003.

The Sharon Osbourne Show (also known as Sharon), syndicated, 2004.

The Wayne Brady Show, syndicated, 2004.

"Perfect 10s the Women," TV Land's Top Ten, TV Land, 2005.

"Sexiest Men," TV Land's Top Ten, TV Land, 2005.

"Small Screen, Big Stars," TV Land's Top Ten, TV Land, 2005.

"Tournament 6, Game 3," Celebrity Poker Showdown, Bravo, 2005.

"Tournament 6 Championship," Celebrity Poker Showdown, Bravo, 2005.

Appeared as the voice of an old woman, Adventures from the Book of Virtues (animated), PBS. Appeared in London Underground, Comedy Central; Storytime, PBS; What's Up, Dr. Ruth?; and other programs.

Television Appearances; Pilots:

Olive Massey, Veronica's Closet, NBC, 1997.

Voices of Peggy Hill, King of the Hill (animated), Fox, 1997.

Television Executive Producer:

"Kathy and Mo: The Dark Side," HBO Comedy Hour (special), HBO, 1995.

The Gumm Sisters (pilot), Lifetime, 2005.

Stage Appearances:

The Kathy and Mo Show, Old Town Opera House, San Diego, CA, 1984, produced at other venues, including nightclubs in New York City, beginning c. 1985.

The Further Adventures of Kathy and Mo, Second Stage Theatre, McGinn-Cazale Theatre, New York City, 1986.

The Kathy and Mo Show: Parallel Lives, Westside Arts Theatre, New York City, beginning c. 1988.

Mae, Dirty Blonde, Helen Hayes Theatre, New York City, 2000.

Afterbirth: Kathy & Mo's Greatest Hits, Second Stage Theatre, New York City, beginning 2004.

Appeared in the solo show It's My Party; appeared in several musicals, including Godspell and Grease; appeared in The Vagina Monologues, New York and Los Angeles productions.

Stage Director:

Director of Back to Bacharach and David, Los Angeles and other productions; Don't Get Me Started, off-Broadway production; and I Can Put My Fist in My Mouth.

RECORDINGS

Albums; Soundtracks:

Sister Act, Hollywood Records, 1992.

Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, Hollywood Records, 1993.

Cats Don't Dance, PolyGram, 1997.

Music Videos:

Lady Soul, "If My Sister's in Trouble," c. 1992.

Appeared as a fairy godmother in Rebecca Lynn Howard's music video "When My Dreams Come True."

Audiobooks:

Wally Lamb, She's Come Undone, Simon & Schuster, 1997.

WRITINGS

Writings for the Stage with Mo Gaffney:

The Kathy and Mo Show, Old Town Opera House, San Diego, CA, 1984, produced at other venues, including nightclubs in New York City, beginning c. 1985.

The Further Adventures of Kathy and Mo, Second Stage Theatre, McGinn-Cazale Theatre, New York City, 1986.

The Kathy and Mo Show: Parallel Lives, Westside Arts Theatre, New York City, beginning c. 1988, published as Parallel Lives—Based on the Kathy and Mo Show, Dramatists Play Service, 1998.

Afterbirth: Kathy & Mo's Greatest Hits, Second Stage Theatre, New York City, beginning 2004.

Appeared in the solo show It's My Party.