Those two films not only gave her
invaluable experience, but laid the foundation for what was to be her breakout performance
in Touchstone Pictures’ My Father The Hero. At the age of 14, Katherine
starred in the central role of ‘Nicole,’ a delightfully rebellious teenager who
is determined to grow up too fast, to the exasperation of her father, played by
international film star, Gérard Dépardieu. Trying to impressed the local heartthrob,
‘Nicole’ creates a madcap comedy of errors when she tries to pass herself off as
an older more worldly 16 with a single white lie: that her father is her lover."It
was a wonderful progression," Katherine offers. "I couldn’t have imagined
doing a lead role – or working opposite Gérard Dépardieu – without the
experience of my two earlier films."
Continuing her pace of a movie a year, the actress followed that comedy with the action
thriller Under Siege 2, starring Steven Seagal. Katherine played the pivotal role
of Seagal’s niece who is kidnapped as bait when terrorists seize the train she is on.
In her first action part, the teenager revealed a side that belies her delicate
femininity. "I got to play with grenades, guns and mace," she enthuses. "It
was lots of fun."
Between film projects, Katherine continued to concentrate on school and being a
"normal" New England teenager; however her dual life couldn’t help but hive
her an uncommon perspective that separated her from her peers. She offers, "I was a
good student, but I had found my niche as an actress and was already looking to the
future."
Katherine went on to graduate high school early and moved to Los Angeles to concentrate
on her career full-time. She soon landed roles in the Twentieth Century Fox medieval romp,
Prince Valiant, a physical role that blended live action and animation; Stand-Ins,
in which she played a ruthlessly ambitious actress in 1930’s Hollywood; and the
comedy Wish Upon A Star. And her future appears even brighter, with her two
upcoming starring roles that are as demanding as they are diverse.
"I love what I do," she remarks. "For me, it’s about having fun
with it, but always being challenged and learning your craft." And Katherine is
already looking forward to the next challenge. Given her track record, she shouldn’t
have long to wait.
