Kate Mulgrew stars as Captain Kathryn Janeway, the Starfleet Captain for the Starship U.S.S. Voyager in Paramount Network Television's Star Trek: Voyager for UPN. As captain, it is Janeway's job to keep the crew hopeful as they struggle through the far reaches of the uncharted Delta Quadrant in search of a way home. As the first female to captain a featured lead Star Trek vessel in the franchise's 31- year history, Kate Mulgrew has stepped into television history. In commenting on her role, Mulgrew said, "Beneath Captain Janeway's extraordinary control runs a very deep vein of vulnerability and sensitivity. (She) is the quintessential woman of the future... both commanding and discerning."
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 her arrival, 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 the production of Our Town at the Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Connecticut. 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 the 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.
Mulgrew 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. Mulgrew also starred in Throw Momma from the Train with Danny DeVito and Billy Crystal.
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 for Best Drama. Following this, Mulgrew went on to co-star in the comedy series Man of the People, alongside actor James Garner.
Mulgrew is also a veteran of numerous theatrical productions. She made her Broadway debut in Black Comedy, a play written by Peter Schaeffer that also starred Nancy Marchand and Peter MacNicol. Her other stage credits 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.
Her episodic television series credits include a recurring role as a Boston councilwoman and Sam Malone's love interest on several important episodes of Cheers, and her portrayal of an alcoholic anchorwoman on an episode of Murphy Brown, for which she won the Tracey Humanitarian Award.
The recipient of an Honorary Doctorate of letters for Artistic Contribution from Seton Hall University, Mulgew currently resides in Los Angeles, California, with her two sons, Ian and Alexander.