Kathleen Wilhoite is an American actress best known for portraying ‘Arabella McGee in J. Lee Thompson’s 1986 suspense film ‘Murphy’s Law’. In the 1980s, she starred in numerous films and television programs as either the primary or secondary protagonist. In addition to being a successful actor, she is also a talented singer-songwriter. She began singing as a child and rapidly began creating songs; at the age of sixteen, she became the youngest member of the Santa Barbara Songwriters Guild. In her successful career, Kathleen has performed as an actress or provided background playback in over seventy films and has also made her mark in the television industry by appearing in over thirty-five television episodes. Despite all of her accomplishments, her acting career has not always been smooth; she has encountered numerous obstacles that she has successfully overcome. Despite being praised for her natural beauty and sex appeal, she has intentionally fought being pigeonholed as a sex symbol and has played several challenging roles in her career, portraying tough characters in shows such as ‘L.A. Law’ and ‘ER’.
Kathleen Wilhoite’s Career
Kathleen Wilhoite’s interest in singing began at a very young age. When she was in the first grade, she began singing in the church chorus. As she grew older, music continued to play a larger role in her life, and she began performing on stage and joined a backing choir group called The Carpenters at the Santa Barbara County Bowl. During these years, Kathleen began taking piano lessons and penning lyrics.
She soon began participating in her high school’s theatrical plays. Kathleen was a member of the ‘Boogie Woogie Bugle Girls, a harmony group in which she sang and wrote songs, and at the age of 16, she became the youngest member of the Santa Barbara Songwriters Guild.
After completing her education, she grew more interested in acting than singing and opted to enroll at the USC Drama School.
In 1983, she received her first opportunity to participate in a film and went on to play ‘Betsy’ in the film Private School. Kathleen never had to wait for her next opportunity after making her film business debut, as she participated in numerous films and television programs during the 1980s.
She acted and sang playback in a number of television programs, including ‘AfterMASH,’ ‘Family Ties,’ ‘The Jeffersons,’ ‘Cagney & Lacey,’ ‘CBS Schoolbreak Special,’ ‘Heart of the City,’ and ‘Throb’.
During this time, Kathleen Wilhoite also appeared in several films opposite renowned actors such as Charles Bronson in 1986’s “Murphy’s Law,” Jane Fonda in 1986’s “The Morning After,” and Robert De Niro in 1987’s “Angel Heart.” During the 1990s, she played hard characters such as ‘Chloe Lewis’ in ‘ER.’
After establishing her reputation as an actress, she chose to pursue a singing career, but her deal with Mercury Records fell through. She continued her acting career with a number of supporting appearances in television and film productions such as ‘Nurse Betty,’ ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,’ and ‘L.A. Doctors.’
During this time, she also released two albums, ‘Pitch Like a Girl’ under Daves’ Record Company and ‘Shiva’ under Ruby Ray Records, thereby reviving her singing career. Later in 2006, she performed in ‘Stop Yellin,’ a one-woman show that featured autobiographical monologues and songs from her two albums.
Kathleen Wilhoite’s Personal Life
Kathleen Wilhoite was born on June 29, 1964, in Santa Barbara, California. She attended Santa Barbara Junior High School in 1977 and then USC Drama School to pursue a career in acting.
Kathleen wed producer and drummer David Harte in 1997, and they have three children together.
Estimated Net Worth
American actress and singer-songwriter Kathleen Wilhoite have a net worth of $3 million. Kathleen Wilhoite was born in June 1964 in Santa Barbara, California. Wilhoite published the albums Pitch Like a Girl in 1997 and Shiva in 2000 as a singer-songwriter, and her songs have appeared in films and television shows.