Katharine Juliet Ross (born January 29, 1940) is an American actress on film, stage, and television. Her accolades include an Academy Award nomination, a BAFTA Award, and two Golden Globe Awards. A native of Los Angeles, Ross spent most of her early life in the San Francisco Bay Area. She made her film debut in the Civil War-themed drama
Shenandoah (1965), and had supporting parts in
Mister Buddwing (1965) and
The Singing Nun (1966) before being cast in Curtis Harrington's
Games (1967), a thriller co-starring James Caan and Simone Signoret. At Signoret's recommendation, Ross was cast as Elaine Robinson in Mike Nichols' comedy-drama
The Graduate (1967), which saw her receive significant critical acclaim, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, a BAFTA nomination, and Golden Globe win for New Star of the Year. In 1968 Ross co-starred in the John Wayne movie
()