Erbe has appeared on Broadway in The Grapes of Wrath, A Month in the Country and The Speed of Darkness, earning a 1991 Tony nomination for the latter performance.
She may be best known as Det. Alexandra Eames on "Law & Order: Criminal Intent." Other screen work includes "Rich in Love," "Kiss of Death," "Chicken Soup," "Homicide: Life on the Street" and "Oz."
Full given name: | Kathryn Elsbeth Erbe |
Where you were born/where you were raised: | Born in Boston, MA. Grew up in Newton, MA. |
Zodiac Sign: | Cancer |
What your parents did/do for a living: | Dad: Research Geneticist Mom: Actuary and Landscape Preservationist |
Special skills: | Making the best of "challenging situations" |
Something you're REALLY bad at: | Promoting myself! |
First Broadway show you ever saw: | The Rink with Chita Rivera. Growing up in the Boston area we saw many tours of shows: Annie, A Chorus Line.
But the first true Broadway show I remember seeing was The Rink on a high school trip to see theatre in New York. |
If you could go back in time and catch any performance, what would it be? | A Streetcar Named Desire with Marlon Brando, Jessica Tandy and Kim Hunter |
Current show—other than your own—that you have been recommending to friends: | War Horse |
Favorite showtune(s) of all time: | "And I Am Telling You” from Dreamgirls |
Some favorite modern musicals: | The Book of Mormon, A Chorus Line |
Some favorite contemporary playwrights: | Sam Shepard, Daniel Talbott, Moira Buffini, Theresa Rebeck |
Stage or screen stars of the past you would most have loved to perform with: | There are so many, but the one who just came to mind is Lynn Redgrave. I would love to have a chance to work with her again on stage or on any screen. She was one of my heroes, as an artist but especially as a person and a MOM. |
The one performance – attended - that you will never forget: | Balm in Gilead, Steppenwolf at Circle Repertory (1984) |
Music that makes you cry, any genre: | At the moment, Patti Griffin's "Flaming Red" and "Living With Ghosts." I am using both albums to prepare for Yosemite before every performance. |
Your personal acting idols: | Jessica Lange, Laurie Metcalf, Sissy Spacek |
MAC or PC? | MAC!!!! |
Most played song on your iPod: | At the moment, "N**gas In Paris" by Jay-Z and Kanye West. It makes me feel ballsy and like I could run another 5 miles... |
Most-visited websites: | barneys.com (I am a late night shopping addict) cartoonnetwork.com (my son plays the games) |
Last book you read: | “The Corrections” (after reading "Freedom" and loving it) |
Must-see TV show(s): | "American Horror Story" "Dexter" "The Wire" "Friday Night Lights" "Modern Family" "Arrested Development" |
Last good movie you saw: | "Tree of Life" |
Some films you consider classics: | "To Kill a Mockingbird" "On the Waterfront" "Tree of Life" |
Performer you would drop everything to go see: | Jessica Lange |
Pop culture guilty pleasure: | The Sunday Styles section of The New York Times |
Favorite cities: | NYC, Paris, London |
First CD/Tape/LP you owned: | Honestly, probably a Sesame Street album or Mister Rogers, but I wore out my copy of the Annie soundtrack. |
First stage kiss: | Playing Stella and kissing Stanley at Steppenwolf |
Moment you knew you wanted to perform for a living: | In kindergarten, playing the Little Red Hen |
How you got your Equity card: | The first play I was ever paid to do was The Grapes Of Wrath, with Steppenwolf, on Broadway. |
Favorite pre-/post- show meal: (note where) | French Fries at Cafe Un Deux Trois |
Favorite liquid refreshment: | Water |
Pre-show rituals or warm-ups: | Yoga, reading the script, listening to music |
Worst flubbed line/missed cue/onstage mishap: | In The Grapes of Wrath I played "the woman who gets shot in Hooverville," and one night the gun didn't go off. Thankfully, I chose to stay "in the moment" and not pretend I got shot anyway. I actually considered pretending the gun went off! SO embarrassing !!!!! |
Worst costume ever: | Curlers in Breathing Lessons |
What drew you back to the stage and this role? | Yosemite blew me away after reading it for the first time. I knew in my gut I wanted to be a part of it. I fell in love with the characters and their story. I was terrified of the emotional journey but knew I needed to do it anyway, or actually because it was so scary. I crave acting onstage and have missed it terribly. |
A few of your favorite screen roles: | Maggie in "Stirs Of Echoes," Lucille in "Rich In Love," Liz in "Dream with the Fishes" |
Something about you that surprises people: | That I was a high school drop-out at 16 who ended up going to an alternative HS, graduating and going on to NYU. |
Career you would want if not a performer: | Teacher |
Three things you can't live without: | My kids (that's two) and books |
"I'll never understand why…" | ... life isn't FAIR! |
Words of advice for aspiring performers: | Do everything you can to feel good about yourself and don't let rejection discourage you! |