Kate Burton

On Broadway, in the hit show "Spring Awakening" playing all the adult female roles. She had worked on the musical before when it was in workshop. [January 2008]

Performing in Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard in Boston's Huntington Theater. [January 2006]

Played the mother of Ellen Pompeo on TV show Grey's Anatomy (2005), although Kate was 12 years older than Ellen.

In 2002, she was nominated for two Tony Awards: as Best Actress (Play) for portraying the title character in a revival of Henrik Ibsen's "Hedda Gabler," and as Best Actress (Featured Role - Play) for a revival of "The Elephant Man". This made her one of only three actors (the others are Amanda Plummer and Dana Ivey) to be Tony-nominated for two acting awards in the same year.

Co-starred with her father, Richard Burton in the critically-received CBS miniseries Ellis Island (1984). He died shortly thereafter.

She earned her master's at Yale Drama School (1983).

Met future husband Michael Ritchie while she was making her Broadway debut in "Present Laughter" in 1982. He was the stage manager.

Swiss-born Welsh-American actress Kate Burton is the daughter of Welsh actors Richard Burton and Sybil Williams. She graduated Brown University (1979), majoring in Russian studies and European history. She served on the board of 'Production Workshop', the university's student-run theater group.