# K Callan

Katherine Elizabeth Callan (née Borman; born January 9) is an American actress and writer, known for playing Clark Kent's mother Martha in the ABC television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. She has most recently appeared as Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, in the Christian historical drama The Chosen.

## Early years

Callan was born on January 9 in Dallas, Texas. When she was 5 years old, she felt that she wanted to act. She did so in school, and as a student at North Texas State University at Denton, she studied drama. She went on to teach drama at a Catholic girls' school, and she began a children's theatre.

## Career

Callan first appeared on television in an episode of Route 66 that happened to be shooting in Dallas. She resumed her on-camera career in 1970, guest-starring in roles on One Day at a Time, St. Elsewhere, Carnivàle, JAG, Coach and King of the Hill. She played a key role in the Emmy Award-winning episode "Cousin Liz" of All in the Family and portrayed the mother of April Stevens Ewing in several episodes of the penultimate season of Dallas. She played Daisy LaRue in the TV show Meet the Browns and appeared as Mrs. Monroe, Gabe Duncan's teacher, in Good Luck Charlie. She also appeared in the third-season finale of Desperate Housewives as Ilene Britt, the mother of Edie Britt (Nicollette Sheridan), and has portrayed Lily's maternal grandmother on several episodes of How I Met Your Mother. She played the part of Charlie (as an elderly woman) in Heroes for one episode.
She appeared in the films Joe (1970), A Touch of Class (1973), The Onion Field (1979), American Gigolo (1980), A Change of Seasons (1980), Fast-Walking (1982), and Knives Out (2019), as well as the 1972 television adaptation of the 1966 Lanford Wilson play The Rimers of Eldritch.
She has written several books, including The Los Angeles Agent, The Script Is Finished, Now What Do I Do?, Directing Your Directing Career, and How to Sell Yourself as an Actor. She received her acting training at HB Studio in New York City.
Callan made TV commercials for products, including Anacin, Endust, Geritol, and Sanka.

## Personal life

Callan was married to and divorced from author James Ruskin Callan. The couple have three children, Jamie Callan, Kelly Callan, and Kristi Callan.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1970 | Joe | Mary Lou Curran | as K. Callan |
| 1971 | Lady Liberty | Subway Lady | Uncredited |
| 1972 | Hail | Mrs. Burd | |
| 1973 | A Touch of Class | Patty Menkes | as K Callan |
| 1979 | Fast Break | Ms. Tidwell | |
| 1979 | The Onion Field | Mrs. Powell | |
| 1980 | American Gigolo | Lisa Williams | |
| 1980 | A Change of Seasons | Alice Bingham | |
| 1982 | Fast-Walking | Motel Manager | |
| 1991 | The Unborn | Martha Wellington | |
| 1991 | Frankie and Johnny | Frankie's Mother | |
| 1998 | Border to Border | Mrs. Piston | |
| 1999 | A Fare to Remember | Ginny | |
| 2002 | Devious Beings | Lady Jane | |
| 2005 | Nine Lives | Marisa | |
| 2005 | Crazylove | Mrs. Hallstrom | |
| 2006 | Midnight Clear | Eva | |
| 2007 | Coyote County Loser | Maggie Hopps | |
| 2010 | Why Did I Get Married Too? | Ms. Tannenbaum | |
| 2012 | Not That Funny | Toogey Richmonde | |
| 2013 | Samuel Bleak | Elaine | |
| 2019 | Knives Out | Wanetta "Great Nana" Thrombey | |
| 2023 | Pie in the Sky | Mama | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1962 | Route 66 | Western Union Operator | Episode: "Aren't You Surprised to See Me?" |
| 1972 | Great Performances | Evelyn Jackson | Episode: "The Rimers of Eldritch" |
| 1976–1977 | One Day at a Time | Alice Butterfield | 4 episodes |
| 1977 | Barney Miller | Gwen Baxter | Episode: "Fire '77" |
| 1977 | The Four of Us | Marie | unsold pilot |
| 1977 | Fish | Mrs. Lester | 2 episodes |
| 1977 | All in the Family | Veronica Cartwright | Episode: "Cousin Liz" |
| 1977 | James at 16 | Mrs. Stevens | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 1977 | Rhoda | Dr. Sanders | Episode: "Who's Why" |
| 1978 | Family | Sophie Sullivan | Episode: "Starting Over" |
| 1979 | Ike: The War Years | Mrs. Westerfield | Two-part TV movie |
| 1979 | Blind Ambition | Mrs. Kleindienst | TV Miniseries |
| 1979–1980 | Joe's World | Katie Wabash | Regular role |
| 1982 | Police Squad! | Charlotte Burton | Episode: "The Butler Did It (A Bird in the Hand)" |
| 1983 | Cutter to Houston | Connie Buford | Regular role |
| 1983 | Knots Landing | Mrs. Dunne | Episode: "The Fatal Blow" |
| 1983 | Newhart | Janet Ebersol | Episode: The Visitors |
| 1985 | Hollywood Wives | Catherine | TV Miniseries |
| 1985 | St. Elsewhere | Patty Galecki | 2 episodes |
| 1986 | Moonlighting | Carolyn Kandinsky | Episode: In God We Strongly Suspect |
| 1986 | It's a Living | Dot's Mom | Episode: Oddest Couple |
| 1987 | Highway to Heaven | Mrs. Lowell | Episode: Normal People |
| 1989 | Quantum Leap | Lenore Mackenzie | Episode: "The Americanization of Machiko - August 4, 1953" |
| 1990 | Dallas | Amy Stevens | 4 episodes |
| 1993–1997 | Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman | Martha Kent | Regular role |
| 1993 | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | Alsia | Episode:"Rivals" |
| 2000 | Diagnosis: Murder | Various roles | One episode |
| 2000–2003 | King of the Hill | Tilly Hill (voice) | 3 episodes |
| 2003–2005 | Carnivale | Eleanor McGill | Recurring role, 8 episodes |
| 2006 | Cold Case | Helen Russell | Episode "The Hen House" |
| 2007 | Desperate Housewives | Ilene Britt | Episode "Getting Married Today" |
| 2007–2012 | How I Met Your Mother | Grandma Lois | 3 episodes |
| 2009–2010 | Meet the Browns | Miss Daisy/Daisy LaRue | 20 episodes |
| 2011, 2020 | NCIS | various roles | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Getting On | Susan Dayward | 3 episodes |
| 2016 | Veep | Judy Sherman | Recurring role |
| 2017 | Grey's Anatomy | Janis | One episode |
| 2021 | Brooklyn Nine-Nine | Carol | 1 episode |
| 2023 | Poker Face | Betty | Episode "Time of the Monkey" |