Catherine Tate facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Catherine Tate
Tate at the 2019 GalaxyCon Raleigh
Born	Catherine Jane Ford (1969-12-05) 5 December 1969 (age 55) Bloomsbury, London, England
Education	Notre Dame High School, Southwark Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
Occupation	Actress comedian writer
Years active	1991–present
Spouse(s)	Jeff Gutheim (married since at least 2018)
Children	1
Signature

Catherine Tate (born Catherine Jane Ford, 5 December 1969) is a famous English actress, comedian, and writer. She is well-known for her funny characters on The Catherine Tate Show (2004–2007) on BBC Two. She won many awards for this show.

Catherine Tate also played Donna Noble in the science fiction series Doctor Who. She was the Doctor's companion in 2008 and returned for special episodes in 2023. After her own show, she starred as "Nan" in Catherine Tate's Nan and The Nan Movie. She also appeared in the U.S. sitcom The Office as Nellie Bertram.

You might also know her voice as Magica De Spell in Disney's DuckTales. In recent years, she has created and starred in new sitcoms like Hard Cell (2022) and Queen of Oz (2023). She has also acted in several films, including Gulliver's Travels and Monte Carlo.

Early Life and Education

Catherine Tate was born in Bloomsbury, London, on 5 December 1969. Her mother, Josephine, was a florist. Catherine grew up in a home mostly with women, including her mother and grandmother. She has said that one of her characters, Margaret, who gets scared easily, is based on her mother.

As a child, Catherine had obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This meant she had strong, repeated thoughts or actions. For example, she worried about leaving a jumper on the floor because it might bring bad luck to her mother.

She went to St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School and then Notre Dame High School. By her teenage years, she knew she wanted to be an actress. She later studied at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Before that, she briefly attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School but left because she felt it was too competitive. She was also a member of the National Youth Theatre.

Catherine Ford changed her name to Catherine Tate when she became a professional actress. She chose "Tate" from a character named Jessica Tate in the American TV show Soap.

Career Highlights

Starting Out: Theatre and TV

Catherine Tate began her acting career in theatre. From 1988 to 1990, she toured with the National Youth Theatre. She also performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Her first TV role was in the sitcom Surgical Spirit in 1991. She also appeared in dramas like The Bill and London's Burning.

In 1996, Catherine started doing stand-up comedy. She co-wrote and starred in Barking (1998), a sketch show. She also appeared in other comedy shows like The Harry Hill Show. In 2001, she had her own successful one-woman show at the Edinburgh Festival. This led to her first major TV role as Angela in Wild West (2002–2004).

The Catherine Tate Show and Doctor Who

Tate in 2005

After being noticed at the Edinburgh Festival, Catherine Tate got her own show on BBC Two in 2004. It was called The Catherine Tate Show. She wrote and starred in it, playing many different characters. Two of her most famous characters were the sassy teenager Lauren Cooper and the grumpy grandmother Joanie "Nan" Taylor. The show was a big hit.

Her character Lauren Cooper became very popular, and her catchphrase "Am I bovvered?" was even named "Word of the Year". Catherine Tate won a British Comedy Award for her work on the show.

In 2006, Catherine Tate joined Doctor Who as Donna Noble. She first appeared in the Christmas special "The Runaway Bride". She then became the Doctor's main companion in the fourth series in 2008. Fans loved her funny and strong character. She returned for special episodes in 2009 and 2023.

Tate with her Doctor Who co-star David Tennant in 2011

Films and Other TV Roles

Catherine Tate has acted in many films. These include Love and Other Disasters (2006), Mrs Ratcliffe's Revolution (2007), and Gulliver's Travels (2010) with Jack Black. She also starred in Monte Carlo (2011) with Selena Gomez.

From 2011 to 2013, she had a recurring role as Nellie Bertram in the American version of The Office. She also played Miss Sarah Postern in the BBC One sitcom Big School (2013–2014).

Her character Nan from The Catherine Tate Show got her own spin-off series, Catherine Tate's Nan, which aired from 2014 to 2015. She loves playing Nan because of the fun transformation and the character's ability to be cheeky.

Tate at Raleigh Supercon in 2018

In 2016, Catherine Tate started touring British theatres with The Catherine Tate Show Live. She brought back many of her popular characters for live audiences. She also toured Australia and New Zealand with the show.

She voiced the villainous sorceress Magica De Spell in the animated series DuckTales (2017–2021). Her Doctor Who co-star, David Tennant, voiced Scrooge McDuck in the same show.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, she brought back Lauren Cooper for a special sketch in The Big Night In telethon. Nan also returned for a Comic Relief sketch with Daniel Craig as James Bond, and later in The Nan Movie (2022).

In 2022, she starred in Hard Cell, a Netflix sitcom set in a women's prison, where she played six different characters. She also co-directed and co-wrote the series. In 2023, she starred in Queen of Oz, a BBC One sitcom where she played a disgraced princess sent to rule Australia.

In May 2023, Catherine Tate was the UK's spokesperson for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 final.

Personal Life

Catherine Tate has a daughter, who was born in January 2003. After her daughter was born, Catherine experienced a period of feeling very sad and tired. She has also mentioned that she sometimes feels very anxious.

Catherine Tate is married to American screenwriter Jeff Gutheim. They have been married since at least 2018. She can speak both French and Spanish fluently.

Charity Work

Tate at the Joe Glover Trust charity event in 2010

Catherine Tate is a supporter of several charities. She is a patron of the Laura Crane Youth Cancer Trust, which helps young people with cancer. She has supported this charity since 2006. She also supports the Addie Brady Foundation, which raises money for research into brain tumours in children.

Since 2005, she has often supported the BBC's charity telethons, Children in Need and Comic Relief. She has appeared in many sketches and a music video for these events. She has performed live as her characters Lauren Cooper and Nan for Comic Relief.

Catherine Tate is also a big animal lover. She has said that if she wasn't an actress, she would work with animals. She has supported the animal rescue centre Battersea Dogs & Cats Home and has adopted cats from there. In 2018, she presented a documentary called Saving the British Bulldog, which looked at health issues affecting this dog breed.

Filmography

Film

Television

Acting Credits

Key

Denotes productions that have not yet been released

Presenting and Game Show Credits

Theatre

Awards and Nominations

Catherine Tate has won many awards for her comedy and acting.

See also

In Spanish: Catherine Tate para niños