Kat Graham facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kat Graham
Kat Graham at Essence Festival of Culture 2025
Born	Katerina Alexandre Hartford Graham (1989-09-05) September 5, 1989 (age 36) Geneva, Switzerland
Nationality	American
Occupation	Actress singer dancer model
Years active	1998–present
Known for	Playing Bonnie Bennett on The Vampire Diaries
Spouse(s)	Bryant Wood ​ (m. 2023)​
Musical career
Also known as	Toro Gato
Genres	R&B pop hip hop soul dance
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1998–present
Labels	A&M/Octone (2012–2013) Interscope (2014–2015) Sound Zoo (2015–present)

Katerina Alexandre Hartford Graham (born September 5, 1989), known as Kat Graham, is an American actress, singer, dancer, and activist. She is best known for her role as Bonnie Bennett in the popular TV show The Vampire Diaries, which aired from 2009 to 2017. Kat has also appeared in many movies, including The Parent Trap (1998), 17 Again (2009), and All Eyez on Me (2017). Besides acting, she has released several music albums and EPs.

Growing Up: Kat Graham's Early Life

Katerina Alexandre Hartford Graham was born on September 5, 1989, in Geneva, Switzerland. She grew up in Los Angeles, California, in the United States. Her father, Joseph, has roots in Americo-Liberian culture, and her mother, Natasha, was Jewish.

Kat's father worked in the music industry and later became a journalist for the United Nations. Her paternal grandfather was a UN Ambassador for 40 years. Kat's grandparents on both sides were refugees, which inspired her to become a Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, helping others.

Her parents divorced when she was 5 years old. Kat was raised in her mother's Jewish faith and attended a Hebrew school. She also has a half-brother named Yakov, who was born in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Her Exciting Career Journey

Starting Out: Commercials and Dance

Kat Graham began her career in entertainment at just 6 years old. Over the next eight years, she appeared in many TV commercials for brands like Barbie, K-Mart, and Pop-Tarts.

When she was 15, famous choreographer Fatima Robinson noticed Kat. She was invited to perform as a background dancer for rapper Bow Wow at the BET Awards. After that, Kat danced for other big artists like Missy Elliott, Pharrell Williams, and Jamie Foxx. At 17, she became one of the "Fantanas" (Capri, or Strawberry) in a national campaign for Coca-Cola's Fanta soda. She also appeared in many music videos for various artists.

Acting on TV and in Movies

Kat Graham in June 2013

In 1998, Kat made her movie debut in The Parent Trap with Lindsay Lohan, playing a camper named Jackie. She then appeared on TV shows like Lizzie McGuire (2002), CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The O.C., and Hannah Montana (2008–2009).

A big moment in her career came in March 2009 when she was cast in The Vampire Diaries. She played Bonnie Bennett, a powerful young witch, which became her most famous role. The show was very popular and ran until 2017. Kat won "Choice TV Female Scene Stealer" at the Teen Choice Awards in 2011 for her work on the show.

Kat also starred in the dance film Honey 2 (2011) and played actress Jada Pinkett Smith in the movie All Eyez on Me (2017). More recently, she appeared in Netflix romantic comedies like The Holiday Calendar (2018), Operation Christmas Drop (2020), and Love in the Villa (2022). She also played "Robo-Girl" on The Masked Singer in 2022. Kat is also set to play singer Diana Ross in the upcoming Michael Jackson movie, Michael.

Kat Graham's Music Career

Kat Graham

Kat started her music career in 2006. She was featured on songs by will.i.am in 2007 and even toured with The Black Eyed Peas. She released her first single, "Sassy," in 2010.

In 2012, Kat signed with A&M/Octone Records and released her popular single "Put Your Graffiti On Me." This song reached #5 on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart. She performed it on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and released her first EP, Against The Wall, which did well on the iTunes charts.

She has released four studio albums: Roxbury Drive (2015), Love Music Funk Magic (2017), Toro Gato: Part II (Deluxe Edition) (2022), and Long Hot Summer (2022). For her "Toro Gato" project, she explored her West African heritage and released music as a new identity. In 2022, she announced her first solo world tour, and in 2023, she announced "The TIME World Tour 2023/2024" to perform songs from her entire career.

Beyond Acting: Other Projects

In 2011, Kat Graham released her first book of poems, The Blue Sky Chronicles.

She also co-founded a wellness company called Modern Nirvana in 2019. With her partners, she released The Modern Nirvana Oracle Deck in 2022, which helps people awaken their intuition. From 2019 to 2020, she co-hosted The Consciousness Collective Podcast with Deepak Chopra.

In 2023, Kat released a self-help book titled Seasons of You.

Her Musical Style and Inspirations

Kat Graham gets her musical inspiration from many artists, including Destiny's Child, The Beatles, Janet Jackson, Madonna, and Prince. She describes her music as having a "vintage '90s with a modern twist" sound.

Kat Graham's Life Off-Screen

Because she grew up speaking different languages, Kat can speak English, French, and Spanish, and also knows some Hebrew and Portuguese.

In October 2023, Kat married her business partner, Bryant Wood, in Los Angeles. In December 2025, Graham announced that she and her husband were expecting their first child.

Kat has been a vegan since 2012, after being vegetarian for some time. Since 2017, she has lived in Atlanta, Georgia. In a 2023 interview, Graham shared that her mother had passed away.

Movies and TV Shows

Film Appearances

Television Roles

Her Music Albums and Songs

Studio Albums

Extended Plays

Singles

As Lead Artist

As Featured Artist

Music Videos

As Lead Artist

As Featured Artist

Tours and Performances

• The Fantanas (2004–2006)
• The Black Eyed Peas Black Blue & You Tour (2007)
• The Vampire Diaries Tour – Q&A With The Cast (2010)
• 2012 National Promo Tour (2012)
• Long Hot Summer World Tour (2022)
• The TIME Tour (2023–2024)

Awards and Recognitions

See also

In Spanish: Kat Graham para niños