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
Occupation	Actress singer dancer model
Years active	1995–present
Known for	Playing Bonnie Bennett on The Vampire Diaries
Spouse(s)	Bryant Wood ​ (m. 2023)​
Children	1
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, known as Kat Graham, is a talented actress, singer, dancer, and activist. She was born in Geneva, Switzerland, on September 5, 1989. Many know her 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 several movies like The Parent Trap, 17 Again, and All Eyez on Me. Besides acting, she has released music, including two EPs and four studio albums.

Kat Graham's Early Life and Family Background

Kat Graham was born in Geneva, Switzerland, on September 5, 1989. She grew up in Los Angeles, California, in the United States. Her father, Joseph, has roots in Liberia, and her mother, Natasha, was from a Jewish family with origins in Poland and Russia.

Kat's father worked in the music industry. Her grandfather was a UN Ambassador for 40 years, working in many countries. Kat has shared that her grandparents were refugees. This experience inspired her to become a Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, helping people who have had to leave their homes.

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

Kat Graham's Career Journey

Starting Out: Commercials and Dance Moves

Kat Graham began her career in entertainment when she was just 6 years old. For the next eight years, she appeared in many TV commercials. These included ads for popular brands like Barbie, K-Mart, and Pop-Tarts.

When she was 15, a famous choreographer named Fatima Robinson noticed Kat. Kat was then asked to dance for hip-hop artist Bow Wow at the BET Awards. After this, she danced for other big names like Missy Elliott, Pharrell Williams, and Jamie Foxx.

At 17, Kat joined a national ad campaign for Coca-Cola's Fanta soda. She was one of the "Fantanas", playing the character Capri (Strawberry). Kat has also appeared in many music videos for artists such as Justin Bieber, Usher, and Nelly.

Acting Roles: TV Shows and Movies

Kat Graham in June 2013

Kat's first movie role was in 1998 in The Parent Trap, where she played Jackie. She also appeared in the Disney Channel show Lizzie McGuire in 2002. Over the years, she acted in many TV series, including CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The O.C., and Hannah Montana. She also had roles in movies like 17 Again and The Roommate.

In 2009, Kat got a big role in The CW series The Vampire Diaries. She played Bonnie Bennett, a young witch, which became her most famous role. The show was very popular and ran until 2017. Kat won a "Choice TV Female Scene Stealer" award at the Teen Choice Awards in 2011 for her work on the show.

Kat also starred in the dance movie Honey 2 in 2011. She played Maria Ramirez, a dancer who joins a crew. In 2017, she played Jada Pinkett Smith in the movie All Eyez on Me.

More recently, Kat has appeared in several Netflix romantic comedy films. These include The Holiday Calendar (2018), Operation Christmas Drop (2020), and Love in the Villa (2022). She also acted in the thriller How It Ends (2018). Kat is set to play the famous singer Diana Ross in the upcoming Michael Jackson movie Michael.

In 2022, Kat competed on The Masked Singer as "Robo-Girl". She performed well before being eliminated on "Muppet Night".

Music Career and Albums

Kat Graham

In 2002, Kat wrote a song called "Derailed" for a movie. In 2006, she started her music career. She gained attention in 2007 when she was featured on songs by will.i.am from The Black Eyed Peas. This led to her touring the world with The Black Eyed Peas.

Kat released her first single, "Sassy," in 2010. She also released covers of songs by artists like Janet Jackson and Paula Abdul. In 2012, she signed a record deal and released the song "Put Your Graffiti On Me". This song was popular on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart. She also performed it on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Her first EP, Against The Wall, came out in 2012. Kat released her first studio album, Roxbury Drive, in 2015. Her second album, Love Music Funk Magic, followed in 2017.

In 2021, Kat introduced a new musical identity called Toro Gato. Under this name, she released the EP Toro Gato and Toro Gato Pt. II in 2022. These projects explored her West African heritage. Her fourth album, Long Hot Summer, was released in June 2022. She also announced her first solo world tour in partnership with GLAAD. In September 2023, Kat announced "The TIME World Tour 2023/2024" to perform songs from her entire career.

Other Ventures and Projects

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

She co-founded a wellness company called Modern Nirvana in 2019 with Frank Elaridi and Bryant Wood. In 2022, they released The Modern Nirvana Oracle Deck, a guide to awaken intuition.

Kat also hosted The Consciousness Collective Podcast with Deepak Chopra from 2019 to 2020. In November 2023, she released her self-help book titled Seasons of You.

Artistic Influences

Kat Graham has shared that many artists have inspired her music. These include Destiny's Child, The Beatles, Janet Jackson, M.I.A., Gwen Stefani, Spice Girls, Madonna, Grace Jones, and Prince. She describes her own music style as "vintage '90s with a modern twist."

Personal Life Highlights

Kat Graham is multilingual, meaning she speaks several languages. She speaks English, French, and Spanish, and also knows some Hebrew and Portuguese.

Kat married her business partner, Bryant Wood, in Los Angeles in October 2023. In March 2026, the couple welcomed a son.

She has been a vegan since 2012, after being vegetarian for some time. Since 2017, Kat has lived in Atlanta, Georgia.

Filmography

Film

Television

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

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 Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Kat Graham para niños