Katharine McPhee facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Katharine McPhee
McPhee at Celebrity Fight Night in Tucson, Arizona, April 2024
Born	Katharine Hope McPhee (1984-03-25) March 25, 1984 (age 41) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other names	Katharine Foster
Education	Boston Conservatory
Occupation	Actress singer
Years active	2005–present
Spouse(s)	Nick Cokas ​ ​ (m. 2008; div. 2016)​ David Foster ​ (m. 2019)​
Children	1
Musical career
Genres	Pop R&B
Labels	19 RCA Verve Forecast Columbia BMG

Katharine Hope McPhee (born March 25, 1984) is an American actress and singer. She became well-known in May 2006. This was when she finished as the runner-up on the fifth season of American Idol.

Her first album, named Katharine McPhee, came out in January 2007. It quickly reached number two on the Billboard 200 music chart. The first song from the album, "Over It", was a big hit. It was even certified gold, meaning it sold many copies. Her second album, Unbroken, was released in January 2010. It included the song "Had It All". In October 2010, she released a holiday album called Christmas Is the Time to Say I Love You. Later, she released her fourth album, Hysteria, in September 2015. Her fifth album, I Fall in Love Too Easily, came out in November 2017. This album featured classic jazz songs.

Katharine McPhee also has a successful acting career. She appeared in movies like The House Bunny and Shark Night 3D. She played Karen Cartwright in the TV show Smash from 2012 to 2013. She also starred as Paige Dineen in Scorpion from 2014 to 2018. In 2018, she made her debut on Broadway in the musical Waitress. She also performed this role in London's West End in 2019.

Early Life and Beginnings

Katharine McPhee was born in Los Angeles. Her father, Daniel McPhee, worked as a television producer. Her mother, Peisha McPhee, has been a vocal coach for American Idol since 2011. When Katharine was 12, her family moved to the Sherman Oaks area of Los Angeles. Her mother noticed Katharine's singing talent and helped her train. Katharine's older sister, Adriana, also became a vocal coach for American Idol. Katharine has English, Irish, Scottish, and German family roots.

She studied musical theatre at Boston Conservatory for three semesters. She left college early to try out for TV shows in Los Angeles. Before American Idol, Katharine starred as Annie Oakley in a musical called Annie Get Your Gun in 2005. She was even nominated for an award for her performance. She also had a small part in the 2007 movie Crazy.

Career Highlights

American Idol Journey

In 2005, Katharine McPhee decided to audition for American Idol. She sang "God Bless the Child" in San Francisco. She was chosen to be on the fifth season of the show in 2006. During the competition, she sang many songs that impressed the judges. She made it through different rounds, even when she forgot some words during a group performance.

Fans started calling her popularity "McPheever". She worked with famous musicians like David Foster and Andrea Bocelli during the show. In May 2006, her hometown celebrated "Katharine McPhee Day". She finished as the runner-up, with Taylor Hicks winning the season.

Performances and Results

• When Ryan Seacrest announced the results that night, McPhee was placed in the top two.
• When Ryan Seacrest announced the results that night, McPhee was in the bottom two but declared safe when Chris Daughtry was eliminated.

Music and Film Debut (2006–2008)

After American Idol, Katharine McPhee signed with 19 Recordings Limited and RCA Records. Her first single, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/My Destiny", was released in June 2006. "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" became a top 15 hit. She also sang a duet with Andrea Bocelli called "Can't Help Falling in Love".

In 2006, Katharine started a charity called McPhee Outreach. It helps sick children in hospitals with music programs. It also helped build a preschool in Burkina Faso to improve reading skills. Her first album, Katharine McPhee, came out in January 2007. It sold many copies in its first week. The song "Over It" was a popular single from the album.

Katharine also appeared on TV shows like lonelygirl15 and Ugly Betty. In 2008, she appeared on American Idol again to perform with David Foster. She also made her movie debut in The House Bunny in August 2008.

New Music and TV Roles (2009–2010)

In 2009, Katharine signed a new record deal with Verve Forecast Records. She guest-starred on CSI: NY in April 2009. She also took part in a concert honoring Lionel Richie. In October 2009, she joined other actresses in a video to promote breast cancer screenings for Stand Up to Cancer.

Her second album, Unbroken, was released in January 2010. It featured the song "Had It All". She also appeared on The Biggest Loser to talk about fighting hunger. In February 2010, she joined many musicians to record "We Are the World 25 for Haiti" to help earthquake victims in Haiti.

Katharine performed at the White House in March 2010 for International Women's Day. She also guest-starred on the TV show Community. In May 2010, a new version of her song "Terrified" with actor Zachary Levi was released. She also worked with Feeding America to help children who might not have enough food during the summer. Her Christmas album, Christmas Is the Time to Say I Love You, came out in October 2010.

Smash and Other Projects (2011–2013)

In February 2011, Katharine got a main role in the TV show Smash. The show was about putting on a Broadway musical inspired by Marilyn Monroe. NBC decided to make Smash a full series. She also signed a record deal with Columbia Records for the music from Smash.

Katharine co-starred in the movie Shark Night 3D, released in September 2011. She also became a spokesperson for the Malaria No More organization. Smash premiered in February 2012 and was popular. It was renewed for a second season. She also had a voice role in an episode of Family Guy.

She had a small role in the movie Peace, Love & Misunderstanding and a lead role in the romantic comedy You May Not Kiss the Bride. In March 2013, Katharine returned to American Idol to perform with OneRepublic. She also started working on her fourth album. Smash ended after two seasons.

Scorpion and Hysteria (2014–2017)

In November and December 2013, Katharine filmed a movie called In My Dreams for Hallmark Hall of Fame. It was about two people who meet in their dreams. The movie aired in April 2014.

Katharine starred as Paige Dineen in the TV show Scorpion. CBS picked up the show, and it started in September 2014. She also appeared on the web series It Could Be Worse. Her fourth album, Hysteria, was put on hold because of her work on Scorpion.

McPhee at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con

In January 2015, she sang the national anthem before a big football game in Seattle. She also co-hosted a special about Super Bowl commercials. In April 2015, she shared news about her upcoming music video for "Lick My Lips". Her album Hysteria was released in September 2015. She returned to American Idol in March 2016 to perform. In December 2016, she opened for Andrea Bocelli's tour. In April 2017, she performed "Emotion" at a concert honoring the Bee Gees.

Broadway and Recent Work (2017–Present)

In November 2017, Katharine starred in the TV movie The Lost Wife of Robert Durst. Her album I Fall in Love Too Easily, which features classic romantic songs, was released in November 2017.

She made her Broadway debut in Waitress in April 2018, playing the lead role of Jenna. She performed in the show until August 2018. In May 2018, the song "Living in the Moment" was released, which she sang for the movie Book Club. Katharine returned to play Jenna in Waitress in London's West End in 2019. She also came back to the Broadway show from November 2019 until its final performance in January 2020.

In 2021, she played Bailey in the TV series Country Comfort. Also in 2021, she and her husband David Foster competed on The Masked Singer as "Banana Split". Katharine did the singing, and David played instruments. They were eliminated in the Group B Finale.

In November 2022, Katharine and David Foster released a Christmas EP called Christmas Songs. The first song, "Jingle Bell Rock", came out in October 2022. She also launched her own jewelry line, KMF Jewelry, in early November 2022.

Personal Life

Katharine McPhee married Nick Cokas in February 2008. They later separated and their divorce was finalized in February 2016. She also dated her Scorpion co-star Elyes Gabel for about two years.

In June 2018, she became engaged to record producer David Foster. They married on June 28, 2019, in London. Katharine gave birth to their son on February 22, 2021.

Discography

• Katharine McPhee (2007)
• Unbroken (2010)
• Christmas Is the Time to Say I Love You (2010)
• Hysteria (2015)
• I Fall in Love Too Easily (2017)
• Christmas Songs (with David Foster) (2023)

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Stage Performances

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Katharine McPhee para niños