Katherine McNamara facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Katherine McNamara
McNamara in November 2014
Born	(1995-11-22) November 22, 1995 (age 29) Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Alma mater	Drexel University
Occupation	Actress, singer
Years active	2007–present

Katherine McNamara (born November 22, 1995) is an American actress and singer. She is well-known for her roles in popular TV shows and movies. Katherine played Clary Fray in the supernatural drama series Shadowhunters from 2016 to 2019. For this role, she won a Teen Choice Award and a People's Choice Award.

In 2022, she starred as Abby Walker in the western action series Walker: Independence. This role earned her a nomination for a Critics Choice Super Award. She also played Mia Smoak in the superhero series Arrow. Katherine was also Julie Lawry in the miniseries The Stand. Her movie roles include Lily Bowman in New Year's Eve (2011). She was also Rosa in A Sort of Homecoming (2015). Katherine played Sonya in the Maze Runner science fiction movies. In 2021, she was Amy in the thriller movie Trust.

Early Life and Education

Katherine McNamara was born in Kansas City, Missouri. She is the only child of Ursula and Evan McNamara. Her parents served in the U.S. military. Katherine grew up in Lee's Summit, Missouri. In 2011, she moved to Los Angeles, California.

Katherine was a very smart student. She was partly homeschooled for some subjects. She earned her high school diploma when she was only 14 years old. At age 17, Katherine graduated with high honors from Drexel University. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. She did much of her college work online. In 2017, she shared that she was studying for a master's degree online. This program was in literature at Johns Hopkins University.

Acting Career

Katherine McNamara started her acting on stage in Kansas City. She then worked on movies filmed in the Kansas City area. These included Matchmaker Mary in 2008. In 2010, she was in a Broadway show called A Little Night Music. She acted alongside famous stars like Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Katherine began making guest appearances on TV shows. These included Law & Order: SVU and 30 Rock. She also appeared in the Disney Channel movie Girl vs. Monster. In that movie, she played Myra Santelli. She co-starred in Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn. She played Becky Thatcher, Tom's girlfriend. Katherine also appeared in independent films like Contest.

McNamara in an interview with Mingle Media in 2014

She had a recurring role as Claire in the Disney XD series Kickin' It. Claire was a rival to Kim. She also appeared in two episodes of the Disney Channel series Jessie. She played Bryn Brietbart, a rival to Emma Ross. Katherine also appeared in an episode of the Nickelodeon series The Thundermans.

In 2015, Katherine was chosen to play the main character, Clary Fray. This was for the TV show Shadowhunters. The show was based on the popular book series The Mortal Instruments. Katherine also appeared in the Maze Runner movie sequel. She played Sonya in Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials. She played Sonya again in the 2018 sequel, Maze Runner: The Death Cure.

In 2018, Katherine joined the cast of Arrow. She played Mia Smoak, the daughter of Oliver Queen. She became a regular cast member for the final season of Arrow. In 2021, Katherine returned as Mia Queen in The Flash Season 8.

In 2019, Katherine was cast as Julie Lawry in The Stand. This was a limited series based on a Stephen King book. In 2020, Katherine helped make Untitled Horror Movie. The cast filmed it remotely due to COVID-19 rules. In 2021, she lent her voice to a horror podcast called The Burned Photo. She also voiced a character in the animated film The Adventures of Bunny Bravo.

In 2022, Katherine was cast as the lead in Walker: Independence. This show is a prequel to the series Walker. She plays Abby Walker, an ancestor of Cordell Walker. She also started hosting a Shadowhunters rewatch podcast. It is called Return to the Shadows.

In 2024, Katherine starred as a rookie U.S. Secret Service agent. This was in the film Air Force One Down. She also finished filming a movie called Coyote in Colombia.

Singing Career

Katherine McNamara has sung songs for movies and TV shows she appeared in. She wrote and sang "Chatter" for the movie Contest. She also made a music video for the song. She wrote "My Heart Can Fly" for the movie Little Savages. Her character sings this song in a talent show.

She sang "Wait for You" for the movie A Sort of Homecoming. This song played at the end of the movie. She also sang "Stay True" for R.L. Stine's Monsterville: Cabinet of Souls. Her song "Ember" was played during an episode of Shadowhunters.

In 2019, Katherine was the voice of singer Sally Jessup. This was for an animated Christmas special called "Spirit of Christmas". It was part of the DreamWorks series Spirit Riding Free on Netflix. She also sang several songs in the special.

In 2020, Katherine released "What Do We Got to Lose" on music platforms. Her song "Making a Monster Out of Me" came out in December 2020. She released "Love Me Like That" in February 2021. All these songs were recorded years earlier.

Philanthropy

Katherine McNamara has worked to stop bullying. She has shared her own experiences of being bullied as a child. She also works with the Lollipop Theater Network. She visits children who are in hospitals due to serious illnesses.

In 2017, she recorded the song "Glass Slipper". This song was part of a charity campaign for the United Nations Girl Up program. She also made a t-shirt with the "Glass Slipper" lyrics to support this cause. In 2018 and 2019, she helped with the Big Slick Celebrity Weekend. This event raises money for the Kansas City Children's Mercy Hospital.

In 2020, Katherine released a song called "Just Like James". The money from this song was given to the World Health Organization (WHO). This was to help with Covid-19 relief efforts. Google matched the sales from the first 30 days.

In 2020, Katherine participated in a live reading of Pride & Prejudice. This was for a group called Acting for a Cause.

Filmography

Film

Television

Web

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Katherine McNamara para niños