Kathryn Kates, who died at the age of 73 of cancer on January 22, was an American actress famous for her roles in several popular television shows.

Announcing her death, Headline Talent Agency, which represented Kates, put out a statement, saying, “Kathryn has been our client for many years, and we have grown much closer to her in this last year since she knew of her cancer returning. She was always incredibly brave and wise and approached every role with the greatest of passion. She will be greatly missed.”

Also read | Watch: Fire breaks out at Karachi’s National Stadium ahead of PSL opener, video goes viral

“She was surrounded by her incredible family when she peacefully passed. She wasn’t just a dear client of ours but also our friend. Losing her is heartbreaking, but there’s no doubt that her immense talent will live on for generations to come,” added Erica Bines from the agency.

Born in New York City, Kates began her acting career in the city of Los Angeles. Her early career milestones include producing or appearing in award-winning stage productions for The Colony Theatre, founded by Kates herself and 25 colleagues including American actor John Larroquette.

Kates started making appearances on television and films from the 1980s, appearing in two episodes of famed American sitcom ‘Seinfeld’ between 1994 and 1996. She came into widespread fame much later when she appeared in some episodes of the Netflix prison drama ‘Orange Is New Black’ (2013-2019).

Subsequently, Kates went on to appear in other television series, including crime dramas such as ‘Unforgettable’, ‘Feed the Beast’, ‘Shades of Blue’, and ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’.

Also read | Pablo Picasso’s heirs selling NFTs of artist’s never-before-seen work

Kates also played a role in the 2021 ‘Sopranos’ prequel film, ‘The Many Saints of Newark’, alongside stars such as Michael Gandolfini and Alessandro Nivola.

Kates is survived by her sister, Mallory, and brother, Joshua, sister-in-laws Sue Ann and Gloria and nephew Ben.