Kim Victoria Cattrall was born on August 21, 1956, in Mossley Hill, Liverpool, England, to Gladys Shane (Baugh),a secretary, and Dennis Cattrall, a construction engineer. When she was just three months old, her family made the bold decision to immigrate to Canada, a country that would later become the backdrop for many of her film projects.
As a young girl, Kim returned to her native England at the age of 11 and enrolled in the prestigious London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (LAMDA). After completing her studies, she relocated back to Vancouver, where she graduated from high school at the age of 16. Her academic achievements did not go unnoticed, as she was awarded a scholarship to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) in New York City.
Kim's professional career took off during her final year at the Academy, when she landed a role in Otto Preminger's action thriller Rosebud (1975). Following her film debut, she returned to the world of theatre, first in Vancouver and then in repertory in Toronto. Her impressive performances eventually caught the attention of Universal Pictures in Los Angeles, California, which offered her a contract.
Throughout the late 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, Kim continued to work steadily, taking on roles in a variety of films, including cult classics such as Police Academy (1984),Big Trouble in Little China (1986),and Mannequin (1987). She also played the role of Lieutenant Valeris, Mr. Spock's protegee, in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991).
However, it was her portrayal of Samantha Jones, a sexually liberated public relations executive, on the HBO sitcom Sex and the City (1998) and its two feature film follow-ups that brought Kim worldwide attention. Her performance earned her five Emmy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, including a win for Best Supporting Actress in 2002.
