Who is Kate Capshaw? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Kathleen Sue Nail

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Steven Spielberg, Robert Capshaw (m. 1976–1980

children: Destry Allyn Spielberg, Jessica Capshaw, Mikaela George Spielberg, Sasha Spielberg, Sawyer Spielberg, Theo Spielberg

Born Country: United States

Actresses American Women

Height: 5'7" (170 cm), 5'7" Females

City: Fort Worth, Texas

U.S. State: Texas

More Facts

education: University Of Missouri

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Career

Kate Capshaw moved to New York City in hopes of pursuing her passion of becoming an actress. She landed her first role in a soap opera, ‘The Edge of the Night’. While working for the soap opera, she was offered the leading role in the movie ‘A Little Sex’ in 1982. Thereafter, she starred in the movie ‘Dreamscape’ in 1984.

1984 turned out to be a successful and eventful year for her as she was cast as Willie Scott opposite Harrison Ford in ‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom’. She met her future husband, Steven Spielberg, at the movie set and her career began blooming after her performance in the movie. In 1986, she portrayed Andie Bergstrom in the movie ‘Spacecamp’. During the same year, she was also cast in the film ‘Power’ opposite Richard Gere and Gene Hackman. In 1987, she starred as Susanna McKaskel in the television film ‘The Quick and the Dead’. Kate Capshaw also starred in television movie ‘Her Secret Life’, in 1987.

She starred alongside Michael Douglas and Andy García in ‘Black Rain’ in 1989. She acted with Warren Beatty and Katharine Hepburn in ‘Love Affair’ in 1994. In 1995, she acted opposite Sean Connery and Laurence Fishburne in ‘Just Cause’. After the 1997 film ‘The Alarmist’, in 1999 she both starred and produced ‘The Love Letter’.

In 2001, she was cast in the TV movie ‘A Girl Thing’, with Stockard Channing, Rebecca De Mornay and Elle Macpherson. Kate Capshaw retired from acting after her final on-screen appearance in the 2001 TV movie ‘Due East’.

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Family & Personal Life

Kate Capshaw was born Kathleen Sue Nail on November 3, 1953, in Fort Worth, Texas, to Beverley Sue and Edwin Leon Nail. Her mother was a travel agent and beautician, while her father was an airline employee. In 1972 she graduated from Hazelwood Senior High, now called Hazelwood Central High School. She then moved to Missouri to get a degree in education from the University of Missouri where she was a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority. She also has a Masters degree in Special education from the same university. She taught Special Education at Rock Bridge High School in Columbia, Missouri and Southern Boone County High School in Ashland, Missouri.

Before getting married to Spielberg she married Robert Capshaw in 1976. They haVE a child Jessica Capshaw, however, the marriage didn't last and they divorced in 1980. She kept her ex-husband’s surname and used that as her professional name when she got into acting.

She met Spielberg in 1984 while filming ‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom’ and the couple later got married. She converted to Judaism before marrying Spielberg on October 12, 1991. They were married in a civil ceremony as well as an Orthodox ceremony.

Kate Capshaw is also one of the founding members of The Women’s Cancer Research Fund (WCRF).

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Trivia

Kate Capshaw was a former Ford model.

There is an autographed picture of Steven Spielberg inside her sorority house at the University of Missouri signed: "Everyone knows the Best Women come from Missouri, Steven Spielberg".

Kate Capshaw Biography