Kathryn Ish

Kathryn Ish
Born(1936-02-18)February 18, 1936
San Jose, California, U.S.
DiedDecember 31, 2007(2007-12-31) (aged 71)
Santa Barbara, California, U.S.
Years active1974-1995
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1959; died 2006)​
Children2

Kathryn Ish (February 18, 1936 – December 31, 2007) was an American Broadway theater, film, television and voiceover actress. She was also a founding member of The Committee political satire improvisational comedy group.[1] Her television credits include Laverne & Shirley.[1]

Ish was born in San Jose, California. She was reportedly heavily influenced by her high school drama teacher, who was a former vaudeville actor.[2] She soon developed a reputation for her comedic imitations.[2]

Ish and her husband, actor Richard Stahl, met in New York City in 1959.[2] They were both working as off Broadway theater actors at the time. They were married later in 1959.[2] Together Ish and Stahl performed in several nightclub and cabaret shows throughout the 1960s.[2] The couple also moved to San Francisco. While living in San Francisco, Ish became a founding member of The Committee Theater, which she performed with during the 1960s and 1970s.[1]

In the late 1960s, she appeared on a local ABC TV game show moderated by Jim Lange called "Oh My Word,"[3] in which panelists (Ish, Merla Zellerbach, Scott Beach and Paul Speegle[4][5]) offered definitions of obscure words to contestants who had to guess the right meaning to win.[6]

Ish appeared in over 100 films and television shows throughout her career, including WKRP in Cincinnati, Laverne & Shirley, The Love Boat, and The American President (1995).[2] Additionally, Ish worked as a voiceover actress in over 75 films and television shows.[1] Her voiceover work included the horrified screamers in the 1975 blockbuster, Jaws.[2]

Ish and Richard Stahl moved to Santa Barbara, California, in 1975.[2] She worked as an acting and singing teacher at Santa Barbara City College during her later years.[1]

Richard Stahl died of Parkinson's disease on June 18, 2006.[1] Ish died of cancer on December 31, 2007, at her home in Santa Barbara, California.[2] She was 71 years old, and was survived by their daughter Allegra, and a son, Oliver.

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Actor, director Kathryn Ish dies at 71". Variety. 2008-01-08. Archived from the original on 2008-02-18. Retrieved 2008-01-10.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Actress Kathryn Ish dies at age 71 after battle with cancer". International Herald Tribune. Associated Press. 2008-01-10. Archived from the original on 2020-01-27. Retrieved 2008-01-10.
  3. ^ WarioBarker88 (3 July 2013). "Oh My Word (11/13/65): Buddy Greco vs. Sal Mineo". Archived from the original on 2021-12-21 – via YouTube.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ "Paul Speegle". IMDb. Retrieved Aug 31, 2020.
  5. ^ "Sausalito News 9 October 1963 — California Digital Newspaper Collection". cdnc.ucr.edu. Retrieved Aug 31, 2020.
  6. ^ Garchik, Leah (27 December 2014). "Merla Zellerbach, S.F. writer and civic leader, dies". San Francisco Chronicle.