Katee Sackhoff American actress Date of Birth: 08.04.1980 Country: USA

1. Early Life and Education
2. Career Beginnings
3. Breakthrough Role in "Battlestar Galactica"
4. Continued Success
5. Cancer Battle
6. Tattoos and Personal Life

Early Life and Education

Catherine Anne "Katie" Sackhoff was born in Portland, Oregon, and raised in St. Helens, Oregon. Her mother, Mary, was an English as a Second Language teacher, and her father, Dennis, was a landscape designer. Katie's brother, Frank, is a co-owner of an auto body repair shop near Portland.

Sackhoff graduated from high school in 1998. She had been a competitive swimmer since childhood and planned to pursue a professional swimming career. However, a knee injury forced her to give up that dream. It was then that Katie turned her attention to yoga (which she still practices today) and acting.

Career Beginnings

Sackhoff's first taste of acting came in high school, where she performed in amateur productions of "Oliver," "Fiddler on the Roof," and "Bye, Bye Birdie." Her curiosity soon turned into a passion, and shortly after graduating, she moved to Hollywood.

Breakthrough Role in "Battlestar Galactica"

Sackhoff landed her first major role in the TV movie "Fifteen and Pregnant" (2009), starring Kirsten Dunst. After this role, Sackhoff decided to move to Hollywood. She worked at MTV for a while, playing Annie in "Undressed," and eventually made her way onto the big screen.

One of her most notable film roles was Jenna Danzig in the horror film "Halloween: Resurrection" (2002). In 2003, Sackhoff received her breakthrough role as Captain Kara "Starbuck" Thrace in the Sci Fi Channel miniseries "Battlestar Galactica." Her performance earned her a Saturn Award nomination for "Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series" in 2004 and a win in the same category in 2006.

Continued Success

After "Battlestar Galactica," Sackhoff joined the cast of the TV series "24" in season 8 as Dana Walsh, a CTU analyst. She also had a role as the villainous Sarah Corvus in the short-lived NBC series "Bionic Woman" (2007) and appeared in the pilot episode of ABC's "The River" in 2010.

Cancer Battle

Towards the end of filming for "Battlestar Galactica," Sackhoff began to experience fatigue. Shortly after the show wrapped, she was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer. Fortunately, this type of cancer is highly treatable when diagnosed early. She underwent surgery and radiation therapy and is now in remission.

Tattoos and Personal Life

Sackhoff has three tattoos: a Chinese character for "choice" on the back of her neck, a cross on her left shoulder (which was digitally altered to conceal its religious significance in "Battlestar Galactica"), and the phrase "bona fiscalia" (Latin for "public property") on her right forearm. Other distinguishing features, such as a ring she wears on her left hand, were also incorporated into her character in the series.