Kate Vernon

Kate Vernon (born April 21, 1961) is a Canadian-born film and television actress. She is best known for her roles as Lorraine Prescott on the CBS soap opera Falcon Crest from (1984–85), the stuck-up and popular Benny Hanson in the comedy film Pretty in Pink (1986), and Ellen Tigh on the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica (2004–09).

Early life

Vernon was born in Canada to Nancy West and actor John Vernon, who was most famous for playing Dean Vernon Wormer in Animal House. Her sister is singer/actress Nan Vernon.

Career

Vernon portrayed Lorraine Prescott on the CBS prime time soap opera Falcon Crest from 1984 to 1985. During the 1980s she appeared on various TV series, including Family Ties, Dallas, Remington Steele, Hotel, Murder, She Wrote and the 1987 miniseries I'll Take Manhattan, as well as the 1986 comedy-drama film Pretty in Pink.

In 1990 Vernon portrayed Kathleen Sawyer in a four-episode arc on Who's the Boss?, followed by extended appearances on L.A. Law in 1994 as A.D.A. Belinda Fox (four episodes) and on Nash Bridges in 1996-97 as Whitney Thomas (seven episodes). Among many other roles, she co-starred as Sophia in the 1992 film Malcolm X, portrayed Alexandra on the 1996 series Kindred: The Embraced and appeared in a 1998 episode of Star Trek: Voyager entitled "In the Flesh".