Katey Sagal
Katey Sagal
as Vivian Pressman

Actor Biography

Golden Globe Award-winning actress Katey Sagal has entertained audiences in a variety of dramatic and comedic roles throughout her notable career.

Most recently, Sagal starred in the biopic "Bleed for This," about the incredible comeback of World Champion Boxer Vinny Pazienza after a near-fatal car crash. The film was executive produced by Martin Scorsese and starred Miles Teller and Aaron Eckhart. "Bleed for This" was released November 2016 by Open Road Films in the U.S. and by Sony Pictures Worldwide.

On the small screen, she stars in the CBS' multi-camera half-hour comedy series "Superior Donuts," opposite Jermaine Folwer and Judd Hirsch. Sagal plays Randy, a practical street cop for whom the donut shop, set in a gentrifying neighborhood in Chicago, is part of her beat. The show premiered on February 2. Sagal also will release "Grace Notes: My Recollections," her intimate and honest new memoir. Told in a series of vignettes, "Grace Notes" immerses readers into the layers of Katey's life behind her iconic television characters. Simon & Schuster, Gallery Books will released the book on March 21.

In September 2015, FX premiered Kurt Sutter's follow up to his critically acclaimed drama series "Sons of Anarchy" with a new series, "The Bastard Executioner." Sagal starred as Annora of the Alders in the new historical drama and is part of an extraordinary cast—Stephen Moyer, Sam Spruell and newcomer Lee Jones. "The Bastard Executioner" tells the story of a warrior knight (Lee Jones) in King Edward I's charge who is broken by the ravages of war and vows to lay down his sword. But when that violence finds him again, he is forced to pick up the bloodiest sword of all.

In the fall of 2015, Sagal completed the final season of FX's hit drama "Sons of Anarchy," of which she portrayed Gemma Teller. "Sons of Anarchy" was a gritty, one-hour drama about a notorious outlaw motorcycle club in Northern California who fought to protect their small town from drug dealers and local corporate developers.  Sagal won her first Golden Globe, Best Performance by Actress in a Television Series – Drama, for her portrayal of the maternal matriarch in 2010. She has also been nominated two years in a row by the Broadcast Television Critics as Best Actress in a Drama Series. Its seven-year run has proven to be the most successful episodic series in the history of the network.

Sagal was seen in the sequel to "Pitch Perfect," produced and directed by Elizabeth Banks. She played the mother of newest cast member, Hailee Steinfeld's character. "Pitch Perfect 2" returned with the original cast, including, Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow and Adam DeVine, and was released in May 2015.

Prior to her success on "Sons of Anarchy," Sagal starred in the ABC series "8 Simple Rules…" alongside the late John Ritter, and was the featured voice of Leela, a beautiful one-eyed alien, in the Comedy Central animated series "Futurama." Sagal has had roles in the independent films "I'm Reed Fish" and the tele-film "3 Wise Guys." She also recurred as Helen on the ABC phenomenon "Lost" and Nancy Gilroy on FX's "The Shield."

In addition to her acting, Sagal is a critically acclaimed singer and songwriter. Sagal was a Harlette with Bette Midler for three years, as well as a background singer for Bob Dylan, Olivia Newton-John, Etta James and Tanya Tucker.  Her album "Covered" was released in November 2013 with her cover of the Tom Petty song "Free Fallin'" as the first single.

With the support of record label Valley Entertainment, Sagal released her album "Room" in 2004.  "Room" was the first record for Sagal since her 1994 debut, "Well."  "Room" was a combination of original songs penned by Sagal, including "Life Goes Round," "Daddy's Girl" and "Wish I Were a Kid," and memorable classics like "Feel a Whole Lot Better" and "(For the Love of) Money."  The first single was "Daddy's Girl," a touching song about the long-lasting relationship between a daughter and her father.  She debuted the song on the March 2, 2004, episode of "8 Simple Rules…." "Room," and it was produced by Bob Thiele (Bonnie Raitt) and mixed by Ray Kennedy (Twangtrust/Steve Earle). Ivan Neville, Don Was and Shane Fontayne make appearances throughout the disc.

Sagal gained national attention for her role as the outrageous Peg Bundy in the ground-breaking, highly rated, long-running series "Married with Children," for which she earned three Golden Globe and two American Comedy Award nominations.

In her first job in television, Sagal joined Mary Tyler Moore on the television series "Mary" and has starred in the television movies "Smart House" and "Mr. Headmistress" (both for "The Wonderful World of Disney"), as well as "Chance of a Lifetime," "Trail of Tears" and "She Says She's Innocent." She has also starred in the feature films "Love Stinks," "Mail Order," "The Good Mother," and the 2000 Sundance Film Festival favorite "Dropping Out."

Sagal currently resides in Los Angeles, California, with her husband, Kurt Sutter and her three children, Sarah, Jackson and Esmé.