Katherine Moennig

Katherine Sian Moennig (; born December 29, 1977) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Shane McCutcheon on '' The L Word'' (2004–2009), as well as Jake Pratt on '' Young Americans'' (2000). Moennig played the role of Lena in the Showtime series '' Ray Donovan'' from 2013 to 2019. She played a recurring role on '' Grown-ish'' on Freeform as Professor Paige Hewson in seasons 2 and 3. She reprised her role as Shane McCutcheon in '' The L Word: Generation Q'' in 2019. Moennig currently hosts the podcast ''PANTS'' with close friend and ''L Word'' co-star, Leisha Hailey.

Personal life

Moennig was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Broadway dancer Mary Zahn and violin-maker William H. Moennig III. Her father's maternal half-sister is actress Blythe Danner, making her a half first cousin of Gwyneth Paltrow and Jake Paltrow.

Moennig is a lesbian. She is married to musician Ana Rezende.

Career

Moennig moved to New York City at the age of 18 to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

In 1999, she had the central role in the Our Lady Peace video " Is Anybody Home?". She also took a role in a Fleet Bank commercial, and appeared in a Red Cross Campaign benefiting victims of Hurricane Katrina. Moennig was a presenter at the 17th annual GLAAD awards and appeared at the 10th annual Ribbon of Hope Celebration.

Moennig's first major role was in the television series '' Young Americans'', playing Jake Pratt. She has played multiple lesbian roles: Shane McCutcheon in '' The L Word''; Rosie's ( Drew Barrymore) partner Jilly in '' Everybody's Fine''; Candace, the lesbian lover of Sophia Myles' character, in '' Art School Confidential''; and Lena, a press agent who works for Liev Schreiber's character, in '' Ray Donovan''. She has also pursued transgender roles, auditioning for the part of Brandon Teena in '' Boys Don't Cry'', and playing Cheryl Avery, a young transgender woman in the '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' episode " Fallacy".

In April 2006, Moennig made her Off-Broadway debut as "American Girl", opposite Lee Pace, in '' Guardians'' by Peter Morris. The story is loosely based on that of Lynndie England.

In 2007, the Hetrick-Martin Institute (HMI) produced the documentary ''My Address: A Look At Gay Youth Homelessness'' in cooperation with Moennig. Directed by Gigi Nicolas, the documentary explored the experiences of homeless gay youth and the work of the HMI.

In 2009, Moennig joined the cast of the TV series '' Three Rivers''. On November 30, 2009, it was announced that CBS had pulled ''Three Rivers'' from the schedule, with no plans to return it. Moennig appeared in an episode of ''This Just Out'' in 2010.

In 2013, tomboy clothing range Wildfang launched in America. Moennig was an ambassador for the brand, appearing in the launch video and designing a limited edition pair of boots.

Also in 2013, Moennig joined the cast of the Showtime drama '' Ray Donovan'', starring as Lena, Ray Donovan's assistant.

In 2017, Moennig narrated her first audiobook, ''The Late Show'' by Michael Connelly.

In 2019, Moennig reprised her role as Shane McCutcheon in ''The L Word'' sequel, '' The L Word: Generation Q''.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Moennig, Katherine
1977 births
Living people
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American actresses
American lesbian actresses
American people of German descent
Actresses from Philadelphia
American Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni
American film actresses
American stage actresses
American television actresses
LGBTQ people from Pennsylvania
21st-century American LGBTQ people