Katee Sackhoff was born Kathryn Ann Sackhoff on April 8, 1980, in Portland, Oregon, and grew up in St. Helens, Oregon. Her mother, Mary, worked as an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher, and her father, Dennis Sackhoff, was a land developer. She graduated from Sunset High School in Beaverton, Oregon, in 1998.
Sackhoff began her acting career in her teens. She initially focused on swimming until a knee injury led her to explore acting. Her early roles included appearances in television movies such as “Fifteen and Pregnant” (1998) and “Hefner: Unauthorized” (1999), where she played a Playboy Bunny. She also had a recurring role in the MTV series “Undressed” (2000).
Sackhoff achieved widespread recognition for her role as Lieutenant Kara “Starbuck” Thrace in the reimagined Battlestar Galactica television series (2004-2009). Her portrayal of the complex and rebellious pilot earned her critical acclaim and a Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television in 2006. She continued to play the role in the television film “Battlestar Galactica: Razor” (2007) and the miniseries “Battlestar Galactica: The Plan” (2009).
Following Battlestar Galactica, Sackhoff has appeared in numerous television series, including: