Renée Lawless

Renée Lawless
Lawless in 2016
BornNovember 30, 1960 (1960-11-30) (age 64) [1]
Knoxville, Tennessee, US
OccupationActress
WebsiteOfficial website

Renée Lawless-Orsini (born November 30,[1] 1960) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for starring as the bitter and distant matriarch, Katheryn Cryer, in the Oprah Winfrey Network prime time soap opera The Haves and the Have Nots.

Life and career

Lawless was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, and moved with her family to Jacksonville in at age 19 and graduated from Sandalwood High School, Stetson University, and University of Cincinnati – College-Conservatory of Music.[2] She began singing in church and school plays and later in regional theater.[3] As of the mid 1990s she appeared primarily in stage productions, like national touring of Beauty and the Beast, and Wicked for five years.[4]

In 2013, Lawless began starring as Katheryn Cryer in the Oprah Winfrey Network prime time soap opera The Haves and the Have Nots.[2][5][4][6]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2019 They Came and Left Geraldine Montgomery Short

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2013–2021 The Haves and the Have Nots Katheryn Cryer Series regular
2019 Aunt Cissy Georgia Recurring role
2020 Stuck With You Agent Charlotte Recurring role

References

  1. ^ a b Facebook
  2. ^ a b David Crumpler (May 28, 2013). "Two actresses with Jacksonville ties star in new Oprah Winfrey Network show". Jacksonville News. Retrieved 2013-05-29.
  3. ^ "A conversation with 'The Haves and Have Nots' Renee Lawless (Includes interview)". www.digitaljournal.com. June 3, 2014.
  4. ^ a b "Renée Lawless as Katheryn Cryer". oprah.com. OWN. Retrieved 2013-05-29.
  5. ^ Susan Alexander (May 24, 2013). "Knox native Renee Lawless takes on lead role in Tyler Perry drama 'The Haves and the Have Nots'". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved 2013-05-29.
  6. ^ Philiana Ng (April 4, 2013). "OWN Sets Premieres for Tyler Perry's Scripted Series, Greenlights Two Shows". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2013-05-29.