Despite her skill at playing dominant, often predatory matriarchs on television and in film, actress Katherine Helmond started life as a shy child with a Catholic school upbringing. She credited her teachers for introducing her to acting, which lead to a lengthy career on the New York stage and culminated in a Tony win in 1973. After years as a supporting actress in TV and features, she earned her breakthrough as the spacey Jessica Tate on the then controversial sitcom “Soap” (ABC, 1977-1981), which brought her four Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe. Offbeat mothers seemed to be her bread
