Celebrity Biographies
Kathryn Joosten
Kathryn Joosten was quite a familiar face for fans of American series. She played gossipy but big-hearted neighbor Karen McCluskey in the recently completed “Desperate Housewives,” and also President Bartlett’s secretary in “The West Wing of the White House.” The veteran actress has died at the age of 72, as a result of lung cancer that she had suffered for years.
Born on December 20, 1939, in Eustis (Florida) Kathryn Joosten was slow to find her acting vocation. For many years she practiced as a nurse in the psychiatric section of the Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago. She married and gave birth to two children. But her husband began to have serious problems with alcohol, so they divorced.
During a visit to the Disney theme park in Orlando (Florida), Joosten was fascinated by the work of the actors in a street show. She decided to try her luck as an actress, and moved to Hollywood.
It didn’t take long for him to land very supporting roles for series like Household Matters , Picket Fences , Chicago Hope , Martian Stuff , ER , Seinfeld , and Frasier . Occasionally, she also worked for the cinema in titles like Phoenix or Beyond Dreams .
Her big break came when she was hired to play Mrs. Landingham, the personal secretary to President Josiah Bartlet ( Martin Sheen ), in The West Wing of the White House . She played the role for two seasons, until her character died in a car accident in 2001. She later appeared a couple of times, in flashbacks.
But her most remembered role is undoubtedly Karen McCluskey, in Desperate Housewives , the neighbor who takes care of the children of Lynette Scavo, who hid the body of her dead husband in a freezer in the basement. Joosten knew how to give him enormous humanity. Delighted with her work, Marc Cherry , creator of the show, promised the actress that she would be present until the end. Parallel to the filming of this popular dramatic comedy, the interpreter had prominent appearances in some films ( Alvin and the Chipmunks 2 ) and in other big hits on the small screen ( The Mentalist ).
In the last season of the series, the writers incorporated parallels between his character and reality, giving rise to moments of enormous emotion. Her death comes just 20 days after the last episode of Desperate Housewives aired . Joosten leaves the film Escort Service , with Rebecca de Mornay , pending release .