Karen Sharpe-Kramer
Karen Sharpe-Kramer was born in San Antonio, Texas, and was an acclaimed actress for over twenty years, enjoying decades in the film and entertainment industry. She is a Golden Globe winner and an Emmy nominee, was a guest star in over ninety television shows and ten motion pictures, and is a renowned pioneer of live television.
Karen was put into ballet shoes as a youngster. Her initial excursion to California was at age 12, with the interest of becoming a professional ice skater, but the lure of becoming a professional actress intervened. Her training as a teenager in the theater paid off and, in 1952, she appeared in Stanley Kramer’s production of The Sniper, directed by Edward Dmytryk. Her role consisted solely of three lines delivered while sitting on a drugstore stool and ordering a cherry phosphate. Although she did not personally meet Kramer at the time, it would foreshadow a future lifelong relationship.
In her salad days, she paid the rent and more as a billboard model and graced the covers of such popular magazines as Cosmopolitan and Pageant. On film, MGM featured her as Janice Rule’s kid sister in Holiday For Sinners, opposite William Campbell. Producer Hal Roach gave her a break by featuring her in the popular White Rain commercials, where she danced her way to fame across the tops of rows of shampoo bottles. She was Modern Screen Magazine’s Golden Key Award winner as 1952’s “Star of Tomorrow.”
Columbia Pictures picked up on this recognition and placed her in the Hugo Haas melodrama Strange Fascination (1952). Monogram Pictures offered her a starring role in Army Bound, which led to her being cast in Walter Mirisch’s cult programmer Bomba And The Jungle Girl (1952), with Johnny Sheffield, who played “Boy” in the Tarzan series. He played Bomba to Karen’s “Jungle Girl.” The John Payne western The Vanquished followed for Paramount Pictures. The film also starred Jan Sterling, who went on to appear with Karen in other major films and became a close friend and mentor.
After filming the crime drama Mexican Manhunt (1953), starring George Brent for Allied Artists, Karen received the biggest break of her young career. Director William A. Wellman cast her in the Wayne-Fellows-Warner Brothers epic airline disaster film The High And The Mighty (1954). An all-star ensemble, it featured Karen as Nell Buck, a young bride opposite John Smith as her new husband, Milo.
Karen’s standout performance garnered her the 1954 Golden Globe Award for “New Star of the Year.” The film’s star and producer, John Wayne, put her under contract to his new company, Batjac. Sharpe was then loaned out to Ida Lupino’s company for Mad At The World (1955). Karen then co-starred in United Artists’ Man With The Gun, opposite Robert Mitchum.
Cast in Batjac’s Man In The Vault (1956), Sharpe went on loan again, this time for Columbia’s war picture Tarawa Beachhead (1958). During the 1950s, against concerns of the studios but with the encouragement of John Wayne, who advised her to “do anything and everything you can to grow as an artist,” Karen took his advice to heart and made herself available for television.
Karen was cast as the female lead in the prestigious Hall of Fame, the first hour-long live telecast, The Life Of Moses. She starred in Playhouse 90, Studio One, Matinee Theater, General Electric Theater, Climax!, and Lux Playhouse, among others. Life Magazine called her “the busiest actress in television” in the 1960s.
Karen excelled at comedy with appearances in Abbott & Costello: The Honeymoon House, The Smothers Brothers, Gomer Pyle, and more. She was well known for her work in the Western genre, including Aaron Spelling’s first television series Johnny Ringo, as well as Gunsmoke, The Wild, Wild West, Rawhide (opposite Clint Eastwood), The Dakotas, Laramie, Stagecoach West, Bonanza, Overland Trail, The Texas Trackdown, The Range Rider, and Death Valley Days.
She also appeared in episodes of classic television series including The Loretta Young Show, Perry Mason, Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, 77 Sunset Strip, Mike Hammer, Conflict (with Dennis Hopper), The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Yancy Derringer, and Hawaiian Eye, among others.
Following a hiatus from Hollywood while straightening out family estate matters, Karen was cast in the pilot and second episode of the iconic television series I Dream Of Jeannie (1965), starring Barbara Eden. Sharpe portrayed Melissa Stone, Larry Hagman’s fiancée and Jeannie’s nemesis.
During this time, comedy legend Jerry Lewis signed Karen to play opposite him as his leading lady, Julie Blair, in the Paramount comedy The Disorderly Orderly (1964). It was also during this period that she had a chance encounter with Stanley Kramer, who was directing Ship Of Fools (1965) on the lot.
She eventually married Mr. Kramer in 1966, giving up her flourishing acting career to work alongside her husband as a producer. Their first collaboration was the landmark, Oscar-winning classic Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner, starring Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, and Sidney Poitier, and introducing Hepburn’s niece, Katharine Houghton, whom Karen was instrumental in casting.
Stanley taught her the ropes, and she worked alongside him on all his later films. Karen did not take credit, as she wanted to earn her own respect. She raised four children, including her two daughters with Mr. Kramer, Katharine “Kat” Kramer and Jennifer Kramer.
She founded The Stanley Kramer Library and her own production company, KN’K Productions, Inc., co-founded with her daughters. Karen has produced and/or executive produced numerous films, including the award-winning short film Nakusa, written, directed, and starring Jennifer Kramer, as well as a Sony Pictures box set, The Stanley Kramer Film Collection, Volume 1. She produced and hosted the special features section, organizing interviews and commentary from Steven Spielberg, Tom Brokaw, Taylor Hackford, Harrison Ford, the late Quincy Jones, and others. The participating talent waived their fees in honor of the Kramer legacy.
In 2001, Karen established the prestigious Stanley Kramer Award at the Producers Guild of America and the Stanley Kramer Fellowship in Directing at UCLA’s School of Film and Television.
As a producer of live events, Karen produced the 40th and 50th anniversaries of It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World at the Cinerama Dome, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and the Egyptian Theatre. She also produced the 50th anniversary of Judgment At Nuremberg, the 40th anniversary of Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner, and the Stanley Kramer Centennial Celebration opening night and three-month retrospective at UCLA’s Billy Wilder Theatre.
She has introduced her late husband’s films and is a frequent panelist and film historian for Stanley Kramer productions.
When the Tribeca Film Festival honored Kramer’s first film So This Is New York as part of their “Restored and Rediscovered” series, established by Martin Scorsese and restored by The Film Foundation, Karen appeared with Mr. Scorsese to introduce the film and participate in a panel discussion and Q&A.
Karen co-produces the international cinema series Kat Kramer’s Films That Change The World. She is a longtime member of the Producers Guild of America and has also been a member of various guilds, including SAG-AFTRA and The Television Academy.
Karen has received numerous awards as a producer and for preserving the Stanley Kramer legacy. In 2017, she received the first UNITY Award from the Women’s Image Network. She accepted the Icon Award on behalf of the late Sidney Poitier from the African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA), which has since created the Karen and Stanley Kramer Social Justice Award.
Karen is a consulting producer on the stage adaptation of Stanley Kramer’s High Noon, written by Eric Roth, and co-produced the High Noon remake starring Tom Skerritt for TBS.
She is the Board Chair for the nonprofit Forget Me Not: Juanita Moore Productions, which honors and recognizes Black pioneers in the entertainment industry.
Karen Sharpe-Kramer has several film, television, streaming, live, and theatrical projects in development through her film corporation, KN’K Productions, Inc.
Kat Kramer
Katharine “Kat” Kramer is a former Miss Golden Globe Ambassador. She is the founder of Kat Kramer’s Films That Change The World, an international cinema series that showcases motion pictures and documentaries raising awareness of important social issues.
Kat is the daughter of legendary filmmaker Stanley Kramer, actress/producer Karen Sharpe-Kramer, and the godchild and namesake of screen icon Katharine Hepburn. She has starred in four one-woman shows and debuted her solo show My Duet With Mick at the Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival. She is currently developing a new solo show titled She’s A Rainbow.
Kat has won awards for her stage performances as Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker and Anne Frank in The Diary Of Anne Frank. She starred as Estella in Great Expectations, Joan of Arc in The Lark, and appeared in the ensemble of The Vagina Monologues.
Ms. Kramer served on the dais and opened the program for the Pioneer Luncheon honoring her performing idol, Lily Tomlin. She received a standing ovation for her special musical parody tribute, Dear Lily Tomlin.
An animal rights advocate, Ms. Kramer reimagined the theme song from Bless The Beasts And Children as an anthem for animal rescue and wildlife protection organizations. She was honored with the Compassion Award from Braveheart Women.
Kat has appeared in films such as Going Shopping, What Just Happened, and Little Fockers. She created the role of Frances Rye and multiple characters in the web series Child Of The 70’s.
Kat won Best Supporting Actress at the 2019 LOVE International Film Festival for her role as Fran in Turnover, an award-winning indie film streaming on Amazon Prime. This feel-good movie about second chances later launched on Tubi and other platforms.
She co-stars as Michelle in the award-winning dramatic short film Mother’s Day Memories and plays Beverly in the award-winning indie feature Fate’s Shadow: The Whole Story, as well as its award-winning short film version Fate’s Shadow. Ms. Kramer has also won international awards for her role as Violet Grace Pennington in the award-winning indie feature Rings Of The Unpromised, with a sequel in development.
Kat appears in the documentary Call Me Kate, which launched on Netflix. She was honored with the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award at the Luxury Oscar Gala presented by Samira’s Network. Ms. Kramer has multiple projects in development as an actor, producer, creator, and host.
Kat wrote the Introduction and Afterword for the popular illustrated children’s book The Evergreen Christmas Tree by Jimmy Byrge, which is environmentally focused and includes a deaf character, Raymond. The book has been published in multiple languages and features 12 signs in a sign language guide at the end of the story. Ms. Kramer also wrote the Foreword to the upcoming companion book Raymond Signs (animal signs), which celebrates accessibility and inclusion.
A Rolling Stones aficionado, Kat recorded an album of Mick Jagger cover songs and obscure Rolling Stones tunes titled Gemstone: Kat Kramer Sings Mick Jagger… and Keith Richards.
Kat has served on the Board of Directors for Hollywood Media Professionals and is a founding board member of the Palm Springs International Comedy Festival. She also serves on the advisory boards of the LA Press Club and the Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival.
Ms. Kramer is the COO of Forget Me Not Juanita Moore Productions and was instrumental in nominating and securing a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Ms. Moore.
Kat Kramer established the Hunt For Humanity Award through Kat Kramer’s Films That Change The World. The award is given to an “actorvist” who uses their voice to fight for human rights, animal welfare advocacy, and environmental justice.
Kat is launching the #SHEroesForChange Festival and podcast, along with an additional #SHERO Award. Ms. Kramer is also creating an outreach program titled New Voices For Change, which will present original screenplays and theatrical works exploring social issue subjects, with an emphasis on global impact, diversity, and inclusion.
Please visit: www.KatharineKramer.com www.KatKramersFilmsThatChangeTheWorld.com
Jennifer Kramer
As a child, Jennifer was cast in roles on film and television. She played Patty Duke’s daughter at the age of eight in a television movie and performed in telethons with her sister Kat. However, Jennifer also had a passion for horses and competed on show circuits in the hunter/jumper divisions throughout much of her teen years.
She subsequently turned down the role of young Jaclyn Kennedy in a movie miniseries to pursue an Olympic dream when she was chosen to be taken under the wing of the United States Equestrian Team coach at the age of 15. Jennifer’s Olympic dream was sadly unrealized, so she returned to acting and found her real identity portraying challenging roles on stage after attending the prestigious Carnegie Mellon University acting program and the New Actor’s Workshop in New York, founded by director Mike Nichols, Second City founder Paul Sills, and acting teacher George Morrison.
Jennifer appeared in countless stage plays, classics and originals such as Birdbath, Anna Christie, The Sicilian Bachelor, and The Sister Rosensweig, to name just a few.
Jennifer is also a classically trained pianist who has performed in concert halls in Los Angeles and is a self-taught composer. She has been a finalist in concerto competitions and regularly makes piano recordings and performs when she has the opportunity. As a child, Jennifer composed music for plays and also dedicated numerous orchestral and piano originals to celebrities Jane Fonda, Deborah Kerr, Henry Jaglom, and Michele Lee, as well as many others. She also wrote an entire film score for her first writing endeavor, The Masters, about a young equestrian who is injured in an accident.
Jennifer has now stepped behind the camera, writing and directing her own films. Her debut short, Nakusa, which she wrote, starred in, and co-directed, traveled throughout the United States and Europe to significant critical acclaim, winning numerous “Best” awards internationally.
She currently has a large-scale feature musical titled Living Pieces in development and has attached an Oscar-winning team and cast. The feature is a culmination of Jennifer’s many artistic skills as an actor and musician, and now as a writer/director.
She will direct, co-produce, and co-write a seven-episode documentary series titled #TherapyToo, about abuse in psychotherapy, which is also in development.
In early 2026, Jennifer will be in full production on another short film titled The Screaming Dream, about an Iraqi war veteran serving in the police department. She is also the producer and director of a music video for the rock band The Boxmasters.
Jennifer’s website:
www.jennifer-kramer.com
Documentary website:
www.therapytoofilm.com