American actress Kathy Ann Najimy was born on February 6, 1957, in San Diego, California. Her parents, Fred Najimy and Samia Najimy, were both postal workers. Of Lebanese descent, the Najimy family practiced Roman Catholicism.
Kathy Najimy attended Crawford High School in the El Cerrito neighborhood of San Diego. Although details about her early childhood remain scarce, it is known that she developed an interest in the performing arts that later blossomed into a full-fledged acting career.
Najimy began her acting career in 1985 at the age of 28. Her first screen appearance was in the romantic comedy film Walls of Glass. Throughout the early 1990s, she held minor or supporting roles in several films, including Soapdish (1991), where she portrayed Tawny Miller; The Hard Way (1991), as Lang's assistant; and The Fisher King (1991), in which she played a video store customer.
Najimy's breakthrough came in 1992 when she landed the role of Sister Mary Patrick in the comedy film Sister Act. Co-starring alongside Whoopi Goldberg, her performance gained significant recognition. The film was a commercial hit, grossing approximately $231 million worldwide on a $31 million budget. Its success led to a sequel, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993), featuring Najimy alongside Goldberg, Maggie Smith, and Wendy Makkena. Although the sequel earned a more modest box office return of around $57 million, it further solidified Najimy’s standing as a professional actress.
Following her success in Sister Act, Najimy took on numerous film roles. Highlights include her performance in the family-favorite Hocus Pocus (1993), the educational TV special In Search of Dr. Seuss (1994), the comedy-drama Jeffrey (1995), and voicing a character in Disney’s animated feature Hercules (1997). Her additional credits include If These Walls Could Talk 2 (2000), Rat Race (2001), and the romantic comedy How to Fall in Love (2012).
Najimy has been a prominent voice actress, contributing to several animated films. In Cats Don't Dance (1997), she voiced the character Tillie Hippo, performing musical numbers in this animated musical comedy. She shared the voice cast with Scott Bakula, Don Knotts, and Jasmine Guy.
One of Najimy’s most recognized roles is voicing Peggy Hill in the long-running Fox animated series King of the Hill, which aired from 1997 to 2010. This became her most enduring role in television. In addition, she played Olive Massery in the NBC sitcom Veronica’s Closet, further showcasing her versatility as a comedic actress.
| Birth Date: | 6 Feb, 1957 |
| Age: | 63 yrs |
| Citizenship: | United States of America |
| Birth Place: | San Diego |
| Education: | Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute |
| Gender: | Female |
| Description: | American actress |
| Twitter Id: | Kathynajimy |
| Spouse: | Dan Finnerty [M. 1995] |
| Net Worth 2021: | 8 million |
