Kate

Over the course of our lives, we are going to be influenced by a number of individuals.  Each individual will affect our lives in a variety of ways – some for the good, some for the bad.  Some individuals we may meet along our life’s journey; while others we may simply admire or recognize from afar (and potentially never meet). Nonetheless, each individual, whether we know them personally or not, can and will have a tremendous impact and leave an indelible footprint upon our life.

One individual, whom I have admired from afar for many years, is the incredible Kate Mulgrew. Some of you may remember her from her portrayal of Mary Ryan on Ryan’s Hope or her abbreviated stint as Mrs. Columbo.  Currently, you’ll recognize her as the infamous Galina “Red” Reznikov on Orange is the New Black.  But for me, Kate will always be my Captain Kathryn Janeway from Star Trek Voyager. 

Growing up, I liked watching Star Trek: The Next Generation, as I was enthralled by the idea of space travel, and dreamed of being an astronaut.  Then as time progressed, it was unveiled that Star Trek Voyager would be the newest show in the Star Trek collective. Shockingly, Voyager would be led by a female captain, which was a first in the franchise’s history.  I remember watching Voyager when it debuted and immediately was enraptured by Kathryn Janeway – she was powerful, she was strong, she was highly intelligent yet she could also be maternal and nurturing at the same time.  To a young girl, Kathryn Janeway joining the ranks of a formerly ‘men’s society’ and becoming a captain of a starship made me realize that even as a young girl, I could do anything I set my mind to achieving.  And, Kate Mulgrew’s portrayal of Kathryn Janeway for seven years made a tremendous impact upon my life. 

She brought Kathryn Janeway to life; she evolved Captain Janeway in to a persona that no one else could have possibly done.  The only downfall is that she should have allowed us JetC fans just a brief Kathryn and Chakotay moment – my life would have been ultimately complete. I cannot even begin to explain how much I adored Kathryn Janeway.  She is the one character, in many television shows (and even movies), that I revered and admired for a multitude of reasons.  She taught me many valuable lessons and really impacted my life in many ways, and much of that is due in part to the actress who portrayed this incredible force. 

To be honest, when I was growing up watching Voyager, I really didn’t know much of biographical information on the actress, Kate Mulgrew, as much as I knew about the character Kathryn Janeway.  But as time progressed, and as I began re-watching Voyager within the past couple of years, I not only gained a new respect for Kathryn Janeway but I began to realize that not only is Kate Mulgrew a highly-talented actress, she is a remarkable individual, as well.  If you’ve ever heard Kate speak, you’d immediately realize that her voice is very unique and highly recognizable.  Her midwestern roots, being born in Iowa, mixing slightly with her mother’s New England roots, makes Kate’s voice one of the most unique yet soothing blends that you’ll hear.  I can walk in to a room, not even looking at the television or anything else, hear that voice and know immediately it is her. 

Recently, I purchased a copy of Kate’s memoir, Born with Teeth, and I can honestly tell you that reading her book completely gave me a whole new perspective on this remarkable woman. So many times, we look at celebrities and think they have it made in the shade, but reading how open and brutally honest Kate is in revealing herself to us readers, it makes one realize that her life has been no walk in the park.

Growing up in a strict, Irish-Catholic family, Kate endured a number of challenges in surviving several harrowing experiences in her early childhood including a few brushes with death; followed thereafter with the death of two of her sisters.  She eventually left Iowa for New York City to follow her dream in becoming an actress, a dream that her own father wasn’t sure she would succeed in.  She landed several prominent roles, but even though it looked as if she was achieving her dream, it all came to a crashing halt when she discovered that she was pregnant.  She was at a loss over what to do, but ultimately and honestly states that abortion was not an option.  Her mother refused to assist her in raising the newborn, so Kate ultimately had to make the extremely tough decision to give her baby up for adoption.

 

What stunned me the most is that Ryan’s Hope had written her pregnancy in to the script, and two or three days after Kate gave birth in real life, she returned to the set and had to deliver a monologue to her onscreen newborn about how her character Mary Ryan would love, protect and never abandon the child.  I will never understand how Kate mustered the strength to perform such an emotion filled scene so flawlessly considering what she had just endured personally in particular never even being able to touch or hold her own biological child. That alone would have been sheer torment had that been me in her shoes attempting to perform such a monologue. 

As her life continued to progress, it didn’t get any easier as she endured a brutal assault and rape in her apartment complex. She had a number of unsuccessful relationships and even a failed marriage.  Yet through it all, Kate was consumed by the darkness of whether she had made the right decision in giving up her daughter for adoption.  This harrowing decision would plague her life for countless years.  She continued to try to search for her child, but was met with roadblocks at every turn.  Yet, through all of this darkness and sadness that plagued her personal life, she put on the mask and lit up our television screens in portraying Mary Ryan, Mrs. Columbo and even Kathryn Janeway.

 

As I finished the book and lay it down in my lap, I was moved in so many ways.  As I sat staring in to those somber, almost melancholy eyes of a young Kate Mulgrew, I realized that we never know what may be going on behind the shadow of one’s smile.  You never know what the person beside you, behind you, across from you, or anywhere around you may be facing.  As I continued to sit there staring in to those infamous Mulgrew eyes (just watch Janeway and Red’s glares and you’ll see why they are called the infamous Mulgrew eyes), I continued to ponder all I had learned about this incredible individual’s life, and how deeply personal her writings were. Her book, her life impacted me on a deeper level as I was humbled, I was challenged, I was motivated.

No matter what situation was thrown her way, Kate never wavered.  Somehow, when I can only imagine that the world may have felt as if it were caving in on her, she dug deep and continuing to push forward.  She continued to smile and be a presence within society.  She never gave up, she never quit in not only her search for her daughter, but on life in general.  That courage, that tenacity, that strength, encouraged me and spoke to me.  As I was reading the book, I realized the petty issues, that I had thought were mountains in my life, were miniscule in comparison to what she had endured.  And ultimately, I realized that if Kate could survive all she had and continue to smile, then so could I. 

As a child, I always wanted to meet my Captain Kathryn Janeway, and while I still do, the much older Meredith now wants to meet Kate Mulgrew for who she is -- not as Kate the actress but simply just Kate.  Fortunately and by some twist of fate, I had already chosen her to be the topic of this post before as fate would have it, come August of 2017, I will get to go see and possibly meet Kate Mulgrew.  I may only get to meet her for ten or fifteen seconds, but those ten to fifteen seconds will mean the world to me. 

Always remember that your life can impact someone around you.  Try to live your life in a way that it may be a light for someone in the midst of darkness, or maybe even your own darkness can impact others.  Don’t be afraid to tell your story, as it could be just what someone needs to motivate and uplift their spirits.   And as Kate Mulgrew herself stated, “We are capable of so much more than we think we are.” – Live it and believe it!