Rosanne Katon
Rosanne Katon
Biography
Rosanne Katon is an American model, actress, comedian and activist. She was Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month for its September 1978 issue. Her centerfold was photographed by Mario Casilli. Katon was born in New York City to a Jamaican-born father and an African-American mother. Beginning in the mid-1970s, Katon worked steadily in Hollywood, including a stint on Grady, the short-lived spin-off of the hit situation comedy Sanford and Son that starred Whitman Mayo in the title role, and guest appearances on Jason of Star Command, What's Happening!!, Good Times and That's My Mama, which starred Clifton Davis. She then had leading roles in two Cirio Santiago action films, both released in 1976, Ebony, Ivory & Jade, in which she received top billing, and The Muthers, in which she acted alongside former Playboy centerfold Jean Bell. However, the shapely actress was often typecast in sex kitten roles in R-Rated comedies such as The Swinging Cheerleaders (1974), Chesty Anderson, U.S. Navy (1976), American Raspberry (1976), Lunch Wagon (1981), Zapped! (1982) and Bachelor Party (1984). This was solidified by her appearance as the September 1978 Playboy centerfold. She had a recurring role opposite Denzel Washington on the medical drama St. Elsewhere and her appearance in two award-winning UCLA student films, Julie Dash's "Illusions," released in 1982, in which she portrayed a singer doubling for a white actress in 1940s Hollywood (whether she did her own singing in the role was not known as of mid December 2012), and S. Torriano Berry's "Rich," in which she portrays the title character's supportive girlfriend. Her other film credits included the TV movie The Night They Took Miss Beautiful (1977), the cult horror film Motel Hell (1980), Body and Soul (1981), City Girl (1984) and Harem (1985), opposite Nastassja Kinski and Ben Kingsley. Katon was selected as Miss Golden Globes for the 1981 awards show. The honor and the task of presenting the statuettes during the ceremony goes to an up-and-coming actress. Katon was the first African American to be selected, since the custom started in 1962. Additionally, Katon has had several stage credits, including a Broadway lead role in Godspell and a featured role in the parody of women in prison movies, Women Behind Bars. At one point, Katon segued into the world of stand-up comedy, and during that period in her career, she appeared in the June 1991 Playboy pictorial "Funny Girls," which covered female comedians.
Known For
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Known Credits
34
Gender
Female
Birthday
1954-02-05 (71 years old)
Place of Birth
New York City, New York, USA
Acting

2007

Autism: The Musical as Herself

1989

Peter Gunn as Waitress

1987

Full House as Not available

1985

Harem as Judy

1984

Bachelor Party as Bridal Shower Hooker

1984

The City Girl as Ira

1983

Casting as Woman of the cast

1983

Rich as Donna

1982

St. Elsewhere as Not available

1982

Zapped! as Donna

1982

Illusions as Esther Jeter

1981

Lunch Wagon as Shannon

1981

Body and Soul as Melody

1980

Motel Hell as Suzi

1980

The Comeback Kid as Girl #3

1979

The Facts of Life as Not available

1979

Playboy's Roller Disco & Pajama Party as Self (uncredited)

1978

Coach as Sue

1977

CHiPs as Not available

1977

Logan's Run as Not available

1976

What's Happening!! as Not available

1976

Chesty Anderson U.S. Navy as Cocoa Daniels

1976

The Muthers as Angie

1976

Ebony, Ivory & Jade as Pam Rogers

1975

Starsky & Hutch as Not available

1975

Grady as Laurie Marshall

1974

Good Times as Not available

1974

That's My Mama as Not available

1972

Sanford and Son as Not available

NaN

The Death of Playboy Playmate as Not available