Kate Burton

Acting

Kate Burton

Born September 10, 1957Geneva, Switzerland115 credits

Kate Burton is a Swiss-born Welsh-American stage and screen actress. She is best known for her TV roles as Vice President Sally Langston on ABC's Scandal, Vera Quinn on the Audience Network's series Full Circle, and Dr. Ellis Grey on ABC's Grey's Anatomy. She holds an BA in Russian Studies and European History from Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, and an MFA from the Yale School of Drama, New Haven, Connecticut.

Known For

The Beast in Me
7.1

The Beast in Me

TV

2025

The Surrender
5.9

The Surrender

Movie

2025

Violent Ends
5.6

Violent Ends

Movie

2025

BULLDOZER

TV

2025

Oscar Wilde About America

Oscar Wilde About America

Movie

2025

guts
5.5

guts

Movie

2024

Filmography

The Beast in Me
2025The Beast in Meas Mariah IngramTV
The Surrender
2025The Surrenderas BarbaraMovie
Violent Ends
2025Violent Endsas Darlene WoodleyMovie
B
2025BULLDOZERas Dr. Diane RoddyTV
Oscar Wilde About America
2025Oscar Wilde About AmericaMovie
guts
2024gutsas GabbyMovie
Our Son
2023Our Sonas Maggie "Miggie"Movie
Dumb Money
2023Dumb Moneyas Elaine GillMovie
Heaven, I Suppose
2023Heaven, I Supposeas CherylMovie
The Anne Frank Gift Shop
2023The Anne Frank Gift Shopas IlseMovie
So Help Me Todd
2022So Help Me Toddas JoanTV
Breaking
2022Breakingas Tami StackhouseMovie
Bosch: Legacy
2022Bosch: Legacyas Ida PorterTV
The Dropout
2022The Dropoutas Rochelle GibbonsTV
Inventing Anna
2022Inventing Annaas Nora RadfordTV
Sandra Day O'Connor: The First
2021Sandra Day O'Connor: The Firstas Narrator (voice)Movie
The Mosquito Coast
2021The Mosquito Coastas Margot's MomTV
The Codebreaker
2021The Codebreakeras Narrator (voice)Movie
The Vote
2020The Voteas Narrator (voice)TV
Perfect Harmony
2019Perfect Harmonyas JulieTV
Prodigal Son
2019Prodigal Sonas Sarah WindsorTV
Where'd You Go, Bernadette
2019Where'd You Go, Bernadetteas Ellen IdelsonMovie
Charmed
2018Charmedas CelesteTV
At First Light
2018At First Lightas KateMovie
FBI
2018FBIas Evelyn KatesTV
Noël Coward's Present Laughter
2017Noël Coward's Present Laughteras Liz EssendineMovie
The Gifted
2017The Giftedas Dr. Madeline RismanTV
13 Reasons Why
201713 Reasons Whyas Dr. HughesTV
This Is Us
2016This Is Usas BarbaraTV
Supergirl
2015Supergirlas Isabel Nal (voice)TV
Martyrs
2015Martyrsas EleanorMovie
Identity Theft
2015Identity Theftas AnnaMovie
Bleeding Heart
2015Bleeding Heartas MarthaMovie
Amok
2015Amokas Dr. WilsonMovie
Madam Secretary
2014Madam Secretaryas Maureen McCordTV
Don't Look Back
2014Don't Look Backas Dr. Jeanette BarnesMovie
Extant
2014Extantas Fiona StantonTV
Barefoot
2014Barefootas Mrs. WheelerMovie
Full Circle
2013Full Circleas Vera QuinnTV
Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel: Live from Lincoln Center
2013Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel: Live from Lincoln Centeras Mrs. MullinMovie
Mariachi Gringo
2012Mariachi Gringoas AnneMovie
Elementary
2012Elementaryas Maureen DannonTV
Revolution
2012Revolutionas Jane WarrenTV
Liberal Arts
2012Liberal Artsas SusanMovie
Veep
2012Veepas Barbara HallowesTV
Scandal
2012Scandalas Sally LangstonTV
2 Days in New York
20122 Days in New Yorkas BellaMovie
Key & Peele
2012Key & Peeleas Hillary ClintonTV
Grimm
2011Grimmas Marie KesslerTV
Caris' Peace
2011Caris' Peaceas SelfMovie
Puncture
2011Punctureas Senator O'ReillyMovie
127 Hours
2010127 Hoursas Aron's MomMovie
Remember Me
2010Remember Meas JanineMovie
Consent
2010Consentas SusanMovie
The Deep End
2010The Deep Endas Grace GrahamTV
Modern Family
2009Modern Familyas Iris FennermanTV
The Good Wife
2009The Good Wifeas Victoria AdlerTV
Washingtonienne
2009Washingtonienneas JoyMovie
Spooner
2009Spooneras Alice SpoonerMovie
What Just Happened
2008What Just Happenedas Doctor RandallMovie
Max Payne
2008Max Payneas Nicole HorneMovie
Eleventh Hour
2008Eleventh Houras Gepetto / Miranda CochranTV
Hidden Treasure of the Mississippi
2008Hidden Treasure of the Mississippias Aunt BirdyMovie
Quid Pro Quo
2008Quid Pro Quoas MerileeMovie
Sherrybaby
2006Sherrybabyas Marcia SwansonMovie
Justice
2006JusticeTV
Stay
2005Stayas Mrs. LethamMovie
Ernest Hemingway: Rivers to the Sea
2005Ernest Hemingway: Rivers to the Seaas Narrator (voice)Movie
The Closer
2005The Closeras Kate WycoffTV
Empire Falls
2005Empire Fallsas Cindy WhitingTV
Grey's Anatomy
2005Grey's Anatomyas Ellis GreyTV
Numb3rs
2005Numb3rsas AnthropologistTV
Medium
2005Mediumas Bonnie BarristerTV
Rescue Me
2004Rescue Meas RoseTV
Working Shakespeare
2003Working ShakespeareTV
The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer
2003The Diary of Ellen Rimbaueras Connie PoseyMovie
Three Sisters
2003Three Sistersas OlgaMovie
Obsessed
2002Obsessedas Sara MillerMovie
Swimfan
2002Swimfanas Carla CroninMovie
Unfaithful
2002Unfaithfulas TracyMovie
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
2001Law & Order: Criminal Intentas Stephanie UflandTV
100 Centre Street
2001100 Centre Streetas Sheila ByrneTV
The Opportunists
2000The Opportunistsas Rest Home SisterMovie
The West Wing
1999The West Wingas Sarah BrainerdTV
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
1999Law & Order: Special Victims Unitas Annette ColeTV
Judging Amy
1999Judging Amyas Dr. Sheri JordanTV
Celebrity
1998Celebrityas Robin's Friend CherylMovie
Ellen Foster
1997Ellen Fosteras Abigail MontfordMovie
The Ice Storm
1997The Ice Stormas Dorothy FranklinMovie
The Practice
1997The Practiceas A.D.A. Susan AlexanderTV
Mistrial
1996Mistrialas Katherine DonohueMovie
Looking for Richard
1996Looking for Richardas SelfMovie
The First Wives Club
1996The First Wives Clubas Woman in BedMovie
August
1996Augustas Helen BlathwaiteMovie
N
1995Notes For My Daughteras Brenda GardnerMovie
Monty
1994Montyas Fran RichardsonTV
Love Matters
1993Love Mattersas DeborahMovie
Life with Mikey
1993Life with Mikeyas Mrs. BurnsMovie
H
1992Home Firesas Anne KramerTV
Brooklyn Bridge
1991Brooklyn BridgeTV
Law & Order
1990Law & Orderas Sister BettinaTV
B
1989Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatreas SelfMovie
American Experience
1988American Experienceas NarratorTV
In from the Cold? A Portrait of Richard Burton
1988In from the Cold? A Portrait of Richard Burtonas SelfMovie
Uncle Tom's Cabin
1987Uncle Tom's Cabinas OpheliaMovie
Big Trouble in Little China
1986Big Trouble in Little Chinaas MargoMovie
Spenser: For Hire
1985Spenser: For HireTV
Evergreen
1985Evergreenas Agatha BradfordTV
Ellis Island
1984Ellis Islandas Vanessa OgdenTV
Alice in Wonderland
1983Alice in Wonderlandas AliceMovie
Great Performances
1971Great Performancesas AliceTV
Anne of the Thousand Days
1969Anne of the Thousand Daysas Serving Maid (uncredited)Movie
Tony Awards
1956Tony Awardsas Self - NomineeTV
Hallmark Hall of Fame
1951Hallmark Hall of Fameas AbigailTV
Death on the Brandywine
—Death on the Brandywineas Ann RileyMovie