This mother-daughter pair shares a Hollywood family legacy linked to a celebrated filmmaker—but each built an accomplished career in show business in her own right.
The mother was known as one of the era’s blonde bombshells during the 1950s and 1960s, while her daughter earned recognition for award-winning performances on stage and screen.
The family matriarch appeared in the short-lived yet memorable television Western Johnny Ringo. She also won a Golden Globe for playing the flirtatious young bride in the 1954 John Wayne film The High and the Mighty, before portraying a lovestruck nurse opposite Jerry Lewis in The Disorderly Orderly.
In her early 20s, her daughter became the Miss Golden Globe Ambassador at the 1990 Golden Globe Awards—her official introduction to Hollywood.
The pair looked striking in vivid outfits and impeccably styled hair while attending a Los Angeles event together this week.
Can you identify them?
Now 92, the veteran actress was celebrated as a blonde bombshell during Hollywood’s golden era and was married to a legendary filmmaker
Her daughter followed her famous parents into show business, earning acclaim on stage and in film
If you guessed Karen Sharpe and Kat Kramer, you’re absolutely right.
Our News Outlet has contacted Sharpe and Kramer through their production company for additional comment.
Sharpe, 92, evoked classic movie-star glamour in a turquoise blazer worn over a black turtleneck and black trousers. Turquoise jewelry completed the ensemble.
Kramer, born soon after her parents married in 1966, caught attention in a ruffled red blouse and black pants that complemented her red hair.
She also displayed her adventurous fashion sense while carrying a distinctive Rolling Stones purse.
Sharpe was married to renowned director and producer Stanley Kramer, whose celebrated filmography included The Defiant Ones (1958), On the Beach (1959), Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967).
The couple had two children, Katharine—known as “Kat”—and Jennifer, born in 1968. Stanley Kramer also had two children, Casey and Larry, from his earlier marriage to Anne Pearce; Sharpe helped raise them as well.
They remained together until the filmmaker died in 2001 at the age of 87.
Mother and daughter arrived at a Los Angeles event this week in eye-catching outfits. Kat Kramer, left, and Karen Sharpe, right, were the stylish pair in question
Sharpe portrayed a lovestruck nurse opposite Jerry Lewis in The Disorderly Orderly
Sharpe won a Golden Globe for playing the amorous young bride in the 1954 John Wayne film The High and the Mighty (pictured with John Smith)
The family matriarch, who was married to director and producer Stanley Kramer, played Laura Thomas in the short-lived Western series Johnny Ringo, starring Don Durant as the title character
Sharpe appeared opposite Johnny Sheffield in Bomba and the Jungle Girl (1952)
With her distinctive hair and glamorous figure, Sharpe quickly became one of the most memorable stars to appear on both the big and small screens.
She made her film debut in Army Bound (1952), followed by roles in The Sniper, Holiday for Sinners, Bomba and the Jungle Girl and Strange Fascination.
In 1955, Sharpe received a Golden Globe for New Star of the Year – Actress for her performance as Nell Buck in The High and the Mighty (1954).
Four years later, she joined the cast of the television Western Johnny Ringo as Laura Thomas, appearing alongside Don Durant, Mark Goddard and Terence de Marney.
Although the series lasted just one season, Sharpe made a lasting impression. A long list of television guest roles followed, including appearances in Gunsmoke, Bonanza, The Wild Wild West, Rawhide, Gomer Pyle – USMC, The Man from UNCLE and I Dream of Jeannie.
Her other film credits included Mexican Manhunt (1953), Man with the Gun (1955) and The Disorderly Orderly (1964), in which she starred opposite Jerry Lewis.
In 2022, Sharpe disclosed that she had been sexually assaulted and harassed by Lewis on the film’s set. She never worked with him again. Lewis died in 2017 at age 91.
Sharpe retired from acting in 2021. Her final film was Fate’s Shadow: The Whole Story.
Kramer made her mark as the 1990 Miss Golden Globe Ambassador, posing at the ceremony with Cybill Shepherd and Sam Elliott
Kramer was named for screen legend Katharine Hepburn, who appeared in her father’s film Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner with Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier and Katharine Houghton. Above, Kramer and Sharpe attend the 2012 Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles
Kramer has spent years moving among Hollywood’s elite. Above, she poses with Grant Heslov, left, and George Clooney, right, alongside Sharpe at the 2006 Producers Guild Awards
Like both of her parents, Kramer entered the entertainment industry and made her public debut at the 1990 Golden Globes as Miss Golden Globe Ambassador.
The daughter of Hollywood royalty went on to earn awards for her stage portrayals of Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker and Anne Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank.
Her film work includes Going Shopping (2005), What Just Happened (2008) and Little Fockers (2010).
She received her name in honor of Katharine Hepburn, the legendary actress who starred in Stanley Kramer’s Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner alongside Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier and Katharine Houghton.
Kramer has also served as the West Coast representative for the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center.
In 2019, she won Best Supporting Actress at the LOVE International Film Festival for playing Fran in the independent film Turnover.
She later appeared in the 2023 documentary Call Me Kate, which explored the life of her namesake, Hepburn.
According to her website biography, Kramer received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 Luxury Oscar Gala, presented by Samira’s Network.
She continues to develop new projects as both an actor and producer.
