British television, theater and film actress Natascha McElhone was born on December 14, 1971 in Hampstead, London. Raised by parents who were both journalists, she studied at St. Mary’s Hall boarding school for girls, and graduated later on from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Natascha McElhone started out her career in theater, performing onstage in productions such as Richard III, The Count of Monte Cristo, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She later went on to act in television shows such as Bergerac, Absolutely Fabulous, and A Breed of Heroes. She has also appeared in the films Surviving Picasso, Ronin, and Killing Me Softly.
Karen is played by Natascha McElhone in the upcoming television comedy series Californication from Showtime. She is the mother of Becca and Hank’s longtime ex-girlfriend whom he still pines for, even though she’s already engaged to another man. She was happy and supportive of Hank while they still resided in New York, though she became disgusted when they moved to Los Angeles and he began a decline back into his womanizing and irresponsible habits, coupled with his unfathomable writer’s block. Even with her engagement to a mature and protective figure, she still maintains her love-hate relationship with Frank, which may eventually drive them both bonkers.
(Image courtesy of Natascha-McElhone.net)