Kathryn Renée Thomas

Katie Thomas was an American actress who broke out in 2016 when she started appearing on the hit TV Land comedy series "Teachers" (TV Land, 2016- ). Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Thomas grew up in a relatively normal household that was anything if not serious. Her parents were working professionals, one was a therapist and the other a writer, and instilled in their daughter the virtues of hard work and education. Thomas was a good student, but always had the desire to perform for others. When she entered the University of Michigan, that early desire became a reality. A theater major, Thomas honed her acting chops by appearing in numerous school productions, and once had the esteemed privilege of performing for the iconic American playwright Arthur Miller. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a dual degree in both English Literature and Theater, and quickly decided to pursue acting as a profession. She started taking improv classes at the Second City in Detroit, and found that she had a knack for comedy. After moving to Chicago, the so-called hub of American improvisational comedy, Thomas linked up with five other funny women, all of whom had nicknames derived from Katherine, to form the improv comedy troupe The Katydids. In addition to performing at theaters all across Chicago, the Katydids started making hilarious videos for the Internet, some of which were picked up by sites like the Huffington Post and the Onion. In 2012, Thomas and the Katydids created the comedy web series "Teachers," which quickly became a huge hit. It wasn't long before Hollywood came calling and in 2016 a TV version of "Teachers" debuted on TV Land. The series was a hit with both critics and fans, and in January of 2017 the second season of "Teachers" premiered on the channel, with all six of the Katydids, including Thomas, returning.