Kathryn Ann "Katee" Sackhoff (born April 8, 1980) is an American actress known mainly for playing Captain Kara "Starbuck" Thrace on the Sci Fi Channel's television program Battlestar Galactica. In 2004, she was nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television for her work in the Battlestar Galactica mini-series. In May 2006, she won the Saturn Award for the same role. She has also starred in the horror-thriller White Noise: The Light and the eighth season of 24 as Dana Walsh.
Sackhoff was born in Portland, Oregon, and grew up in St. Helens, Oregon. Her mother Mary was an ESL program coordinator and her father Dennis is a German American[citation needed] land developer. Her brother Erick is co-owner of a vehicle modification shop near Portland. She graduated from Sunset High School in Beaverton in 1998. She began swimming at an early age and by high school was planning to go pro until her right knee was injured. This led her to begin practicing yoga, which she continues today, and to pursue an interest in acting.