Kate Moennig

Katherine Sian Moennig (born December 29, 1977) is an American actress known for her role as Shane McCutcheon on *The L Word* and as Jake Pratt on *Young Americans*. In 2009, she starred as Dr. Miranda Foster on *Three Rivers*. Moennig was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Broadway dancer Mary Zahn and violin maker William H. Moennig III. Moennig is of German, Scottish, and Irish ancestry.

Moennig moved to New York City at the age of 18 to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She has played multiple lesbian roles in *The L Word*, *Everybody's Fine*, and *Art School Confidential*. She has also pursued transgender roles, auditioning for the part of Brandon Teena in *Boys Don't Cry*, and playing Cheryl Avery, a young transgender woman in *Law and Order*. In 2007, the documentary *My Address: A Look At Gay Youth Homelessness in New York* was launched with Moennig in cooperation with the Hetrick-Martin Institute (HMI).