Katharine McPhee

At 40 years old, Katharine McPhee has this physical status:

Career

McPhee was persuaded by eventual husband Nick Cokas and her parents to try out for the television series American Idol in 2005. She auditioned in San Francisco and performed "God Bless the Child," a Billie Holiday original, and was selected to attend the fifth season of the BBC in 2006. She performed "I'll Never Love This Way Again" by Dionne Warwick, which received lauding remarks from the judges. She performed in a group on "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch) by the Four Tops, forgetting the terms, but the judges accepted the entire group. She sang "My Funny Valentine" a cappella and advanced to the top 40 in the third round of the competition. Crystal Stark, a co-member of the group, was furious when she did not make the top 24. McPhee's investigations into American Idol resulted in the usage of the term "McPheever." After Idol, producer David Foster and singer Andrea Bocelli were invited as guest mentors for Top 6 Week, which was a fortuitous introduction for McPhee. McPhee spent her time in Notre Dame High School in May 2006 for her hometown honors. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa visited the school and declared the day Katharine McPhee Day. Taylor Hicks came in runner's honors.

McPhee had signed to American Idol series creator Simon Fuller's 19 Recordings Limited and Sony BMG's RCA Records, according to Sony BMG's RCA Records on June 6, 2006. McPhee appeared on "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" soloing with "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and performing a duet with Andrea Bocelli on "Somos Novios" in June.

RCA Records' "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/My Destiny" McPhee's Idol album "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/My Destiny" was released on June 27, 2006. The Billboard Hot 100 reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, with "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" debuting at number 12 and "My Destiny" debuting at number 60. Somewhere Over the Rainbow/My Destiny chart had risen to the top of the Billboard Hot Singles Sales charts 32 weeks since its inception. After Taylor Hicks' "Do I Make You Proud" in 2006, it became the second-best-selling single of the year. For more than 58 weeks, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/My Destiny" remained on the chart.

McPhee missed the first three weeks of the American Idol Tour in July due to laryngitis and bronchitis. She began with the Washington, D.C., on a doctor's order to save her voice, singing only two songs, "Over the Rainbow" and "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree," rather than the usual four. McPhee tripped backstage and was given a walking boot cast at the August 1 concert in Charlotte, North Carolina. After recovering from the foot injury, she performed "Think" at her concert set.

McPhee starred in "Can't Help Falling in Love" on his Under the Desert Sky album, which was released as a CD/DVD set on November 7, 2006.

McPhee became their first celebrity spokesperson for their hair-care product line in 2006 after signing a two-year endorsement agreement with Sexy Hair Concepts. McPhee donated McPhee Outreach in 2006. The charity's aim is to partner with other charities or organisations in any way that can be helpful. The foundation joined up with the Lollipop Theater Network to bring music (called "Rhythm of Hope") to sick children in Southern California hospitals. McPhee Outreach and Global Compassion Services joined up with Global Compassion Services to develop a preschool in Burkina Faso, West Africa's highest literacy rate, in order to combat the country's high literacy rate.

McPhee released "A Gift to You" on December 1, 2006 / "O Come All Ye Faithful." Al Gomes of Big Noise and Walter Afanasief co-produced the single. On the TNT Network special Christmas in Washington, DC, McPhee performed "O Come All Ye Faithful."

Katharine McPhee, McPhee's self-titled debut album, was released on January 30, 2007, and it sold 116,000 copies in its first week, debuting at number two on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart. "Over It" was the album's first single to debut at number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100. The second single, "Love Story," failed to crack the Billboard Hot 100.

In the episode "Truth or Dare," McPhee appeared as an unidentified individual in early 2007. In the episode "I'm Coming Out," McPhee appeared as herself on Ugly Betty. The episode was released on February 1, 2007. McPhee unveiled a Christmas song, "O Come All Ye Faithful," during the 2007 Christmas holiday season.

McPhee had been suspended from her RCA Records employment as a result of January 11, 2008. "She is going to record her next album on her own," a spokesperson for the label said.

McPhee was the new spokesperson for their anti-acne skin-care range after signing a two-year endorsement contract with Neutrogena. She shot her first commercial in March 2008, and on Neutrogena's skinid.com website in May 2008. McPhee appeared on American Idol judge Randy Jackson's album Randy Jackson's Music Club, Vol. 1, which was released on March 11, 2008. McPhee performed "Real Love" with fellow American Idol 5 contestant Elliott Yamin. McPhee returned to the American Idol stage on March 12, 2008, during the seventh season of the tournament, as the Top 12 results night. She performed "Something" by the Beatles with producer David Foster on piano. Foster said after the performance that McPhee and him were collaborating on her second studio album (but that did not include him in the final product). In May 2008, McPhee appeared in the David Foster tribute concert Hit Man: David Foster & Friends, which was produced by PBS. Andrea Bocelli appeared solo on "Somewhere" and performed a duet of "The Prayer" with Andrea Bocelli. In November 2008, a CD/DVD was released. Foster's "I Will Be There With You" for Japan Airlines (JAL), with McPhee on vocals, was the product of a Foster's performance. It was used to advertise the introduction of a new aircraft to JAL's US flights starting in June 2008.

McPhee made her studio debut in the film The House Bunny, co-starring as one of the few representatives of a misfit sorority. Anna Faris was the star of the film, which was released in August 2008, as a Playboy Bunny who took the girls under her care. Fred Wolf, a Columbia Pictures producer, was in charge of Columbia Pictures and was produced by Adam Sandler's Happy Madison Productions. McPhee performed a cover of the song "I Know What Boys Like," starring other cast members of the film 'The House Bunny'. McPhee attended Chris Botti's concert, which was filmed by PBS in Boston in September 2008. She sang "I've Got You Under My Skin" and was joined by Botti on trumpet. On PBS, the concert was shown many times beginning in January 2009. On March 31, 2009, Chris Botti of Boston in Boston was released on CD/DVD and Blu-ray.

McPhee had signed a historic deal with Verve Forecast Records (part of Universal Music Group) on January 27, 2009.

McPhee appeared on CSI: New York as a singer and stalker who murdered her stalker. The episode was broadcast on April 8, 2009. McPhee performed in the United Negro College Fund's "An Evening of Stars" concert in September 2009, a tribute to singer-songwriter Lionel Richie. You Are McPhee, McPhee sang You Are. The performance was broadcast in syndication and on BET the weekend of January 23-24, 2010. Through a donation to the United Negro College Fund, a two-disc DVD of the concert was available for a brief period of time. McPhee performed alongside actresses Alyson Hannigan, Jaime King, Minka Kelly, and Emily Deschanel in a comedic twist on the group Stand Up to Cancer's regular breast-cancer screenings. On November 17, 2009, the Christmas single "I'll Be Home for Christmas" was released.

McPhee's second album Unbroken was released on January 5, 2010, and it debuted at number 27 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 15,000 copies for the first week. McPhee co-produced producer John Alagia on her second attempt. On August 25, 2009, McPhee's MySpace page had the first single from the album "Had It All."

McPhee was seen volunteering at a Los Angeles food bank and playing with children at a Boys and Girls Club and discussing the importance of combating hunger in America on Jan 19, 2010. McPhee's redesigned "We Are the World 25 for Haiti" on February 1, 2010, including fellow American Idol alumni Jennifer Hudson and Jordin Sparks and American Idol judge Randy Jackson, commemorating the legendary song's 25th anniversary of the iconic tune and for which proceeds will go to Haitian earthquake relief.

Didi Benami, a contestant on the Unbroken album and written by Idol judge Kara DioGuardi, was on the radio during the week of February 8, 2010. As a result of the exposure and digital downloads of Jason Reeves' album, the album version featured Jason Reeves), the album version rose nearly ten times from the week before, with around 20,000 copies a week for a total of 22,000 sold at that time. McPhee appeared in the production of 110 Stories, directed by Mark Freiburger at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles on February 22, 2010. Ed Asner, Diane Venora, Gail O'Grady, John Hawkes, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, and many others appeared in Ed Asner, Diane Venora, John Hawkes, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, and others. The play was a way to support the victims of the latest Haiti earthquake. The Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles raised money for the Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles. McPhee performed "Surrender" at the White House on March 9, 2010 in front of President Obama and the First Lady as part of International Women's Day. In the episode "Basic Genealogy," McPhee guest-starred as Chevy Chase's ex-stepdaughter and potential love interest for Joel McHale's character. The episode was first broadcast on March 11, 2010.

McPhee produced a television pilot for The Pink House in April 2010. Emily, a down-to-earth Midwestern girl who recently moved to Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles, was played by McPhee. The pilot was shot as a potential pickup for the Fall 2010 season and was produced by Conan O'Brien's production firm, with O'Brien as executive producer. On April 9, 2010, a shooting was fired. The pilot did not appear on NBC.

On May 4, 2010, a new version of the Unbroken song "Terrified" starring actor Zachary Levi premiered on Entertainment Weekly's website and was made available on iTunes. On the music video website Vevo, the accompanying music video premiered on May 7, 2010. McPhee partnered with Feeding America and ConAgra Foods Foundation in the summer of 2010 to help children in need of hunger during the summer months. McPhee travelled around the country to several Feeding America food banks to raise funds throughout the month of July.

On October 12, 2010, McPhee released a Christmas collection titled "I Love You" The album debuted at number 11 on the Billboard Top Holiday Albums chart, and it sold 1,000 copies in its first week. In November 2010, one of the Christmas album's "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" was on radio and debuted at number 16 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart, peaking at number 16 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart. Chelsea Field's album "Love's Never Leavin," a song that McPhee co-wrote with singer-songwriter Richard Marx and producer Trey Bruce, was released on iTunes on November 9, 2010, with 100% of the proceeds going to benefit the Tammany Humane Society in Covington, LA. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's Thanks and Giving Campaign featured McPhee's interactions with sick patients at the hospital on December 15, 2010. Her song "Lifetime" was the soundtrack.

McPhee was revealed in February 2011 as having been cast in the TV drama Smash, starring Debra Messing, Megan Hilty, Jack Davenport, Anjelica Huston, Christian Borle, and Brian d'Arcy James. In May 2011, NBC introduced Smash as a series. The sequence, which is based on a musical thriller, follows a group of people who band together to put on a Broadway musical influenced by Marilyn Monroe.

McPhee reported on June 9, 2011 that he had signed a new deal with Columbia Records (a division of Sony Music Entertainment), as well as Columbia working with NBC to distribute the music for Smash. Forbes announced in July 2011 that McPhee was number 10 on Forbes' list of the top-earning American Idol actors (she was tied with David Archuleta and David Cook) earning $1 million (pretax) for music and acting for the period May 2010 to May 2011.

In director David Ellis' shark thriller indie film Shark Night 3D, which was released on September 2, 2011, McPhee costarred.

McPhee became a spokesperson for Malaria No More in December 2011 to help raise concerns about the campaign to eliminate malaria.

According to generally positive reviews, NBC debuted Smash in midseason 2011–12, receiving a 79 out of 100 on Metacritic. Smash was revived for a second season on March 26, 2012. McPhee, a voiced by Family Guy on Television's "You Can't Do That on Television, Peter," played Mother Maggie. The episode was broadcast on April 1, 2012.

McPhee appeared as a singer on a festival for Peace, Love & Misunderstanding, which starred Jane Fonda and was shot in upstate New York. In September 2010, McPhee filmed her cameo. On June 8, 2012, the film was released as a limited edition.

McPhee appeared in a leading role in the independent $6 million romantic comedy You May Not Kiss the Bride, which was shot in Hawaii in early 2009. Masha was played by McPhee alongside Dave Annable in the role of Masha. In late 2012, the film premiered in the United States, with premieres in Hawaii, Dallas, and Los Angeles, as well as Video On Demand, iTunes, and Amazon. McPhee co-written one of the songs in the film.

Forbes announced McPhee again on their list of the top-earning American Idol actors (he was tied with Kellie Pickler at number seven), grossing $1.1 million (pretax estimates before subtracting manager and agent fees) for music and acting during the period May 2011 to May 2012.

McPhee returned to the American Idol stage for the 12th season top-eight results show with OneRepublic on March 28, 2013, where she lent guest vocals to the group's new song, "If I Lose Myself."

By April 2013, McPhee had recorded her fourth studio album and was due for release in late 2013 and starring songwriting collaborations with Ryan Tedder, Linda Perry, and Sia. After two seasons, Smash was cancelled the same year. In August 2013, McPhee sang of a forthcoming concert that she wished to see the album out in 2014.

Forbes announced in January 2014 that McPhee made the ten top-earners (tied with Jennifer Hudson at number 10) this year, earning $1 million (pretax estimates) for music and acting for the period May 2012 to May 2013.

McPhee filmed In My Dreams, a Hallmark Hall of Fame film shot in Vancouver, British Columbia, between November and December 2013. McPhee and Mike Vogel, two people on the lookout for love and meeting in their dreams, are directed by Kenny Leon. The film was released on April 20, 2014.

A press release revealed that McPhee would appear as Paige in Scorpion on March 17, 2014. The show premiered on September 22, 2014, and CBS picked it up on May 9, 2014, and it continued on September 22.

McPhee appeared on the Wesley Taylor web series It Could Be Worse with fellow Smash actor Megan Hilty. McPhee and Hilty appeared in January 2014, and the episode premiered on Hulu in July 2014.

McPhee said in interviews with Scorpion, which included one to the Los Angeles Times in September 2014, that her fourth album had been postponed due to Scorpion's arrival, and that some realigning will take place as far as the music fits.

As part of the 2014-2015 fall television season, CBS debuted Scorpion on September 22, 2014. Critics generally gave the pilot mixed feedback. It received a score of 48/100 from 19 critics on Metacritic, indicating mixed or average reviews. In the 18–49 demographic, the pilot earned 13.83 million viewers and a 3.2. In the episode "Risky Company," McPhee covered Frankie Valli's "Can't Take My Eyes Off You."

McPhee was a host for the 2015 People's Choice Awards nominations on November 5, 2014.

McPhee appeared on the 16th annual A Home For the Holidays adoption special on December 19, 2014. This was her second appearance on the annual special.

McPhee was a host at the 2015 People's Choice Awards, where she opened a Lady Antebellum appearance on January 7, 2015.

McPhee sang the national anthem before the NFC Championship Game in Seattle on January 18. Boomer Esiason, a sports journalist, co-hosted the 2015 Greatest Super Bowl Commercials special on January 26. McPhee, a presenter on CBS' The 2015 Grammy Awards on CBS, where she introduced a tribute to Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga.

McPhee teased about the forthcoming music video for her first single on her fourth album on April 9, 2015, on Instagram. On May 26, Florence and the Machine member Isabella Summers' "Lick My Lips" was published. With one song written by Ryan Tedder and another one written by Sia Furler, the track list of Hysteria has been revealed. "Stranger than Fiction," a song co-written by Ryan Tedder and McPhee, was released on August 14. "Love Strikes" was released on iTunes on August 28, just in the United States. Hysteria, McPhee's fourth studio album was released on September 18, 2015.

On the Sinatra 100: An All-Star Grammy Concert, Katharine performed "You Make Me Feel So Young" and with John Legend on "You and Me (We Wanted It All)" on December 6, the Sinatra 100: An All-Star Grammy Concert.

McPhee appeared on American Idol on March 24, 2016 and sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." She appeared on April 7 for her fifteenth season finale, where she appeared with Casey James on "Need You Now" as part of an acoustic medley.

McPhee won the Lip Sync Battle on April 7, 2016, where she faced Jason Derulo and defeated him.

McPhee's fourth album, Hysteria, was released independently on September 18, 2015, and it was a blend of pop originals.

McPhee opened at several stops on Andrea Bocelli's tour in December 2016.

McPhee, a presenter with The Chainsmokers at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards, appeared on February 12, 2017.

Stayin' Alive: A Grammy's Salute to the Music of the Bee Gees was shown on CBS on April 16, 2017, where McPhee performed "Emotion."

In June 2017, McPhee began filming Louisiana Cavier, a New Orleans independent film.

McPhee appeared in the Lifetime television film The Lost Wife of Robert Durst starring Kathie McPhee on November 4, 2017.

Through BMG, I Fall in Love Too Easily, a series of romantic standards, was published on November 17, 2017. "Night and Day," the first single, was released for free via streaming.

Jenna in Waitress was McPhee's first female role. She began performing on April 10, 2018 and continued in role until August 19, 2018.

The song "Live in the Moment" was released on May 11, 2018. It was written by her, Jay Landers, and Walter Afanasieff as the film's theme, according to Carole Bayer Sager in a Twitter post.

In Waitress, McPhee played Jenna again in Waitress at the Adelphi Theatre in London's West End from March to June 2019. On November 25, 2019, she returned to the Broadway stage for the final performance on January 5, 2020, and she stayed with the show until its conclusion on January 5, 2020. In 2021, she plays Bailey in Country Comfort.

Katharine McPhee and David Foster both competed on "Bananana Split" in 2021, where McPhee did all of the singing and Foster handled the banana half of the instrument playing and conducting. They were disqualified from the Group B Finale.

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