Katherine Moennig

Katherine Moennig was born on December 29, 1977 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is an actress and producer known for "Gone" (2012), "The Lincoln Lawyer" (2011) and "Everybody's Fine" (2009). She is also known for her television roles as Shane McCutcheon on "The L Word" (2004–09), as Jake Pratt on "Young Americans" (2000), and her long-recurring role as Lena in the Showtime series "Ray Donovan" since 2013.

Moennig moved to New York City at the age of 18 to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. In 1999, she had the central role in the Our Lady Peace video "Is Anybody Home?". She also took a role in a Fleet Bank commercial, and appeared in a Red Cross Campaign benefiting victims of Hurricane Katrina. Moennig was a presenter at the 17th annual GLAAD awards and appeared at the 10th annual Ribbon of Hope Celebration.

Moennig's first major role was in the television series "Young Americans," playing Jake Pratt. She has played multiple lesbian roles: Shane McCutcheon in "The L Word;" Rosie's (Drew Barrymore) partner Jilly in "Everybody's Fine;" Candace, the lesbian lover of Sophia Myles' character, in "Art School Confidential;" and Lena, a press agent who works for Liev Schreiber's character, in "Ray Donovan." 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 the "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" episode "Fallacy".

In 2007, the Hetrick-Martin Institute (HMI) produced the documentary "My Address: A Look At Gay Youth Homelessness" in cooperation with Moennig. Directed by Gigi Nicolas, the documentary explored the experiences of homeless gay youth and the work of the HMI. In 2017, Moennig narrated her first audiobook, T"he Late Show by Michael Connelly," and in 2019, Moennig reprised her role as Shane McCutcheon in "The L Word" sequel, "The L Word: Generation Q."