Jody Katt was born into Hollywood royalty — the eldest daughter of Barbara Hale, the Emmy-winning Della Street on Perry Mason, and actor Bill Williams. Her brother William Katt became a television star in his own right. Jody, though, chose the quietest path of all: a private life entirely outside the entertainment industry. Here is her story.
Quick Facts
- Full Name: Barbara Willa Johanna Katt (known as Jody)
- Born: July 24, 1947, in Los Angeles, California
- Parents: Barbara Hale (actress) and Bill Williams (actor)
- Siblings: William Katt (actor), Juanita Katt
- Known for: Eldest daughter of Barbara Hale and Bill Williams
- Reported profession: Speech-language pathologist (California license records)
- Public profile: Fully private — no acting career, no public interviews
Early Life in Hollywood
Jody Katt was born Barbara Willa Johanna Katt on July 24, 1947, in Los Angeles — one year after her parents married. Her mother, Barbara Hale, was already an established film actress who would soon become a television immortal as Della Street, the loyal secretary on Perry Mason, winning the 1959 Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress. Her father, Bill Williams (born Herman August Wilhelm Katt), was a working actor with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Growing up in Hollywood in the late 194s and 1950s meant being surrounded by the energy of the film industry — studio visits, industry events, famous family friends. But her parents maintained a family-first approach, and Barbara Hale in particular became a model of balancing motherhood with a demanding acting career. Jody was followed by two younger siblings: William Katt, born in 1951, who would later star as the lead in The Greatest American Hero, and Juanita Katt, born in 1953.
Choosing a Different Path
Unlike her brother William, who followed their parents into acting — memorably appearing in Carrie and Big Wednesday before his star turn as Ralph Hinkley — Jody showed little interest in performing. Public records indicate she built a professional life in an entirely different field: California licensing records list a Jody Katt as a licensed speech-language pathologist, with a license granted in 1974. While biographical sources do not extensively document her career, this points to a life of professional service far from any soundstage.
That choice is the defining fact of her biography. Born with every advantage for an entertainment career — famous parents, industry access, a recognizable name — she opted for privacy and a helping profession instead. It is a decision that echoes through other private members of famous families who found their own definition of a good life.
The Hale-Williams Family
The family Jody was born into left a deep mark on American television. Barbara Hale appeared in over 270 episodes of Perry Mason and reprised Della Street in 30 made-for-television movies, becoming one of the most beloved supporting players in TV history. Bill Williams worked steadily in film and television for decades. Their marriage lasted 46 years, from 1946 until Bill’s death from a brain tumor in 1992 — a Hollywood rarity.
Barbara Hale died in 2017 at age 94 and is interred beside her husband at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills. William Katt has continued the family’s acting tradition across five decades. Juanita, like Jody, has remained largely private. Through it all, Jody stayed out of the narrative — present at family milestones, absent from public storytelling, a pattern familiar from family biographies where one sibling simply declines the spotlight.
A Life Lived Quietly
Little is publicly documented about Jody Katt’s adult life beyond the professional licensing record — no interviews, no memoirs, no public appearances of note. And that scarcity is itself the story. In a family whose name is written into television history, she built something separate: a private existence measured by its own standards rather than by fame’s.
There is something admirable about the completeness of her privacy. She did not leverage the Hale-Williams name for a career, did not write about her famous mother, did not become a professional celebrity relative. She simply lived — which, for someone born into Hollywood royalty in 1947, may be the most independent choice of all.
Who is Jody Katt?
The eldest daughter of actress Barbara Hale (Della Street on Perry Mason) and actor Bill Williams, born July 24, 1947 — who chose a private life outside the entertainment industry.
Is she related to William Katt?
Yes — William Katt, star of The Greatest American Hero, is her younger brother. Their sister is Juanita Katt.
What does Jody Katt do?
California licensing records indicate she worked as a speech-language pathologist. She has never pursued acting or public life.
Jody Katt’s biography can be told in a single sentence: born into fame, she chose something else. In a family of performers spanning three generations, her quiet professional life might be the most distinctive legacy of all.