Background
Katon was born in New York City to a Jamaican-born father.
Katon was born in New York City to a Jamaican-born father.
She was Playboy magazine"s Playmate of the Month for its September 1978 issue. Her centerfold was photographed by Mario Casilli. And Good Times. Katon also had earlier roles on That"s My Mama, which so-starred Clifton Davis.
However, the shapely actress was often typecast in sex kitten roles in R-Rated comedies such as Chesty Anderson, United States. Navy (1976), Lunch Wagon (1981) and Bachelor Party.
This was solidified by her appearance as the September 1978 Playboy centerfold. Notable exceptions to this rule were a recurring role opposite Denzel Washington on the medical drama Saint Elsewhere and her appearance in two award-winning University of California, Los Angeles student films, Julie Dash"s "Illusions," released in 1982, in which she portrayed a singer doubling for a white actress in 1940s Hollywood (whether she did her own singing in the role was not known as of mid December 2012), and South. Torriano Berry"s "Rich," in which she portrays the title character"s supportive girlfriend.
The honor and the task of presenting the statuettes during the ceremony goes to an up and coming actress. Katon was the first African American to be selected, since the custom started in 1962.
Katon also had leading roles in two Cirio Santiago action films, both released in 1976, Ebony, Ivory & Jade, in which she received top billing, and The Muthers, in which she acted alongside former Playboy centerfold Jean Bell.
Additionally, Katon has had several stage credits, including a Broadway lead role in Godspell and a featured role in the parody of women in prison movies, Women Behind Bars. At one point, Katon segued into the world of stand-up comedy, and during that period in her career, she appeared in the June 1991 Playboy pictorial "Funny Girls," which covered female comedians. In 1984, Katon married Richard M. Walden, who is the president and chief executive officer of Operation United States of America, an international organization that supplies relief to Third World areas in need such as Rwanda, Cambodia and, more recently, tsunami-ravaged Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia.
And to Hurricane Katrina-ravaged areas of Louisiana and Mississippi.
Rosanne is an active participant with Operation United States of America and also serves on its Advisory Board. The relief group is based in California.