Celebrity Extra: Stana Katic
By Dana Jackson
Q: I watch reruns of the old TV series "Castle" on the Lifetime Channel. I know that the actor who plays Castle, Nathan Fillion, is also in "The Rookie," but what happened to the actress who played Kate Beckett? Has she retired from acting? -- M.D.
A: "Castle" was a detective-dramedy series that aired on ABC from 2009-2016 and starred Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic. Fillion went on to star in another ABC series called "The Rookie," which is currently in its eighth season. Last year, he also appeared as the Green Lantern in both the blockbuster hit movie "Superman" and the HBO series "Peacemaker."
Stana Katic in "Absentia". Photo Credit: Courtesy of Amazon Prime Video
Katic's career is still going strong, but she's starring in projects that have less of a profile. Most notably, she starred in the Amazon series "Absentia," where she played an FBI agent who was once declared dead but returns to find herself as the prime suspect in a murder. The mystery-thriller ran for three seasons before concluding in 2020, but you can find the entire series on Netflix now.
Katic will star in a series that is currently in development called "Entangled," which is about married CIA agents. But it hasn't started filming, nor has it found a network or a streamer to pick it up once it's been completed.
***
Q: When is the Nicole Kidman series coming out that is supposed to be based on the Patricia Cornwell mysteries? Where will it air? -- D.N.
A: "Scarpetta," starring Nicole Kidman as a forensic pathologist, will debut on Amazon Prime Video beginning March 11. Dr. Kay Scarpetta is the protagonist in almost 30 bestselling novels by Patricia Cornwell. As if the new series based on the books didn't have enough star power with Kidman as the lead, it will also star another Oscar winner -- Jamie Lee Curtis -- as Kay's sister.
***
Q: Who is the actress with the curly hair in the new Peacock series "Ponies"? I know one of the main actresses was in "Game of Thrones," but I don't recognize the other one. I love the show, though. -- F.N.
A: Yes, that's Emilia Clarke who you recognized; she played Daenerys Targaryen in the epic series "Game of Thrones." But her co-star in "Ponies" is also worthy of recognition. Haley Lu Richardson is probably best known for her role as Portia, who was Jennifer Coolidge's character's assistant in season two of "The White Lotus" -- a show where, as a cast member, you're almost guaranteed an Emmy nomination. While she didn't get an Emmy nod, she did win an Actor Award for being a part of the ensemble cast of "The White Lotus" in 2023.
Back in 2019, she starred opposite Cole Sprouse ("Riverdale") in the coming-of-age film "Five Feet Apart," which was directed by Justin Baldoni ("It Ends with Us"). While a second season for "Ponies" hasn't been announced yet, the show's creators have high expectations that it will have more stories planned for the fun '70s Russian spy series.
Send me your questions at NewCelebrityExtra@gmail.com.
(c) 2026 King Features Synd., Inc.