{
  "id": 6667258,
  "title": "Before Reacher, Elspeth Sampson Actress Kathleen Robertson Starred On A Kelsey Grammer Drama",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/before-reacher-elspeth-sampson-actress-kathleen-robertson-starred-on",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-11T00:12:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TVLine",
    "slug": "tvline",
    "url": "https://www.tvline.com/2252161/reacher-elspeth-sampson-kathleen-robertson-drama-kelsey-grammer-boss/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Throughout Season 4 of Reacher, actress Kathleen Robertson may appear familiar due to her appearances in Beverly Hills, 90210 and The Expanse. However, Robertson is also known for her major role on the Starz drama Boss. In Boss, Robertson portrayed Kitty O'Neill, the personal aide to the corrupt mayor of Chicago. The mayor was played by Kelsey Grammer, who starred in Cheers and Frasier.\n\nIn 2012, Robertson spoke to the Hollywood Reporter about a particularly intense scene she shared with Grammer. In that scene, Mayor Kane eviscerates Kitty, telling her, \"Do you think you have worth? Because if you think you have worth, you don't. You're nothing.\" Robertson found the scene challenging to act because of Grammer's intensity, causing her to cry.\n\nRobertson described Kitty as a political animal, someone who feels alive through her political involvement. Between Kitty in Boss and Elspeth in Reacher, Robertson has carved out a niche in savvy political strategist roles. Kitty's character arc in Boss revolves around her embracing who she truly is, warts and all, even if it means accepting that she may not change. Robertson appreciated this aspect of Kitty's character.\n\nDespite Kitty's struggles in Season 1, Robertson noted that the Season 2 finale was a turning point for the character. The writers deliberately delayed revealing this development until a pivotal episode. When Robertson read the script for that episode, she gave the thumbs-up to the showrunner, signaling her approval.\n\nHowever, Starz canceled Boss in November 2012, leaving Kitty's story arc unresolved. In 2015, Robertson expressed her disappointment and shock at the news, especially given the show's critical acclaim. She was expecting the series to continue, as both Boss and its cast received praise from critics.",
  "summary": "Kathleen Robertson worked with TV star Kelsey Grammer on an early-2010s drama, and her character was fairly similar to Elspeth Sampson in Reacher.",
  "key_points": [
    "Kathleen Robertson starred as Kitty O'Neill on Starz drama Boss.",
    "Kelsey Grammer played Mayor Kane in Boss, a role from Cheers.",
    "Robertson found Grammer's intense acting challenging, causing her to cry."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Kathleen Robertson's portrayal of Kitty O'Neill in Boss showcases her talent for playing savvy political strategists, a niche she's revisited with her role as Elspeth in Reacher.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}