Born in Geneva, Switzerland, Katerina “Kat” Graham speaks four languages, and was exposed to different cultures from an early age. Her father, Joseph, was a music executive. Her grandfather was a United Nations Ambassador from Liberia. The family moved to Los Angeles, California when Graham was 4 years old.
Graham started doing TV commercials at age 6, appearing in spots for Barbie, K-Mart, Pop Tarts, and Edison. Her first big break came when she replaced a young Christina Milian as the host of the series "Movie Surfers." Her television credits include guest spots on such shows as "Joan of Arcadia," "Like Family," "Grounded For Life," "Lizzie McGuire," "CSI: Las Vegas," "The O.C.," "Malcolm in The Middle," "Strong Medicine", "Hannah Montana and “The Vampire Diaries."
At the age of 15, Graham was chosen by choreographer Fatima to perform at the BET Awards as a background dancer for Lil' Bow Wow. That experience led to other stints as a background dancer for Missy Elliott, Pharrell, Jamie Foxx, and choreographers Hi Hat and Michael Rooney.
In addition to her acting and dancing abilities, Graham wrote and sang a song titled "Derailed," which was featured in a Jean-Claude Van Damme movie. At 17, Katerina was selected by the Coca-Cola Company as part of an international campaign to market their soft drink Fanta. While promoting the campaign as a member of the "Fantanas" (as Capri/Strawberry), Graham simultaneously completed her degree in recording engineering.
Kat recently finished a world tour with The Black-Eyed Peas, and her voice is featured on Will.I.Am's solo release "Songs About Girls" ("I Got It From My Mama") and "The Donque Song," featuring Snoop Dogg.
Graham was seen in the film "17 Again," with Zac Efron and Matthew Perry. Her upcoming film projects include a starring role in Universal's "Honey2," and Screen Gems' "The Roommate," with Leighton Meester of "Gossip Girl."
Kat, a huge fan of Elliot Wolff's, has covered Elliot’s hit song “Cold Hearted” which was originally made famous by Paula Abdul in the early 90’s. Kat added her own unique spin on the song which keeps the original chorus “as is” but includes new verses and a brand new bridge!
Kat’s updated version of the song is currently storming up the charts and rumor has it - Paula Abdul loves it!”
'Vampire Diaries' Kat Graham Debuts "Cold Hearted" Video
by Jillian Mapes, N.Y. | September 20, 2010 1:00 EDT
Kat Graham can be a real witch sometimes - but only when she's portraying Bonnie Bennett on TV's "The Vampire Diaries." Other times, she's an actress, a singer, a dancer and even a fighter - and she's all of these in the new video for her cover of Paula Abdul's "Cold Hearted," which makes its exclusive debut on Billboard.com.
In addition to all of the hats she wears, Kat Graham is also a Paula Abdul fan, a fact that played a significant role in her choosing to cover Abdul's 1989 hit, which she retitled slightly as "Cold Hearted Snake." "There were -- and still are -- very few stars that I can really look up to, and Paula is one of them," says Graham, who also named former tourmate Fergie as another influence. "I was a bi-racial kid who was a back-up dancer turned into what I am now."
Graham puts her own stamp on "Cold Hearted," which is available at iTunes, by tweaking the lyrics and amping up the tempo; the video is even sexier than the original. In Graham's version, the actress-singer plays a boxer who seems more interested in perfecting her dance moves than her left hook, but she explains that she has a fighter mentality in every facet of her career.
"I try to be a fighter in my character Bonnie Bennett on 'The Vampire Diaries' and try to be a fighter in my music," says Graham. "I want to put that female self-empowerment in all of my art."
The video may have a larger message behind it, but Graham and her team didn't overthink it. In fact, the video came together quite quickly. "We found a boxing ring nine hours before we were supposed to shoot, and I learned the choreography for the video the morning we shot," says Graham. "I was practicing the choreography on the sidewalk on Rodeo Drive [in L.A.], and a security guard came up to me. He thought I was a street performer and gave me two dollars!"
Graham hopes to drop an album sometime next year, after she's done shooting season two of "The Vampire Diaries" in Atlanta. It's a constant balancing act for this woman of many endeavors. "I look at acting as my family, and it's something I've done since I was like five years old," says Graham. "But music - music is more like my boyfriend, or a husband. I am so in love with every facet of it."
In addition to her acting and dancing abilities, Graham wrote and sang a song titled "Derailed," which was featured in a Jean-Claude Van Damme movie. At 17, Katerina was selected by the Coca-Cola Company as part of an international campaign to market their soft drink Fanta. While promoting the campaign as a member of the "Fantanas" (as Capri/Strawberry), Graham simultaneously completed her degree in recording engineering.
