Kate Roberts

Kate Roberts
Lauren Koslow as Kate DiMera
Days of our Lives
Portrayed by	Lauren Koslow (others)
Created by	Ann Marcus
Introduced by	Betty Corday and H. Wesley Kenney
Duration	1977–1978, 1979; 1992, 1993–1995; 1996—
First appearance	July 26, 1977
Profile
Gender	Female
Alias	Kate Winograd (birth name)
Date of birth	1951
Occupation	Socialite
Residence	Salem, USA
Significant other(s) Spouse(s) Curtis Reed (1969–93) Victor Kiriakis (1993–95) Roman Brady (2003–05) Stefano DiMera (2009–12) Romances Bill Horton Nicholas Alamain Vincent Maroni André DiMera John Black EJ DiMera Daniel Jonas
Relationships Sons Austin Reed Lucas Horton Rex Brady Philip Kiriakis Daughters Billie Reed Cassie Brady Grandsons Will Horton Tyler Wilkins Parker Kiriakis Granddaughters Chelsea Brady Allie Horton

Katherine Elizabeth "Kate" DiMera (née Roberts; previously Brown, Kiriakis and Brady) is a fictional character on the NBC daytime soap opera, Days of our Lives. The role is currently being portrayed by Lauren Koslow.

Conception

Backstory

Katherine Elizabeth Winograd marries her first husband, Curtis Brown in 1969 in Chicago. Together they have two children, a son and a daughter. Curtis, a Jazz musician had made several records when his career was cut short when he got involved in the mob and had part of his finger cut off. To cope with losing his career, Curtis turned to drugs and became very abusive to his wife and children. At some point in the 1970s, the family relocated to Salem.

Casting

The character of Kate Roberts was originally introduced as Kate Winograd on July 26, 1977 being portrayed by soap opera veteran, Elaine Princi. Princi vacates the role on February 15, 1978. She returned briefly from January 4 to May 8, 1979. In 1992, the character was re-introduced by then head writer Sheri Anderson, with veteran actress Deborah Adair debuting in the role. She first appeared on a recurring basis from August to November 1992, until returning as a contract series regular on February 24, 1993. She would remain in the role until May 1995, when she decided to retire from acting. Following Adair's exit from the series, the role was recast to Lauren Koslow, who was previously on The Bold and the Beautiful. Though she's claimed the role since 1996, Koslow did vacate for a short-term return to The Bold and the Beautiful in the first ever soap borrow. In return for letting Koslow to return to B&B for November sweeps as Margo in 2002, B&B allowed Joseph Mascolo to return to DAYS as Stefano DiMera for a temporary amount of time.

Characterization

Her primary role within the narrative is that of a femme-fatale and villainess. She is portrayed as a stoic, aggressive and family-oriented woman who is generally loving and supportive, but often interferes in her friends' and relatives' lives through any means necessary. Kates's marriage to Curtis Brown (aka Curtis Reed) produced two of her children, Austin and Billie. A prominent storyline in 2008 included Kate discovering that she had lung cancer. In 2003, Kate's husband Roman was "killed off" in a "whodunnit?" murder storyline involving a serial killer. Roman returned to the show in 2004 after James E. Reilly decided to have all the murder victim turn up alive on the island of Melaswen, or "New Salem" spelled backwards, which causes problems for her marriage to Roman Brady.

Storylines

1977–1979

Elaine Princi originated the role of Kate in 1977.

In 1977, Dr. Kate Winograd, an anesthesiologist at Salem University hospital began having an affair with her married co-worker, Dr. Bill Horton. Bill blames his wife, Laura claiming that she had been neglecting him and working too much. He then turns to alcohol and his medical career begins to suffer. He eventually walks out on Laura and moves in with Kate, but soon after realizes he still loves his wife and leaves Kate hoping to repair his marriage. When the town is hit by a flood, Kate and Bill work together again to help restore the town causing Laura to become suspicious when she notices tension between them. Kate at the time was married to the abusive Curtis Brown and they had two children together. Soon, Kate learned she was pregnant and when Curtis learned of her affair he beat her brutally and left her on the side of the road. He then faked their deaths leaving Kate devastated. Kate gives birth to a son, Lucas in the late 1970s off-screen. Bill's affair along with other things leads to Bill having his wife committed.

Kate's life was turned upside down and she would later become a call girl for crime lord, Stefano DiMera after she left. However, the two would develop a personal relationship and Stefano promised her that she would never ever want for money again. Stefano also paid for Lucas to attend West Point Military Academy. She would eventually get off the streets and reinvent herself changing her last name to Roberts.

1992–1995

Deborah Adair as Kate; 1992 to 1995

After reinventing herself and changing her name, Kate returned to Salem in August 1992 as a successful business woman to work at Titan Publishing with powerful crime lord and businessman, Victor Kiriakis. Kate and Victor began to form a close friendship, while Kate also begins a rivalry with Vivian Alamain while getting closer to her nephew, Lawrence. Kate also reconnects with her former co-worker, Dr. Marlena Evans. Kate is very infatuated with an old news article, "Pregnant Woman found Battered on Highway." Bill's mother, Alice also remembers that Kate once lived in Salem, and worked the hospital. Bill's daughter Jennifer and her husband Jack now live in Kate's old house. In the attic, Jack discovers Kate's journal and re-writes it as a novel. Fortunately, Kate finds it before it is published and hides it. Kate soon moves in to the Kiriakis Mansion and began a relationship with Victor. She was soon joined by her son, Lucas Roberts. Lucas went searching for his father after he learns that Kate had lied about his paternity for years. Hoping to gain forgiveness, Kate reveals that she was in an abusive marriage and her two older children had died along with her husband. Kate soon began visiting Laura Horton who was still in a mental hospital, relieved that she hadn't recovered and couldn't reveal Lucas was Bill's son.

On September 8, 1993, Kate and Victor married. Meanwhile, Kate is shocked to learn that her husband Curtis is really alive and he begins blackmailing her about her past. She also makes enemies with Billie Reed after stealing her cosmetics company, Countess Wilhemina our from under her. When Curtis is found murdered on November 10, Billie is the prime suspect. Kate continues visiting Laura and finds Vivian is also staying and gets nervous thinking Laura will give her information. After Laura & Vivian escape a fire at the sanitarium, Laura discovers Kate's connection to Curtis. At the murder trial, Laura arrives and reveals that Curtis & Kate were married. Kate takes the stand and reveals everything to the court including her husband's abuse and him running away with their two young children. Billie's brother, Austin is shocked and believes that Kate could be their long lost mother. Neither mother or daughter believe it at first, but they eventually accept the truth. Vivian also convinces Laura to reveal that Bill fathered Lucas at a party for Titan Publishing leaving everyone shocked.

Kate is determined to get Victor back after he learns of her lies but Victor says he will only marry her legally if she gives him a child so she agrees to in vitro fertilization. However, after an embryo forms, Vivian has it implanted in her. Vivian's actions drive a wedge between Kate & Victor. In May 1995, Kate is presumed in a plan crash after Vivian drugs her pilot.

1996–2003

Kate returns in January 1996 just in time to catch Victor & Vivian in bed together. She began battling with Vivian for control over Titan and eventually won, and kicked Vivian out of the mansion.