Biografia
Katie Folger is an actress, writer, and comedian based in Austin, Texas, dedicated to portraying women in media with greater depth, inspired by her longtime mentor Robert Redford. An award-winning performer, her striking and memorable roles have earned acclaim at festivals such as Sundance, SXSW, and Locarno.
A prominent figure in Austin's indie film scene, Folger recently returned to the stage with a dynamic comedic performance in the May 2023 premiere of her one-woman show, Getting in Bed with the Pizza Man. This sharp, 75-minute monologue delves into the challenges of sex and singlehood during the Covid-19 pandemic. Directed by Matrex Kilgore, the production enjoyed a sold-out run in Austin, with encore performances planned for early 2024. The show is also shortlisted for the prestigious B. Iden Payne Awards, Austin’s theater honors, this fall.
Broadway World praised Getting in Bed with the Pizza Man, stating, "Folger brings both humor and vulnerability to her story of navigating the dangerous waters of casual sex during the pandemic... is it ironic that Folger speaks of her pursuit of men in the same way that we are accustomed to hearing men speak about women, or is this her effective subversive point? I choose the latter."
The Austin Chronicle described her as a "fierce, confident, engaging storyteller with super, effortless comic timing and a liking for descriptive detail and heightened prose." They added, "if pheromones could talk and were given a public forum to express themselves, it would take the form of Katie Folger's Getting in Bed with the Pizza Man—a lusty, self-written, one-woman oration on female sexual discovery, exploration, and empowerment."
Upcoming, Folger stars in feature films Family Portrait (2023 Locarno Film Festival, El Gouna Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival), a sprawling family drama/thriller directed by Lucy Kerr (named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film in 2022), and Tooth Shop Fiasco, an absurdist comedy produced by George Rush (2024). She is best known for her lead role as the villain Meredith in Rooster Teeth’s Streamy Award-winning sci-fi series Day 5 (2017, Amazon). Her television credits also include a recurring role in Robert Rodriguez’s From Dusk Till Dawn (2013, Amazon).
Before the pandemic, Folger completed a six-month sketch comedy season at The Magnet, marking her NYC stage debut, and trained in comedy under Amy Poehler at Upright Citizens Brigade (2019). In Los Angeles, she was among the first on-camera hires as a satirical news anchor and writer for Phil DeFranco’s Rogue Rocket in the emerging new media space (2020). Her film credits include Andrew Bujalski’s Results (2015, Sundance), Karen Skloss’s The Honor Farm, and Emily Hagins’s Grow Up Tony Phillips (2017, SXSW). Her breakout role came in Zero Charisma, which won SXSW’s Audience Award (2013). She has collaborated with notable Texas filmmakers including Richard Linklater, Bryan Poyser, Bob Byington, Yen Tan, Vicky Boone, Rooster Teeth, and the Austin Film Society.
In addition to her artistic career, Folger is pursuing a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, focusing on supporting victims of intimate partner violence and specializing in crisis and trauma intervention.
