Returning to GRAVES in a recurring role this season is Kathy Najimy, who will portray “Sylvia Miller,” Isaiah’s overly attentive mother, who moves into the Graves compound in the wake of Isaiah’s near-fatal shooting.

Kathy Najimy is known for her memorable performances in over 25 films and several TV projects. She most recently received the Lilly Actress/Activist award from Gloria Steinem and is very proud to have been named a Ms. Magazine Woman of the Year.

With Mo Gaffney, Najimy wrote and starred in ”The Kathy and Mo Show,” her long-running off Broadway play (Obie Award) which became two award-winning hit HBO specials. Najimy starred last season as a series regular as Captain of the NYPD Major Crimes on A&E’s “Unforgettable.” Najimy recurs frequently on HBO’s ”VEEP” and TVLand’s ”Younger.”  Films recently released include Disney’s hit “The Descendants,” “A Christmas Melody” directed by Mariah Carey, and Kenny Ortega’s “A Change of Heart.”

For TV, Kathy voiced Peggy Hill (14 seasons) on the Emmy Award-winning “King of the Hill,” for which she received several Annie Awards. Najimy starred as Olive on NBC’s ”Veronica’s Closet” for three seasons with Kirstie Alley. She also appeared as a series regular on ”Numb3rs” and “The Big C.”

Kathy is internationally known for her award-winning portrayal of Sister Mary Patrick in the blockbuster hits ”Sister Act” 1 & 2. Her work includes starring roles in ”Hocus Pocus,” ”Rat Race,” Pixar’s Oscar- and Golden Globe- winning ”WALL-E,” ”A Madea Christmas” and ”Say Uncle” (Philadelphia Film Festival Best Actress). Najimy was featured in ”Hope Floats,” ”Zack and Reba,” ”Soapdish,” ”The Hard Way,” “The Wedding Planner,” “Jeffrey,” ”The Big K,” ”Blowtorch,” ”Clutter,” and ”The Guilt Trip” with Barbra Streisand. Her animated films include ”Tinkerbell,” ”Brother Bear 2,” ”Cats Don’t Dance,” and ”The Jungle Book.”

Kathy lives in NYC and shares her life with husband Dan Finnerty of The Dan Band and their daughter, singer/songwriter/actor, Samia.