Cathy Rigby Biography, Life, Interesting Facts

Cathy Rigby was born on December 12, 1952, in California, USA.

Athletic Career & The Olympics

Cathy Rigby had become interested in gymnastics from an early age. Throughout her childhood and teenage years, she practiced, honing her skills. Eventually, she entered in the 1968 Summer Olympics.

She was a member of the United States women’s gymnastics team. Even though this was her first time at the Olympics and she was only fifteen years old, she entered into six different events: The Women’s Individual All-Round, Team All-Round, Floor Exercise, House Vault, Uneven Bars, and Balance Beam. While she did not earn any medals, she did rank in sixth place in the Women’s Team All-Round.

Cathy Rigby returned to the Summer Olympics in 1972 on the United State’s women’s gymnastics team. Once again, she entered into the same six events that she had in her previous time at the Olympics. She did better in this year, but she still did not earn any medals. Her highest ranking was in fourth place for the Women’s Team All-Round.

After her time in the 1972 Summer Olympics, Cathy Rigby retired from gymnastics to pursue an acting career.

Theater Acting Career

Cathy Rigby spent some years independently studying singing and acting before finally performing in her first major on-stage production in 1981. Some of her early plays from around this time include The Wizard of Oz, and Annie Get Your Gun.

During the 1990’s, Cathy Rigby started to perform on Broadway, with her first appearance in 1990 when she played Peter Pan in Peter Pan. She went on to go on tour for this play twice in the 1990’s.

In the 2000’s, Cathy Rigby continued acting on the stage. In 2000 and 2002 she appeared in productions of Seussical as the Cat in the Hat. She later returned to playing Peter pan in tours in 2004-2005. She also appeared in the play Li’l Abner in 2008.

As of the 2010’s, Cathy Rigby continues to act on the stage. In 2011, she went on another tour of Peter Pan. Her most recent stage-acting endeavor was in 2017 when she voiced the narrator of Kris Kringle The Musical.

Film & Television Career

Cathy Rigby first appeared on screen in 1974, as a guest actress in the show Police Woman. She also appeared on one episode of The Six Million Dollar Man and The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries. She also appeared in one made-for-television movie in the 1970’s called The Great Wallendas.

Cathy Rigby’s television acting career did anything but improve during the 1980’s, in part because she was more focused on her theater acting career during this time. During this decade, she only appeared on three episodes of three separate television shows/made-for-television movies: CHiPs, Challenge of a Lifetime, and ABC Afterschool Specials.

In the 1990’s and 2000’s, Cathy Rigby only acted in one television show (Ghostwriter), one made-for-television movie (Perfect Body), and one television special (Peter Pan). Her most recent acting role was in the film McKenna Shoots for the Stars in which she played the character, Isabelle Manning. The film was released in 2012.

Awards & Accomplishments

Cathy Rigby was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1997.

The League of American Theatres and Producers honored Rigby with the Distinguished Lifetime Service Award in 2004.

Family Life

Cathy Rigby was first married to Tommy Mason in 1973. This couple had two sons together: Ryan and Thomas. However, this couple later divorced in 1981. Cathy Rigby married for a second time to Thomas McCoy in 1982. This couple has two daughters together: Kaitlin and Theresa.