THE CAT GRANT LIVE-ACTION TOUR

Catherine Jane "Cat" Grant is a prominent supporting character in DC Comics, primarily associated with the Superman mythos. Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths maxi-series, DC Comics built Superman from scratch, rendering him once again the sole survivor of Krypton.  Introduced in Adventures of Superman #424 (1987) by Marv Wolfman and Jerry Ordway, she was brought in as the new gossip columnist for the Daily Planet.

On this tour, we will look at the live-action portrayals she has had in film and on TV since her creation.

Initially depicted as flirtatious, glamorous, and exceptionally sharp-witted, Cat was introduced partly as a romantic foil for Clark Kent, creating a brief love triangle with Lois Lane.

Beyond the gossip columns, Cat is a highly competent journalist and media mogul. She eventually leaves the Daily Planet to run her own media empire, CatCo Worldwide Media.

Beneath her bubbly, confident exterior, her character history includes significant personal tragedy, most notably the devastating loss of her young son, Adam Morgan, which added deep dramatic layers to her arc.

Whether running a gossip column or commanding a multi-billion dollar media corporation, Cat stands out as one of Metropolis's most fierce, self-made professionals.

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Tracy Scoggins provided the very first live-action portrayal of Cat Grant, bringing the comic book character to life with a memorable, comedic edge.

Scoggins played the role in Lois & Clark:The New Adventures of Superman, a hit 1990s television series that blended superhero action with romantic comedy. The series premiered on ABC on September 12, 1993. Scoggins was a main cast member during the show's first season.

In Lois & Clark, Cat Grant was depicted as the Daily Planet's brunette society and gossip columnist. True to her early comic roots, Scoggins played Cat as an unabashed, highly flirtatious, and glamorous "vamp."

She functioned as an immediate rival to Lois Lane (Teri Hatcher) and spent much of the first season in hot pursuit of Clark Kent (Dean Cain).

Known for her provocative office attire and quick-witted, predatory flirting, her over-the-top workplace drama frequently annoyed Lois and Editor-in-Chief Perry White, while completely overwhelming the Boy Scout Clark Kent.  Sadly, the character was not brought back for the show's three following seasons.

Prior to Lois & Clark, Scoggins established herself with prominent television roles in major 1980s dramas like Dynasty and its spin-off, The Colbys. After her contract ended following the first season of Lois & Clark, she went on to join the sci-fi cult hit Babylon 5 as Captain Elizabeth Lochley.

Emilie Ullerup portrayed Catherine Grant in a single guest appearance during the Season 9 episode, Crossfire, on the WB series Smallville (2009).

Ullerup’s brief portrayal was an intentional departure from the traditional character represented in the comics.  This iteration leaned instead into a highly capable, sharp-witted, and competitive modern professional.  Ullerup's version is introduced as a hyper-achieving, ambitious media personality. This Catherine Grant is highly academic, studying for two advanced degrees, and boasts a background that includes a stint serving in the Peace Corps.

Ullerup plays her with a sharp, assertive confidence. She is polished, deeply articulate, and cutthroat when it comes to her career progression.

In "Crossfire," Catherine is auditioning for a high-profile morning talk show hosting gig on Metropolis's WGBS-TV.  Clark Kent is also competing for the same hosting position. Ultimately, Catherine's fierce intelligence and professional polish win over the producers, and she secures the television hosting job over Clark.

Keri Lynn Pratt portrayed Cat Grant on the same Smallville series during its tenth and final season, appearing in four episodes between 2010 and 2011.

Unlike previous portrayals of the character (live action and animated), who are portrayed as overtly sultry or vampy, Pratt's version of Cat Grant was reimagined with a bubbly, overly enthusiastic, and conservative "Type A" personality. Placed at the Daily Planet as Clark Kent’s new reporting partner while Lois Lane was away, Pratt played her as an ambitious, somewhat naive go-getter who is determined to expose vigilantes and superheroes.

Her performance brought a lighthearted, comedic friction to the bullpen... characterized by a cheery exterior masking a fierce determination. While some viewers found the character's nosey, anti-hero stance intentionally annoying, Pratt was widely praised for making the character distinct, cute, and a memorable foil for both Clark and Lois during the show's final season.

The show briefly brushed past the discrepancy by having Pratt’s character mention that her real name was Mary Louise Shroger, and that she had merely adopted the alias "Cat Grant" to protect her identity... laughing off the fact that there was already a famous local TV host named Catherine Grant (The Emilie Ullerup version of the character) as a mere coincidence.

Calista Flockhart portrayed Cat Grant on the television series Supergirl beginning in 2015.

Her version of Cat Grant was a media mogul and the founder of the global media conglomerate CatCo Worldwide Media. Flockhart depicted her as a sharp-witted, demanding, and uncompromising executive who served as both a tough boss and a critical mentor to Kara Danvers (Supergirl). Underneath her sarcastic, larger-than-life exterior, the portrayal carried a distinct emotional depth, balancing comedic precision with genuine warmth and fierceness. This role showcased Flockhart's impressive acting credentials, as she brought a great deal of nuance, screen presence, and dramatic weight to a character that easily could have been a one-dimensional caricature.

She stepped down from being a main character because the show moved networks (from CBS to The WB) following the first season, and as a result, production relocated from Los Angeles to Vancouver to reduce costs. Because Flockhart preferred to stay in Los Angeles with her family, she chose not to relocate full-time and transitioned into a recurring guest-star capacity to wrap up her character's story.  She sporadically appeared in seasons 2, 3, 4, and 6.  Her departure was felt, and the tone of the series changed, trying to fill her void.

The reimagining of Cat Grant as a media mogul was later integrated into the pages of DC Comics following the DC Rebirth era (starting in 2016).

In season 6 of Supergirl, a younger version of Cat is shown in flashback. 

Eliza Helm portrayed a younger version of Cat, going by C.J. Grant at that point in her career.  She appeared in the season's mid-season flashback two-parter, "Prom Night" and "Prom Again!" (Episodes 5 and 6).

Her portrayal can be broken down into a few defining elements: 

Helm played the character back in 2009, long before she became the formidable media mogul played by Calista Flockhart. At this stage, CJ is an eager, hungry young reporter desperate to step out of Lois Lane’s shadow and out from under the thumb of her boss, Daily Planet Editor-in-Chief Perry White.

Ambitious but unrefined, she follows a lead to Kara Danvers’ small hometown of Midvale, suspecting there is a massive story hidden in the small town. While her investigation doesn't go exactly as planned (involving literal alien encounters and spaceships), the experience sets her on the trajectory to build her future empire, CatCo Worldwide Media.  

To capture the essence of Calista Flockhart’s iconic performance while making it fit a younger, less worldly context, Helm meticulously studied Flockhart's specific traits. Most notably, she adapted Cat’s signature, powerful physical cues—such as holding her purse with her wrist bent outward in the crook of her arm—to anchor the performance in a highly recognizable way for fans.

Mikaela Hoover portrayed Cat Grant in the 2025 film Superman.  This was the first theatrical appearance of her character.

In the comics, Cat Grant is a sharp, ambitious, and often flirtatious Daily Planet reporter and gossip columnist who frequently provides a contrast to the more serious Lois Lane. Hoover's version leaned into Cat's glamorous and confident public persona while giving her a warmer, more approachable energy than some earlier interpretations. Hoover has said she researched the comics and tried to blend Cat's classic traits with aspects of her own personality.

What Hoover brought to the role was a combination of comic-book glamour, humor, and genuine chemistry with the Daily Planet ensemble. She worked closely with the costume department to create a look inspired by Cat's comic appearances, even using her own oversized glasses as part of the character's style.

Hoover's Cat Grant works at the Daily Planet as its gossip columnist, but her relationship with Lois is more friendly than adversarial.  It's a grounded, ensemble-friendly take that emphasizes office camaraderie and mild romantic tension with Clark.

Each actress has brought something distinct to the role—whether it’s Tracy Scoggins’ predatory charm, Calista Flockhart’s unmatched screen presence and razor-sharp wit, or Mikaela Hoover’s approachable glamour—yet they all capture the same essential truth: Cat Grant is a fierce, ambitious, self-made woman who refuses to be overshadowed, even in a universe full of gods and heroes.

Whether writing gossip columns at the Daily Planet or building a global media empire with CatCo, Catherine Jane Grant remains one of DC’s most entertaining and resilient supporting characters. No matter the era or incarnation, Cat always lands on her feet — usually in fabulous heels — and leaves a lasting impression.

Cat Grant, and all Superman-related characters, names, and elements and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of DC Comics, Inc.