Catherine Marcelle Reitman Bio
Catherine Marcelle Reitman (born April 28, 1981) is a Canadian-American actress, producer, and writer. She is the creator, executive producer, writer and star of the CBC and Netflix sitcom Workin’ Moms, which ran from 2017 to 2023, and she has worked across film and television since childhood.
Early Life and Background
Catherine Marcelle Reitman was born in Los Angeles, California, to film director Ivan Reitman and actress Geneviève Robert. Her family background is rooted in film and performance; her father is a noted Canadian filmmaker and her mother is a French-Canadian actress, and both parents provided an early environment steeped in the entertainment industry.
Reitman began acting as a child, with credits that date to the late 1980s. She attended Cate School and later studied at the University of Southern California, a path that combined an upbringing in the film world with formal training and exposure to professional networks in Los Angeles and Toronto.
Path to Celebrity
Reitman’s early exposure to film through her family led to small roles on major studio projects and guest spots on television. Her first notable film appearance came as a child in Beethoven’s 2nd (1993), and she steadily built a résumé of supporting roles in both film and television across the 1990s and 2000s.
As Reitman moved into adult roles she balanced acting with on-camera hosting and online projects, expanding her profile beyond single-credit appearances. Those formative steps and varied early credits set the stage for higher-profile supporting roles in mainstream comedies and later for creating and showrunning her own series.
Catherine Reitman Career
Early Career (1988–2006)
Catherine Reitman’s career began in childhood, with on-screen credits recorded from 1988 onward. She appeared in family and studio productions in the 1990s and established herself with steady work on television and in film, taking supporting parts that leveraged her familiarity with set work and comedic timing.
During this period she also explored media outside traditional acting, building experience in interview formats and short-form content that would inform later creative roles. Her background during these years combined practical set experience and intermittent guest work on television series.
Film and Television Breakthrough (2007–2011)
Reitman attained higher public visibility with supporting roles in mainstream comedies. She appeared in Knocked Up (2007) and in I Love You, Man (2009), both of which gave her exposure in wide-release studio comedies. She also appeared in Friends with Benefits (2011), reinforcing a series of comedic film credits across high-profile productions.
Parallel to film work, Reitman continued to guest on television series and developed on-camera projects of her own. In January 2011 she launched Breakin’ It Down with Catherine Reitman, a film-review web series on YouTube that ran until July 2013, and she occasionally co-hosted podcast episodes for Hollywood Babble-On, demonstrating an interest in media production and commentary beyond acting.
Wolf & Rabbit Entertainment Era (2016–Present)
In 2016 Reitman and her husband Philip Sternberg co-founded Wolf & Rabbit Entertainment ULC to produce original scripted content. The company was formed to develop Workin’ Moms, a half-hour single-camera comedy created by Reitman and produced for CBC and Netflix. Reitman served as creator, executive producer, writer and lead actor on the series, and Sternberg also starred in the show.
Workin’ Moms premiered in 2017 and ran through 2023, during which Reitman also directed multiple episodes across seasons. The series positioned Reitman as a showrunner and multi-hyphenate creative, moving her career into producing and directing as well as continuing acting. Workin’ Moms earned Canadian Screen Award recognition in 2017, with nominations that included Best Actress, Comedy for Reitman and Best Comedy Series.
Notable Events and Milestones
Key milestones in Reitman’s career include her early child acting credit in Beethoven’s 2nd, supporting film roles in Knocked Up and I Love You, Man, the launch of her web-series Breakin’ It Down, and founding Wolf & Rabbit Entertainment. Creating Workin’ Moms and steering the show as writer, executive producer and occasional director represents a defining career achievement and expanded her public profile into showrunning and serialized comedy writing.
Catherine Reitman Career Highlights
Across film and television, Reitman’s verified highlights include child and supporting film roles, recurring television appearances, an early independent web series, and the creation and showrunning of Workin’ Moms. Her career balances acting credits with producing, writing and directing responsibilities, reflecting sustained activity from 1988 to the present.
Film and TV Highlights
Verified film credits that raised Reitman’s profile include Beethoven’s 2nd (1993), Knocked Up (2007), I Love You, Man (2009) and Friends with Benefits (2011). On television she has had guest roles on series such as It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, How I Met Your Mother, Weeds and Blackish, and appeared in the 2022 revival of The Kids in the Hall. Her most notable television project remains Workin’ Moms (2017–2023), which she created and fronted.
Other Performances and Projects
Beyond scripted roles, Reitman presented film commentary on her own web show from 2011 to 2013 and contributed as a podcast guest for Hollywood Babble-On. These projects demonstrate her engagement with film culture and commentary in addition to scripted acting and series production.
Catherine Reitman Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Reitman comes from a family with established ties to film. Her father, Ivan Reitman, is a Canadian film director and producer, and her mother, Geneviève Robert, is an actress. That lineage provided early exposure to filmmaking and performance and influenced her pathway into acting, production and creative leadership.
Personal Life
Catherine Reitman is married to actor and producer Philip Sternberg; the couple has worked together professionally and co-founded Wolf & Rabbit Entertainment. Reitman balances creative work in television and film with roles behind the camera as a writer, producer and director.