Kate Roberts played by Lauren Koslow

It's no secret that Kate's number one priority is her children's happiness, and she has stopped at nothing to help them get what they want. Her constant meddling in Lucas and Austin's relationships has pushed her sons away many times.

Kate's life took a surprising turn when she began a relationship with Roman Brady, but Roman's daughter and Kate's nemesis, Sami, wasn't too pleased with the pairing. Happiness turned to sorrow when the Salem Stalker murdered Roman on their wedding night. In reality, Roman was on a tropical island with the rest of the Salem Stalker's "victims," but Kate didn't know that.

As Kate's grief over Roman's "death" turned to acceptance, she began to grow closer to John Black. The two shared the common bond of loneliness and that resulted in passion between them. As they were about to consummate their relationship, Bo busted in to tell the couple that their loved ones, Marlena and Roman, were really alive!

Roman and Kate were already off to a rocky start when he returned to Salem. Kate had no idea that Marlena and Roman had made love while on the deserted island. When Marlena revealed she was pregnant, she was also forced to tell John that the baby was Roman's. When she tried to stop a fight between the two men, she fell down the stairs and had a miscarriage. A distraught Marlena developed amnesia, and Roman was determined to stay by her side. Kate knew her marriage was over.

Kate turned to Stefano DiMera after learning she was broke, and Stefano provided her with enough money to start her own business called Kate's Hearth and Home. In November 2008, Kate was diagnosed with stage-four lung cancer and received bone marrow from Chloe Lane. But when Kate learned that Chloe cheated on her son Lucas with Daniel Jonas, she was set on revenge. She poisoned Chloe, putting her in a coma. Kate became the only suspect, and to avoid jail time she married Stefano, who destroyed the evidence against her. Their tumultuous marriage continues to this day.

Lauren Koslow plays Kate Roberts

Lauren Koslow portrays Kate Roberts, an accomplished business woman and devoted mother who has had to claw her way to the top from poverty on "Days of our Lives."

Born in Boston and raised in Newport, Rhode Island and Amherst, Massachusetts, Koslow wanted to be an actor even as a young age. After graduating with a theatre degree specializing in costume design from Virginia State University, Koslow signed on with a summer stock theater group in Virginia as a costume designer. She was also asked to audition for the role of Vera in the play "Ten Little Indians."

Koslow soon put her costume designing talent aside to become a full-time actress, appearing in such regional productions as Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Dial M for Murder and The Importance of Being Earnest. She then moved to Los Angeles to pursue a television career and landed roles on such shows as "The New Mike Hammer," "House Calls," "Spies," and "The A-Team."

While in an acting class, Koslow met a producer from "The Young and the Restless" who encouraged her to audition for his series. Koslow not only won the role, but found her husband, make-up artist Nick Schillace, on the show. Koslow was then cast as fashion designer Margo Lynley on "The Bold and the Beautiful." Following this role, Koslow was cast as Kate Roberts on "Days of our Lives."

Koslow is the proud mother of two, Zachariah, and Milikate. When she's not working, Koslow enjoys traveling, painting and encouraging her children to take care of the mini family zoo. They have three lizards (two bearded dragons and one spotted gecko), a talking parrot named Charlie, three dogs named Peggy Sue, Buddy, and Murphy McMuffin, a cat named Frankie and a few horses in their menagerie.

In 2001, Koslow was nominated as "Outstanding Supporting Actress" for the Soap Opera Digest Awards.

Koslow and her family recently moved to a more rural area of Ventura County, just north of Los Angeles. Her birthday is March 6.