Kathryn Kates, the actress best known for her roles in Seinfeld and Orange Is The New Black, has died aged 73, her agent has confirmed.

Writing on Instagram, her representatives at Headline said: “Our mighty @officialkathrynkates has passed away.

“She will always be remembered and adored in our hearts as the powerful force of nature she was. She loved this craft and had enough patience to fill 10 ships.

“A true icon. We will miss you.”

Kates appeared in the first ever episode of Netflix’s Orange Is The New Black, starring as the future mother-in-law of Piper, who eventually ends up in prison on drug smuggling charges.

She also appeared as a recurring character in two episodes of Seinfeld – The Dinner Party and The Rye.

Her other roles included Angie DeCarlo in The Many Saints Of Newark, Mrs Carrabino in Disney’s Lizzie McGuire and as Mrs Saperstein in crime drama Shades Of Blue.

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She was born in New York City in 1949, and began her acting career in the 70s, where she joined a theatre troupe in Los Angeles.

By the 1980s, she was acting in films and television, and later in her life she returned to the stage in New York.

Kates is survived by her sister, Mallory, and brother, Joshua.

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