Katharine Towne (born July 17, 1978 in Hollywood, California) is an American actress. She is the daughter of Julie Payne, an actress, and Robert Towne, a screenwriter.

Her first role was in the movie Girl in 1998. She has also appeared in the films Go, But I'm a Cheerleader, Mulholland Dr., and What Lies Beneath. In 2000 she got the starring role in the shortlived sitcom M.Y.O.B., co-starring future Gilmore Girls star Lauren Graham.

She met her husband Charlie Hunnam in 1999 while attending an audition for the show Dawson's Creek. They were married after knowing each other for only three weeks. They were divorced in 2002.