Early-life: Born Don Williams in Trinidad on May 23, 1951. He has an older brother. His father, Basil Kydd, died suddenly in Trinidad at the age of 48 in 1958 when Don was six. His mother, Shirley, decided to make a new life for herself in England while Don and his brother were looked after back in Trinidad by his grandmother. Shirley settled in Newcastle with a job at a metal factory and returned to Trinidad to collect her two sons. When Don was 12, his mother left for America to retrain as a nurse. Don and his brother were then looked after in England by his Auntie Lena. Don was 17 when he landed his first job as an assistant stage manager at Newcastle's Flora Robson Playhouse. He moved to London to train at the Drama Centre and then landed the role that made him famous.

Early-life: Katherine was born in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, on June 30, 1983. During her childhood, Katherine and her two younger sisters spent most summers in Cork visiting their paternal grandparents. She went on to study city planning at university and ended up training waitresses at Hooters. In her spare time, she attended open mic comedy nights.