You probably remember her as the rebellious general's daughter who couldn't stop slamming doors. Or maybe you remember her as the girl who almost became Hannah Montana. Honestly, Katelyn Pippy is one of those actresses who felt like she was everywhere in the late 2000s, especially if you were glued to Lifetime on Sunday nights.
Katelyn Pippy movies and TV shows usually center around her breakout role as Emmalin Holden, but her career is actually a weirdly impressive balancing act between Hollywood sets and ice rinks. It’s not every day you find a lead actress on a hit drama who is also a Division I college hockey goaltender.
She didn't just play a hockey player on TV. She actually lived it.
The Army Wives Era and the Role That Changed Everything
Most people looking for Katelyn Pippy movies and TV shows are really looking for Army Wives. But here is a bit of trivia: she wasn't actually the original Emmalin. In the first season, the character was played by Caroline Pires. When the show decided to take a darker, more dramatic turn—specifically killing off the older sister, Amanda, in a tragic bombing—the producers felt they needed someone with more "formal training" to handle the heavy emotional lifting.
Enter Katelyn.
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She took over in Season 2 and stayed through the series finale in 2013. Her portrayal of Emmalin was gritty. She wasn't just a "TV teen"; she was a frustrated, grieving, and often angry kid trying to navigate the high-pressure world of a military base.
What’s wild is how she filmed it. While most stars were hitting the after-parties, Pippy was flying from the South Carolina set to whatever city her elite hockey team was playing in that weekend. She was a goaltender for the Pittsburgh Jr. Penguins. Imagine filming a tear-filled scene with Kim Delaney on a Tuesday and taking slapshots to the face on a Saturday.
Notable TV Appearances You Might Have Missed
Before she became the face of military brats everywhere, Katelyn was popping up in some of the biggest shows of the mid-aughts.
- Monk (2005): She played "Young Sherry" in the episode "Mr. Monk and Little Monk." It was a tiny role, but it proved she could handle the "younger version of a main character" trope that's so common in procedurals.
- The Suite Life of Zack & Cody (2006): Remember the episode "French 101"? She played Jolie. It was peak Disney Channel era.
- 9-1-1: Lone Star (2021): After a bit of a hiatus, she surfaced in the "Friends with Benefits" episode as Kelsey. It was a reminder to fans that she hadn't left the industry entirely.
- The Rookie (2025): More recently, she's had a stint on this fan-favorite police drama, appearing in multiple episodes like "Out of Pocket" and "Til Death."
From the Big Screen to the Goal Crease
When it comes to movies, Pippy has leaned more toward the "chiller" and indie side of things. If you were a fan of R.L. Stine back in the day, you definitely saw her in The Haunting Hour: Don't Think About It (2007). She played Erin, starring alongside Emily Osment.
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Interestingly, Pippy was actually a runner-up for the role of Hannah Montana. Can you imagine? If a few things had gone differently, she might have been the one with the blonde wig and the stadium tours instead of Miley Cyrus. She’s been pretty chill about it in interviews, basically saying "it happens," which is a level of maturity most 13-year-olds definitely don't have.
Her filmography includes:
- No Way Out (2022): She played Sammy in this thriller.
- Small Avalanches (2007): A short film where she played Nancy. It’s a tense, unsettling story that showed her range early on.
- Alibi (2007): A TV movie where she played the younger version of Christie Winters.
The Cornell Pivot: Why She Stepped Back
By 2011, Pippy did something almost unheard of for a rising TV star. She prioritized her education and her sport over her screen time. She enrolled at Cornell University and joined the Big Red women's ice hockey program.
She was the third-string goaltender, which is a grueling, often thankless job. But she loved it. To make it work, she actually negotiated her contract with Army Wives so she would only appear in a handful of episodes per season. She went from being a series regular to a guest star just so she could go to class and make it to practice on time.
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It’s probably why her list of credits has some gaps. She wasn't "fading away"; she was busy earning a degree and stopping pucks.
What Is Katelyn Pippy Doing Now?
If you check her recent credits, she’s been leaning into voice acting and production work as much as being in front of the camera. She did voice work for massive video games like Fallout 76 and Rage 2. It makes sense—voice work is a lot easier to balance with a "normal" life than a grueling 14-hour-a-day TV shoot.
She's also moved into production management. She’s got the brains for it, having graduated from an Ivy League school.
Where to Watch Her Best Work
If you want to do a deep dive into her career, start with Season 2 of Army Wives. It's currently streaming on platforms like Hulu and Disney+ (depending on your region). For her movie work, The Haunting Hour is still a nostalgic trip if you can find it on VOD.
Honestly, Katelyn Pippy is a rare example of a child star who didn't let the "machine" break her. She chose hockey. She chose college. And now, she pops up in shows like The Rookie when she wants to, on her own terms.
To keep up with her latest appearances, you can follow her credits on IMDb or keep an eye on procedural dramas like 9-1-1 where she tends to make guest appearances. If you're looking for more behind-the-scenes info on the Army Wives cast, checking out the "Where Are They Now" specials on Lifetime's official site is your best bet for the most accurate updates.