Mary-Louise Parker (born August 2, 1964) is an American actress. Some of her roles include
Fried Green TomatoesFried Green Tomatoes is a 1991 drama film based on the novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg. It was released in the UK under the novel's full title....
,
Boys on the Side Boys on the Side is a 1995 comedy-drama film directed by Herbert Ross . It stars Whoopi Goldberg, Drew Barrymore and Mary-Louise Parker as three friends on a cross-country road trip...
,
ProofProof is a play by David Auburn originally produced by the Manhattan Theatre Club on 23 May 2000. It then went to Broadway on 24 October 2000 at the Walter Kerr Theatre. Directed by Daniel J. Sullivan, with Mary-Louise Parker as Catherine, Larry Bryggman as Robert, Ben Shenkman as Hal, and Johanna...
,
The West Wing,
Angels in AmericaAngels in America is a HBO miniseries adapted from the play of the same name by Tony Kushner. Kushner adapted his original text for the screen, and Mike Nichols directed....
, and her current lead role on Showtime's television series
WeedsWeeds is an American comedy-drama television series created by Jenji Kohan, produced by Lionsgate Television for the Showtime network.The plot revolves around a widowed housewife from an affluent California suburb who becomes her neighborhood's marijuana dealer to make ends meet...
portraying Nancy Botwin.
Early life and 1980s
Parker was born in Fort Jackson,
South CarolinaSouth Carolina is a U.S. state that borders Georgia to the south and North Carolina to the north. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence from the British Crown during the American Revolution. The colony was...
. Her mother was Swedish and her father was a
judgeA judge, or arbiter of justice, is a lead official who presides over a court of law, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is like an umpire in a game and...
and served in the U.S. Army. They were stationed in Thailand where she attended the International School Bangkok. Parker majored in
dramaDrama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a collective...
at the
North Carolina School of the ArtsThe University of North Carolina School of the Arts , is a public coeducational arts conservatory in Winston-Salem, North Carolina that grants high school, undergraduate and graduate degrees. It is one of the seventeen constituent campuses of the University of North Carolina system...
. She then got her start in a bit part on the soap opera
Ryan's HopeRyan's Hope is an American soap opera, revolving around the trials and tribulations of a large Irish American family in New York City. It aired from July 7, 1975 to January 13, 1989 on ABC...
. In the late 1980s, Parker moved to
New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, where she got a job measuring feet at
ECCOECCO Sko A/S is a Danish shoe manufacturer. The company was founded in 1963 by Karl Toosbuy in Bredebro, and now operates more than 3,000 shops worldwide, selling an extensive range of men's, women's, and children's shoes, and manufactures 12 million pairs of shoes each year...
. After a few minor roles, she made her
BroadwayBroadway Theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, is the theatre associated with the 40 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located in the Theatre District, New York in Manhattan, New York City...
debut in a 1990 production of
Craig LucasCraig Lucas is an American playwright, screenwriter, theatre director, musical actor, and film director. He is currently Associate Artistic Director at the Intiman Theatre in Seattle.- Biography :...
'
Prelude to a Kiss, playing the lead role of Rita. She had moved with the production when it transferred from its origin Off-Broadway. She won the Clarence Derwent Award for her performance and was nominated for a
Tony AwardThe Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Awards, recognize achievement in live American theatre and are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are for Broadway productions and...
(although she did not play the role when the film was made). Parker also briefly dated her co-star
Timothy HuttonTimothy T. Hutton is an American actor. He is the youngest actor to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, which he won at the age of 20 for his performance as Conrad Jarrett in Ordinary People .-Early life:...
during this time.
That same year, Parker was noticed by critics when she appeared in the movie adaptation of another Lucas play,
Longtime CompanionLongtime Companion is a 1990 film with Bruce Davison, Campbell Scott, Patrick Cassidy, and Mary-Louise Parker. The first wide-release theatrical film to deal with the subject of AIDS, the film takes its title from the words The New York Times used to describe the surviving same-sex partner of...
, one of the first movies to confront
AIDSAcquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus ....
in the public arena. This role was followed by her appearance in 1991's
Grand Canyon, which also starred
Mary McDonnellMary McDonnell is an American film, stage, and television actress. She received an Academy Award nomination for her role as Stands With A Fist in Dances with Wolves, and she is also well known for her performance as President Laura Roslin in Battlestar Galactica.- Personal life :McDonnell was born...
,
Danny GloverDanny Lebern Glover is an American actor, film director, and political activist. Glover is best known for his role as Mr. Albert Johnson in The Color Purple and as Detective Roger Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon film franchise....
,
Alfre Woodard-Personal life:Woodard was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma to African American parents: Constance, a homemaker, and Marion H. Woodard, an entrepreneur and interior designer. Woodard attended Bishop Kelley High School, a private Catholic school in Tulsa. She studied drama at Boston University, from where...
and
Kevin KlineKevin Delaney Kline is an American theatre and film actor. He has won one Academy Award, two Tony Awards and was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2009.-Early years:...
. Parker's next film was
Fried Green TomatoesFried Green Tomatoes is a 1991 drama film based on the novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg. It was released in the UK under the novel's full title....
, alongside
Jessica TandyJessie Alice "Jessica" Tandy was an English stage and film actress.She first appeared on the London stage in 1926 at the age of 16, playing, among others, Katherine opposite Laurence Olivier's Henry V, and Cordelia opposite John Gielgud's "King Lear". She also worked in British films...
,
Mary Stuart MastersonMary Stuart Masterson is an American film, stage and television actress and director.-Early life:Masterson was born in New York City to writer/director Peter Masterson and actress Carlin Glynn. She has two siblings: Peter Masterson Jr., and Alexandra Masterson, who are both involved in the...
,
Kathy BatesKathleen Doyle "Kathy" Bates is an American actress and director.After several small roles in film and television, Bates rose to prominence with her performance in Misery , for which she won both the Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe...
and
Cicely TysonCicely Tyson is an American actress. A successful stage actress, Tyson is also known for appearances in the film Sounder and the television specials The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman and Roots.-Personal life:...
.
1990s
Parker maintained a strong theater presence in the early 1990s, but also built her reputation on the big screen, starring with
Susan SarandonSusan Sarandon is an American actress. She has worked in films and television since 1970, and won an Oscar for her performance in the 1995 film, Dead Man Walking...
and
Tommy Lee JonesTommy Lee Jones is an American actor and director.His film roles include federal marshal Samuel Gerard in The Fugitive and U.S. Marshals, the villain "Two-Face" in Batman Forever, the mysterious Agent K in the Men in Black films, Western peace officers Woodrow F. Call in Lonesome Dove and Ed Tom...
in
The ClientThe Client is a 1994 American legal thriller film directed by Joel Schumacher, and starring Susan Sarandon, Tommy Lee Jones and Brad Renfro in his film debut. It is based on the novel of the same name by John Grisham...
(1994); with
John CusackJohn Paul Cusack is an American film actor and screenwriter. He won the 1990 Most Promising Actor CFCA Award for Say Anything..., the 1998 Favorite Supporting Actor Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Con Air, and the 2000 Commitment to Chicago Award.-Early life:Cusack was born in Evanston,...
in
Bullets Over BroadwayBullets Over Broadway is a American crime-comedy film written by Woody Allen and Douglas McGrath and directed by Woody Allen. It stars John Cusack, Dianne Wiest, Chazz Palminteri and Jennifer Tilly....
(1994); and with
Drew BarrymoreDrew Blyth Barrymore is an American actress, film producer and film director. She is the youngest member of the Barrymore family of American actors and granddaughter of John Barrymore. She first appeared in an advertisement when she was eleven months old. Barrymore made her film debut in Altered...
and
Whoopi GoldbergWhoopi Goldberg is an American actress, comedienne, singer-songwriter, activist, and media personality....
in
Boys on the Side Boys on the Side is a 1995 comedy-drama film directed by Herbert Ross . It stars Whoopi Goldberg, Drew Barrymore and Mary-Louise Parker as three friends on a cross-country road trip...
(1995), as a woman with AIDS. Her next role was in a movie adaptation of yet another Craig Lucas play,
RecklessReckless is a 1995 American dark comedy film directed by Norman René. The screenplay by Craig Lucas is based on his 1983 play of the same title.-Plot:...
(1995), alongside
Mia FarrowMia Farrow is an American actress, singer, and former fashion model. Farrow has appeared in more than forty films and won numerous awards, including a Golden Globe award , three BAFTA Film Award nominations, and a win for best actress at the San Sebastian International Film Festival...
, followed by
Jane CampionJane Campion is a film maker and an Academy Award-winning screenwriter. She is one of the most internationally successful New Zealand directors, although most of her work has been made in or financed by other countries, principally Australia – where she now lives – and the U.S...
's
The Portrait of a LadyThe Portrait of a Lady is a 1996 film adaptation of Henry James's novel The Portrait of a Lady directed by Jane Campion.The film stars Nicole Kidman, Barbara Hershey, John Malkovich, Mary-Louise Parker, Martin Donovan, Shelley Duvall, Richard E...
(1996), which also starred
Nicole KidmanNicole Mary Kidman, AC is an American-born Australian actress, fashion model, singer and humanitarian. In 2006, Kidman was made a Companion of the Order of Australia, Australia's highest civilian honour. In 2006, she was also the highest-paid actress in the motion picture industry.Kidman's...
,
Viggo MortensenViggo Peter Mortensen, Jr. is a Danish-American actor, poet, musician, photographer, and painter.His film roles include Aragorn in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, Frank T...
,
Christian BaleChristian Charles Philip Bale is an English actor. In addition to starring roles in big budget Hollywood films, he has long been heavily involved in films produced by independent producers and art houses....
,
John MalkovichJohn Gavin Malkovich is an American actor, producer and director. Over the last 25 years, Malkovich has appeared in more than 70 motion pictures...
and
Barbara HersheyBarbara Hershey is an American actress and activist.-Personal life:...
. In addition, she appeared alongside
Matthew ModineMatthew Avery Modine is an American actor, perhaps most famous for playing Private Joker in Stanley Kubrick's 1987 film Full Metal Jacket and high school wrestler Louden Swain in Vision Quest.-Early life:...
in
Tim HunterTim Hunter is an American television and film director. Since the late 1980s he has mostly worked on television, directing episodes for dozens of televisions series includingBreaking Bad,Carnivàle,...
's
The Maker (1997).
Parker's theater career continued when she appeared in
Paula VogelPaula Vogel is an American playwright and university professor. She received the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play, How I Learned to Drive.-Early years:...
's 1997 critical smash
How I Learned To DriveHow I Learned to Drive is a play written by American playwright Paula Vogel. The play premiered on 16 March 1997 off-broadway at the Vineyard Theatre...
, with
David MorseDavid Morse is an American stage, television, and film actor. He first came to national attention as Dr. Jack Morrison in the medical drama St. Elsewhere from 1982 to 1988...
. After several independent film releases, she appeared in
Let The Devil Wear Black and then a much-lauded role in
The Five Senses (1999).
2001–2003
In 2001, Parker appeared alongside
Larry BryggmanLarry Bryggman is an American actor.-Early life:Bryggman was born in Concord, California of Swedish descent; his father worked for a neon sign company and his mother was a piano teacher. Bryggman attended the City College of San Francisco as well as the American Theatre Wing in New York...
in
David AuburnDavid Auburn is an American playwright. He was born in Chicago, and raised in Ohio and Arkansas. He attended the University of Chicago, where he was a member of Off-Off Campus, and received a degree in English literature...
's
ProofProof is a play by David Auburn originally produced by the Manhattan Theatre Club on 23 May 2000. It then went to Broadway on 24 October 2000 at the Walter Kerr Theatre. Directed by Daniel J. Sullivan, with Mary-Louise Parker as Catherine, Larry Bryggman as Robert, Ben Shenkman as Hal, and Johanna...
on Broadway, for which she won a Tony Award. However, Parker again lost out when the play was made into a film and the role was given to
Gwyneth PaltrowGwyneth Kate Paltrow is an American actress.The daughter of Bruce Paltrow and Blythe Danner, Paltrow dropped out of her university to follow an acting career. She began her career in theatre in 1990, and made her film debut the following year...
. During this period, she left the theater for three years to look for other roles: among them,
Red DragonRed Dragon is a 2002 thriller film, based on the novel of the same name written by Thomas Harris and featuring psychiatrist and serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter...
and
Pipe Dream (2002).
Next was a guest role on the
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices in Burbank,California...
drama,
The West Wing, as
women's rightsThe term women's rights refers to freedoms and entitlements of women and girls of all ages. These rights may or may not be institutionalized, ignored or suppressed by law, local custom, and behavior in a particular society...
activist
Amelia "Amy" GardnerAmelia "Amy" Gardner is a fictional character on the American television series The West Wing, portrayed by Mary-Louise Parker. Politically skilled and a strong advocate on feminist causes, the character holds various jobs throughout the timeline depicted on The West Wing, both in public-advocacy...
, which soon became a recurring role as a love interest for Deputy Chief of Staff Joshua Lyman. For this role, Parker was nominated for both an
Emmy AwardThe Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards , Grammy Awards and Tony Awards .They are presented in various...
and a Screen Actors Guild Award. During the fifth season, however, Parker became pregnant and her character was written out of the series after appearing in four episodes.
On December 7, 2003, HBO aired an epic six-and-a-half hour adaptation of
Tony KushnerTony Kushner is an American playwright and screenwriter. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1992 for his play, Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes, and co-authored with Eric Roth the screenplay for the 2005 film, Munich.-Early years:Kushner was born in Manhattan, New York...
's acclaimed Broadway play
Angels in AmericaAngels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes is a play in two parts by American playwright Tony Kushner. It has been made into both a television miniseries and an opera by Peter Eötvös.-Characters:...
, directed by
Mike NicholsMike Nichols is an American television, stage and film director, writer, and producer. Nichols is one of only ten people to have won all the major American entertainment awards: an Oscar, Grammy, Emmy and Tony Award.-Early years:...
. The miniseries — about a group of lost souls in
New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
during the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s — was hailed with international critical acclaim. Parker played Harper Pitt, the Mormon Valium-addicted wife of a
closetedThe Closet may refer to:* The Closet , Chinese film* The Closet , French film* The closet, a reference to homosexuality...
lawyer, appearing full frontally nude. For her performance, Parker received
Golden GlobeThe Golden Globe Awards are presented annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to recognize outstanding achievements in the entertainment industry, both domestic and foreign, and to focus wide public attention upon the best in motion pictures and television...
and
EmmyThe Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards , Grammy Awards and Tony Awards .They are presented in various...
awards for Best Supporting Actress in a Miniseries.
2004–2006
In 2004, Parker appeared in the comedy
Saved!Saved! is a 2004 teen comedy film involving elements of religious satire. It was directed by Brian Dannelly and written by Dannelly and Michael Urban. It stars Jena Malone, Mandy Moore, Macaulay Culkin, Patrick Fugit, Eva Amurri, Martin Donovan, and Mary-Louise Parker...
, and a TV movie called
Miracle RunMiracle Run is a 2004 Lifetime Television film starring Mary-Louise Parker, Zac Efron, Bubba Lewis, and Aidan Quinn.-Plot:In a flashback, a single mother, Corrine Morgan-Thomas drives her five year old twin boys Steven and Phillip to the doctor's office and learns that they are autistic...
, based on the true story of a mother of two sons with
autismAutism is a disorder of neural development that is characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism involves many parts of the brain; how this occurs is not well understood...
, as well as appearing in Craig Lucas'
Reckless on Broadway. Parker took the lead role that had been
Mia FarrowMia Farrow is an American actress, singer, and former fashion model. Farrow has appeared in more than forty films and won numerous awards, including a Golden Globe award , three BAFTA Film Award nominations, and a win for best actress at the San Sebastian International Film Festival...
's on screen. The production, directed by Mark Brokaw, earned Parker another nomination for a Tony Award for Best Actress in 2005.
Parker returned to
The West Wing in several guest appearances in 2005 and 2006, the show's final season, portraying the Director of Legislative Affairs under the President-elect
Matt SantosMatthew Vincente "Matt" Santos is a fictional character on the American television show The West Wing, played by Jimmy Smits. His initial appearance is as a Democratic U.S. Representative from Houston, Texas...
.
In 2005, Parker took on the lead role in the
television seriesA television program , television programme , or television show is a segment of content broadcast on television...
Weeds, a Showtime
comedy-dramaComedy-drama, also called dramedy or seriocomedy, is a style of television, theatre and film in which there is an equal or nearly equal balance of humor and serious content.-Theatre:...
. Parker's character,
Nancy BotwinNancy Botwin Reyes is the main character in Showtime's dramedy Weeds. A widowed mother of three living in an affluent suburb near Los Angeles, California, she makes ends meet by selling cannabis, often with disastrous consequences to herself and others...
, is a
suburbSuburbs are defined in various different ways around the world. They can be the residential areas of a large city, or separate residential communities within commuting distance of a city. Some suburbs have a degree of political autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city...
an mother who, following the death of her husband, decides to sell
marijuanaCannabisalso known as marijuana or marihuana, and ganja , among many other namesrefers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug...
to make money, while also attempting to maintain her community reputation. She stars alongside
Kevin NealonKevin Nealon is an American comedian and actor best known as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1986 to 1995, and his role as Doug Wilson on the series Weeds.-Early life:...
,
Elizabeth Perkins-Early life:Perkins was born in Queens, New York City, the daughter of Jo Williams, a drug treatment counselor and concert pianist, and James Perkins, a farmer, writer and businessman. Her paternal grandparents were Greek immigrants from Salonika who anglicized their surname from "Pisperikos" to...
, and her
Angels in America co-star
Justin KirkJustin Kirk is an American stage and film actor. He is known for playing Prior Walter in Mike Nichols's screen adaptation of Angels in America and for his portrayal of Andy Botwin in Showtime's Weeds.-Early life and education:Kirk was born in Salem, Oregon, United States of...
. The show is currently in its fifth season, and has been confirmed to return for at least one more season for 2010.
In November 2005, Parker was honored with an exhibition of her career at
Boston UniversityBoston University is a private nonsectarian university located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Although chartered by the Massachusetts Legislature in 1869, Boston University traces its roots to the establishment of the Newbury Biblical Institute in Newbury, Vermont in 1839...
, where memorabilia from her career were donated to the University's library. Parker received the 2006 Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy, given by the
Hollywood Foreign Press AssociationHollywood Foreign Press Association is an organization comprising journalists who cover the United States film industry, but are affiliated with publications outside of the United States. The group is best known for the Golden Globe Awards, of which it is the creator and on-going organizer...
, for her lead role in
Weeds. In that category, she defeated the four leads of
Desperate HousewivesDesperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry, who also serves as show runner, and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producers, as of the fourth season, are Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
. She dedicated the award to the late
John SpencerJohn Spencer was an American television actor best known for his role as Leo McGarry, the White House Chief of Staff on the NBC political drama The West Wing.-Early life:...
, best known for his work as
Leo McGarryLeo Thomas McGarry is a fictional character played by John Spencer on the television serial drama The West Wing. The role earned Spencer the 2002 Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. McGarry's character, the former United States Secretary of Labor, begins the series as the White...
on
The West Wing. After receiving the award, Parker stated: "I'm really in favor of legalizing marijuana. I don't think it's that controversial."
2007–2009
In March 2007, Parker played the lead role in the TV film
The Robber BrideThe Robber Bride is a Margaret Atwood novel first published by McClelland and Stewart in 1993. Set in present-day Toronto, Ontario, the novel begins with three women who meet once a month in a restaurant to share a meal....
. Her next role,
Zerelda MimmsZerelda Mimms James born Zerelda Amanda Mimms was the first cousin and wife of Jesse James. Her father, pastor John Wilson Mimms, was married to Mary James, sister of Robert S. James, Jesse's father....
, in the
Andrew DominikAndrew Dominik is a New Zealand-born Australian film director and screenwriter. He has lived in Australia since he was 2 years old and graduated from Melbourne's Swinburne Film School in 1988....
film
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert FordThe Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is a 2007 Western drama film. The film is directed by Andrew Dominik, with Brad Pitt portraying Jesse James and Casey Affleck as his eventual killer Robert Ford. Filming took place in Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg. Initially intended for a...
, opened in cinemas in September 2007. Parker appeared alongside
Brad PittWilliam Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and film producer. He has been cited as one of the world's most attractive men, a label that entices the media to report on his off-screen life...
,
Casey AffleckCasey Affleck is an American actor. He has acted in films such as Good Will Hunting, Ocean's Eleven, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and Gone Baby Gone. He has been nominated for the Academy Award and Golden Globe awards...
,
Sam RockwellSam Rockwell is an American actor, appearing primarily in independent films.-Early life:Rockwell was born in Daly City, California, the son of actors who divorced when he was five years old. He was raised by his father, Pete Rockwell, in San Francisco while his mother, Penny Hess, stayed behind in...
and
Garret DillahuntGarret Dillahunt is an American actor. He is married to actress Michelle Hurd.-Early life:Dillahunt was born in Castro Valley, California and grew up in Washington state. He attended the University of Washington where he studied journalism...
. In August 2007, Parker continued her role in the third season of
Weeds. In July 2007, Parker was nominated for two Emmy Awards, one for
Lead Actress In A Miniseries Or A MovieThis is a list of winners of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie.-Award winners:1950s*1954: Judith Anderson – Macbeth*1955: Mary Martin – Peter Pan*1956: Claire Trevor – Dodsworth...
for playing Zenia Arden in
The Robber BrideThe Robber Bride is a Margaret Atwood novel first published by McClelland and Stewart in 1993. Set in present-day Toronto, Ontario, the novel begins with three women who meet once a month in a restaurant to share a meal....
and the other for
Lead Actress in a Comedy SeriesThis is a list of winners of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.-Award winners and nominations:1950s*1950: Gertrude Berg – The Goldbergs*1951: Imogene Coca – Your Show of Shows...
for
Weeds.
In August 2007, she posed nude for an ad for the third season of
Weeds. In the ad, she appears as
EveEve was, according to the Book of Genesis and the Quran, the first woman created by God, and an important figure in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Her husband was Adam, from whose rib God created her to be his companion...
in the
Garden of EdenThe Garden of Eden is a location described in the Book of Genesis as being the place where the first man, Adam, and his wife, Eve, lived after they were created by God. Literally, the Bible speaks about a garden in Eden...
, with a snake draped around her body and a cannabis leaf behind her ear.
On November 9, 2007, Parker was honored as the Entertainer of the Year by
Out Magazine at the Out 100 Awards, which were celebrated in New York City.
Parker appeared in 2008's
The Spiderwick ChroniclesThe Spiderwick Chronicles is a 2008 fantasy film adaptation of Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi's bestselling series of the same name. Set in the Spiderwick Estate in New England, United States, it follows the adventures of Jared Grace and his family as they discover a field guide to faeries and...
and in
off-BroadwayOff Broadway theater is an umbrella term for a defined set of plays, musicals or revues performed in New York City. Originally referring to the location of a venue and its productions on a street intersecting Broadway in Manhattan's Theatre District, the hub of the theater industry in the United...
's Playwrights Horizons in the New York premiere of
Dead Man's Cell Phone, a new play by
Sarah RuhlSarah Ruhl is an American playwright. She is the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship.-Biography:Ruhl was born in Wilmette, Illinois. She studied under Paula Vogel at Brown University and did graduate work at Pembroke College, Oxford...
, alongside
Drama Desk AwardThe Drama Desk Award, presented since 1955, is the only award that recognizes excellence in shows produced in all sectors of New York theatre, including Broadway, off-Broadway, off-off-Broadway and legitimate not-for-profit theaters. It is widely considered one of the top American theater awards...
Winner
Kathleen ChalfantKathleen Chalfant is a Tony Award-nominated and Obie Award-winning American actress.Chalfant was born Kathleen Ann Bishop in San Francisco, California, the daughter of Norah and William Bishop, who owned a boarding house and was an officer in the Coast Guard...
.
She is currently filming the Donna Vermeer film
Les Passages alongside
Julie DelpyJulie Delpy is a French/American actress, director, screenwriter, and occasional singer. She studied filmmaking at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, and has directed, written, and acted in more than 30 films....
. Following this, she will return to work on the fifth season of
Weeds. In the beginning of 2009, Parker will take the lead role in the upcoming revival of the play
Hedda GablerHedda Gabler is a play first published in 1890 by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The play premiered in 1891 in Germany to negative reviews, but has subsequently gained recognition as a classic of realism, nineteenth century theatre, and world drama...
.
Personal life
On January 7, 2004, Parker gave birth to her first child, William Atticus Parker. The boy's father is actor
Billy CrudupWilliam Gaither "Billy" Crudup is an American Tony Award-winning actor of film and stage. He is well known for his roles as guitarist Russell Hammond in Almost Famous, Will Bloom in Big Fish, and Ashitaka in Princess Mononoke. He also starred in the 2007 romantic comedy film Dedication, alongside...
, whom Parker met during rehearsals when they co-starred onstage in a 1996 revival of the
William IngeWilliam Motter Inge was an American playwright and novelist, whose works typically feature solitary protagonists encumbered with strained sexual relations. In the early 1950s, he had a string of memorable Broadway productions, and one of these, Picnic, earned him a Pulitzer Prize...
play
Bus StopBus Stop is a 1955 play by William Inge. The film of the same name is only loosely based upon it.-Characters:Bus Stop is a drama, with romantic and some comedic elements. It is set in a diner in rural Kansas, about 20 miles west of Kansas City, Missouri during a snowstorm from which bus...
. After nearly eight years together, the couple split when the actress was seven months pregnant. Shortly after, Crudup openly admitted that he was dating actress
Claire DanesClaire Catherine Danes is an American actress, perhaps best known for her role as Angela Chase in the television series My So-Called Life, and for starring in films such as Romeo + Juliet , Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and Stardust...
, whom he met on the set of
Stage BeautyStage Beauty is a 2004 British/American romantic drama film, directed by Richard Eyre. The screenplay by Jeffrey Hatcher is based on his play Compleat Female Stage Beauty, which was inspired by references to 17th century actor Edward Kynaston made in the detailed private diary kept by Samuel...
. Crudup denies the rumor that the breakup was caused by Danes.
Parker has also dated
Adam DuritzAdam Fredric Duritz is an American musician and record producer. He is the lead singer and founding member of the rock band Counting Crows...
of the
Counting CrowsCounting Crows is a rock band originating from Berkeley, California. The group gained popularity in 1994 following the release of its debut album August and Everything After, which featured the hit single "Mr. Jones". The band's influences include Van Morrison, R.E.M., Mike & The Mechanics,...
, with whom she remains close friends, and
Timothy HuttonTimothy T. Hutton is an American actor. He is the youngest actor to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, which he won at the age of 20 for his performance as Conrad Jarrett in Ordinary People .-Early life:...
.
In December 2006, Parker began dating actor
Jeffrey Dean MorganJeffrey Dean Morgan is an American actor, best known to TV audiences as Denny Duquette on Grey's Anatomy, patriarch John Winchester on Supernatural, and Judah Botwin on the Showtime series Weeds. He also was in the 2007 film P.S. I Love You as William, an Irish singer, along with Hilary Swank and...
, whom she met on the set of
Weeds. In March 2007, Parker stated that the relationship was "going great." The two briefly split in June 2007, but later reconciled. On February 12, 2008, Parker and Morgan announced their
engagementAn engagement is a promise to marriage, and also the period of time between proposal and marriagewhich may be lengthy or trivial. During this period, a couple is said to be affianced, betrothed, engaged to be married, or simply engaged...
only to break up again in April 2008.
In September 2007, Parker
adoptedAdoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another who is not kin and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
a baby girl, Caroline "Ash" Aberash Parker, from Ethiopia.
Filmography
| Film |
| Year |
Film |
Role |
Notes |
| 1989 |
Signs of Life Signs of Life, also known as One for Sorrow, Two for Joy, is a film by American director John David Coles, released May 5, 1989. The film stars Beau Bridges, Vincent D'Onofrio, and Arthur Kennedy...
|
Charlotte |
|
| 1990 |
Longtime CompanionLongtime Companion is a 1990 film with Bruce Davison, Campbell Scott, Patrick Cassidy, and Mary-Louise Parker. The first wide-release theatrical film to deal with the subject of AIDS, the film takes its title from the words The New York Times used to describe the surviving same-sex partner of...
|
Lisa |
|
| 1991 |
Fried Green TomatoesFried Green Tomatoes is a 1991 drama film based on the novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg. It was released in the UK under the novel's full title....
|
Ruth Jamison |
|
| Grand Canyon |
Dee |
|
| 1993 |
Mr. Wonderful Mr. Wonderful is a 1993 romantic/comedy directed by Academy Award winning director Anthony Minghella.The film stars Matt Dillon, Annabella Sciorra, and features one of the few appearances of Vincent D'Onofrio as a romantic character.-Plot:...
|
Rita |
|
| Naked in New York Naked in New York is a 1993 romantic comedy film, which starred Tony Curtis, Timothy Dalton, Ralph Macchio, Eric Stoltz, Mary Louise Parker, and featured a cameo by William Styron listing all of his authored, penned and film work....
|
Joanne White |
|
| 1994 |
Bullets Over BroadwayBullets Over Broadway is a American crime-comedy film written by Woody Allen and Douglas McGrath and directed by Woody Allen. It stars John Cusack, Dianne Wiest, Chazz Palminteri and Jennifer Tilly....
|
Ellen |
|
| The Client The Client is a 1994 American legal thriller film directed by Joel Schumacher, and starring Susan Sarandon, Tommy Lee Jones and Brad Renfro in his film debut. It is based on the novel of the same name by John Grisham...
|
Dianne Sway |
|
| 1995 |
Reckless Reckless is a 1995 American dark comedy film directed by Norman René. The screenplay by Craig Lucas is based on his 1983 play of the same title.-Plot:...
|
Pooty |
|
Boys on the Side Boys on the Side is a 1995 comedy-drama film directed by Herbert Ross . It stars Whoopi Goldberg, Drew Barrymore and Mary-Louise Parker as three friends on a cross-country road trip...
|
Robin |
|
| 1996 |
The Portrait of a Lady The Portrait of a Lady is a 1996 film adaptation of Henry James's novel The Portrait of a Lady directed by Jane Campion.The film stars Nicole Kidman, Barbara Hershey, John Malkovich, Mary-Louise Parker, Martin Donovan, Shelley Duvall, Richard E...
|
Henrietta Stackpole |
|
| 1997 |
Murder in Mind |
Caroline Walker |
|
| The Maker The Maker is a collection of prose poems by Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges, published in 1960 as the ninth volume of his Obras completas , a project he began in 1953. It was published in English as Dreamtigers in 1964.The title refers to the Scots word makar, meaning "poet".-Poems:...
|
Officer Emily Peck |
|
| 1998 |
Goodbye Lover Goodbye Lover is a comedic neo-noir film about a murder plot surrounding an alcoholic advertising agency worker and his adulterous wife. The film was directed by Roland Joffé, and stars Patricia Arquette, Dermot Mulroney, Don Johnson, Ellen DeGeneres, and Mary-Louise Parker. The film premiered at...
|
Peggy Blane |
|
| 1999 |
Let the Devil Wear Black |
Julia Hirsch |
|
| The Five Senses The Five Senses is a 1999 Canadian drama film directed, written and produced by Jeremy Podeswa.- Plot :The Five Senses is about interconnected stories linked by a building which examine situations involving the five senses. Touch is represented by Ruth Seraph, a massage therapist who is treating...
|
Rona |
Nominated — Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role The Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is awarded by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to the best Canadian actress.-1st Genie Awards:* Kate Lynch, Meatballs* Louise Portal, Cordélia...
|
| 2002 |
Red DragonRed Dragon is a 2002 thriller film, based on the novel of the same name written by Thomas Harris and featuring psychiatrist and serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter...
|
Molly Graham |
|
| The Quality of Mercy |
Sarah Richardson |
|
| Pipe Dream Pipe Dream is a romantic comedy film starring Mary Louise Parker and Martin Donovan released in 2002 set in New York City. David finds that he is ignored by women for being a plumber. He creates a new identity as David Coppolberg, a film director, as a way to meet women...
|
Toni Edelman |
|
| 2004 |
Saved! Saved! is a 2004 teen comedy film involving elements of religious satire. It was directed by Brian Dannelly and written by Dannelly and Michael Urban. It stars Jena Malone, Mandy Moore, Macaulay Culkin, Patrick Fugit, Eva Amurri, Martin Donovan, and Mary-Louise Parker...
|
Lillian |
|
The Best Thief in the WorldThe Best Thief in the World is a film starring Mary-Louise Parker. The movie was released in 2004 at the Sundance Film Festival, and it aired on Showtime on January 11 2005....
|
Sue Zaidman |
|
| 2006 |
Romance & Cigarettes Romance & Cigarettes is a 2006 musical romantic-comedy film written and directed by John Turturro.The film, initially scheduled for an August 2005 release date, was postponed, partly so it could premiere at the Venice Film Festival, partly – some speculate – so that it could be better...
|
Constance Murder |
|
| 2007 |
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is a 2007 Western drama film. The film is directed by Andrew Dominik, with Brad Pitt portraying Jesse James and Casey Affleck as his eventual killer Robert Ford. Filming took place in Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg. Initially intended for a...
|
Zee James Zerelda Mimms James born Zerelda Amanda Mimms was the first cousin and wife of Jesse James. Her father, pastor John Wilson Mimms, was married to Mary James, sister of Robert S. James, Jesse's father....
|
|
| 2008 |
The Spiderwick ChroniclesThe Spiderwick Chronicles is a 2008 fantasy film adaptation of Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi's bestselling series of the same name. Set in the Spiderwick Estate in New England, United States, it follows the adventures of Jared Grace and his family as they discover a field guide to faeries and...
|
Helen Grace |
|
| Television |
| Year |
Title |
Role |
Notes |
| 1975 |
Ryan's HopeRyan's Hope is an American soap opera, revolving around the trials and tribulations of a large Irish American family in New York City. It aired from July 7, 1975 to January 13, 1989 on ABC...
|
|
|
| 1988 |
Too Young the Hero |
Pearl Spencer |
|
| 1994 |
A Place for Annie |
Linda |
|
| 1995 |
Sugartime |
Phyllis McGuire |
|
| 1998 |
Saint Maybe |
Lucy Dean Bedloe |
|
| Legalese |
Rica Martin |
|
| 1999 |
The Simple Life of Noah DearbornThe Simple Life of Noah Dearborn is a 1999 made-for-television film, first broadcast on 9 May 1999 on CBS. This movie stars Sidney Poitier as the title character, a rural Georgia carpenter, Noah Dearborn...
|
Dr. Valerie Crane |
|
| 2000 |
Cupid & Cate |
Cate DeAngelo |
|
| 2001-2006 |
The West Wing |
Amy Gardner Amelia "Amy" Gardner is a fictional character on the American television series The West Wing, portrayed by Mary-Louise Parker. Politically skilled and a strong advocate on feminist causes, the character holds various jobs throughout the timeline depicted on The West Wing, both in public-advocacy...
|
Nominated — Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series (2002)
Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (2003) |
| 2002 |
Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story |
Bonnie Hanssen |
|
| 2003 |
Angels in America Angels in America is a HBO miniseries adapted from the play of the same name by Tony Kushner. Kushner adapted his original text for the screen, and Mike Nichols directed....
|
Harper Pitt |
Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie
Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film
Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film
Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie |
| 2004 |
Miracle RunMiracle Run is a 2004 Lifetime Television film starring Mary-Louise Parker, Zac Efron, Bubba Lewis, and Aidan Quinn.-Plot:In a flashback, a single mother, Corrine Morgan-Thomas drives her five year old twin boys Steven and Phillip to the doctor's office and learns that they are autistic...
|
Corrine Morgan-Thomas |
|
| 2005 |
Vinegar Hill |
Ellen Grier |
|
| 2005-present |
WeedsWeeds is an American comedy-drama television series created by Jenji Kohan, produced by Lionsgate Television for the Showtime network.The plot revolves around a widowed housewife from an affluent California suburb who becomes her neighborhood's marijuana dealer to make ends meet...
|
Nancy BotwinNancy Botwin Reyes is the main character in Showtime's dramedy Weeds. A widowed mother of three living in an affluent suburb near Los Angeles, California, she makes ends meet by selling cannabis, often with disastrous consequences to herself and others...
|
Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy (2006)
Satellite Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy (2005)
Nominated — Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Comedy Series (2007, 2008, 2009)
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy (2007, 2008, 2009)
Nominated — People's Choice Award for Favorite TV Drama DivaThe People's Choice Awards is an awards show recognizing the people and the work of popular culture. The show has been held annually since 1975 and is voted on by the general public. The People's Choice Awards air on CBS and are produced by Procter & Gamble....
Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy (2006, 2008)
Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009)
Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture (2007, 2009) |
| 2007 |
The Robber Bride |
Zenia |
Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series The Gemini Awards are annual television broadcasting industry awards in Canada.First awarded in 1986, the Geminis celebrate the achievements of TV members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. Essentially, it presents awards for the best television productions in Canada...
Nominated — Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Miniseries or a Movie |
Theatre
| Year |
Film |
Role |
Notes |
| 1990 |
Prelude to a Kiss Prelude to a Kiss is a 1988 play by Craig Lucas. It tells the story of a couple that falls in love despite the girl's pessimistic outlook on life...
|
Rita |
Nominated — Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play This is a list of the winners and nominations of Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. The award has been presented since 1947, and is for performance in new productions or revivals.-1940s:...
|
| 1996 |
Bus Stop Bus Stop is a 1955 play by William Inge. The film of the same name is only loosely based upon it.-Characters:Bus Stop is a drama, with romantic and some comedic elements. It is set in a diner in rural Kansas, about 20 miles west of Kansas City, Missouri during a snowstorm from which bus...
|
Cherie |
|
| 2000 |
Proof Proof is a play by David Auburn originally produced by the Manhattan Theatre Club on 23 May 2000. It then went to Broadway on 24 October 2000 at the Walter Kerr Theatre. Directed by Daniel J. Sullivan, with Mary-Louise Parker as Catherine, Larry Bryggman as Robert, Ben Shenkman as Hal, and Johanna...
|
Catherine |
Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play This is a list of the winners and nominations of Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. The award has been presented since 1947, and is for performance in new productions or revivals.-1940s:...
|
| 2004 |
Reckless |
Rachel |
Nominated — Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play This is a list of the winners and nominations of Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. The award has been presented since 1947, and is for performance in new productions or revivals.-1940s:...
|
| 2009 |
Hedda Gabler Hedda Gabler is a play first published in 1890 by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The play premiered in 1891 in Germany to negative reviews, but has subsequently gained recognition as a classic of realism, nineteenth century theatre, and world drama...
|
Hedda Tesman |
Awards
Out Magazine's Out 100 Awards
- 2007 - Entertainer of the Year
High Times Stony Awards
External links