Amy Aquino

Last updated
Amy Aquino
AmyAquino2006.jpg
Aquino at a wedding reception in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Carroll Gardens, 2006
Born (1957-03-20) March 20, 1957 (age 67) [1]
Education Harvard University (Bachelor of Science)
Yale University (Master of Fine Arts)
OccupationActress
Years active1982–present
Spouse
Drew McCoy
(m. 1995)

Amy Aquino McCoy (born March 20, 1957) is an American television, film, and stage actress. The graduate of Yale University has appeared in television series such as Brooklyn Bridge , ER , and Being Human, and was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for her role in Picket Fences . She was co-secretary/treasurer of the SAG-AFTRA until August 2015 and starred in the television series Bosch as Lt. Grace Billets.

Contents

Early life and education

Aquino was born in Teaneck, New Jersey. [1] As of the late 1980s, her parents, Adele Frances Mesiti Aquino and Salvatore Aquino, lived in Carolina Beach, North Carolina, acting in bit and extra roles for production shot in the nearby town of Wilmington, such as From the Hip (1987), Date with an Angel (1987) and Windmills of the Gods (1988). [2] She first acted in junior high school productions. At Harvard University, she majored in biology. In her final year, she realized she was spending more time acting than studying and so left to travel to New York to take acting classes, while working at a law firm. She stayed there for three years without landing any acting jobs, then traveled to Minneapolis, where she gained her first roles. In 1986, after two years of rejections, she enrolled at Yale University School of Drama, where she studied three years. [3]

Career

Acting

After Yale, Aquino spent the next five years based in New York. While there she appeared with Kevin Spacey at Playwrights Horizons and joined the Circle Repertory Company. She appeared in Wendy Wasserstein's The Heidi Chronicles , [3] which won the Tony Award for Best Play in 1989. [4] Also that year, Aquino appeared in Moonstruck (as Loretta's hairdresser) and Working Girl (as Melanie Griffith's secretary at the end of the film), her first film roles. [3] [5]

In 1991, she was cast as one of the leads in the series Brooklyn Bridge . After the show was renewed for a second season, Aquino moved to California. [3] She primarily has been in television roles, including ER , [3] The Larry Sanders Show , and Everybody Loves Raymond . [6]

In 1995, Aquino was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for portraying Dr. Joanna "Joey" Diamond in Picket Fences . [3] [7]

In 2005, she appeared in Wasserstein's Third in an off-Broadway production at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. [8] Aquino also appeared off-Broadway at the 59E59 Theaters in Secrets of the Trade by Jonathan Tolins. [9]

In 2013, Aquino was cast as the witch Donna in the season 2 of Being Human. [10] Later this year, Aquino was cast in the pilot Divorce: A Love Story; however, the role was recast when the producers decided that she looked too young to play the mother of Jason Jones, who was portrayed by an actor 16 years younger than she was. [11] Aquino played college President Dalley in The Lazarus Effect (2015), [12] co-starring Sarah Bolger, Mark Duplass, and Olivia Wilde. [13]

Aquino starred in Amazon Studios' television series Bosch as Lieutenant Grace Billets. The series was renewed for a seventh and final season on February 13, 2020. [14]

SAG and SAG-AFTRA

She joined the Screen Actors Guild in 1987 and was named the co-secretary-treasurer on September 24, 2009. [15] [16] She was elected for a second term in 2011, without opposition, [17] and after being elected the first secretary-treasurer of the newly merged SAG-AFTRA [18] served until August 2015. She had previously served two terms as first vice president of the Screen Actors Guild. [16]

Personal life

Aquino met Drew McCoy after moving to California. In 1995, they were married at Saint Malachy's Roman Catholic Church in Manhattan. [3] Together they purchased the Villa Royale, an inn in Palm Springs, California, which they renovated over a two-year period. [3]

Works

Notes

    Related Research Articles

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Screen Actors Guild</span> American labor union (1933–2012)

    The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was an American labor union which represented over 100,000 film and television principal and background performers worldwide. On March 30, 2012, the union leadership announced that the SAG membership voted to merge with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) to create SAG-AFTRA.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Gabrielle Carteris</span> American actress (born 1961)

    Gabrielle Anne Carteris is an American actress and trade union leader. Her best known acting role is as Andrea Zuckerman in Beverly Hills, 90210.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Fran Drescher</span> American actress (born 1957)

    Francine Joy Drescher is an American actress, writer, producer, and trade union leader, currently serving as the national president of the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). She is best known for her role as Fran Fine in the television sitcom The Nanny (1993–1999), which she created and produced with her then-husband Peter Marc Jacobson.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew Modine</span> American actor (born 1959)

    Matthew Avery Modine is an American actor and filmmaker. He shared the Venice Film Festival‘s Volpi Cup for Best Actor as part of the ensemble cast of Robert Altman film Streamers (1983). He went on to play lead roles in several high-profile films throughout the 1980’s, including include Birdy (1984), Vision Quest (1985), and Married to the Mob (1988). He gained further prominence for playing U.S. Marine J.T. "Joker" Davis in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket (1987).

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Amy Brenneman</span> American actress (born 1964)

    Amy Frederica Brenneman is an American actress and producer. She worked extensively in television, coming to prominence as Detective Janice Licalsi in the ABC police drama series NYPD Blue (1993–1994). Brenneman next co-created and starred as Judge Amy Gray in the CBS drama series Judging Amy (1999–2005). She received five Primetime Emmy Award nominations for these roles.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Frances Fisher</span> American actress (born 1952)

    Frances Louise Fisher is an American and English actress. She began her career in theater and later starred as Detective Deborah Saxon in the CBS daytime soap opera The Edge of Night (1976–1981). In film, she is known for her roles in Unforgiven (1992), Titanic (1997), True Crime (1999), House of Sand and Fog (2003), Laws of Attraction (2004), The Kingdom (2007), In the Valley of Elah (2007), Jolene (2008), The Lincoln Lawyer (2011), and The Host (2013). From 2014 to 2015, Fisher starred in the ABC drama series Resurrection. In 2019, she starred in the HBO television series Watchmen, a sequel to the graphic novel of the same name.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">James Marsden</span> American actor (born 1973)

    James Paul Marsden is an American actor. He began his acting career guest starring in the television shows Saved by the Bell: The New Class (1993), Touched by an Angel (1995), and Party of Five (1995). Marsden gained fame for his portrayal of Cyclops in the X-Men film series (2000–2014) and for his roles in the films The Notebook (2004), Superman Returns (2006), Hairspray (2007), Enchanted (2007), 27 Dresses (2008) and Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013). He portrayed John F. Kennedy in the drama film The Butler (2013) and Tom Wachowski in Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) and its sequels.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Associated Actors and Artistes of America</span> Organization

    The Associated Actors and Artistes of America (4As), established in 1919, is the federation of trade unions for performing artists in the United States.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Howard</span> American actor (1944–2016)

    Kenneth Joseph Howard Jr. was an American actor. He was known for his roles as Thomas Jefferson in 1776 (1972) and as high school basketball coach and former Chicago Bulls player Ken Reeves in the television show The White Shadow (1978–1981). Howard won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play in 1970 for his performance in Child's Play, and won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for his work in Grey Gardens (2009).

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Amy Ryan</span> American actress (born 1968)

    Amy Beth Dziewiontkowski, known professionally as Amy Ryan, is an American actress. She began her professional stage career in 1987 and made her Broadway debut in 1993 as a replacement in the original production of Wendy Wasserstein's The Sisters Rosensweig. She was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her performances in Uncle Vanya (2000) and A Streetcar Named Desire (2005), and the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for Doubt: A Parable (2024).

    A background actor or extra is a performer in a film, television show, stage, musical, opera, or ballet production who appears in a nonspeaking or nonsinging (silent) capacity, usually in the background. War films and epic films often employ background actors in large numbers: some films have featured hundreds or even thousands of paid background actors as cast members. Likewise, grand opera can involve many background actors appearing in spectacular productions.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharon Lawrence</span> American actress (born 1961)

    Sharon Elizabeth Lawrence is an American actress. From 1993 to 1999, she starred as Sylvia Costas in the ABC drama series, NYPD Blue. The role garnered her three Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series, and Satellite Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama. She received three additional Emmy Awards nominations for her later television performances.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack McBrayer</span> American actor and comedian

    Jack McBrayer is an American actor and comedian. He gained national exposure for his portrayal of characters on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and as Kenneth Parcell in 30 Rock. For his role in 30 Rock he was nominated for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards. He has also had many voice acting roles. During his time at The Walt Disney Company, he voiced the character Fix-It Felix Jr. in the 2012 film Wreck-It Ralph and later its 2018 sequel, as well as the title character Wander in Wander Over Yonder. McBrayer has recurring roles in Phineas and Ferb, Puppy Dog Pals, Amphibia, The Middle and in the Netflix series Big Mouth. He appeared in The Big Bang Theory on the Season 10 premiere episode as Penny's older brother, Randall. He also appeared in Odd Squad: The Movie as Weird Tom.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhoda Williams</span> American actress (1930–2006)

    Rhoda ElaineWilliams was an American actress who voiced Drizella Tremaine in Walt Disney's Cinderella.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Reid Scott (actor)</span> American actor (born 1977)

    Reid Scott is an American actor. He is best known for his starring roles as Brendan "Brando" Dorff in the TBS comedy series My Boys (2006–2010), Dan Egan in the HBO comedy series Veep (2012–2019), Gordon Ford in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2022–2023), and NYPD Detective Vincent Riley on Law & Order (2024–present). He also appeared in the romantic comedy film Home Again (2017), the superhero film Venom (2018), and the comedy-drama film Late Night (2019).

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Yale Summers</span> American actor

    Yale Summers was an American actor and producer, whose credits included the 1960s CBS television series, Daktari, with Marshall Thompson.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">SAG-AFTRA</span> American media labor union

    The Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists is an American labor union formed in 2012 by the merger of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. It represents approximately 160,000 media professionals worldwide. SAG-AFTRA is a member of the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of unions in the United States. SAG-AFTRA is also a member of the International Federation of Actors.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Amy Aquino on screen and stage</span>

    Amy Aquino is an American actress of television, film and stage. As a honors graduate in biology from Harvard Radcliffe Institute, she studied acting at the Yale School of Drama. She was accepted after three attempts and received an MFA.

    References

    1. 1 2 3 Lavin, Cheryl (May 24, 1992). "Profile: Amy Aquino". Chicago Tribune .
    2. Polson, Mary Ellen (April 23, 1989). "One of the Boys has local ties". Amusements. Star-News . Wilmington, North Carolina. p. 1H. Retrieved July 13, 2023 via Google News Archive.
    3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Amy Aquino". Industry Central. Archived from the original on March 23, 2013. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
    4. "Search Past Winners". Tony Awards. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
    5. Grahnke, Lon (November 23, 1990). "HBO's clumsy 'Angel' drama descends to the obvious". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 19, 2013.(subscription required)
    6. Zuckerman, Faye B. (March 31, 2003). "'Raymond' continues to be best". The Telegraph-Herald. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
    7. "Picket Fences". Lakeland Ledger. October 1, 1995. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
    8. "Amy Aquino Added to Cast of Wendy Wasserstein's Third". Broadway.com. July 6, 2005. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
    9. Isherwood, Charles (August 10, 2010). "Angling for a Mentor, He'll Take What He Can Get". The New York Times. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
    10. Andreeva, Nellie (April 8, 2013). "Amy Aquino To Co-Star In ABC's 'Divorce', Seaton Smith Cast In NBC's John Mulaney Project & More Pilot Castings". Deadline. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
    11. Andreeva, Nellie (April 16, 2013). "Amy Aquino Exits ABC Pilot 'Divorce'". Deadline. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
    12. Andreeva, Nellie (April 16, 2013). "The Lazarus Effect". DreadCentral. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
    13. Andreeva, Nellie (April 16, 2013). "The Lazarus Effect". BloodyDisgusting. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
    14. "Breaking News - "Bosch" Picked Up for Its 7th and Final Season on Prime Video | TheFutonCritic.com". www.thefutoncritic.com. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
    15. Singh, Ray. "... Unions make it possible to do this work as a living". Actors Equity Association. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
    16. 1 2 "Amy Aquino" (PDF). Screen Actors Guild. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 24, 2015. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
    17. Handal, Jonathan (June 23, 2011). "SAG Nominating Committee Selects Candidates for Fall Election". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
    18. "Ken Howard and Amy Aquino Elected National President and National Secretary-Treasurer of SAG-AFTRA". Screen Actors Guild. Retrieved December 8, 2016.