Clea DuVall | |
---|---|
Born | Clea Helen D'Etienne DuVall September 25, 1977 [1] Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1996–present |
Clea Helen D'Etienne DuVall (born September 25, 1977) is an American actress, director and screenwriter. Her film appearances include The Faculty (1998); But I'm a Cheerleader ; Girl, Interrupted (both 1999); Ghosts of Mars (2001); Identity; 21 Grams (both 2003); The Grudge (2004); Zodiac (2007); and Argo (2012). On television, DuVall starred as Emma Borden in Lizzie Borden Took an Ax (2014) and its miniseries spinoff, The Lizzie Borden Chronicles (2015). Her other credits include Carnivàle (2003–2005), Heroes (2006–2007), American Horror Story (2012–2013), Better Call Saul (2015–2017), Veep (2016–2019), and The Handmaid's Tale (2018–2022). She also voiced Elsa on Fox's HouseBroken , which she co-created, from 2021 to 2023.
DuVall's directorial work includes the features The Intervention (2016) and Happiest Season (2020). She is the creator, writer, and executive producer of the Amazon Freevee series High School (2022).
DuVall was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. [1] Her forename derives from the novel Clea by Lawrence Durrell. [2] [3] She worked in a coffee shop as a teenager and studied at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. [4]
DuVall made her screen debut in the low-budget horror film Little Witches (1996). This was followed by small roles in several independent features, as well as guest appearances on episodes of ER and Buffy the Vampire Slayer . Her breakthrough came in 1998 when she starred in Robert Rodriguez's sci-fi horror film The Faculty , receiving positive reviews for her portrayal of "Stokes" Mitchell, a goth high school student. [5] [6] Also that year, she had a supporting role in the teen comedy Can't Hardly Wait , which later developed a cult following. [7]
DuVall had roles in several films released in 1999, including biographical drama Girl, Interrupted , where she appeared as compulsive liar Georgina Tuskin; teen romantic comedy She's All That , which opened atop the U.S. box office; [8] and the independent features Wildflowers and But I'm a Cheerleader . The latter, a satirical comedy in which she played a lesbian undergoing conversion therapy, is often cited as a favorite among fans of LGBT cinema. [9] [10] For her work in Wildflowers, a drama about a 17-year-old obsessed with finding her birth mother, DuVall received rave reviews, [11] with Barry Johnson noting in his appraisal for The Austin Chronicle , "Clea DuVall has those deep, round, chestnut eyes that convey years of experience with a solitary glance … [she] always seems to capture that unique blend of wisdom and naiveté … [here she] takes center stage in an impressive, nuanced performance that makes use of [her] magnetic screen presence". [12]
DuVall had prominent parts in a variety of film projects throughout the early 2000s, such as Ghosts of Mars (2001), a space Western directed by John Carpenter; the ensemble drama Thirteen Conversations About One Thing (2001); The Laramie Project (2002), a documentary-style dramatisation of the murder of Matthew Shepard; coming-of-age sports drama The Slaughter Rule (2002); the James Mangold–directed mystery thriller Identity (2003); and the psychological crime drama 21 Grams (2003), the English-language film debut of Alejandro González Iñárritu. Writing for The New York Times , Elvis Mitchell called the latter "a ruminative, stunned look at life after death – that is, the existence of the living after they have been devastated by loss", noting that "The actors [don't] sink to theatrical histrionics; instead they're linked by the red-eyed, unblinking stare of zombies, and they shamble through their day-by-day activities as if saddled with death wishes they are too enervated to act upon". [13]
DuVall appeared as a regular cast member on the HBO drama series Carnivàle between 2003 and 2005, with the Los Angeles Times pointing out that her portrayal of tarot card reader Sophie was "especially good". [14] During that period, she also starred in the television film Helter Skelter (2004), earning a Satellite Award nomination for Best Actress, and in the horror film The Grudge (2004), which grossed US$187 million at the box office. [15] Subsequent credits included guest appearances on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2005), Lie to Me (2009), Numb3rs , Bones , and Law & Order (all 2010), as well as key parts in films such as David Fincher's critically acclaimed Zodiac (2007), [16] and the recurring role of Audrey Hanson on the NBC science fiction series Heroes (2006–2007).
After appearances in the psychological thrillers Anamorph (2007) and Passengers (2008), and a supporting role in the legal drama Conviction (2010), DuVall co-starred in Ben Affleck's Argo (2012), a political thriller based on the Iran hostage crisis. For her portrayal of Cora Amburn-Lijek, one of the six American diplomats rescued from Iran in 1980, DuVall was awarded—alongside her co-stars—the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture the following year. Also in 2012, she appeared in a recurring role on the second season of the FX anthology series American Horror Story , playing Wendy Peyser. Writing for Slate , Alyssa Rosenberg said of her work in the latter projects, "Where DuVall often played strong, even aggressive characters in the past, in both American Horror Story and Argo, she's turned in good performances by playing deeply vulnerable people trying to be strong in threatening circumstances". [17]
DuVall starred as Emma Borden, sister of Lizzie Borden—played by Christina Ricci—in the Lifetime television film Lizzie Borden Took an Ax (2014), reprising the role for the limited series The Lizzie Borden Chronicles the following year. The latter received mixed reviews, but critics praised the performances of Ricci and DuVall; writing for The Hollywood Reporter , Keith Uhlich said the actresses "have a delectable rapport not too far removed from Bette Davis and Joan Crawford at their hag-horror peak in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? " [18]
DuVall made her feature directorial debut with The Intervention (2016), which she also wrote, starred in, and produced. [19] [20] Acquired by Paramount Pictures after its premiere at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, [21] the comedy-drama was positively reviewed; Andy Webster of The New York Times noted that "DuVall juggles the emotional dynamics with fluid editing and light comic touches". [22] That same year, she starred in the independent features Zen Dogs and Heaven's Floor , and guest-starred in three episodes of AMC's Better Call Saul .
From 2016 to 2019, DuVall played Marjorie Palmiotti on the HBO political satire Veep , for which she was twice nominated—alongside her co-stars—for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, winning in 2018. [23] She also starred in the independent comedy-drama All About Nina (2018), and played Sylvia in several episodes of the dystopian Hulu drama series The Handmaid's Tale between 2018 and 2022, with Judy Berman of Time calling it "the best work of [DuVall's career]". [24]
DuVall wrote and directed the 2020 film Happiest Season , [25] a romantic comedy, which premiered on Hulu to a positive critical reception, [26] later winning the 2021 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film. [27] She is the creator, writer, director, and executive producer of the coming-of-age drama series High School , which premiered on Amazon Freevee in October 2022. [28] Rolling Stone named it one of the best shows of the year, [29] writing in their review, "[DuVall captures] the thrilling, horrifying, profoundly uncomfortable experience of adolescence". [30]
DuVall is lesbian. [31] [32] She came out to close relations when she was 16, publicly coming out in 2016 (roughly 23 years later). [33] DuVall has said that she was "very closeted" while making But I'm a Cheerleader. [34] She is close friends with Melanie Lynskey and Natasha Lyonne, whom she worked with on But I'm a Cheerleader and The Intervention . [35] DuVall is married and lives in Los Angeles. [36] [37]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1996 | Little Witches | Kelsey | |
1997 | The Alarmist | Suzy | |
1997 | Niagara, Niagara | Convenience store clerk | |
1998 | How to Make the Cruelest Month | Bell Bryant | |
1998 | Girl | Gillian | |
1998 | Can't Hardly Wait | Jana | |
1998 | The Faculty | Stokely "Stokes" Mitchell | |
1999 | A Slipping-Down Life | Nurse | |
1999 | She's All That | Misty | |
1999 | Wildflowers | Cally | |
1999 | Sleeping Beauties | Clea | Short film |
1999 | The Astronaut's Wife | Nan | |
1999 | But I'm a Cheerleader | Graham Eaton | |
1999 | Girl, Interrupted | Georgina Tuskin | |
2000 | Committed | Mimi | |
2001 | See Jane Run | Jane Whittaker | |
2001 | Ghosts of Mars | Bashira Kincaid | |
2001 | Thirteen Conversations About One Thing | Bea | |
2001 | How to Make a Monster | Laura Wheeler | |
2002 | The Slaughter Rule | Skyla Sisco | |
2003 | Identity | Ginny Isiana | |
2003 | 21 Grams | Claudia | |
2004 | The Grudge | Jennifer Williams | |
2005 | Two Weeks | Katrina | |
2006 | Champions | Billy | |
2007 | Zodiac | Linda Del Buono | |
2007 | Ten Inch Hero | Jen | |
2007 | Itty Bitty Titty Committee | Singer | |
2007 | Anamorph | Sandy Strickland | |
2008 | Passengers | Shannon | |
2009 | The Killing Room | Kerry Isalano | |
2010 | Conviction | Brenda Marsh | |
2012 | Argo | Cora Amburn-Lijek | |
2013 | Armed Response | Lena | Also executive producer |
2014 | Jackie & Ryan | Virginia | |
2014 | Zen Dog | Marlene Meeks | |
2015 | Ma/ddy | Dana | |
2015 | Addicted to Fresno | Regina | |
2016 | The Intervention | Jessie | Also writer, director, and executive producer |
2016 | Heaven's Floor | Julia | |
2018 | All About Nina | Paula | |
2020 | Happiest Season | — | Co-writer and director only |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1996 | Dangerous Minds | Nina | Episode: "Evolution" |
1997 | ER | Katy Reed | 2 episodes |
1997 | Crisis Center | Laura Thomas | Episode: "Where Truth Lies" |
1997 | Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Marcie Ross | Episode: "Out of Mind, Out of Sight" |
1997 | On the Edge of Innocence | Ann | Television film |
1997 | The Defenders: Payback | Jessica Lane | Television film |
2000 | Popular | Wanda Rickets | 2 episodes |
2001 | The Fugitive | Lynette Hennessy | 2 episodes |
2001 | How to Make a Monster | Laura | Television film |
2002 | The Laramie Project | Amanda Gronich | Television film |
2003–2005 | Carnivàle | Sofie Agnesh Bojakshiya | Main role |
2004 | Helter Skelter | Linda Kasabian | Television film |
2005 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Abigail Spencer | Episode: "Shooting Stars" |
2005 | Fathers and Sons | Laura | Television film; uncredited |
2006–2007 | Heroes | Audrey Hanson | Recurring role |
2008 | Grey's Anatomy | Jennifer Robinson | 2 episodes |
2008 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Mia Latimer | Episode: "Persona" |
2008 | The Watch | Cassie | Television film |
2009 | Virtuality | Sue Parsons | Television film |
2009 | Saving Grace | Maura Darrell | Episode: "Looks Like a Lesbian Attack to Me" |
2009 | Lie to Me | Michelle Russell | Episode: "Blinded" |
2010 | Private Practice | Natasha | Episode: "Fear of Flying" |
2010 | Bones | McKenna Grant | Episode: "The Bones on the Blue Line" |
2010 | Numb3rs | Melanie Bailey | Episode: "Devil Girl" |
2010 | Law & Order | Amanda Green | Episode: "The Taxman Cometh" |
2010–2011 | The Event | Maya | 3 episodes |
2011 | CSI: Miami | Lyla Moore | Episode: "About Face" |
2011 | And Baby Will Fall | Melinda White | Television film |
2012–2013 | American Horror Story: Asylum | Wendy Peyser | 5 episodes |
2014 | The Newsroom | Lilly Hart | 2 episodes |
2014 | Lizzie Borden Took an Ax | Emma Borden | Television film |
2015 | The Lizzie Borden Chronicles | Emma Borden | Main role |
2015–2017 | Better Call Saul | Lara Cruz | 3 episodes |
2016 | Brooklyn Animal Control | Madeleine Holmlund | Unsold pilot |
2016 | New Girl | Camilla | Episode: "Wig" |
2016–2019 | Veep | Marjorie Palmiotti | Recurring role (seasons 5–6); main role (season 7) |
2018 | Take My Wife | Audience Member | Episode #2.3 |
2018–2022 | The Handmaid's Tale | Sylvia | 5 episodes |
2018 | The Romanoffs | Patricia Callahan | Episode: "End of the Line" |
2019 | Broad City | Lesley Marnel | 3 episodes |
2019 | Looking for Alaska | — | Director only; episode: "I'll Show You That It Won't Shoot" |
2021-2023 | HouseBroken | Elsa (voice) | Also co-creator, executive producer, and writer |
2021 | Q-Force | (voice) | 2 episodes |
2022 | The First Lady | Malvina Thompson | Recurring role |
2022 | High School | — | Creator, director, and writer only |
2023 | Poker Face | Emily Cale | Episode: "The Hook" |
Lizzie Andrew Borden was an American woman who was tried and acquitted of the August 4, 1892 axe murders of her father and stepmother in Fall River, Massachusetts. No one else was charged in the murders, and, despite ostracism from other residents, Borden spent the remainder of her life in Fall River. She died of pneumonia at the age of 66, just days before the death of her older sister, Emma.
Christina Ricci is an American actress and producer. Known for playing unusual characters with a dark edge, Ricci works mostly in independent productions, but has also appeared in numerous box-office hits. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, and Primetime Emmy Award nominations.
The Faculty is a 1998 American science fiction horror film directed and edited by Robert Rodriguez with a screenplay by Kevin Williamson. It stars Jordana Brewster, Clea DuVall, Laura Harris, Josh Hartnett, Shawn Hatosy, Famke Janssen, Piper Laurie, Bebe Neuwirth, Robert Patrick, Usher Raymond, Jon Stewart, and Elijah Wood.
Radha Rani Amber Indigo Ananda Mitchell is an Australian actress. She began her career on television, playing Catherine O'Brien on the Australian soap opera Neighbours (1996–1997), before transitioning to working in Hollywood. Known for her work in the action and thriller genres, she is the recipient of an FCCA Award, as well as nominations for Fangoria Chainsaw, AFI, and Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Natasha Bianca Lyonne Braunstein is an American actress, writer, director, and producer. Known for her distinctive raspy voice and tough persona, the accolades she has received include two Screen Actors Guild Awards, alongside nominations for five Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Critics' Choice Television Award.
But I'm a Cheerleader is a 1999 American satirical teen romantic comedy film directed by Jamie Babbit in her feature directorial debut and written by Brian Wayne Peterson. Natasha Lyonne stars as Megan Bloomfield, a high school cheerleader whose parents send her to a residential in-patient conversion therapy camp to "cure" her lesbianism. At camp, Megan realizes that she is indeed a lesbian and, despite the "therapy", comes to embrace her sexuality. The supporting cast includes Clea DuVall, RuPaul, and Cathy Moriarty.
Lauren Ambrose is an American actress.
Lisa Edelstein is an American actress and artist. She is known for playing Dr. Lisa Cuddy on the Fox medical drama series House (2004–2011). Between 2014 and 2018, Edelstein starred as Abby McCarthy in the Bravo series Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce.
Carol Denise Betts, known professionally as Niecy Nash, is an American actress, comedian, and television host. Her acting career began in the late 1990s, with appearances in the films Boys on the Side (1995) and Cookie's Fortune (1999). She garnered recognition for her portrayal of Deputy Raineesha Williams in the comedy series Reno 911!, along with hosting the Style Network show Clean House (2003—2010), for which she won a Daytime Emmy Award.
Melanie Jayne Lynskey is a New Zealand actress. Known for her portrayals of complex women and her command of American accents, she works predominantly in independent films and television. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including three Critics' Choice Awards and nominations for three Primetime Emmy Awards.
Kristen Jaymes Stewart is an American actress. She has received various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award and a César Award, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award.
Jamie Merill Babbit is an American director, producer and screenwriter. She directed the films But I'm a Cheerleader (1999), The Quiet (2005), and Itty Bitty Titty Committee (2007). She has also directed episodes of such television series as Russian Doll, Gilmore Girls, Malcolm in the Middle, United States of Tara, Looking, Nip/Tuck, The L Word, Silicon Valley, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Orville, Only Murders in the Building, and A League of Their Own.
Sleeping Beauties is a 1999 short comedy film directed by Jamie Babbit. It premiered at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival. It stars Sarah Lassez as a morgue beautician trying to get over her ex-girlfriend, played by Radha Mitchell. Babbit made the film with help from David Fincher and Michael Douglas. It played at several film festivals during 1998 and 1999, and was later distributed on a DVD collection of short films by production company POWER UP. Babbit won a Channel 4 award for the film.
How to Make the Cruelest Month is a 1998 comedy film written and directed by Kip Koenig and starring Clea DuVall. The story centers on Bell, a young woman who resolves to accomplish her New Year’s resolutions—to quit smoking and to find love—before the end of December.
Alison Brie Schermerhorn is an American actress. Her breakthrough came with the role of Trudy Campbell in the drama series Mad Men (2007–2015), which earned her a Screen Actors Guild Award. She gained recognition for her role as Annie Edison in the sitcom Community (2009–2015) and voicing Diane Nguyen in the animated comedy series BoJack Horseman (2014–2020). For playing Ruth Wilder in the comedy-drama series GLOW (2017–2019), she received nominations for two Golden Globe Awards and two Critics' Choice Awards.
Lizzie Borden Took an Ax is a 2014 American biographical drama television film about Lizzie Borden, a young American woman tried and acquitted of the August 4, 1892, axe murders of her father and stepmother in Fall River, Massachusetts. It premiered on Lifetime on January 25, 2014, and starred Christina Ricci in the title role. The film was so successful it was followed by a miniseries, The Lizzie Borden Chronicles, which aired from April to May 2015. Ricci has described the film and its follow-up as being "self-aware, campy, and tongue-in-cheek".
Mackenzie Rio Davis is a Canadian actress. She made her feature film debut in the drama film Smashed (2012). In 2013, she appeared in the film The F Word, for which she received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. From 2014 to 2017, she starred as computer programmer Cameron Howe in the AMC period drama series Halt and Catch Fire.
The Lizzie Borden Chronicles is an American television limited series following Lizzie Borden after she is acquitted of the murders of her father and stepmother in 1892. It premiered on Lifetime on Easter Sunday, April 5, 2015, and ended on May 25, 2015. The series is a continuation of the story begun in the network's 2014 film Lizzie Borden Took an Ax and, like the film, is fictionalized and speculative.
The Intervention is a 2016 American independent dramedy film, written and directed by Clea DuVall in her feature directorial debut. It stars DuVall, Melanie Lynskey, Natasha Lyonne, Vincent Piazza, Jason Ritter, Ben Schwartz, Alia Shawkat, and Cobie Smulders. The film debuted at Sundance on January 26, 2016, and began a limited theatrical run on August 26, 2016, premiering on VOD the same day. It received generally positive reviews from critics.
Happiest Season is a 2020 American romantic comedy film directed by Clea DuVall, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mary Holland. Starring an ensemble cast consisting of Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Davis, Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, Daniel Levy, Mary Holland, Victor Garber, and Mary Steenburgen, the film follows a young woman who struggles to admit to her conservative parents that she is a lesbian while she and her girlfriend visit them during Christmas. A semi-autobiographical take on DuVall's experiences with her family, Happiest Season is the first lesbian Christmas rom-com produced by a major Hollywood studio.