Deanna Dunagan

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Deanna Dunagan
Born (1940-05-25) May 25, 1940 (age 83)
Monahans, Texas, United States
OccupationActress
Years active1970–present

Deanna Dunagan (born May 25, 1940) is an American actress. While principally active as a stage actress, she has also worked in television and film. She is best known for her Tony Award-winning portrayal of Violet Weston in Tracy Letts' August: Osage County and for her portrayal of Nana in M. Night Shyamalan's 2015 film The Visit . She has also appeared in the recurring roles of Mother Bernadette on the Fox television series The Exorcist and Mrs. Charles on Chicago Med . She portrayed Dr. Willa Sipe in the 2018 film An Acceptable Loss by writer Joe Chappelle; and starred as Sharon in the 2021 film Stillwater alongside Matt Damon and Abigail Breslin.

Contents

Early life and education

Dunagan was born and raised in Monahans, Texas, United States, the daughter of Kathlyn (Cosper) and John Conrad Dunagan. [1] The eldest of five children, her father was a Coca-Cola bottler and president of the Texas Historical Association; her mother was a stay-at-home parent with an active presence in the community. In an interview, Dunagan light-heartedly described her extended family, "My heritage is a long line of Southern Baptist and Methodist preachers. And aren't they all just frustrated actors?" [2]

Dunagan earned a degree in music education from the University of Texas, Austin. [3] She briefly dated Charles Whitman, the infamous "Texas Tower Sniper", while a college student. [4] She married her high school sweetheart and gave birth to a son; but the marriage ended a few years later. [4] Following her divorce, Dunagan's parents agreed to fund graduate studies at Trinity University, Texas through the Dallas Theater Center. [2] [4] While writing her Master's thesis, Dunagan lived in Mexico. She was engaged to a bullfighter, but they never married, and she went on to pursue her acting career in the United States. [2]

Career

Dunagan began her acting career touring in dinner theater and later performing in regional theaters such as the Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota, Florida, and the Actors Theatre of Louisville before trying her luck in New York City. She made her Broadway debut in the 1979 production of George Bernard Shaw's Man and Superman at Circle in the Square as an understudy for Ann Sachs. Sachs became ill at one point during the show's run and Dunagan filled in for her with great success. This exposure led to her to being signed with International Creative Management. [5]

In 1981, Dunagan performed in the first national tour of Children of a Lesser God . During the tour, Dunagan visited Chicago for the first time and immediately fell in love with the city. After the end of the tour, Dunagan moved to Chicago and has lived there ever since, performing in more than 30 theaters in the Chicago area. Her work on the Chicago stage has garnered her three Joseph Jefferson Awards and three After Dark Awards. [6]

She has worked in films including The Visit , The Naked Face , Running Scared , Men Don't Leave , and Losing Isaiah . She has also appeared in made for television movies, in the TV mini-series A Will of Their Own and Amerika , and as a guest star on the television shows Prison Break , What About Joan , Missing Persons , and The Strain . [7] She has had recurring roles in Unforgettable and The Exorcist .

In 2007-2008, Dunagan returned to Broadway in the Steppenwolf Theatre's production of Tracy Letts' August: Osage County , having originated the role in Chicago. For her performance, Dunagan won a Tony Award, Theatre World Award, Drama Desk Award, and an Outer Critics Circle Award. [5] She went on to portray Violet Weston in productions in London's West End in 2009 and in Sydney, Australia in 2010.

She returned to New York in 2017 to Playwrights Horizons Off-Broadway to perform in the world premiere of The Treasurer by Max Posner. [4]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1984 The Naked Face Mrs. Hadley
1986 Running Scared Sister Rebecca
1990 Men Don't Leave Fay
1995 Losing Isaiah Dr. Goldstein
2002Janey Van WinkleMom Van WinkleShort film
2007 Dimension Annabelle
2011 Mariachi Gringo Monica
2013 The Cherokee Word for Water Irene Mankiller
2015 The Visit NanaFright Meter Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated—Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Supporting Actress
2018 An Acceptable Loss Dr. Willa Sipe
2021 Stillwater Sharon
2022 So Cold the River Anne [8]
2023 Asteroid City Waitress
2024 Ghostlight Herself

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1982 American Playhouse Emily DickensonEpisode: "Any Friend of Nicholas Nickleby Is a Friend of Mine"
1984 American Playhouse Various3 episodes
1987 Amerika Betty MilfordEpisode: "Part VII"
1994 Two Fathers: Justice for the Innocent Janice BradleyTelevision movie
2000 What About Joan? SandyEpisode: "Quid Pro Quo"
2005 Prison Break Judy Pope2 episodes
2008 Law & Order Estelle AdamsEpisode: "Zero"
2009The Big DDonna DupreeTelevision movie
2009 Psych MyrtleEpisode: "Let's Get Hairy"
2009 Cold Case Iris KeeningEpisode: "WASP"
2010 Ugly Betty LeeEpisode: "Back in Her Place"
2011 Detroit 1-8-7 Helen LakelandEpisode: "Beaten/Cover Letter"
2011 Unforgettable Alice5 episodes
2011 Have a Little Faith SarahTelevision film
2012 Private Practice Dr. Vivian CarlsmithEpisode: "Apron Strings"
2014 House of Cards Susan MarburyEpisode: "Chapter 18"
2016 The Strain AnchariaEpisode: "First Born"
2016 The Exorcist Mother Bernadette4 episodes
2019 Proven Innocent Deborah VandenheyEpisode: "Shaken"
2019 Chicago Med Mrs. Charles3 episodes
2020 Dispatches from Elsewhere Nana2 episodes
2021 Tell Me Your Secrets Esther Moses3 episodes

Theatre

YearTitleRoleNotes
1979 Man and Superman Understudy Circle in the Square Theatre (Broadway)
1980Sunset/SunriseDianeActors Theatre of Louisville (Louisville, KY)
1981 Children of a Lesser God PerformerNational Tour
1988 Stepping Out Performer Steppenwolf Theatre Company (Chicago, IL)
1991Still WatersPerformer Victory Gardens Theater (Chicago, IL)
1991 Coriolanus PerformerNext Theatre Company (Chicago, IL)
1992Private PassagePerformerOdyssey Theatre (Chicago, IL)
1992 The Song of Jacob Zulu PerformerSteppenwolf Theatre Company (Chicago, IL)
1992 Inspecting Carol PerformerSteppenwolf Theatre Company (Chicago, IL)
1996 A Touch of the Poet Deborah Harford Goodman Theatre (Chicago, IL)
1996The Washington-Sarajevo TalksRhondaVictory Gardens Theatre (Chicago, IL)
1996 Slaughterhouse-Five PerformerSteppenwolf Theatre Company (Chicago, IL)
2001CahootsGwendolineVictory Gardens Theatre (Chicago, IL)
2001The Glamour HouseTrudi SteinVictory Gardens Theatre (Chicago, IL)
2001 Butley Edna Shaft Writers Theatre (Chicago, IL)
2002 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof PerformerApple Tree Theatre (Chicago, IL)
2002 A Lie of the Mind PerformerAmerican Theatre Company (Chicago, IL)
2003Wedding BandHerman's MotherSteppenwolf Theatre Company (Chicago, IL)
2003 James Joyce's The Dead Aunt Julia Morkan Court Theatre (Chicago, IL)
2003 Bounce EnsembleGoodman Theatre (Chicago, IL)
2004 A Delicate Balance PerformerRemy Bumppo (Chicago, IL)
2006I Never Sang for My FatherMargaretSteppenwolf Theatre Company (Chicago, IL)
2006 The Best Man PerformerRemy Bumppo (Chicago, IL)
2006 Ten Little Indians Emily BrentDrury Lane Oakbrook (Chicago, IL)
2007–2010 August: Osage County Violet WestonChicago, Broadway, London, & Sydney
2012 A Little Night Music Madame ArmfeldtWriters Theatre (Chicago)
2013 Other Desert Cities Polly WyethGoodman Theatre (Chicago)
2013The North China LoverM Lookingglass Theatre Company
2015 Marvin's Room Aunt RuthShattered Globe Theater, Chicago
2017The TreasurerIda Armstrong Playwrights Horizons [4]
2018Blind Date Nancy Reagan Goodman Theatre (Chicago)

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References

  1. ↑ "Kathlyn Dunagan Obituary - Odessa, TX | Odessa American". Legacy.com. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 "Deanna Dunagan, Fresh Face Interview: Broadway.com Buzz". Broadway.com. August 1, 2012. Retrieved November 14, 2013.
  3. ↑ Lopez, Rich (December 26, 2008). "Dunagan gets rave reviews in London - MRT.com: Top Stories". MRT.com. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Harry Haun (September 29, 2017). "Deanna Dunagan on Playing Yet Another Unlovable Mother". The New York Observer .
  5. 1 2 "Deanna Dunagan, Star File: Broadway.com Buzz". Broadway.com. August 1, 2012. Retrieved November 14, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Playbill Biography: DEANNA DUNAGAN". Archived from the original on March 18, 2008. Retrieved May 19, 2008.
  7. ↑ "Deanna Dunagan". IMDb.com. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  8. ↑ "So Cold the River". Rotten Tomatoes.
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