 |
Laurie O'Brien | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1950or1951(age 74–75) Denver, Colorado, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Colorado (BA, MA) |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1982–present (actress) |
Laurie O'Brien (born 1950or1951 [1] ) is an American actress, playwright, and former psychologist. She is best known for voicing Baby Piggy on the Saturday morning cartoon Jim Henson's Muppet Babies and the CTW animated series Cro as Ivana.
Born in Denver, Colorado, [2] O'Brien paid her way for attending the University of Colorado (UC) by working in a juvenile detention center, in a mental hospital, and with asthmatic children at the National Jewish Hospital in Denver. [1] O'Brien developed a program of bibliotherapy by teaching asthmatic children while reading aloud with them. [2] She also taught theater to people with schizophrenia and worked with unwed mothers, as well as people addicted to drugs, having "deeply psychotic" symptoms and profound hearing loss, and being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and autism. [2]
Taking all theater courses she could attend, O'Brien graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology. [2] Because she was not able to transition to a double major, she returned to the university in the mid-1970s and graduated with an interdisciplinary master's degree in theater, [2] although they were fashioned from courses in literature, psychology, and theater. [1] [2] She described the combination of courses as "Reader's Theater". [1]
Prior to moving to Los Angeles, O'Brien started to suffer depression from work and wanted a professional career as an actress. [2] She left the job sometime in late 1980 and moved to Los Angeles in November 1980. [2] O'Brien originally planned to move to New York City, but felt that she did not want to live in the city. [2]
After O'Brien moved to Los Angeles, O'Brien spent the first three months watching theater performances, taking classes for voice and movement, and studying the Equity Waiver Plan. [2] O'Brien was one of 400 people who showed up to audition for parts in Mary Barnes, a theater play based on the autobiography Mary Barnes: Two Accounts of a Journey Through Madness. [2] Director Rons Sossi initially considered her for the role of patient Angie, but after repeated callbacks and auditions, he selected her to portray Barnes. [2] Her first role in Los Angeles, O'Brien initially turned the role down because a dramatic scene involving nudity frightened her, [1] [2] but Sossi convinced her to take a risk, stating to her that it would be okay to risk herself. [2] O'Brien received L.A. Drama Critics Circle and LA Weekly awards for her performance of the role. [1] [3] [4] O'Brien reprised the role in the revival of Mary Barnes in Odyssey Theatre in 1995. [1] In 1984, O'Brien, along with six other actors, was nominated for the category of Ensemble Performance for the performance of the ensemble in Quilters at the L.A. Drama Critics Circle Awards. [5] Her work on stage also included winning two major awards for her lead roles in Savage in Limbo [6] and Times Like These.[ citation needed ]
As an on-camera actress, O'Brien has guest starred on the soap opera Santa Barbara as a hooker as well as other numerous TV series including Trapper John, M.D. , NYPD Blue , Matlock , Chicago Hope , ER, CSI, CSI Miami , 7th Heaven , Reasonable Doubts, Shark, Three Rivers, Detroit 1-8-7, and L.A. Law on which she played a woman on trial for killing her rapist. TV movies include The Defiant Ones, Too Young to Die?, Infidelity, Children of the Night, Convicted, and One More Mountain. Movies include Bottle Shock in which she played Christopher Pine's mother.
In 1973, O'Brien met a doctor while working at National Jewish Hospital. [2] Being supportive of her remedial work, he was married to O'Brien in 1976. [2] The marriage was later filed for a divorce in late 1980. [2] Later, she married actor Carl Weintraub. [1] The couple had one son named Cory, who was born in 1989 or 1990. [1]
| Year(s) | Title | Role | Venue | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982–83 | Mary Barnes | Mary Barnes | Odyssey Theatre, Los Angeles | Professional debut; leading role L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award for Performance/Leading Role LA Weekly award | [1] [2] [3] [4] [7] |
| 1983 | Strawberry Envy | Kentucky Froth Belle | Los Angeles City College, Los Angeles | Included in the second bill of Louis B. Mayer Playwright's Workshop Festival | [8] [9] [10] |
| Where I Live | Itchey Foote, Los Angeles | Based on Tennessee Williams' essays | [11] | ||
| 1983–84 | Quilters | Garrett's daughter | Music Center Plaza, Los Angeles | Nominated - L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award for Ensemble Performance | [5] [12] [13] |
| 1984 | Vampire Guts | Louise | Pilot Theatre, Los Angeles | [14] | |
| Gardenia | Lydie Breeze | Los Angeles Actors' Theatre, Los Angeles | Second chapter of Lydie Breeze series | [15] | |
| Women and Water | Fourth chapter of Lydie Breeze series | [16] | |||
| 1986 | The History of Fear | Victory Theatre, Burbank | [17] [18] | ||
| Inside Out | Beverly Hills Playhouse, Beverly Hills | Solo role; also playwright | [19] [20] | ||
| 1987 | Savage in Limbo | Denise Savage | The Cast Theatre, Los Angeles | Leading role L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award for Lead Performance | [6] [21] [22] |
| 1993 | Juliet | Odyssey Theatre, Los Angeles | [23] | ||
| Can Can | |||||
| The Love Suicide at Schofield Barracks | |||||
| 1995 | Mary Barnes | Mary Barnes | Leading role; revival | [1] | |
| 1999 | The Greeks | Helen | [24] | ||
| 2003 | Times Like These | Oviation Award for the performance of the role | [25] | ||
| 2006 | First Monday in October | Ruth Loomis | [26] | ||
| 2012 | I Am Chrissie | Herself | Promenade Playhouse, Los Angeles | Leading role; also playwright | [7] |
| 2017 | Pie in the Sky | Dory | Victory Theatre, Burbank | [27] |
| Year(s) | Title | Role | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann | Terry | Film debut | |
| 1986 | The Adventures of the American Rabbit | Bunny O' Hare (voice) | ||
| 1987 | Harry and the Hendersons | Screaming Woman | ||
| 1992 | Gas Food Lodging | Thelma | ||
| 2001 | Mockingbird Don't Sing | Beverly Glazer | ||
| 2002 | American Gun | Martin's Mother | ||
| 2004 | Around the Bend | Ruth | ||
| 2005 | Invasion | Reporter | ||
| 2006 | Little Chenier | Faye | ||
| 2008 | Bottle Shock | Laura | ||
| Disfigured | Sheila | |||
| 2022 | Pie in the Sky | Dory | Film adaptation of the live show of the same name |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Dynasty | Maid | Television debut Episode: "Reunion in Singapore" | |
| St. Elsewhere | Mrs. Morgen | Episode: "Working" | ||
| Knight Rider | Linda Groves | Episode: "Nobody Does It Better" | ||
| 1983–85 | Dungeons & Dragons | Additional voices | 27 episodes | |
| 1984 | Legmen | Mary Smith | Episode: "I Shall Be Re-Released" | |
| Calamity Jane | Mamie | Television film | ||
| Saturday's the Place! | Herself | Television film | ||
| 1984–91 | Muppet Babies | Baby Piggy, Captain Crochette Hook (voice) | 107 episodes | |
| 1985 | Obsessed with a Married Woman | Gali | Television film | |
| Santa Barbara | Hooker | 2 episodes | ||
| The Transformers | Astoria Carlton-Ritz (voice) | Episode: "The Girl Who Loved Powerglide" | ||
| Shadow Chasers | Vicki Pasternack | Episode: "Spirit of St. Louis" | ||
| The GLO Friends Save Christmas | Additional voices | Television film | ||
| 1986 | The Defiant Ones | Pauline | Television film | |
| Trapper John, M.D. | Oliva | Episode: "Life, Death, and Dr. Christmas" | ||
| Cagney & Lacey | Linda Donner | Episode: "Extradition" | ||
| Convicted | Audrey Delaney | Television film | ||
| 1987 | Deadly Care | Gloria | Television film | |
| Infidelity | Eileen | Television film | [28] [29] [30] | |
| The Real Ghostbusters | Vanna (voice) | Episode: "The Cabinet of Calamari" | ||
| 1988 | Ohara | Ruth Britton | Episode: "Sign of the Times" | |
| L.A. Law | Megan Penny | Episode: "Belle of the Bald" | [31] | |
| 1989 | ABC Weekend Special | Lewis' Mom, Trashy's Sister | Episode: "The Monster Bed" | |
| 1990 | Too Young to Die? | Wanda Bradley Sledge | Television film | |
| Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue | Baby Piggy, Mom (voice) | Television film | ||
| Gabriel's Fire | Kathy Danube | Episode: "To Catch a Con: Part 2" | ||
| 1991 | The Antagonists | Aly | Episode: "Brother to Brother" | |
| 1992 | Reasonable Doubts | Esther Nichols | Episode: "Maggie Finds Her Soul" | |
| 1993 | Beyond Suspicion | Pat | Television film | |
| 1993–94 | Cro | Ivanna (voice) | 14 episodes | |
| 1994 | One More Mountain | Elizabeth Graves | Television film | |
| 1995 | Vanishing Son | Sandra Garbett | Episode: "Sweet Sixteen" | |
| Picket Fences | Sara Hynes | Episode: "The Song of Rome" | ||
| Live Shot | Marilyn Maitland | 2 episodes | ||
| 1996 | The Lazarus Man | Charlotte Bower | Episode: "The Conspirator" | |
| Walker, Texas Ranger | Becky Stanton | Episode: "A Ranger Christmas" | ||
| 1996, 1999 | Chicago Hope | Myra Delaney, Antonia White | 2 episodes | |
| 1997 | Crisis Center | Mrs. Thomas | Episode: "Where Truth Lies" | |
| 7th Heaven | Carol | Episode: "I Love You" | ||
| 1997, 2001 | NYPD Blue | Mrs. Pierson, Dr. Rosen | 2 episodes | |
| 1998 | Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction | Paula Myrtle | Season 2, Episode 5 Segment: "The Land" Credited as Laurie O' Brian | |
| ER | Mrs. Richards | Episode: "The Miracle Worker" | ||
| 2000 | Boston Public | Melanie Fitzgerald | Episode: "Chapter Six" | |
| 2001 | Strong Medicine | Arlene Billings | Episode: "Impaired" | |
| 2002 | The Zeta Project | Paula | Episode: "Eye of the Storm" | |
| Presidio Med | Denise Dembry | Episode: "This Baby's Gonna Fly" | ||
| 2003 | CSI: Miami | Mary Hinkle | Episode: "Double Cap" | |
| 2004 | The Division | Connie Hicks | Episode: "Be Careful What You Wish For" | |
| 2005 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Mrs. Meyers | Episode: "Shooting Stars" | |
| 2006 | Smith | Barbara Collins | Episode: "Two" | |
| 2007 | Shark | Amanda Morton | Episode: "Wayne's World 2: Revenge of the Shark" | |
| 2009 | Three Rivers | Ruth | Episode: "Ryan's First Day" | |
| 2010 | Detroit 1-8-7 | June Burke | Episode: "Pharmacy Double/Bullet Train" | |
| 2013 | Susanna | Dr. Anderson | 3 episodes | |
| 2014 | Complete Works | Deborah Hünterschmidt | 5 episodes |
Without belaboring the point, O'Brien, a slender redhead with dreamy chestnut eyes who came to Los Angeles 15 months ago, believes that her encounter with [Mary Barnes] was meant to be.
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