Lili Taylor

Lili Taylor
Taylor in 2013
Born	(1967-02-20) February 20, 1967 (age 57) [1] Glencoe, Illinois, U.S.
Alma mater	DePaul University (attended)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1986–present
Spouse	Nick Flynn ​ (m. 2009)​
Children	1

Lili Anne Taylor (born February 20, 1967) is an American actress. She came to prominence with supporting parts in the films Mystic Pizza (1988) and Say Anything... (1989), before establishing herself as one of the key figures of 1990s independent cinema through starring roles in Bright Angel (1990), Dogfight (1991), Household Saints , Short Cuts (both 1993), The Addiction (1995), I Shot Andy Warhol , Girls Town (both 1996), Pecker (1998), and A Slipping-Down Life (1999). Taylor is the recipient of four Independent Spirit nominations, winning once in the category of Best Supporting Female. Her other accolades include one Golden Globe Award and nominations for three Primetime Emmy Awards.

Alongside her work on smaller-scale projects, Taylor has encountered mainstream success with parts in films such as Born on the Fourth of July (1989), Rudy (1993), Ransom (1996), The Haunting (1999), High Fidelity (2000), Brooklyn's Finest , Public Enemies (both 2009), The Conjuring (2013), and Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015). Other credits include The Notorious Bettie Page (2005), Starting Out in the Evening (2007), The Promotion (2008), Being Flynn (2012), To the Bone , Leatherface (both 2017), Eli (2019), and Paper Spiders (2020).

Outside film, Taylor has appeared in television series such as Almost Human (2013–2014), Hemlock Grove (2013–2014), and Outer Range (2022-2024). For her portrayal of Anne Blaine on three seasons of American Crime (2015–2017), she was nominated for the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress. She received a further two Emmy nominations for her roles as Marty Glenn on The X-Files (1998) and Lisa Kimmel on Six Feet Under (2002–2005). Taylor's stage credits include Broadway productions of Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters (1997) and Scott McPherson's Marvin's Room (2017). She is married to playwright Nick Flynn, with whom she has a daughter.

Early life

Taylor, the fifth of six children, was born in Glencoe, Illinois, a north suburb of Chicago, to Marie (née Lecour) and Park Taylor, an artist and hardware store operator. ^[2] She grew up in a "warm family environment", and has described herself as being "a bit of a searcher" during her childhood. ^[3] She graduated from New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois in 1985. Thereafter, she attended The Theatre School at DePaul University before being cut from the acting program for a policy violation, and the Piven Theatre Workshop. ^[4]

Career

Taylor has appeared in dozens of films since 1988, including Dogfight , Mystic Pizza , and Rudy . Her work has mostly been in independent films and theater. She played Lisa Kimmel Fisher (mostly in the second and third seasons) in the HBO drama Six Feet Under for which she was nominated for an Emmy Award. Taylor played supporting roles in Mystic Pizza (1988) and Say Anything... (1989). She starred in Dogfight (1991) directed by Nancy Savoca, in which she played an unattractive young woman who is taken to a cruel contest by a Marine (played by River Phoenix) under the pretense of a date; in his 1993 book Alternate Oscars, Danny Peary argued that Taylor deserved a Best Actress Academy Award for her performance in Dogfight.

In 1991, Taylor played Grace, the witty and romantic step-daughter of Faye Dunaway, in Arizona Dream (released 1993), directed by Emir Kusturica, co-starring Johnny Depp, Vincent Gallo and Jerry Lewis. In 1993 too, she re-teamed with Savoca for Household Saints . Director Robert Altman hired Taylor in 1993 for his epic Los Angeles drama Short Cuts , in which Taylor shared scenes with Lily Tomlin. Taylor portrayed Valerie Solanas, who attempted to assassinate Andy Warhol, in Mary Harron's I Shot Andy Warhol (1996). The same year, she co-starred in Girls Town with Bruklin Harris and Aunjanue Ellis, where three inner-city friends dealt with a friend's suicide, and later in Ransom , as caterer who helps her corrupt policeman boyfriend kidnap a rich man's son.

In 1998 she appeared in the X-Files episode "Mind's Eye", and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. The same year, she appeared in John Waters' film Pecker , alongside Edward Furlong, Christina Ricci and Mary Kay Place. In 1999, Taylor starred in Jan de Bont's remake of The Haunting . In 2001, Taylor appeared in the independent feature Julie Johnson . The film, co-starring Courtney Love, centered on a Long Island mother and housewife who leaves her husband to pursue her dream of studying science. In early 2004, Taylor made her New York City stage debut in Wallace Shawn's Aunt Dan and Lemon in the role of Lemon.

Taylor won the 2005 Best Actress award at the Copenhagen International Film Festival for her role in Factotum . In 2006, Taylor worked again with Mary Harron in The Notorious Bettie Page . ^[5] She starred in the Lifetime cable network's hour-long comedy-drama series State of Mind , as a New Haven therapist dealing with a divorce and a parade of quirky clients. She played the daughter of Frank Langella's character in Andrew Wagner's 2007 drama Starting Out in the Evening . In the 2008 film The Promotion , Taylor played Lori Wehlner, the wife of John C. Reilly's character. ^[6] In 2009, Taylor played Sheriff Lillian Holley of Lake County, Indiana, who incarcerates John Dillinger (played by Johnny Depp), in Michael Mann's Public Enemies . In 2011, Fence Books released Taylor's audio recording of poet Ariana Reines' Save The World. In 2013, Taylor starred in the horror hit The Conjuring. ^[7]

In 2014, Taylor starred alongside Chloë Grace Moretz in the off-Broadway play The Library directed by Steven Soderbergh. ^{[8] [9] [10]} The following year she co-starred in Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials , as Dr. Mary Cooper, "a doctor who helps Thomas and his fellow Gladers". ^[11] Filming began at the end of October, and the movie was released on September 18, 2015. In 2020, Taylor starred opposite Stefania LaVie Owen in Paper Spiders. ^[12]

Personal life

In May 1997, Taylor's former boyfriend, actor Michael Rapaport, was arrested for harassing Taylor and charged with two counts of aggravated harassment. He pleaded guilty to the charges. New York Supreme Court Justice Arlene Goldberg issued a protection order forbidding him from contacting Taylor and requiring him to undergo counseling. ^{[13] [14]}

In 2009, Taylor married writer Nick Flynn. They have a daughter Maeve, who was born sometime around 2008. ^[15]

Taylor is an activist for conservation issues, particularly those having to do with birds, and sits on the boards of the American Birding Association and National Audubon Society. She introduced Louise Post and Nina Gordon, founding members of 1990s alternative band Veruca Salt, in the early 1990s. ^[16]

Awards

Taylor is a three-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee. ^{[17] [18] [19]} Also recognized for her extensive work in American independent film, she has been nominated for four Independent Spirit Awards, winning Best Supporting Female for her performance in Household Saints (1993). She was nominated for Best Female Lead for Bright Angel (1990) and The Addiction (1995), and again for Best Supporting Female for Girls Town (1996). In 1996, she received a Special Recognition award from the Sundance Film Festival for her performance in Mary Harron's I Shot Andy Warhol , in which she portrayed Valerie Solanas. Ten years later, in 2006, she was honored with the Excellence in Acting Award at the Provincetown International Film Festival.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1988	She's Having a Baby	Lab Technician O. Palmer
	Mystic Pizza	Josephina "Jojo" Barbosa
1989	Say Anything...	Corey Flood
	Born on the Fourth of July	Jamie Wilson – Georgia
1990	Bright Angel	Lucy	Nominated—Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead
1991	Dogfight	Rose
1993	Arizona Dream	Grace Stalker
	Watch It	Brenda
	Short Cuts	Honey Bush	Golden Globe Special Ensemble Cast Award (non-competitive) Volpi Cup for Best Ensemble Cast
	Household Saints	Teresa Carmela Santangelo	Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female
	Rudy	Sherry
1994	Touch Base	Darcy Winningham	Short film
	Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle	Edna Ferber
	Prêt-à-Porter	Fiona Ulrich	National Board of Review for Best Acting by an Ensemble
1995	The Addiction	Kathleen Conklin	Málaga International Week of Fantastic Cinema: Best Actress Sant Jordi Award for Best Foreign Actress Nominated—Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead
	Cold Fever	Jill	Seattle International Film Festival: Best Actress (also for I Shot Andy Warhol and Girls Town )
	Four Rooms	Raven	Segment: "The Missing Ingredient"
	Killer: A Journal of a Murder	Woman In Speakeasy (uncredited)
1996	Plain Pleasures	Unknown	Short film
	Girls Town	Patti Lucci	Seattle International Film Festival: Best Actress (also for I Shot Andy Warhol and Cold Fever ) Nominated—Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female
	I Shot Andy Warhol	Valerie Solanas	Seattle International Film Festival: Best Actress (also for Girls Town and Cold Fever ) Stockholm International Film Festival: Best Actress Sundance Film Festival: Special Recognition Nominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Nominated—National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress (3rd place)
	Cosas que nunca te dije	Ann	Thessaloniki International Film Festival: Best Actress
	Illtown	Micky
	Ransom	Maris Conner	Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Supporting Actress—Suspense
1997	Kicked in the Head	'Happy'
1998	OK Garage	Rachel
	The Impostors	Lily 'Lil'
	Come to	Angela	Short film
	Pecker	Rorey Wheeler
1999	A Slipping-Down Life	Evie Decker	Indianapolis International Film Festival: Special Jury Prize (shared with Sara Rue) Newport Beach Film Festival: Outstanding Achievement in Acting
	The Haunting	Nell Vance	Nominated—Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Supporting Actress – Horror Nominated—Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screen Couple (with Catherine Zeta-Jones)
2000	High Fidelity	Sarah Kendrew
2001	Julie Johnson	Julie Johnson
	Gaudi Afternoon	Ben
2003	Casa de los Babys	Leslie
2005	Factotum	Jan	Copenhagen International Film Festival: Best Actress San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
	The Notorious Bettie Page	Paula Klaw
2007	Starting Out in the Evening	Ariel Schiller
	The Secret	Hannah Marris
2008	The Promotion	Lori Wehlner
2009	Tired of Being Funny	Lee	Short film
	Brooklyn's Finest	Angela Procida	Nominated—Black Reel Award for Best Ensemble
	Public Enemies	Sheriff Lillian Holley
2011	The Pier	Grace Ross
2012	About Cherry	Phyllis
	Being Flynn	Joy
	The Courier	Mrs. Capo
	Future Weather	Ms. Markovi
2013	The Cold Lands	Nicole
	The Conjuring	Carolyn Perron	Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Supporting Actress Fright Meter Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
	Blood Ties	Marie Pierzynski
2015	Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials	Dr. Mary Cooper
	A Woman Like Me	Anna Seashell
2017	To the Bone	Judy
	Leatherface	Verna Sawyer-Carson
2019	Eli	Dr. Isabella Horn
2020	The Evening Hour	Ruby Freeman
	Paper Spiders	Dawn
2021	The Winter House	Eileen
2023	There There	[unnamed in film]
2025	Fear Street: Prom Queen	TBA	Post-production
TBA	The Gettysburg Address	Emily Souder (voice)	Post-production

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1986	Crime Story	Waitress	Episode: "Hide and Go Thief"
1987	Night of Courage	Marina	Television film
1990	Monsters	Jamie Neal	Episode: "Habitat"
	American Playhouse	Younger Marianne	Episode: "Sensibility and Sense"
	Family of Spies	Laura Walker	Television film
1997	SUBWAYStories: Tales from the Underground	Belinda	Television film
1997–1998	Mad About You	Arley	2 episodes
1998	The X-Files	Marty Glenn	Episode: "Mind's Eye" Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series (1998)
2000–2001	Deadline	Hildy Baker	13 episodes
2001	Anne Frank: The Whole Story	Miep Gies	2 episodes
2002	Live from Baghdad	Judy Parker	Television film
2002–2005	Six Feet Under	Lisa Kimmel Fisher	25 episodes Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series (2002)
2003	Penguins Behind Bars	Doris Fairfeather (voice)	Television film
2007	State of Mind	Ann Bellows, M.D.	8 episodes
2010	The Good Wife	Donna Seabrook	Episode: "Poisoned Pill"
2013–2014	Hemlock Grove	Lynda Rumancek	11 episodes
	Almost Human	Captain Sandra Maldonado	13 episodes
2014	Gotham	Patti	Episode: "Selina Kyle"
2015	Law & Order: Special Victims Unit	Martha Thornhill	2 episodes
2015–2017	American Crime	Nancy Straumberg / Anne Blaine / Claire Coates	21 episodes Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Nominated—Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Movie/Limited Series
2019	Chambers	Ruth Pezim	7 episodes
2020	Perry Mason	Birdy McKeegan	7 episodes
2022–2024	Outer Range	Cecilia Abbott	14 episodes
2024	Manhunt	Mary Todd Lincoln	Miniseries

Stage credits

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1997	Three Sisters	Irina	Roundabout Theatre Company, New York
2001	The Dead Eye Boy	Shirley-Diane	MCC Theater, New York
2006	Landscape of the Body	Betty	Off-Broadway, Peter Norton Space, New York [20]
2009	Mourning Becomes Electra	Christine Mannon	Off-Broadway, Acorn Theatre, New York [21]
2014	The Library	Dawn Sheridan	Off-Broadway, Public Theater, New York [22]
2017	Marvin's Room	Bessie Wakefield	Broadway, American Airlines Theatre

References

1. "Celebrity birthdays for the week of Feb. 20-26". ABC News. 14 February 2022.
2. "Obituary: Park Taylor", Chicago Tribune , May 13, 2001
3. Lili Taylor profile Archived 2017-10-24 at the Wayback Machine , Out Magazine
4. "On the Verge of a Nervous Breakthrough". Chicago Tribune . 16 May 1996.
5. Jacobs, Evan. "Lili Taylor Talks 'The Notorious Bettie Page'." www.movieweb.com. April 14, 2006.
6. "'The Promotion' Lili Taylor interview" www.movieweb.com
7. "Can We Talk About Lili Taylor in 'The Conjuring'?". Tribeca. Retrieved 2021-04-29.
8. "The Library". publictheater.org. The Public Theater. Archived from the original on 8 April 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
9. Healy, Patrick (16 January 2014). "Soderbergh to Direct New Play at Public Theater". The New York Times.
10. Rooney, David (16 January 2014). "Steven Soderbergh to Direct Off-Broadway Play Starring Chloe Grace Moretz". The Hollywood Reporter.
11. Jen Yamato (November 3, 2014). "Lili Taylor Joins Fox's 'The Maze Runner 2′". deadline.com. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
12. "Lili Taylor & Stefania LaVie Owen To Star In Mental Illness Drama 'Paper Spiders'". Deadline Hollywood . 24 April 2019. Retrieved December 24, 2019.
13. Errico, Marcus (May 19, 1998). "Michael Rapaport Sentenced for Harassment". E! News. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
14. "Actor ordered to stay away from girlfriend he harassed". Deseret News. May 19, 1998. Archived from the original on September 10, 2013. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
15. Kachka, Boris (January 21, 2010). "Nick Flynn Talks (and Writes) About Meeting With His Actress Dream Girl, Lili Taylor". New York .
16. "Grohl schmoll", The Sydney Morning Herald , July 11, 2003
17. Lili Taylor
18. "Memories from the Set: Almost Human's Lili Taylor Talks Six Feet Under, X-Files and More". 3 March 2014.
19. See the Stars of Mystic Pizza, Then & Now
20. Jnes, Kenneth. " 'Landscape of the Body', Guare's Glimpse of Greenwich Village in the 1970s, Begins at NYC's Signature" Playbill, March 28, 2006
21. Hernandez, Ernio. "New Group's 'Mourning Becomes Electra' Revival Closes Off-Broadway March 1" Playbill, March 1, 2009
22. Stewart, Zachary. "Review. 'The Library' " theatermania.com, April 15, 2014

External links

• Lili Taylor at IMDb
• Lili Taylor at the Internet Broadway Database
• Lili Taylor at the Internet Off-Broadway Database