Mary McDonnell

Last updated

Mary McDonnell
Mary McDonnell Photo Op GalaxyCon Raleigh 2019.jpg
McDonnell at the 2019 GalaxyCon Raleigh
Born
Mary Eileen McDonnell

(1952-04-28) April 28, 1952 (age 72)
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Education State University of New York at Fredonia
OccupationActress
Years active1977–present
Spouse
Randle Mell
​
​
(m. 1984;sep. 2021)​
Children2

Mary Eileen McDonnell (born April 28, 1952) is an American film, stage, and television actress. She received Academy Award nominations for her roles as Stands With A Fist in Dances With Wolves and May-Alice Culhane in Passion Fish . McDonnell is well known for her performances as President Laura Roslin in Battlestar Galactica , First Lady Marilyn Whitmore in Independence Day , and Rose in Donnie Darko . She was featured as Captain Sharon Raydor during seasons 5–7 of the TNT series The Closer and starred as Commander Sharon Raydor in the spin-off series Major Crimes on the same network. In 2023, she played Madeleine Usher in the miniseries The Fall of the House of Usher on Netflix.

Contents

Early life and education

Mary Eileen McDonnell was born April 28, 1952, [1] [2] [3] in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, one of six children born to Eileen (née Mundy) and John "Jack" McDonnell, a computer consultant. [4] She is of Irish descent [5] and was raised Roman Catholic. [6] As a child, McDonnell relocated with her family to Ithaca, New York, where she spent the remainder of her upbringing. [6]

She attended the State University of New York at Fredonia. [7]

McDonnell's father died when she was 21 years old. [8]

Career

McDonnell appeared off-Broadway in two separate productions of Buried Child in 1978 and 1979, both times in the role of "Shelly". [9] She won an Obie Award for Best Actress in 1981 for her work in the play Still Life. [10] On Broadway, she has performed in productions of Execution of Justice , The Heidi Chronicles , and Summer and Smoke .

After more than 21 years of theater and television work, McDonnell made her film breakthrough in 1990 as the daughter of American settlers raised by Sioux Indians named Stands With A Fist in Kevin Costner's Dances With Wolves . Portraying the adopted daughter of Graham Greene's character Kicking Bird, McDonnell, then 37, was only 10 months younger than Greene and less than two years younger than Tantoo Cardinal, who played Black Shawl, her adoptive mother. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the role. [11]

McDonnell's role in Passion Fish (1992) brought her another Academy Award nomination, this time for Best Actress in a Leading Role. [12] Her other notable films include Grand Canyon (1991), Sneakers (1992), Independence Day (1996), and Donnie Darko (2001). McDonnell also starred with Patrick Swayze in the 1988 movie, Tiger Warsaw. In 1997, she played the judge in the film 12 Angry Men .

On television, McDonnell had her first regular part in 1980 on the soap opera As the World Turns . She starred in 1984 on the short-lived CBS medical comedy E/R . Coincidentally, she guest-starred in 2001 on the NBC medical series of the same name ER . She was nominated for an Emmy Award for her role on the show as Eleanor Carter. She played Dr. Virginia Dixon, a surgeon with Asperger syndrome for three episodes of Grey's Anatomy in 2008 and 2009. [13]

McDonnell at the 2007 San Diego Comic-Con Mary McDonnell ComiCon (cropped).jpg
McDonnell at the 2007 San Diego Comic-Con

In 2003, McDonnell starred in the miniseries Battlestar Galactica as Laura Roslin. The miniseries led to the weekly series, with McDonnell's reprising her Laura Roslin role. The series ended in March 2009. McDonnell received worldwide recognition for her performance in the show, part of which was shown when she was invited to the United Nations for a retrospective and discussion with Edward James Olmos (Admiral Adama).

McDonnell took part in a special session entitled Battlestar Galactica at the 2009 World Science Festival. [14] The session also included Michael Hogan, as well as scientists Nick Bostrom and Kevin Warwick.

In 2011, she appeared in the role of Kate Roberts, the mother of Emma Roberts's character in Scream 4 . [15]

From 2009 to 2012, McDonnell had a recurring role in The Closer as Capt. Sharon Raydor, a police captain in the Force Investigation Division, who often butts heads with Kyra Sedgwick's Golden Globe and Emmy award-winning character. [16] McDonnell received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series in 2011 for the role. [17]

After The Closer wrapped up its final season 2012, McDonnell's character continued as the lead in the spin-off, Major Crimes , which debuted August 13, 2012 and ended in January 2018. [18]

Personal life

McDonnell married actor Randle Mell in 1984. They have two children, Michael and Olivia. [19] The couple separated in December 2021. [20]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1984 Garbo Talks Lady Capulet
1987 Matewan Elma Radnor
1988 Tiger Warsaw Paula Warsaw
1990 Dances With Wolves Stands With A Fist
1991 Grand Canyon Claire
1992 Passion Fish May-Alice Culhane
1992 Sneakers Liz
1994 Blue Chips Jenny Bell
1996 Independence Day First Lady Marilyn Whitmore
1996Mariette in EcstasyPrioress
1997Woman UndoneTerri Hansen
1998 You Can Thank Me Later Diane
1999 Mumford Althea Brockett
2001 Donnie Darko Rose Darko
2003 Nola Margaret Langworthy
2004 Crazy Like a Fox Amy Banks
2011 Scream 4 Kate Roberts
2011 Margin Call Mary Rogers
2021 The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf Lady ZerbstVoice role

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1980 As the World Turns Claudia ColfaxUnknown episodes
1982 Money on the Side TerriTelevision film
1984–1985 E/R Dr. Eve SheridanMain role; 20 episodes
1995–1996 High Society Dorothy "Dott" EmersonMain role; 13 episodes
1997 12 Angry Men Judge Cynthia NanceTelevision film
1998Evidence of BloodDora OvertonTelevision film
1999 Replacing Dad Linda MarshTelevision film
1999 Ryan Caulfield: Year One Rachel Caulfield2 episodes
2000 A Father's Choice Susan ShawTelevision film
2000 For All Time Laura BrownTelevision film
2001–2002 ER Eleanor Carter5 episodes
2002 Touched by an Angel Sister TheodoreEpisode: "Minute by Minute"
2002 The Locket Helen StaplesTelevision film
2003 Battlestar Galactica President Laura Roslin Television miniseries
2004–2009 Battlestar Galactica President Laura RoslinMain role; 71 episodes
2005 Mrs. Harris Vivian SchulteTelevision film
2008–2009 Grey's Anatomy Dr. Virginia Dixon3 episodes
2009 Killer Hair RoseTelevision film
2009 Hostile Makeover Rose SmithsonianTelevision film
2009–2012 The Closer Captain Sharon RaydorRecurring Role (seasons 5–6)
Main Cast (season 7)
23 episodes
2012–2018 Major Crimes Captain (later Commander) Sharon RaydorMain role; 105 episodes
2017 Fargo Ruby Goldfarb4 episodes
2019 Veronica Mars JaneEpisode: "Years, Continents, Bloodshed"
2021 Rebel Helen Peterson7 episodes
2023 The Fall of the House of Usher Madeline UsherMain role, 8 episodes

Awards and nominations

In 1992 McDonnell received an Outstanding Achievement Award from Fredonia's alumni association. [7]

YearAssociationCategoryNominated workResult
1991 Academy Awards Best Supporting Actress Dances With Wolves Nominated
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards Best Supporting Actress Nominated
Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Nominated
1993 Academy Awards Best Actress Passion Fish Nominated
Golden Globe Awards Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama Nominated
2002 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series ER Nominated
2009 Saturn Awards Best Actress on Television Battlestar Galactica Won
2011 Gotham Awards Best Ensemble Cast Margin Call Nominated
Phoenix Film Critics Society AwardsBest CastNominated
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series The Closer Nominated
2024 Astra TV Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Television Movie The Fall of the House of Usher Pending
Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Miniseries Nominated
Critics' Choice Super Awards Best Villain in a Series Nominated

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michelle Forbes</span> American actress (born 1965)

Michelle Renee Forbes Guajardo is an American actress who has appeared on television and in independent films. She is a Saturn Award winner with three nominations.

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

Laura Leggett Linney is an American actress. She is the recipient of several awards, including two Golden Globe Awards and four Primetime Emmy Awards, and has been nominated for three Academy Awards and five Tony Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marcia Gay Harden</span> American actress (born 1959)

Marcia Gay Harden is an American actress. Her breakthrough came in the 1990 Coen brothers' film Miller's Crossing. For her portrayal of artist Lee Krasner in the 2000 biographical film Pollock, she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She received a second Academy Award nomination for her performance as a troubled wife in the drama film Mystic River (2003). Her other notable film credits include The First Wives Club (1996), Flubber (1997), Space Cowboys (2000), Mona Lisa Smile (2003), and the Fifty Shades film series (2015–2018).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary-Louise Parker</span> American actress (born 1964)

Mary-Louise Parker is an American actress. After making her Broadway debut as Rita in Craig Lucas' Prelude to a Kiss in 1990, Parker came to prominence for film roles in Grand Canyon (1991), Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), The Client (1994), Bullets Over Broadway (1994), A Place for Annie (1994), Boys on the Side (1995), The Portrait of a Lady (1996), and The Maker (1997). Among stage and independent film appearances thereafter, Parker received the 2001 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her portrayal of Catherine Llewellyn in David Auburn's Proof, among other accolades. Between 2001 and 2006, she recurred as Amy Gardner in the NBC television series The West Wing, for which she was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2002. She received both a Golden Globe and a Primetime Emmy Award for her portrayal of Harper Pitt in the acclaimed HBO television miniseries Angels in America in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Janet McTeer</span> English actress (born 1961)

Janet McTeer is an English actress. She began her career training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art before earning acclaim for playing diverse roles on stage and screen in both period pieces and modern dramas. She has received numerous accolades including a Tony Award, a Olivier Award, a Golden Globe Award and nominations for two Academy Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award. In 2008 she was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to drama.

<i>Battlestar Galactica</i> (miniseries) 2003 American science fiction miniseries

Battlestar Galactica: The Miniseries is a three-hour television miniseries starring Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell, written and produced by Ronald D. Moore and directed by Michael Rymer. It was the first part of the Battlestar Galactica remake based on the 1978 Battlestar Galactica television series, and served as a backdoor pilot for the 2004 television series. The miniseries aired originally on Sci Fi in the United States starting on December 8, 2003. The two parts of the miniseries attracted 3.9 and 4.5 million viewers, making the miniseries the third-most-watched program on Syfy.

<i>Battlestar Galactica</i> (2004 TV series) 2004 American science fiction television series

Battlestar Galactica is an American military science fiction television series, and part of the Battlestar Galactica franchise. The show was developed by Ronald D. Moore and executive produced by Moore and David Eick as a re-imagining of the 1978 Battlestar Galactica television series created by Glen A. Larson. The pilot for the series first aired as a three-hour miniseries in December 2003 on the Sci-Fi Channel, which was then followed by four regular seasons, ending its run on March 20, 2009. The cast includes Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Katee Sackhoff, Jamie Bamber, James Callis, Tricia Helfer, and Grace Park.

"The Hand of God" is the tenth episode of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica television series. It shares its title with the last episode of the original series.

Fragged (<i>Battlestar Galactica</i>) 3rd episode of the 2nd season of Battlestar Galactica

"Fragged" is the third episode of the second season of the Battlestar Galactica television series. It aired originally on the Sci Fi Channel on July 29, 2005. It is the first episode in which Starbuck does not appear.

Pegasus (<i>Battlestar Galactica</i>) 10th episode of the 2nd season of Battlestar Galactica

"Pegasus" is the tenth episode of the second season of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica television series. It aired originally on the Sci Fi Channel on September 23, 2005. Following "Pegasus", the series went on hiatus until January 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Resurrection Ship</span> 11th and 12th episodes of the 2nd season of Battlestar Galactica

"Resurrection Ship" is a two-part episode of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica television series. Part 1 aired originally on the Sci Fi Channel on January 6, 2006, and Part 2 aired on January 13, 2006. It was the first episode broadcast after a hiatus following the broadcast of the previous episode, "Pegasus", on September 23, 2005.

"Epiphanies" is the thirteenth episode of the second season of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica television series. It aired originally on the Sci Fi Channel on January 20, 2006.

"Precipice" is the second part of the third season premiere and 35th episode of the re-imagined American science fiction drama television series Battlestar Galactica. The episode was written by re-imagined creator Ronald D. Moore, and directed by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan. It first aired on October 6, 2006 on the Sci-Fi Channel along with the preceding episode "Occupation". In "Precipice", the Cylons respond to the suicide attack in the previous episode by rounding up over 200 civilians believed to be affiliated with the resistance, and later decide to have them executed. Meanwhile, Galactica is to send a squadron to meet with the resistance on New Caprica. Unlike most episodes, it does not include a survivor count.

Exodus (<i>Battlestar Galactica</i>) 3rd and 4th episodes of the 3rd season of Battlestar Galactica

"Exodus" are the third and fourth episodes of the third season from the science fiction television series, Battlestar Galactica. The episodes originally aired on the Sci Fi Channel on October 16 and 23, 2006.

"The Hub" is the ninth episode in the fourth season of the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica TV series. It first aired on television in the United States on June 6, 2008.

"Revelations" is the tenth episode in the fourth season of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica. It first aired on television in the United States on June 13, 2008. The episode serves as the mid-season finale of the fourth season, with the concluding episodes of the series airing after a hiatus. The survivor count shown in the title sequence is 39,665.

<i>Battlestar Galactica</i> season 1 Season of television series

The first season of the reimagined science fiction television series Battlestar Galactica, was commissioned by Sci Fi in February 2004. The first episode, "33", was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on October 18, 2004, on Sky1, three months before its premiere in the United States on January 14, 2005 on Sci Fi. Sky1 had negotiated first-broadcast rights of season 1 as part of its financial backing terms. The first episode of the series received a Hugo Award and the season's 13 episodes were recognized with a Peabody Award "for pushing the limits of science fiction and making it accessible to all."

<i>Battlestar Galactica</i> season 3 Season of television series

The third season of the reimagined science fiction television series Battlestar Galactica premiered on Sci Fi in the United States on October 6, 2006, and concluded on March 25, 2007. Unlike the previous season, it was not split into two parts and did not have an extended hiatus during the middle of the season. The third season contained 20 episodes.

<i>Battlestar Galactica</i> season 4 Season of television series

The fourth and final season of the reimagined science fiction television series Battlestar Galactica premiered on the Sci-Fi Channel in the United States on April 4, 2008, and concluded on March 20, 2009. Similar to the second season, it was split into two parts, each containing 10 episodes. "Season 4.0" aired from April to June 2008 and "Season 4.5" aired from January to March 2009. The fourth season contained 20 episodes, plus the television film Razor.

References

  1. ↑ "Mary McDonnell Facts". Encyclopædia Britannica . Archived from the original on May 1, 2022. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Mary McDonnell Biography". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on May 1, 2022. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  3. ↑ Hellmann, Paul T. (2006). Historical Gazetteer of the United States. New York: Routledge. p. 952. ISBN   978-1-135-94859-7.
  4. ↑ Butkiewicz, Joe (February 18, 1993). "Mary McDonnell Nominated for Best Actress". Times Leader . Wilkes-Barre. pp. 1 & 2B. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Mary McDonnell". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  6. 1 2 Devries, Hilary (August 29, 1993). "Acting Her Age". Chicago Tribune . Archived from the original on May 1, 2022. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  7. 1 2 "Actress and alumna Mary McDonnell to return to Fredonia on Homecoming Weekend". Fredonia.edu. October 15, 2018. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  8. ↑ "'Major Crimes' star Mary McDonnell on balancing acting, family". Erie Times-News . July 5, 2015. Archived from the original on May 1, 2022. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  9. ↑ Profile, iobdb.com. Accessed April 15, 2022.
  10. ↑ "81".
  11. ↑ "The 63rd Academy Awards | 1991".
  12. ↑ "The 65th Academy Awards | 1993".
  13. ↑ "Zap2it Interview". MSNBC. Archived from the original on December 23, 2008. Retrieved November 13, 2008.
  14. ↑ Battlestar Galactica World Science Festival, June 10–14, 2009, New York City
  15. ↑ Creepy, Uncle (July 2, 2010). "And the Body Count Continues – More Scream 4 Casting: Mary McDonnell and Alison Brie". Dreadcentral.com. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
  16. ↑ Ausiello, Michael (March 22, 2009). "'The Closer' exclusive: It's McDonnell vs. Sedgwick!". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on March 24, 2009. Retrieved March 2, 2009.
  17. ↑ "Primetime Emmy Awards nominations for 2011 – Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series". Emmys.com. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
  18. ↑ Fienberg, Daniel (May 18, 2011). "TNT orders 'Closer' spinoff 'Major Crimes' starring Mary McDonnell". HitFix. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
  19. ↑ "Mary Mcdonnell Biography". TV Guide.
  20. ↑ "'Battlestar Gallactica' Star Mary McDonnell & Husband Randle Mell Split". Extra . December 10, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.