Sarah Baker (actress)

Last updated

Sarah Baker
Occupations
  • Actress
  • comedian
Years active2002–present

Sarah Baker is an American actress and comedian, best known for roles in movies such as The Campaign and Mascots , and TV shows like The Kominsky Method and Louie .

Contents

Life and career

Baker honed her improvisational and sketch comedy skills at The Groundlings. [1]

In 2012, Baker appeared in the comedy The Campaign as Mitzi Huggins, wife of Zach Galifianakis' congressional candidate, along with Will Ferrell. At the time, the Jay Roach-directed film was the highest grossing political-campaign themed movie in North America. [2] In 2014, she played Becky in Tammy, starring Melissa McCarthy, and directed by Ben Falcone. Baker has also appeared as Pamela Lowi in The Good Lie , about the Lost Boys of Sudan, which was directed by Philippe Falardeau (director of the Oscar-nominated Monsieur Lazhar ). [3] In 2015, she appeared in Barry Levinson's Rock the Kasbah, alongside Bill Murray.

In 2016, she was in a number of films, including Christopher Guest's Mascots where she played Mindy Murray, aka Tammy the Turtle. Other movies released in 2016 include The Meddler , starring Susan Sarandon and directed by Lorene Scafaria, where Baker played Elaine. Baker also appeared opposite Shirley MacLaine in The Last Word and in the film adaptation of the acclaimed Speech & Debate , playing Ms. Riggi. In 2018, she appeared as Gildred in Melissa McCarthy's Life of the Party, and co-starred in Paul Feig's A Simple Favor.

On television, Baker was seen as series regular Sonia on the NBC comedy Go On , starring Matthew Perry, as a support group member dealing with the loss of her cat. [4] In 2017, she played the recurring role of Thea Cunningham on HBO's limited series Big Little Lies, based on the popular book of the same name. [5]

She also appeared as Vanessa on the FX show Louie ; [6] [7] [8] [9] this performance was nominated for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series. [10] Entertainment Weekly included the performance in its "50 Best TV Scenes" of 2014, [11] and later nominated the performance for one of their annual "EWwy Awards." [12] The performance was included on numerous year-end "best of" lists for 2014, including NPR's "50 Wonderful Things from 2014". [13] This role later led to Baker's performance as Trinity on Pamela Adlon's Better Things in 2016, in an episode written by Adlon and Louis CK. [14]

Other TV appearances have included guest and recurring roles on shows such as A to Z , Bob's Burgers , Bones , Brooklyn Nine-Nine , The Crazy Ones , Ghosted , Graves , Great News , In the Motherhood , Kath & Kim , Key & Peele , Mike & Molly , Modern Family , New Girl , The Office (U.S. version), Santa Clarita Diet , Sean Saves the World , as well as her favorite guest appearance on a TV show, Comedy Bang! Bang! [15] In 2018, Baker appeared in the acclaimed "Kill All Others" episode of Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams , alongside Mel Rodriguez. [16] Baker appears in the DVD/Blu-ray bonus scenes of the hit comedy Bridesmaids , as a nurse arguing with an injured Paul Rudd. Online, she was seen as Arabella, faithful servant to Megan Mullally in the Funny or Die video Home for Actresses. [17]

Baker is a regular in the Netflix series The Kominsky Method , alongside Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin as Mindy, Douglas' character's daughter. [18] After winning a Golden Globe for Best Comedy Series, the show was renewed for a second season in January 2019. [19] A third and final season of the show was announced in 2020, shortly before it was nominated for an Emmy for Best Comedy Series. [20]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2002 Sweet Home Alabama Dix
2011 Bridesmaids Skating Rink Nurse
Home for ActressesArabellaShort film
2012 The Campaign Mitzi Huggins
2014 The Good Lie Pamela
Tammy Becky
2015 Rock the Kasbah Maureen
2016 The Meddler Elaine
Brother Nature Shannon
Mascots Mindy Murray
2017 The Last Word Zoe
Speech & Debate Ms. Riggi
2018 Life of the Party Gildred
A Simple Favor Maryanne Chelkowsky
Smallfoot Soozie's Mom (voice)
2019 The Death of Dick Long Officer Dudley
2020 Superintelligence Emily
2021 Thunder Force Sarah
2023 Paint Lady in the Window

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2005 The Lance Krall Show VariousMain cast
2008 Kath & Kim MarjorieEpisode: "Sacrifice"
2008–2009 Free Radio Emo SarahMain cast
2009 In the Motherhood DorisEpisodes: "Vacation" and "In Sickness and in Health"
2010 The Office JosieEpisode: "The Delivery"
Good Luck Charlie CarlaEpisode: "Charlie Is 1"
2011 In Gayle We Trust Smith10 webisodes
Bones KimEpisode: "The Truth in the Myth"
2012,
2017–2018
Modern Family Twins' MomEpisode: "Disneyland"
Shirl ChambersEpisodes: "Basketball" and "In Your Head"
2012–2013 Go On SoniaRecurring episodes 1–13; main cast episode 14 onwards
2013 Sean Saves the World TippyEpisode: "Best Friends for Never"
2014 The Crazy Ones JeanEpisode: "Love Sucks"
Louie VanessaEpisode: "So Did the Fat Lady"
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver AllisonEpisode: "State Legislatures and ALEC"
2014–2017
2019–2023
Bob's Burgers Rena, Ms. Selbo,
Bethany, Jacob, Terry (voice)
10 episodes
2015 A to Z JenniferEpisode: "J Is for Jan Vaughan"
Mike & Molly StaceyEpisode: "The Last Temptation of Mike"
Other Space Alien3 episodes
Key & Peele BaristaEpisode: "MC Mom"
Married MindyEpisode: "Mother's Day"
Fresh Off the Boat Gator CarolEpisode: "Family Business Trip"
Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell WendyEpisode: "Heaven"
Mike Tyson Mysteries Molly Gibson (voice)Episode: "A Plaintive Wail"
2015–2016 TripTank Various voices3 episodes
2016 Workaholics SaraEpisode: "Death of a Salesdude"
Idiotsitter VirginiaEpisodes: "Funeral" and "Finale"
Grace and Frankie GretchenEpisode: "The Anchor"
Goliath Lily Suzanne DanielsEpisodes: "Line of Fire" and "Beauty and the Beast"
Better Things TrinityEpisode: "Duke's Chorus"
Comedy Bang! Bang! Al's MomEpisode: "Allison Janney Wears a Chambray Western Shirt
and Suede Fringe Boots"
2017 Sofia the First Woman in the Portrait (voice)Episode: "Hexley Hall"
Big Little Lies Thea Cunningham6 episodes
Foursome Principal SlacksEpisode: "The Big Finish"
Dr. Ken KylieEpisode: "Ken's Professor"
Great News Joyce VickleyEpisodes: "Bear Attack", "War Is Hell", "Sensitivity Training"
2017–2018 Brooklyn Nine-Nine KylieEpisodes: "Chasing Amy", "Bachelor/ette Party"
2017 Ghosted DebEpisode: "Pilot"
Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams Maggie NoyceEpisode: "Kill All Others"
Graves Becky KeeganEpisodes: "Something Left to Love", "All the King's Horses"
2017–2021 Young Sheldon Ms. Sheryl HutchinsRecurring; 11 episodes
2018 Santa Clarita Diet Ruby SandersEpisode: "Suspicious Objects"
New Girl JudithEpisode: "Mario"
I Feel Bad Anna MaeEpisode: "I Need My Mom"
2018–2021 The Kominsky Method Mindy KominskyMain role
2019–2020 Harvey Girls Forever! Irona (voice)8 episodes
2019 Life in Pieces EveEpisode: "Four Short Fairy Tales"
2020 The Conners HelenEpisode: "Mud Turtles, A Good Steak and One Man in a Tub"
Will & Grace CathyEpisode: "New Crib"
2021 Bless the Harts Pastor Joanne (voice)Episode: "Easter's 11"
2021-2024 The Great North Wine Woman, Edna, Mary (voice)10 episodes
2022 The Goldbergs MarthaEpisode: "Another Turkey in the Trot"
2024 Night Court TiffEpisode: "A Crime of Fashion"
Curb Your Enthusiasm Grossbard's NannyEpisode: "The Dream Scheme"

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryNominated workResult
2014 4th Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series Nominated
11th Gold Derby AwardsBest Comedy Guest ActressNominated
2018 25th Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series The Kominsky Method Nominated
2019 26th Screen Actors Guild Awards Nominated
2022 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards Nominated

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References

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