Early life and family

Arquette was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1968, the daughter of Lewis Arquette (1935-2001), an actor, and Brenda Olivia "Mardi" (née Nowak; 1939-1997), who was also involved in the arts and worked as a therapist. Through her father, Patricia is distantly related to explorer Meriwether Lewis. Arquette's father had converted from Catholicism to Islam. Arquette's mother was Jewish (her ancestors immigrated from Poland and Russia). Her father's family's surname was originally "Arcouet", and his paternal line was of French-Canadian descent. Her paternal grandfather was comedian Cliff Arquette. Patricia's siblings also became actors: Rosanna, Alexis, Richmond, and David Arquette. When she was a child, her parents offered to get her braces for her teeth; but she refused, telling them she wanted to have flaws because it would help her with character acting.

For a time her family lived on a commune in rural Bentonville, Virginia. She has said they became more poor the longer they lived there and she believes that experience enlarged her empathy. Their father was an alcoholic, and their mother violently abusive. When Arquette was seven, the family relocated to Chicago. They later settled in Los Angeles, California. She has described her father as a working actor, describing the range of his experience - in industrial films, commercials, voiceovers, etc. He was best-known for his role as J.D. Pickett in the TV series The Waltons.

Career

Early career (1987-1996)

In 1987, Arquette's first starring roles included pregnant teenager Stacy in the television film Daddy, boarding school student Zero in Pretty Smart, and Kristen Parker in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, alongside Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger. She was cast to appear in the sequel, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, but she had to drop out due to pregnancy with her son Enzo. She also had to give up the role of Tralala in Last Exit to Brooklyn.

In 1988, Arquette played the daughter of Tess Harper in Far North. Her roles in the early 1990s were in low budget and independent films, including Prayer of the Rollerboys (1990), The Indian Runner (1991), which was the directorial debut of Sean Penn; and the drama Inside Monkey Zetterland. In 1992, she won a CableACE Award for Best Lead Actress in a Mini-Series for her portrayal of a deaf girl with epilepsy in Wildflower, directed by Diane Keaton and also starring Reese Witherspoon.

In her early career, Arquette received the most recognition for her role as Alabama Whitman, a free-spirited, kind-hearted prostitute in Tony Scott's True Romance (1993). The film was a moderate success, although some critics were deterred by the graphic violence. In one scene, Arquette puts up a fierce physical struggle in a fight which her character ultimately wins. Arquette's performance received generally unanimous praise from critics. Janet Maslin of the New York Times remarked that Arquette played her role with "surprising sweetness", while Peter Travers remarked that "Arquette delivers sensationally". TV Guide noted that the film blends and recycles elements from the story of Bonnie and Clyde and Terrence Malick's "love on the run" film Badlands (1973). It gave True Romance overall a favourable review for having "enough energy and verve to create something entirely fresh and infectiously entertaining." Richard Corliss of Time Magazine made similar statements and also likened the film to the earlier, seminal Bonnie and Clyde.

Arquette next appeared in the television film Betrayed by Love (1994), and the well-received biopic Ed Wood, directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp, where she portrayed his girlfriend. Her next role was as Laura Bowman in Beyond Rangoon (1995), which drew mixed critical reviews, but was a success internationally. In France, it was the official selection at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival, where it became one of the most popular hits of the event. Although the film had lackluster reviews, Arquette's performance as an American tourist in Burma during the 8888 Uprising was regarded as one of the work's strong points. Michael Sragow, writing for The New Yorker, stated "Arquette gives the kind of mighty physical performance usually delivered by men in existential action classics like "The Wages of Fear," but she suffuses it with something all her own - she's bulletproof yet vulnerable." Hal Hinson of The Washington Post remarked that the film was "odd, brilliant in places, but frustrating all the same," commenting that "Arquette shows real grit when the chips are down".

Arquette appeared in three films in 1996, the first the comedy film Flirting with Disaster (1996), about a young man's cross-country pursuit to find his parents. Critical reception was largely positive, with Todd McCarthy of Variety Magazine praising the film and the authenticity of Arquette's performance, highlighting that "Arquette very believably distracted and infuriated". Flirting with Disaster grossed $14 million at the American box office and was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival. Her second film released that year was the period drama The Secret Angel, an adaptation of Joseph Conrad's 1907 novel of the same name. The film received average reviews. Infinity was her third film that year, a biographical drama about the early life of American physicist Richard Feynman. The film received mixed to positive reviews. Although Emmanuel Levy of Variety said that Arquette was "miscast", he stated that she "registers more credibly in the first part of the film, when she plays an adolescent".

Independent film work and critical success (1997-2003)

In 1997, Arquette starred in David Lynch's neo-noir psychological thriller Lost Highway, in dual roles as Renee Madison and Alice Wakefield. The film had an ambiguous narrative, which polarized critical opinion, but it established a strong cult following. Arquette played an elusive femme fatale in a critically revered performance that enabled her to draw on her sexuality more than any other previous role. Owen Gleiberman, writing for Entertainment Weekly noted that "Arquette, with her ’40s-style curves, is certainly a spellbinding temptress". Roger Ebert, of the Chicago Sun-Times, disliked the film, saying there was "no sense to be made of it" and voiced his distaste over a scene in which Arquette's character is asked to disrobe at gunpoint. Other critics were more favourable: Andy Klein of the Dallas Observer called it a "two-hour plus fever dream", Michael Sragow of The New Yorker called the film a "compelling erotic nightmare", and Edward Guthman of the San Francisco Gate wrote a glowing review praising Arquette's performance, calling it the "strongest, most memorable performance " and favourably comparing her double role to Kim Novak's in Vertigo (1958). That same year, Arquette appeared in Nightwatch, a horror-thriller film directed by Ole Bornedal. The film is a remake the Danish film Nattevagten (1994), which was also directed by Bornedal. Nightwatch was not a box office success and received poor reviews by critics, many of whom considered it an unnecessary, inferior retelling of the original film.

1998 saw Arquette perform in two films: Goodbye Lover, a comedic neo-noir directed by Roland Joffé and The Hi-Lo Country, a period Western directed by Stephen Frears. The former received a poor critical reception while the latter received a more appreciative response, widely cited as a "classic Western". Stephen Holden of the New York Times said, "In its best moments the movie feels like an epic hybrid of Red River and The Last Picture Show." In 1999, Arquette returned to familiar territory with the genre that began her career, in Stigmata, a horror film, in the lead role. Produced on a budget of $29 million, the film was a box office success, grossing $50,046,268. Internationally the film earned $39,400,000 for a total world wide gross $89,446,268. Critics were not as receptive of the film as audiences, with Roger Ebert remarking "possibly the funniest movie ever made about Catholicism — from a theological point of view." Arquette then appeared in Martin Scorsese's Bringing out the Dead, based on the novel by Joe Connelly. The film united her with then-husband Nicolas Cage and received highly favourable critical reviews, but was a box office flop. Janet Maslin of the New York Times wrote that "Arquette's quietly credible performance helps center Frank's experiences; one of the film's most honest scenes is one in which they share an ambulance ride without sharing a word".

Her next role was in the light-hearted comedy Little Nicky (2000), alongside Adam Sandler. Despite being a box office hit, the film received negative reviews, although Roger Ebert called it Sandler's best film to date. Following this, she starred in French-American comedy drama Human Nature (2001), written by Charlie Kaufman and directed by Michel Gondry. The film was met with mixed reviews and was screened out of competition at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. Roger Ebert, in a three-star (out of a possible four) review, lauded the film's "screwball charm". The following year, she appeared in the small-scale mystery film The Badge, playing the widowed victim of a murdered transsexual. In 2003, she portrayed the controversial pornographic film star Linda Lovelace in the little known Deeper than Deep, which was followed with the more family orientated Disney produced Holes, as Kissin' Kate Barlow. Based on the 1998 novel of the same title by Louis Sachar, Holes grossed $16,300,155 in its opening weekend, making #2 at the box office, behind Anger Management's second weekend. Holes would go on to gross a domestic total of $67,406,173 and an additional $4 million in international revenue, totaling $71,406,573 at the box office against a $20 million budget, making the film a moderate financial success. Arquette's next film, Tiptoes, was released straight-to-DVD in the United States, despite a screening at the Sundance Film Festival.

Medium, widespread recognition and award success with Boyhood (2005-present)

After the humdrum reception of Tiptoes, Arquette did not appear in another film until 2006's Fast Food Nation, directed by Richard Linklater. During this three years, she was largely working on Boyhood; it was released eight years later in July 2014. Fast Food Nation marked her second collaboration with Linklater; it is based on the bestselling 2001 non-fiction book of the same name by Eric Schlosser. Fast Food Nation received mixed to positive critical reviews. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone awarded the film three out of four stars and added, "It's less an expose of junk-food culture than a human drama, sprinkled with sly, provoking wit, about how that culture defines how we live ... The film is brimming with grand ambitions but trips on many of them as some characters aren't given enough screen time to register and others vanish just when you want to learn more about them." A. O. Scott of The New York Times wrote "It's a mirror and a portrait, and a movie as necessary and nourishing as your next meal."

In January 2005, Arquette made her first transition to television with NBC's Medium. Her role as (a fictional version of) psychic medium Allison DuBois won her an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in 2005, as well as nominations for a Golden Globe in 2005, 2006 and 2007, a SAG Award in 2006, 2007 and 2010, and an Emmy Award in 2007. In 2009 NBC cancelled Medium, then CBS picked the series up and it lasted another two seasons. In 2008, she provided voice work for A Single Woman, which was panned. She did not appear in another film until 2012. Girl in Progress, a drama directed by Patricia Riggen, marked her return; it was met with negative reviews. In 2013, she returned to television, appearing on Boardwalk Empire as Sally Wheet. Also in 2013, Arquette filmed the true crime drama Electric Slide, which is still awaiting release.

In 2014, Boyhood was released, a project that Arquette and other actors had shot for 12 years beginning in 2002. The film was directed by Richard Linklater, marking his second collaboration with Arquette. In the film, she plays Olivia Evans, a single mother who raises her two children mostly alone with the sometimes assistance of their father (played by Ethan Hawke). The epic explores a 12-year scope. The film details the progression of her character's son, Mason, from ages 8 to 18. The film has received universal praise, with many critics calling it a "landmark film". Arquette received widespread acclaim for her performance. Critic Katie McDonahugh, writing for Salon, states "the role gave space to be all of these messy things at once, and her performance was a raw, gutsy meditation on those profoundly human contradictions". Margaret Pomeranz, writing for ABC Australia, called Arquette's performance "stunning" and praised the film, further remarking that "the elision from one time to another is subtle and seamless. It's just a fabulous movie experience". Arquette won the Academy, BAFTA, Critics' Choice, Golden Globe, Independent Spirit, and SAG Awards for Best Supporting Actress.

In early 2015 Arquette began starring in the CBS series CSI: Cyber, a show about FBI agents who combat Internet-based crimes. On May 12, 2016, CBS canceled the series after two seasons, thus ending the CSI franchise.

Personal life

At age 20 Arquette had a relationship with Paul Rossi, a musician. They had a son together, Enzo Rossi, born January 3, 1989.

In April 1995, Arquette married Nicolas Cage (with whom she later co-starred in Bringing Out the Dead in 1999). They separated after nine months, but acted as a couple in public until Cage filed for divorce in February 2000. He withdrew the divorce petition, and they worked at reconciliation, but Arquette filed for divorce in November 2000.

Arquette and actor Thomas Jane became engaged in 2002. Their daughter Harlow Olivia Calliope Jane was born February 20, 2003. Arquette and Jane married on June 25, 2006, at the Palazzo Contarini in Venice, Italy. In January 2009, Arquette filed for divorce from Jane on the grounds of irreconcilable differences, but the couple soon reconciled. Arquette withdrew the divorce petition on July 9, 2009. On August 13, 2010, Jane's representative announced that Arquette and Jane had decided to proceed with a divorce due to "irreconcilable differences." The divorce was finalized on July 1, 2011, and the two agreed to joint custody of their child.

Charity work

After the Haiti earthquake in 2010, Arquette and childhood friend Rosetta Millington-Getty formed GiveLove, a non-profit organization supporting ecological sanitation and composting, community development projects and housing construction in Haiti. She has also worked with Eracism Foundation, Libby Ross Foundation, The Art of Elysium, and The Heart Truth.

Most recently, she made a television commercial on behalf of PETA for homeless dogs and cats.

In 1997, after her mother died of breast cancer, Arquette worked to raise awareness about the disease. She has run in the annual Race for the Cure. In 1999 she was the spokesperson for Lee National Denim Day, which raises millions of dollars for breast cancer research and education.

In April 2010, she teamed-up with welding students of the Robert Morgan Educational Center in Miami, Florida to build shelters in Haiti from 20 used shipping containers, to provide housing to people displaced by the earthquake.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1987	Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, AA Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors	Kristen Parker
	Pretty Smart	Zero
1988	Time Out	Lucy
	Far North	Jilly
1990	Prayer of the Rollerboys	Casey
1991	Indian Runner, TheThe Indian Runner	Dorothy
1992	Inside Monkey Zetterland	Grace
1993	Trouble Bound	Kit Califano
	Ethan Frome	Mattie Silver
	True Romance	Alabama Whitman	Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Actress
1994	Holy Matrimony	Havana
	Ed Wood	Kathy O'Hara
1995	Beyond Rangoon	Laura Bowman
1996	Flirting with Disaster	Nancy Coplin
	Infinity	Arline Greenbaum
	The Secret Agent	Winnie
1997	Lost Highway	Renee Madison / Alice Wakefield
	Nightwatch	Katherine
1998	Goodbye Lover	Sandra Dunmore
	Hi-Lo Country, TheThe Hi-Lo Country	Mona Birk
1999	Stigmata	Frankie Paige	Nominated—Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actress - Horror
	Bringing Out the Dead	Mary Burke
2000	Little Nicky	Valerie Veran	Nominated—Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actress
2001	Human Nature	Lila Jute
2002	Badge, TheThe Badge	Scarlett
2003	Deeper Than Deep	Linda Lovelace
	Holes	Miss Katherine 'Kissin' Kate' Barlow
	Tiptoes	Lucy
2006	Fast Food Nation	Cindy
2008	Single Woman, AA Single Woman	Storyteller
2012	Girl in Progress	Ms. Armstrong
	Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III, AA Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III	Izzy
2013	Vijay and I	Julia
	Electric Slide
2014	Boyhood	Olivia Evans	Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Austin Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress AACTA International Award for Best Supporting Actress BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Cast Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Supporting Actress Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Denver Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Detroit Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture Houston Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female International Online Film Critics' Poll Award for Supporting Actress Iowa Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress London Film Critics' Circle Award for Supporting Actress of the Year Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress New York Film Critics Online Award for Best Supporting Actress North Carolina Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress North Texas Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role Seattle International Film Festival Award for Best Actress Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress Village Voice Film Poll - Best Supporting Actress Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Alliance of Women Film Journalists Award for Best Ensemble Cast Nominated—Alliance of Women Film Journalists Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble Nominated—Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Acting Ensemble Nominated—Dublin Film Critics' Circle Award for Best Actress Nominated—Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Cast Nominated—Georgia Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble Nominated—Georgia Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Actress Nominated—Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Nominated—San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble
2015	The Wannabe	Rose
2018	Toy Story 4

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1987	Daddy	Stacy	Television movie
1989	Edge, TheThe Edge	Raped Woman	Television movie
1990	CBS Schoolbreak Special	Dana MacCallister	Episode: "The Girl with the Crazy Brother"
	Thirtysomething	Stephanie	Episode: "Good Sex, Some Sex, What Sex, No Sex"
	Outsiders, TheThe Outsiders	Rhonda Sue	Episode: "The Stork Club"
	Tales from the Crypt	Mary Jo	Episode: "Four-Sided Triangle"
1991	Dillinger	Polly Hamilton	Television movie
	Wildflower	Alice Guthrie	Television movie CableACE Award for Best Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
1994	Betrayed by Love	Deanna	Television movie
2005-2011	Medium	Allison Dubois	130 episodes Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Television Series Drama Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actress - Television Series Drama Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
2012	Law & Order: Special Victims Unit	Jeannie Kerns	Episode: "Dreams Deferred"
2013-2014	Boardwalk Empire	Sally Wheet	10 episodes Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
2014	CSI: Crime Scene Investigation	Special Agent in Charge / Deputy Director Avery Ryan	Episode: "Kitty" Episode: "The Twin Paradox"
2015-2016	CSI: Cyber		31 episodes
2015	Inside Amy Schumer	Herself	Episode: "Last Fuckable Day"

Awards and nominations

Awards

Year	Award	Category	Production	Result
1993	CableACE Awards	Actress in a Movie or Miniseries	Wildflower	Won
1994	Saturn Awards	Best Actress	True Romance	Nominated
	MTV Movie Awards	Best Kiss	True Romance	Nominated
1999	Western Heritage Awards	Theatrical Motion Picture	The Hi-Lo Country	Won
2000	Blockbuster Entertainment Awards	Favorite Actress - Horror	Stigmata	Nominated
2001	Razzie Awards	Worst Supporting Actress	Little Nicky	Nominated
2005	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series	Medium	Won
	Satellite Awards	Outstanding Actress in a Series, Drama	Medium	Nominated
2006	Saturn Awards	Best Actress on Television	Medium	Nominated
	Golden Globe Awards	Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama	Medium	Nominated
	Screen Actors Guild Awards	Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series	Medium	Nominated
2007	Saturn Awards	Best Actress in a Television Program	Medium	Nominated
	Screen Actors Guild Awards	Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series	Medium	Nominated
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series	Medium	Nominated
	Eyegore Awards			Won
	Golden Globe Awards	Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama	Medium	Nominated
2008	TV Land Awards	Favorite Character from the "Other Side"	Medium	Nominated
	Golden Globe Awards	Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama	Medium	Nominated
2010	Screen Actors Guild Awards	Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series	Medium	Nominated
2014	Screen Actors Guild Awards	Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series	Boardwalk Empire	Nominated
2015	Screen Actors Guild Awards	Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role	Boyhood	Won
	Golden Globe Awards	Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture	Boyhood	Won
	British Academy of Film and Television Arts	BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role	Boyhood	Won
	Academy Awards	Best Actress in a Supporting Role	Boyhood	Won

Charities

Patricia Arquette supports the following charitable causes: Domestic Violence, Gay Rights.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]