Early life

Mahaffey was born in Indonesia and moved to Austin, Texas at the age of 16. Mahaffey graduated from Austin High School and attended the BFA in University of Texas at Austin in 1975 and later made her Broadway debut in musical Rex.

Career

Mahaffey was regular cast member in the soap opera The Doctors from 1979 to 1981, which earned her a nomination for Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 1980. She starred in the film Women of Valor in 1986 and while the characters are fictitious, it portrayed women's roles in the Philippines during World War II.

As of late 1980's, Mahaffey began acting in television comedies, like Newhart, Cheers, and Seinfeld. From 1992-93, she starred in the short-lived NBC sitcom The Powers That Be. She played Tracy Milford in the 1995 film National Lampoon's Senior Trip and Jan Kempster in the 1997 film Jungle 2 Jungle. In 1999, she had a recurring role on ER. In 2003, she starred in the film Seabiscuit. In 2009, she appeared in seven episodes United States of Tara. Her stage credits include Eastern Standard, Talking Heads, Top Girls, and Rex.

Mahaffey won Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her performance as the chronic hypochondriac Eve in the CBS series Northern Exposure in 1992. Mahaffey was the only actor from the series to win an Emmy Award.

Mahaffey played Alma Hodge in season 3 of ABC comedy-drama series Desperate Housewives from 2006 to 2007. Mahaffey has made guest appearances on Quantum Leap, L.A. Law, Ally McBeal, Judging Amy, The West Wing, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Frasier, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Private Practice, Boston Legal, Without a Trace, and Raising Hope. She also appeared on Glee as the mother of Emma Pillsbury from 2011 to 2013. Mahaffey co-starred as Fran Horowitz in short-lived TNT medical drama Monday Mornings in 2013. Also in 2013, she had a recurring role on Lifetime Television comedy-drama series Devious Maids as Olivia Rice.

Personal life

Mahaffey is married to Joseph Kell, with whom she has one child.

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1977	Tell Me My Name	Alexandra/Sarah	Television film
1979-1981	The Doctors	Ashley Bennett	Nominated - Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (1980)
1984	Tales of the Unexpected	Jane	Episode: "The Open Window"
1986	Mr. Bill's Real Life Adventures	Mrs. Bill
1986	The Rise and Rise of Daniel Rocket	Alice
1986	Fresno	Tiffany Kensington	TV mini-series
1986	Women of Valor	Lt. Katherine R. Grace	Television film
1987	Newhart	Jolene	Episode: "Love Letters in the Mud"
1987	Jack and Mike	Colleen	Episode: "Till Death Do Us Part"
1987	Her Secret Life	Becky
1989	Perry Mason: The Case of the Musical Murder	D.A. Barbara August	Television film
1989	Perry Mason: The Case of the All-Star Assassin	D.A. Barbara August	Television film
1990	An Enemy of the People	Mrs. Stockman	Television film
1990	Father Dowling Mysteries	Justine Hemmings	Episode: "The Solid Gold Headache Mystery"
1990	Quantum Leap	Mary Greely	Episode: "The Boogieman - October 31, 1964"
1991	Cheers	Valerie Hill	Episode: "Achilles Hill"
1991	The Young Riders	Lottie	Episode: "The Talisman"
1991	Baby Talk	Tammy Morrison	Episode: "One Night with Elliot"
1991	Seinfeld	Patrice	Episode: "The Truth"
1992	Till Death Us Do Part	Gail Bugliosi
1992	Dream On	Helen Harley	Episode: "Up All Night"
1992-1993	The Powers That Be	Caitlyn Van Horne	21 episodes
1993	They	Chris Samuels	Television film
1991-1994	Northern Exposure	Eve	5 episodes Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (1992)
1994	L.A. Law	Andrea Rossoff	Episode: "Cold Cuts"
1994	Witch Hunt	Trudy	Television film
1995	Women of the House	Jennifer Malone	6 episodes
1996	Senior Trip	Miss Tracy Milford
1993-1996	Wings	Sandy Cooper	3 episodes
1995-1996	The Client	Ellie Foltrigg	4 episodes
1996	Caroline in the City	Alicia Crawford-Lane	Episode: "Caroline and the Therapist"
1997	Jungle 2 Jungle	Jan Kempster
1997	George & Leo	Martha	Episode: "The Thanksgiving Show"
1999	Dinner at Fred's	Susan
1999	ER	Joi Abbott	4 episodes
2000	Love & Money	Gloria Barrell	Episode: "Guess Who's Paying for Dinner"
2000	Ally McBeal	Dr. Sally Muggins	Episode: "I Will Survive"
2001	That's My Bush!	Janet Rove	Episode: "Trapped in a Small Environment"
2001	Night Visions	Sally Osgoode	Episode: "Neighborhood Watch"
2001	After Amy	Virginia Hytner	Television film
2001	Judging Amy	Ms. Morlock	Episode: "The Unbearable Lightness of Being Family"
2001	The West Wing	Tawny Cryer, Appropriations Committee	Episode: "Gone Quiet"
2002	Law & Order: Special Victims Unit	Brook Thornburg	Episode: "Justice"
2002	Par 6	Pecan Hegelman
2003	Seabiscuit	Annie Howard
2003	Frasier	Peggy	Episode: "Maris Returns"
2004	Without a Trace	Bonnie Toland	Episode: "Shadows"
2005	Out of Practice	Barb	Episode: "...and I'll Cry If I Want to"
2006	Crumbs	Carolyn Pierce	Episode: "Friends in High Places"
2006	My First Wedding	Grace
2006	CSI: Crime Scene Investigation	Dora Pomerantz	Episode: "Happenstance"
2006-2007, 2012	Desperate Housewives	Alma Hodge	9 episodes
2007	Raines	Arlene	Episode: "Pilot"
2007	Private Practice	Marilyn Sullivan	Episode: "In Which Charlotte Goes Down the Rabbit Hole"
2008	Boston Legal	Mary Winston	Episode: "Mad About You"
2008	A Previous Engagement	Grace
2009	United States of Tara	Dr. Ocean	7 episodes
2010	Summer Eleven	Linda
2010	Better with You	Ariel	Episode: "Better with Road Joel"
2010	Hannah Montana	Ms. Jameson	Episode: "I'll Always Remember You"
2010	Raising Hope	Margine	Episode: "Meet the Grandparents"
2011	Jack and Jill	Bitsy Simmons
2012	If I Were You	Lydia
2012	Crazy Eyes	Mo
2012	The Exes	Anne	Episode: "He's Gotta Have It"
2011-2013	Glee	Rose Pillsbury	3 episodes
2013	Monday Mornings	Fran Horowitz	6 episodes
2013, 2015	Devious Maids	Olivia Rice	8 episodes
2013	Grey's Anatomy	Donna Kaufman	Episode: "Somebody That I Used to Know"
2014	Kirstie	Victoria	Episode: "The Dinner Party"
2014	Hart of Dixie	Mae	3 episodes
2015	Impastor	Susie Kerry	Episode: "Honor Thy Boyfriend's Father and Mother"
2015	No Pay. Nudity	Lisa
2016	Sully	Diane Higgins

[ Source: Wikipedia ]