Age: 49
Birthplace: The Bronx, New York, U.S.

Cara Buono is an American actress, screenwriter and director. Her acting roles include Dr. Faye Miller in the fourth season of the AMC drama series Mad Men, Kelli Moltisanti in the sixth season of The Sopranos, Linda Salvo in the 2006 comedy Artie Lange's Beer League, and Karen Wheeler in the 2016 horror sci-fi Netflix original series Stranger Things. She has appeared in such films as Hulk (2003) and Let Me In (2010).
Buono was born and raised in The Bronx, New York City, New York, in a blue-collar family[1] with two brothers and a sister.[2] She is of Italian descent.[3]Buono attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School[4] and is a 1995 graduate of Columbia University with a double major in English and political science. She earned her degree in three years.[5] She made her acting debut in Harvey Fierstein's play Spook House.[citation needed]
Buono continued stage work both on Broadway and Off Broadway, and started her film career opposite Ethan Hawke and Jeremy Irons in Waterland (1992). Much of her work has been in indie films such as Chutney Popcorn (1999), Happy Accidents (2000), Next Stop Wonderland (1998) and Two Ninas (1999), which she co-produced. In 1999, she played a small role as a young Gerry Cummins in the TV movie, Deep in My Heart (1999).
Buono has directed, produced and written films, including the short film Baggage (1997), which starred Liev Schreiber.[citation needed] She co-wrote the screenplay When the Cat's Away with Brad Anderson and sold a pitch to Miramax for a screenplay adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's This Side of Paradise.[citation needed]
She starred in the final season of the NBC drama Third Watch (1999) as paramedic Grace Foster, and Ang Lee's adaptation of Marvel Comics' Hulk in 2003 as the mother of the title character's alter ego, Bruce Banner.
She also appeared as Kelli, the wife of Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli), in the two-part final season of the HBO drama series The Sopranos, which aired in 2006 and 2007. Additionally, she appeared as Dr. Faye Miller in the fourth season of the AMC drama series Mad Men,[6] for which she received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series in 2011.[7]
As of August 2010, Buono lives in New York City's Greenwich Village with her husband Peter Thum, founder of Ethos Water,[2] and their daughter.[8]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1992 | Gladiator | Dawn | |
1992 | Waterland | Judy Dobson | |
1994 | The Cowboy Way | Teresa Salazar | |
1995 | Killer: A Journal of Murder | Esther Lesser | |
1995 | Kicking and Screaming | Kate | |
1997 | Made Men | Toni-Ann Antonelli | |
1998 | Next Stop Wonderland | Julie | |
1998 | River Red | Rachel | |
1999 | Man of the Century | Virginia Clemens | |
1999 | Two Ninas | Nina Cohen | |
1999 | Chutney Popcorn | Janis | |
2000 | Happy Accidents | Bette | |
2000 | Takedown | Christina Painter | |
2000 | Attention Shoppers | Claire Suarez | |
2003 | Hulk | Edith Banner | |
2004 | From Other Worlds | Joanne Schwartzbaum | |
2006 | Artie Lange's Beer League | Linda Salvo | |
2007 | Cthulhu | Dannie Marsh | |
2010 | Betrayed | Amy Waite | Short film |
2010 | Stuff | Madeline | Short film |
2010 | Let Me In | Owen's mother | |
2012 | The Discoverers | Nell | |
2014 | A Good Marriage | Betty Pike | |
2015 | Paper Towns | Connie Jacobsen | |
2015 | Half the Perfect World | Sonia | |
2018 | Monsters and Men | Stacey |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1989 | Dream Street | Joann | 2 episodes |
1991 | CBS Schoolbreak Special | Abby Morris | Episode: "Abby, My Love" Nominated—Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special |
1992 | I'll Fly Away | Diane | 3 episodes |
1993 | Tribeca | Rose Polito | Episode: "The Hopeless Romantic" |
1993 | Victim of Love: The Shannon Mohr Story | Tracey Lien | Television film |
1995 | The Single Guy | Christie | Episode: "Tennis" |
1996 | New York Undercover | Connie | Episode: "A Time to Kill" |
1996 | Law & Order | Shelly Taggert | Episode: "Girlfriends" |
1998 | Law & Order | Alice Simonelli | Episode: "Punk" |
1999 | Deep in My Heart | Young Gerry Cummins | Television film |
2001 | Family Law | Carly Hanson | Episode: "Intentions" |
2002 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Charlotte Fielding | Episode: "Phantom" |
2002 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Tracy Logan | Episode: "Chasing the Bus" |
2003 | Miss Match | Michelle Schiff | Episode: "The Love Bandit" |
2004 | Six Months to Live | Alice | Episode: "1.1" |
2004-05 | Third Watch | Grace Foster | 22 episodes |
2006-07 | The Sopranos | Kelli Moltisanti | 7 episodes |
2007 | Law & Order | Attorney Shannon | Episode: "Melting Pot" |
2007 | Queens Supreme | Bettina Martinelli | Episode: "That Voodoo That You Do" |
2007 | The Dead Zone | Sheriff Anna Turner | 6 episodes |
2008 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Rachel Zelinsky | Episode: "Unorthodox" |
2008 | The Unquiet | Julie Bishop | Television film |
2009 | ER | Lisa Salamunovich | Episode: "And in the End..." |
2009 | NCIS | Navy Cdr. Sarah Resnik | Episode: "Power Down" |
2010 | Mad Men | Faye Miller | 10 episodes Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series |
2011 | Brothers & Sisters | Rose | 3 episodes |
2011 | Hawaii Five-0 | Agent Allison Marsh | Episode: "Ho'opa'i" |
2011 | A Gifted Man | Carol Gordan | Episode: "In Case of Discomfort" |
2012 | Drew Peterson: Untouchable | Kathleen Savio | Television film |
2013 | Castle | Siobhan O'Doul | Episode: "The Wild Rover" |
2013 | The Good Wife | Charlene Peterson | Episode: "A More Perfect Union" |
2014 | The Carrie Diaries | Penny | Episode: "Hungry Like the Wolf" |
2014 | Elementary | Sarah Cushing | Episode: "Ears to You" |
2014-15 | Person of Interest | Martine Rousseau | 8 episodes |
2015 | The Mysteries of Laura | Julia Davis | Episode: "The Mystery of the Taken Boy" |
2016-present | Stranger Things | Karen Wheeler | 15 episodes Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series |
2017 | The Blacklist: Redemption | Anna Copeland | Episode: "Leland Bray" |
2017 | Bull | Amaya Andrews | Episode: "The Illusion of Control" |
2018 | The Romanoffs | Debbie Newman | Episode: "Bright and High Circle" |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2002 | Mafia | Sarah Angelo | (voice) |
[ Source: Wikipedia ]