Marcia Gay Harden

Marcia Gay Harden

Born: August 14, 1959
Age: 64
Birthplace: La Jolla, California, U.S.
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Biography

Marcia Gay Harden (born August 14, 1959) is an American actress. Her film breakthrough was in the 1990 Coen brothers-directed Miller's Crossing. She followed this with roles in films including Used People (1992), The First Wives Club (1996), and Flubber (1997). For her performance as artist Lee Krasner in the 2000 film Pollock, she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She earned another Academy Award nomination for her performance as Celeste Boyle in Mystic River (2003). Other notable film roles include American Gun (2005), and 2007's The Mist and Into the Wild.

Harden made her Broadway debut in 1993, starring in Angels in America, for which she was nominated for a Tony Award. She returned to Broadway in 2009 as Veronica in God of Carnage. Her performance won her the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play.

She was nominated for her second Primetime Emmy Award for her performance in the 2009 television film The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler. In September 2015, she began starring in the CBS medical drama Code Black, in which she plays the lead role of Dr. Leanne Rorish.

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Early life

Harden, one of five children, was born in La Jolla, California, the daughter of Texas natives Beverly (née Bushfield), a housewife, and Thad Harold Harden (1932-2002), who was an officer in the United States Navy. One of Harden's brothers is named Thaddeus, as is her former husband. Harden's family frequently moved because of her father's job, living in Japan, Germany, Greece, California, and Maryland. She graduated from Surrattsville High School in Clinton, Maryland in 1976, the University of Texas at Austin with a BA in theatre, and the Graduate Acting Program at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts with a Master of Fine Arts.

Career

Harden's first film role was in a 1979 student-produced movie at the University of Texas. Throughout the 1980s, she appeared in several television programs, including Simon & Simon, Kojak, and CBS Summer Playhouse. She appeared in the Coen brothers' Miller's Crossing (1990), a 1930s mobster drama in which she first gained wide exposure. Even so, at the time, living in New York City, she had to go back to doing catering jobs "because I didn't have any money".

In 1992, she played actress Ava Gardner alongside Philip Casnoff as Frank Sinatra in the made for TV miniseries Sinatra. Throughout the 1990s, she continued to appear in films and television. Notable film roles include The Imagemaker (1986), her first screen role, in which she played a stage manager; the Disney sci-fi comedy Flubber (1997), a popular hit in which she co-starred with Robin Williams; the supernatural drama Meet Joe Black (1998); Labor of Love (1998), a Lifetime Television movie in which she starred with David Marshall Grant; and Space Cowboys (2000), an all-star adventure-drama about aging astronauts.

In 1993, Harden debuted on Broadway in the role of Harper Pitt (and others) in Tony Kushner's Angels in America. The role earned her critical acclaim and she received a Tony Award nomination (Best Featured Actress in a Play). The winner in that category was Debra Monk in Redwood Curtain.

Harden was awarded the 2000 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of painter Lee Krasner in Pollock (2000). In 2003, she was again nominated in the same category for Mystic River.

Harden guest-starred as FBI undercover agent Dana Lewis posing as a white-supremacist in "Raw", an episode of the popular crime drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. In 2007, this role earned Harden her first Emmy Award nomination for best guest actress in a drama series. She reprised the role in the series' eighth season premiere and again in the twelfth season episode "Penetration" as a rape victim (aired November 10, 2010).

In 2007, Harden appeared in several films, including Sean Penn's critically acclaimed Into the Wild, and Frank Darabont's The Mist (opposite Thomas Jane and Laurie Holden), based on the novella by Stephen King. Also in 2007 she shared top billing with Kevin Bacon in Rails & Ties, the directorial debut of Alison Eastwood.

In 2008, she appeared in Home playing a woman who has had a mastectomy (Her character in Rails & Ties also had a mastectomy). One central scene called for her to bare her breasts, with the missing breast "removed" using computer-generated imagery. In Home, her co-stars include her daughter, Eulala Scheel. Harden starred in the Christmas Cottage (2008), a story of the early artistic beginnings of the Painter of Light, Thomas Kinkade. In 2009, she appeared as a regular on the critically acclaimed FX series Damages as a shrewd corporate attorney, opposite Glenn Close and William Hurt. Harden also played in the comedy The Maiden Heist (2009) with Christopher Walken and Morgan Freeman. Harden received a 2009 Emmy nomination for her role in The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler, a TV film also starring Oscar-winner Anna Paquin. She was a Best Supporting Actress in a TV Movie/Miniseries nominee, and lost to Shohreh Aghdashloo. If she had won this Emmy, Harden would have entered the elite group of 'triple-crown' actors; those who have won the profession's three highest honors: the Academy Award (film), the Tony Award (stage) and the Emmy Award (television).

In 2009, Harden co-starred with Ellen Page and Drew Barrymore in Whip It, which proved a critical success. It was also in this year that Harden returned to Broadway in Yasmina Reza's God of Carnage, where she co-starred with James Gandolfini, Hope Davis and Jeff Daniels. All three actors were nominated for the Tony Award, and on June 8, Harden won Best Actress in a Play.

Together, Harden's films have grossed $724,487,920 domestically and $1,128,784,661 worldwide.

In 2013, Harden reunited with her former Broadway co-star Jeff Daniels as a new cast member on HBO's series The Newsroom.

Personal life

Harden married Thaddaeus Scheel, a prop master whom she worked with on The Spitfire Grill (1996), in 1996. Harden and Scheel have three children: a daughter, Eulala Grace Scheel (September 1998), and twins Julitta Dee Scheel and Hudson Scheel Harden (April 22, 2004). In February 2012, Harden filed for divorce from Scheel.

On December 14, 2003, her nephew Sander Waring Harden and niece Audrey Gay Harden died along with their mother Rebecca Harden, as a result of a fire in their Queens, New York, apartment. Rebecca Harden was, at the time, divorced from Marcia Gay's brother, the children's father, Thaddeus Harden.

On May 22, 2010, Harden delivered the 127th Spring Commencement Address at her alma mater, the University of Texas at Austin.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1990 Miller's Crossing Verna Bernbaum
1991 Late for Dinner Joy Husband
1992 Crush Lane
1992 Used People Norma
1994 Safe Passage Cynthia
1996 The Spitfire Grill Shelby Goddard
1996 The Daytrippers Libby
1996 The First Wives Club Dr. Leslie Rosen
1996 Spy Hard Miss Cheevus
1997 Flubber Dr. Sara Jean Reynolds
1998 Desperate Measures Dr. Samantha Hawkins
1998 Meet Joe Black Allison Parrish
1998 Curtain Call Michelle Tippet
2000 Space Cowboys Sara Holland
2000 Pollock Lee Krasner
2001 Gaudi Afternoon Frankie Stevens
2003 Mystic River Celeste Boyle
2003 Casa de los Babys Nan
2003 Mona Lisa Smile Nancy Abbey
2004 Welcome to Mooseport Grace Sutherland
2004 P.S. Missy Goldberg
2005 Bad News Bears Liz Whitewood
2005 Willa Cather: The Road Is All Willa Cather Voice role
2005 American Gun Janet Huttenson
2006 American Dreamz First Lady
2006 The Dead Girl Melora
2006 The Hoax Edith Irving
2006 Canvas Mary Marino
2007 The Invisible Diane Powell
2007 Into the Wild Billie McCandless
2007 Rails & Ties Megan Stark
2007 The Mist Mrs. Carmody
2008 Home Inga
2008 Thomas Kinkade's Home for Christmas Maryanne Kinkade
2009 The Maiden Heist Rose
2009 Whip It Brooke Cavendar
2010 A Cat in Paris Jeanne Voice role
2011 Detachment Principal Carol Dearden
2011 Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You Marjorie Dunfour
2012 Noah's Ark: The New Beginning Aamah Voice role
2012 If I Were You Madelyn
2013 The Wine of Summer Shelley
2013 Parkland Head Nurse Doris Nelson
2014 Magic in the Moonlight Mrs. Baker
2014 You're Not You Elizabeth
2014 Elsa & Fred Lydia Barcroft
2014 Unity Narrator Documentary
2015 Grandma Judy
2015 After Words Jane Taylor
2015 Fifty Shades of Grey Grace Trevelyan Grey
2015 Larry Gaye: Renegade Male Flight Attendant President of the FAFAFA
2016 Get a Job Katherine Dunn
2017 Fifty Shades Darker Grace Trevelyan Grey Filming

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1987 CBS Summer Playhouse Kim "In the Lion's Den"
1988 Simon & Simon Librarian, Joan Episode: "Ties That Bind"
1989 Gideon Oliver Lila Episode: "Sleep Well, Professor Oliver"
1991 In Broad Daylight Adina Rowan TV movie
1991 Fever Lacy Movie
1992 Sinatra Ava Gardner Movie
1995 Fallen Angels Marie Episode: "Good Housekeeping"
1995 Chicago Hope Barbara Tomilson Episode: "Internal Affairs"
1995 Great Performances Episode: "Talking With"
1995 Homicide: Life on the Street Joan Garbarek Episode: "A Doll's Eyes"
1997 Path to Paradise: The Untold Story of the World Trade Center Bombing Nancy Floyd Movie
1998 Labor of Love Annie Pines Movie
1999 Spenser: Small Vices Susan Silverman Movie
2000 Thin Air Susan Silverman Movie
2001 Walking Shadow Susan Silverman Movie
2002 Guilty Hearts Jenny Moran Movie
2001 The Education of Max Bickford Andrea Haskell 22 episodes
2002 King of Texas Mrs. Susannah Lear Tumlinson Movie
2004 She's Too Young Trish Vogul Movie
2005 Felicity: An American Girl Adventure Mrs. Martha Merriman Movie
2005-13 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit FBI Special Agent Dana Lewis 4 episodes
2006 In from the Night Vicki Miller Movie
2008 The Tower Zoe Cafritz Movie
2008 Sex and Lies in Sin City Becky Binion Movie
2009 Damages Claire Maddox 7 episodes
2009 The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler Janina Kyzyzanowska Movie
2010 Royal Pains Dr. Elizabeth Blair 3 episodes
2011 Amanda Knox: Murder on Trial in Italy Edda Mellas Movie
2011 Innocent Barbara Sabich Movie
2012 Body of Proof Sheila Temple Episode: "Sympathy for the Devil"
2012 Bent Vanessa Carter Episode: "Mom"
2012 Tron: Uprising Keller (voice) 2 episodes
2012 Isabel Frances Lorenz Movie
2013-14 The Newsroom Rebecca Halliday 10 episodes
2013-14 Trophy Wife Diane 22 episodes
2015 How to Get Away with Murder Hannah Keating 3 episodes
2015-present Code Black Dr. Leanne Rorish Main role

Awards and nominations

Theatre

Year Association Category Nominated work Result
1993 Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Angels in America: Millennium Approaches Nominated
Theatre World Awards Distinguished Performance Won
Tony Awards Best Featured Actress in a Play Nominated
1994 Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Angels in America: Perestroika Nominated
2009 Outstanding Actress in a Play God of Carnage Nominated
Tony Awards Best Actress in a Play Won

Film and television

Year Association Category Nominated work Result
1996 National Board of Review of Motion Pictures Best Acting by an Ensemble The First Wives Club Won
2000 New York Film Critics Circle Best Supporting Actress Pollock Won
2001 Academy Awards Best Actress in a Supporting Role Won
Independent Spirit Awards Best Supporting Female Nominated
National Society of Film Critics Best Supporting Actress Nominated
2003 Satellite Awards Best Performance by an Actress in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television King of Texas Nominated
Boston Society of Film Critics Best Ensemble Cast Mystic River Won
Chicago Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actress Nominated
2004 Academy Awards Best Actress in a Supporting Role Nominated
Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actress Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Nominated
Satellite Awards Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Drama Nominated
2007 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Nominated
Independent Spirit Awards Best Supporting Female American Gun Nominated
Saturn Awards Best Supporting Actress The Mist Won
2008 Screen Actors Guild Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Into the Wild Nominated
2009 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler Nominated

Other

In 2002, she received the Excellence in acting award at the Provincetown International Film Festival.

Charities

Marcia Gay Harden supports the following charitable cause: Red Cross.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]


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