Mary McDonnell
| Sci-Fi/Fantasy |
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| IMDB.com |
Mary McDonnell is a renowned actress for her work in film,
television, and theatre. A two-time Oscar-nominee, McDonnell has
transformed both period and present-day screen roles into dynamic
character portrayals.
McDonnell received her first Oscar nomination, Best Supporting
Actress, for her portrayal of Stands With a Fist, a white woman
raised by the Sioux, in Kevin Costner's “Dances With Wolves.”
Additionally, she received her first of two Golden Globe nominations
for that performance. McDonnell also garnered a Best Actress Academy
Award nomination and Golden Globe nomination for her portrayal of a
paraplegic soap opera star in John Sayles' critically acclaimed
“Passion Fish.”
Currently McDonnell has been receiving magnificent reviews for her
portrayal of President Laura Roslin in the Sci-Fi channel’s hit
series “Battlestar Galactica.” In its third season, several top
critics continue to call it “the best show on television.”
TV Guide recently called McDonnell’s performance Emmy-worthy noting,
“McDonnell juggles vulnerability and authority as a cancer-stricken
president.” The highly rated show regularly beats both cable and
network programs in key demographics.
McDonnell’s extensive list of film credits include: acclaimed
art-house cult hit “Donnie Darko” with Jake Gyllenhaal; “Nola” with
Emmy Rossum; the Lawrence Kasdan films “Grand Canyon” and “Mumford”;
Roland Emmerich’s smash “Independence Day,” with Bill Pullman and
Will Smith; William Friedkin's “Blue Chips,” with Nick Nolte; and
“Sneakers,” with Robert Redford, Sidney Poitier and Sir Ben
Kingsley.
McDonnell recently garnered an Emmy nomination for her recurring
guest role on the television series “ER.” Some of her other
television credits include the CBS series “High Society,” TNT's
adaptation of Arthur Miller's “The American Clock,” the critically
acclaimed CBS movie “Behind The Mask,” and Lifetime’s “Two Small
Voices.”
McDonnell began her career in theatre and has starred in a wide
variety of both Broadway and Off-Broadway productions. She received
an Obie Award for her performance in Emily Mann's “Still Life” and
has starred in off-Broadway productions such as Sam Shepard's
Pulitzer Prize-winning “Buried Child,” John Patrick Shanley's
“Savage in Limbo,” John O'Keefe's “All Night Long,” Michael
Cristofer's “Black Angel,” Kathleen Tolan's “A Weekend Near
Madison,” Paula Cizmar's “Death of a Miner” and Dennis McIntyre's
“National Anthem.” Her Broadway credits include Tennessee Williams'
“Summer and Smoke,” the title role in Wendy Wasserstein's Pulitzer
Prize-winning
“The Heidi Chronicles” and Emily Mann’s “Execution of Justice.”