Amy Madigan | |
|---|---|
 Madigan in 1989 | |
| Born | Amy Marie Madigan (1950-09-11)September 11, 1950 (age 75) |
| Alma mater | Marquette University(B.A.) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
Amy Marie Madigan[1] (born September 11, 1950)[2] is an American actress. She has acted on stage and screen and has received aGolden Globe Award as well as nominations for anAcademy Award and anEmmy Award. She has been married to actorEd Harris since 1983.
Madigan made her film debut in the dramaLove Child (1982) for which she was nominated for theGolden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress. For playing a woman in a difficult marriage in the drama filmTwice in a Lifetime (1985), she earned a nomination for theAcademy Award andGolden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress. She has also acted inLove Letters (1984),Alamo Bay (1985),Nowhere to Hide (1987),Uncle Buck (1989),Field of Dreams (1989),Female Perversions (1996),Pollock (2000), andGone Baby Gone (2007). After a lack of "meaningful roles",[3][4] she gained newfound attention for her performances inThe Hunt (2020) and thehorror filmWeapons (2025).
On television, Madigan portrayedSarah Weddington in the television filmRoe vs. Wade (1989), for which she won theGolden Globe Award and was nominated for aPrimetime Emmy Award. She also took roles in theHBO seriesCarnivàle (2003–2005),Grey's Anatomy (2008–2009), andFringe (2009). On stage, she has acted in theOff-Broadway production ofThe Lucky Spot (1987), for which she was nominated for theDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play, and a 1992Broadway production ofA Streetcar Named Desire in the role of Stella Kowalski.
Amy Marie Madigan was born September 11, 1950 inChicago[5] to Dolores (née Hanlon; 1921–1992), an administrative assistant and amateur actress who performed in community theatre,[6][7] and John J. Madigan (1918–2012), a journalist who worked forNewsweek and provided political commentary on programs such asMeet the Press andFace the Nation; he interviewed a range of political figures, fromRichard Nixon toMartin Luther King Jr., and hosted his own show withWBBM (AM).[8] Madigan isCatholic[9] and third-generationIrish American.[10] She has two brothers, Jack and Jim.[6]
During high school, Madigan performed in school plays.[11] She attendedMarquette University inMilwaukee, Wisconsin, where she earned aB.A. in philosophy in 1972.[12][13] She moved toLos Angeles in 1974.[11] She later studied acting at theLee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.[14]
In the 1980s, Madigan transitioned from a singing career to acting, and studied at theLee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.[14] Her first television role was Adele on an episode ofHart to Hart in 1981; she then had role in the television filmCrazy Times. The following year, she made her film debut as Terry Jean Moore inLove Child, for which she was nominated for aGolden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress. In 1983, she starred as Alison Ransom in the television filmThe Day After.[15]
In 1984, she portrayed McCoy in the filmStreets of Fire, and had a supporting role as Viola Kelsey inPlaces in the Heart. In 1985, she starred in the television filmThe Laundromat, written byMarsha Norman, oppositeCarol Burnett. She won aCableACE Award for her performance as Deedee Johnson. She then co-starred as Glory Scheer, with her husbandEd Harris, inAlamo Bay, directed byLouis Malle. Also in 1985, she portrayed Sunny Mackenzie-Sobel inTwice in a Lifetime, for which she was nominated for theGolden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture and theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Madigan made herOff-Broadway debut in 1987, portraying Sue Jack Tiller inThe Lucky Spot byBeth Henley, for which she won aTheatre World Award and was nominated for theDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play. In 1988, she was nominated for anIndependent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female for her performance inThe Prince of Pennsylvania.[16] That year, she performed inA Lie of the Mind at theMark Taper Forum.[17] In 1989 she played the wife ofKevin Costner's lead character inField of Dreams, which was nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Picture; and played Chanice Kobolowski, the girlfriend ofJohn Candy's character, in theJohn Hughes filmUncle Buck. Also in 1989, she won aGolden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film and was nominated for thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for her performance asSarah Weddington in the television filmRoe vs. Wade.
In 1990, Madigan starred oppositePaula Kelly inStevie Wants To Play The Blues byEduardo Machado, for which she won aDrama-Logue Award.[18] In 1991, she starred oppositeOlympia Dukakis in the Emmy-nominated television filmLucky Day. She made herBroadway debut in the role of Stella Kowalski inA Streetcar Named Desire in 1992, oppositeJessica Lange andAlec Baldwin, and was nominated for anOuter Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Debut Performance. Madigan next appeared oppositeTimothy Hutton inThe Dark Half (1993), a film adaptation of theStephen Kingnovel of the same name, directed byGeorge A. Romero.[19]
In 1996, she and Harris produced and starred in the television filmRiders of the Purple Sage. She then starred withTilda Swinton inFemale Perversions. In 1997, she was nominated for anIndependent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female for her performance as Brett Armerson in the filmLoved. In 2000, she portrayedPeggy Guggenheim in the filmPollock, starring her husband, which he also directed and produced. In 2002 she had a supporting role as Reggie Fluty, the officer who responded to aid the dyingMatthew Shepard in the television filmThe Laramie Project. In 2003–2005, Madigan had the supporting role of Iris Crowe/Irina, sister of villain Justin Crowe, in HBO's seriesCarnivále. In 2005, she starred as Lori Lansky inWinter Passing, directed byAdam Rapp.[20] The following year, she had a supporting role as Patricia Carver, a CIA headquarters analyst, in the Emmy-winning television filmThe Path to 9/11. In 2007, she played the sister-in-law of Helene (Amy Ryan), Beatrice "Bea" McCready, in the filmGone Baby Gone, directed byBen Affleck. In 2008, Madigan played Dr. Katharine Wyatt on several episodes ofABC's medical drama seriesGrey's Anatomy.[21] She then guest-starred onTNT's crime drama seriesSaving Grace as Gretchen Lagardi.[22]
When talking about her career in a 2010 interview withThe Los Angeles Times, journalist Susan King described Madigan's career writing, "Like so many actresses older than 50, [she] has had difficulties finding meaningful roles.". Madigan opined about her career and the lack of roles for actresses her age saying, "My husband works a lot more than I do...You know what the situation is. The reality is you have to make your peace with it sometimes even when you have a depressive day, which I still have.”[23]
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In 2011, she guest-starred in the final episode of TNT's drama seriesMemphis Beat.[24] Madigan returned to theater in 2015, directing a stage production ofOff the King’s Road at the Odyssey Theater in Los Angeles.[11] In 2016, she starred as Halie in the revival ofSam Shepard's playBuried Child forThe New Group at the Pershing Square Signature Center. It move to theWest End'sTrafalgar Studios in November 2016, where Madigan reprised her role.[25][26]
In 2018, she had a supporting role in the independent dramaAmerican Woman oppositeSienna Miller,[27] followed by a supporting role inScott Cooper's horror filmAntlers (2021), playing a school principal in a small Oregon town plagued by a supernatural entity.[28] In 2024, Madigan starred as Judge Motley in the independent dramaBull Street, which premiered as the opening night film at the Sarasota Film Festival.[29] In 2025, she had a pivotal role inZach Cregger's horror mystery filmWeapons, playing the eccentric and mysterious great-aunt of a young boy whose classmates go missing in his small community.[30]
In a 2025 interview withThe New York Times, Madigan spoke of her career saying, "Opportunities [as an older actress] are less and you just hope that something finds you so you can find it. And I don’t take it for granted, because you can go up and then you can go all the way down, as we know".[31]
Madigan has been married to actorEd Harris since November 21, 1983. They have one daughter.[32] Madigan and Harris have been frequent collaborators during their careers.
Madigan toured the United States performing as a vocalist in several rock bands through the 1970s before relocating to Los Angeles.[33][11] She also performed as a solo singer and pianist inDallas, Texas in the late 1970s and early 1980. Recounting her career as a singer in a 2015 interview, Madigan said: "I had been working in [music] for a very long time. I am not a writer, so I wasn’t generating my own personal material. I just felt myself kind of hitting the same brick wall... I miss music every day. It’s very visceral and emotional. You can pack something into three minutes, and you can’t do that in any other medium."[11]
Since 2016, Madigan has served on the board of trustees atReed College.[12][34]
| Year | Film | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Love Child | Terry Jean Moore | [35] | |
| 1983 | Love Letters | Wendy | [35] | |
| 1984 | Places in the Heart | Viola Kelsey | [35] | |
| Streets of Fire | McCoy | [35] | ||
| 1985 | Alamo Bay | Glory Scheer | [35] | |
| Twice in a Lifetime | Sunny Mackenzie-Sobel | [35] | ||
| 1986 | Zeisters | Woman at Funeral | ||
| 1987 | Nowhere to Hide | Barbara Cutter | ||
| 1988 | The Prince of Pennsylvania | Carla Headlee | [35] | |
| 1989 | Field of Dreams | Annie Kinsella | [35] | |
| Uncle Buck | Chanice Kobolowski | [35] | ||
| 1993 | The Dark Half | Liz Beaumont | [35] | |
| 1996 | Female Perversions | Maddie Stephens | [35] | |
| 1997 | Loved | Brett Armerson | ||
| 1998 | With Friends Like These... | Hannah DiMartino | [35] | |
| 2000 | Pollock | Peggy Guggenheim | [15] | |
| 2002 | A Time for Dancing | Jackie Russell | [15] | |
| 2004 | The Discontents | Beth Walker | ||
| Admissions | Martha Brighton | [15] | ||
| In the Land of Milk and Money | Arlyne | |||
| 2005 | Winter Passing | Lori Lansky | [35] | |
| 2007 | Gone Baby Gone | Bea McCready | [15] | |
| Doppelgänger | Victor's Mom | |||
| 2010 | Once Fallen | Rose Ryan | Also executive producer | |
| Virginia | Roseanna Tipton | [35] | ||
| 2011 | That's What I Am | Principal Evelyn Kelner | ||
| 2012 | Future Weather | Grandma Greta | [35] | |
| 2013 | The Lifeguard | Justine London | ||
| Sweetwater | Madame Bovary | |||
| 2014 | Shirin in Love | Rachel Harson | ||
| Frontera | Olivia McNary | [35] | ||
| 2015 | Grey Lady | Lola | [36] | |
| 2016 | Sensitivity Training | Nancy Wolfe | ||
| Rules Don't Apply | Mrs. Bransford | |||
| 2017 | Stuck | Sue | ||
| A Crooked Somebody | Joyce Vaughn | |||
| 2018 | American Woman | Peggy | [27] | |
| 2019 | The Last Full Measure | Donna Burr | ||
| 2020 | The Hunt | Miranda Ma | ||
| 2021 | Antlers | Principal Booth | [28] | |
| 2024 | Bull Street | Mary-Ann | ||
| 2025 | Rebuilding | Bess | ||
| Weapons | Gladys | [30] | ||
| TBA | The Ploughmen | Francie |
| Year | Series | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Hart to Hart | Adele | Episode: "Slow Boat to Murder" | [15] |
| Crazy Times | Marilyn | Television film | ||
| CHiPs | Jewel Burnett | Episode: "Finders Keepers" | [15] | |
| 1982 | The Ambush Murders | Molly Slavin | Television film | [15] |
| Victims | Chloe Brill | Television film | ||
| 1983 | The Day After | Alison Ransom | Television film | [15] |
| Travis McGee | Billy Jean Bailey | Television film | ||
| 1984 | Eureka Stockade | Sarah Jamieson | 3 episodes | [15] |
| 1985 | The Laundromat | Deedee Johnson | Television film | [15] |
| 1988 | American Playhouse | Sarah Penn | Episode: "The Revolt of Mother" | [15] |
| 1989 | Roe vs. Wade | Sarah Weddington | Television film | |
| 1991 | Lucky Day | Kari Campbell | Television film | |
| 1994 | And Then There Was One | Roxy Ventola | Television film | |
| Frasier | Maggie (voice) | Episode: "Flour Child" | [15] | |
| Crocodile Shoes | Carmel Cantrell | 2 episodes | [15] | |
| 1996 | Riders of the Purple Sage | Jane Withersteen | Television film; also executive producer | |
| 1998 | A Bright Shining Lie | Mary Jane Vann | Television film | |
| 1999 | Having Our Say | Amy Hill Hearth | Television film | |
| 2000 | In the Name of the People | Connie Murphy | Television film | |
| 2001 | Shot in the Heart | Bessie Gilmore | Television film | |
| 2002 | The Laramie Project | Officer Reggie Flutty | Television film | [37] |
| Just a Dream | Cindy Wilder | Television film | ||
| 2003–2005 | Carnivàle | Iris Crowe | 22 episodes | [15] |
| 2004 | The Ranch | Mary Larkin | Television film | [15] |
| 2006 | Murder on Pleasant Drive | Aunt Sherrie Davis | Television film | [15] |
| The Path to 9/11 | Patricia Carver | 2 episodes | [15] | |
| 2007 | Criminal Minds | Jane Hanratty | 2 episodes | [15] |
| 2008 | Saving Grace | Gretchen Lagardi | Episode: "A Little Hometown Love" | [15] |
| Living Proof | Fran Visco | Television film | ||
| 2008–2009 | Grey's Anatomy | Dr. Katharine Wyatt | 9 episodes | [15] |
| 2009 | ER | Mary Taggart | 2 episodes | [15] |
| 2010 | Law & Order | Emily Ryan | Episode: "Innocence" | [15] |
| 2010–2011 | Fringe | Marilyn Dunham | 3 episodes | [15] |
| 2011 | Memphis Beat | Kate Murphy | Episode: "The Feud" | [15] |
| 2012 | The Dust Bowl | Sanora Babb | Episode: "Reaping the Whirlwind" | [15] |
| 2016 | Grace and Frankie | Elaine Millstein | Episode: "The Loophole" | [15] |
| How to Get Away with Murder | Irene Crawley | Episode: "There Are Worse Things Than Murder" | [15] | |
| 2018 | Ice | Diane Pierce | 3 episodes | [15] |
| 2020 | Penny Dreadful: City of Angels | Adelaide Finnister | 8 episodes | [15] |
| TBA | Department of One | Diane |
| Year | Title | Role | Location | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | The Lucky Spot | Sue Jack Tiller | New York City Center,Off-Broadway | [38] | |
| 1990 | Stevie Wants to Play the Blues | Stevie | Los Angeles Theatre Center | [39] | |
| 1992 | A Streetcar Named Desire | Stella Kowalski | Ethel Barrymore Theatre,Broadway | [38] | |
| 2005 | Afternoon Tea | Kirk Theatre,Off-Broadway | [40] | ||
| 2013 | The Jacksonian | Susan Perch | Theatre Row, Off-Broadway | [41] | |
| 2015 | Off the King's Road | — | Odyssey Theater, Los Angeles | Director | [11] |
| 2016 | Buried Child | Halie | The New Group, Off-Broadway | [25] | |
| 2016–2017 | Trafalgar Studios, West End | [26] | |||
| 2018 | Good for Otto | Evangeline Ryder | The New Group, Off-Broadway | [42] |
Born in Chicago, she lived in an apartment at 72nd Street and Yates Avenue until 1953, when her father took a job in Washington. After four years in suburban Chevy Chase, Md., the family moved back to Chicago, taking an apartment at 72nd Street and Louella Avenue. 'I remember it well,' she says. 'The IC tracks ran through 71st Street then.'
