Christine Ebersole | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Ebersole at the 2025New York Film Festival | |
| Born | (1953-02-21)February 21, 1953 (age 72) |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, singer, comedian |
| Years active | 1972–present |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3 |
Christine Ebersole (born February 21, 1953)[1] is an American actress, singer and comedian. She has appeared infilm,television, and onstage. She has received twoTony Awards, and aDrama Desk Award as well as a nomination for aDaytime Emmy Award.
Ebersole made herBroadway debut in the playAngel Street (1975). She won twoTony Awards for Best Actress in a Musical for playing aprima donna in the musical revival42nd Street (2001) and for her dual roles asEdith Bouvier Beale andEdith Ewing Bouvier Beale in the original musicalGrey Gardens (2006). She was Tony-nominated for playing a society matron inDinner at Eight (2003), andElizabeth Arden inWar Paint (2017).
On film, she made her film debut with a minor role as an actress the romantic comedyTootsie (1982) before portrayingCaterina Cavalieri inAcademy Award-winning period biographical drama filmAmadeus (1984). She has also acted in films such asMac and Me (1988),Dead Again (1991),Black Sheep (1996),True Crime (1999),The Big Wedding (2013),The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), andLicorice Pizza (2021).
On television, she got her start on thesoap operaRyan's Hope (1977–1980) and as a cast member ofSaturday Night Live (1981–1982). She earned anEmmy Award nomination for her work inOne Life to Live. She has co-starred on theTBS sitcomSullivan & Son (2012–2014), the comedy-dramaRoyal Pains, the animated seriesSteven Universe (2018–2019), and theCBSsitcomBob Hearts Abishola (2019–2024).
Ebersole was born outside ofChicago inWinnetka, Illinois, the daughter of Marian Esther (née Goodley) and Robert "Bob" Ebersole.[2][3] Her father was the president of a steel company inMilwaukee,Wisconsin.[4] She has Swiss-German and Irish ancestry.[5]
Ebersole graduated fromNew Trier High School in 1971. She attendedMacMurray College inJacksonville, Illinois,[6] class of 1975, and theAmerican Academy of Dramatic Arts.[7]
She metMarc Shaiman when he was 19 and themusical director of her first club act.[8] She appeared in two different parts onRyan's Hope in 1977 (as a nurse) and 1980 (asLily Darnell).
Ebersole was a cast member ofSaturday Night Live during 1981–82, the first full season under new producerDick Ebersol (their similar surnames being a coincidence),[9] acting as "Weekend Update" co-anchor withBrian Doyle-Murray. Among her impersonations wereMary Travers,Cheryl Tiegs,Barbara Mandrell,Diana, Princess of Wales, andRona Barrett.[10]
FollowingSNL, she appeared inOne Life to Live as daffy Maxie McDermott (receiving an Emmy nomination) andValerie. She co-starred withBarnard Hughes on the sitcomThe Cavanaughs, played the title role in the short-lived sitcomRachel Gunn, R.N., and guest-starred onWill & Grace,Dolly!,Just Shoot Me,Murphy Brown,Ally McBeal,Samantha Who,Boston Legal,The Colbert Report, andRoyal Pains. In 1991, she appeared as the titular Miss Jones in a pilot for anABC series about a single mother, but the series was not taken up.[11]
She appeared in the 1993 television film adaptation ofGypsy starringBette Midler, and in the 2000 ABC-TV filmMary and Rhoda starringMary Tyler Moore andValerie Harper.
In 2011, she had a recurring role on theTV LandsitcomRetired at 35.[12] In 2014, she played Carol Walsh on theTBS sitcomSullivan & Son. She has a recurring role on theUSA Network television showRoyal Pains as Ms. Newberg.[13][14]
Ebersole's films have includedTootsie (1982),Amadeus (1984),Three Men and a Baby (1987),Mac and Me (1988),My Girl 2 (1994),Richie Rich (1994),Black Sheep (1996), andMy Favorite Martian (1999).
Ebersole has found considerable success on stage. She appeared inGoing Hollywood, amusical byDavid Zippel and Jeremy Shaeffer. She was in the chorus in 1983 withJerry Mitchell. They were both excited about the possibility of going to Broadway but never made it.[8] She was featured inPaper Moon byLarry Grossman andEllen Fitzhugh and Carol Hall, which ran at thePaper Mill Playhouse (Millburn, New Jersey) in September 1993.[15]Off-Broadway, she has appeared inThree Sisters andTalking Heads, and herBroadway credits includeOn the Twentieth Century, the 1979revival ofOklahoma! (as Ado Annie), the 1980 revival ofCamelot and the 2000 revival ofGore Vidal's The Best Man.
In 2001, she appeared in the Broadway revival of42nd Street as Dorothy Brock, for which she won her firstTony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical,[16] She next appeared in the 2002 Broadway revival ofDinner at Eight as Millicent Jordan for which she wasnominated for the Tony Award, Featured Actress in a Play.[17] In 2005, she played M'Lynn in the Broadway production ofSteel Magnolias.[18]
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In 2006, Ebersole took the dual roles ofEdith Ewing Bouvier Beale ("Big Edie") andEdith Bouvier Beale ("Little Edie") inGrey Gardens, a musical based uponthe film of the same name. After a sold-out off-Broadway run, Ebersole remained with the roles when theproduction moved to Broadway in November 2006, and remained with the show through its closing in July 2007. For this role, she won her secondTony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical.[19] She appeared as Elvira in the 2009 Broadway revival of theNoël Coward comedyBlithe Spirit.[20]
She appeared in the musicalWar Paint, which premiered at theGoodman Theatre in Chicago on June 28, 2016, for a run through August 2016. The show began previews at theNederlander Theatre on Broadway on March 7, 2017, and opened on April 6, 2017. It closed on November 5, 2017. She played the role ofElizabeth Arden, oppositePatti LuPone asHelena Rubinstein. The musical had a book byDoug Wright with the music composed byScott Frankel (music) andMichael Korie (lyrics).[21][22]
Ebersole appears in concerts and cabaret engagements at venues such as theCinegrill andCafe Carlyle. She won the 2010 Nightlife Award for Outstanding Cabaret Vocalist in a Major Engagement for her 2009 Café Carlyle cabaret.[23] In 2009 she performed withMichael Feinstein at his club, Feinstein's at Loews Regency, (New York City) in a cabaret titled "Good Friends".[24] She was one of the performers on thePlaybill Cruise in September 2011.[25] In November 2011, she performed for two sold-out nights atBirdland in New York City withjazz violinistAaron Weinstein and his trio.[26]
In 2015, Ebersole toured her showBig Noise from Winnetka, which included the 1938jazz songBig Noise from Winnetka and a stop in Illinois.[27]
She also has appeared on several albums. She was featured on theBright Lights, Big Cityconcept album.[8] She also released an album ofNoël Coward songs after browsing through them for scene change music forBlithe Spirit.[28] She also voiced White Diamond inSteven Universe.
Ebersole has been married twice, to actorPeter Bergman from 1976 through 1981, and since 1988 to Bill Moloney, with whom she has adopted three children.[29] She lives inMaplewood, New Jersey, with her family.[30]
Ebersole claims to have experienced psychic phenomena.[31] In 2012, Ebersole appeared onInfoWars' radio programTheAlex Jones Show, expressing her misgivings about theFederal Reserve System and theCouncil on Foreign Relations.[32] She has professed belief in the conspiracy theory that theSeptember 11 attacks were carried out by the United States government.[31][33]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Tootsie | Linda | |
| 1984 | Amadeus | Caterina Cavalieri | |
| 1984 | Thief of Hearts | Janie Pointer | |
| 1988 | Mac and Me | Janet Cruise | |
| 1990 | Ghost Dad | Carol | |
| 1991 | Dead Again | Lydia Larsen | |
| 1992 | Folks! | Arlene Aldrich | |
| 1992 | The Lounge People | Cynthia Lewis | |
| 1994 | My Girl 2 | Rose Zsigmond | |
| 1994 | Richie Rich | Regina Rich | |
| 1996 | Black Sheep | Governor Evelyn Tracy | |
| 1996 | Pie in the Sky | Mom Dunlap | |
| 1997 | 'Til There Was You | Beebee Moss | |
| 1999 | My Favorite Martian | Mrs. Brown | |
| 1999 | True Crime | Bridget Rossiter | |
| 2009 | Confessions of a Shopaholic | TV show host | |
| 2010 | The Drawn Together Movie: The Movie! | Bossom Buddies Singer | |
| 2013 | The Big Wedding | Muffin | |
| 2013 | The Wolf of Wall Street | Leah Belfort | |
| 2019 | Steven Universe: The Movie | White Diamond | Voice role |
| 2019 | Driveways | Linda | |
| 2021 | Licorice Pizza | Lucille Doolittle | |
| 2025 | Is This Thing On? | Post-production |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977–1980 | Ryan's Hope | Lily Darnell | 12 episodes |
| 1981–1982 | Saturday Night Live | Various | 20 episodes |
| 1982 | Love, Sidney | Nurse Loring | Episode: "The Accident" |
| 1983–1985 | One Life to Live | Maxie McDermott | Unknown episodes |
| 1984 | The Dollmaker | Miss Vashinski | Television film |
| 1986 | Valerie | Barbara Goodwin | 6 episodes |
| 1986 | Acceptable Risks | Lee Snyder | Television film |
| 1986–1989 | The Cavanaughs | Kit Cavanaugh | 26 episodes |
| 1990 | American Dreamer | Kathleen | 2 episodes |
| 1990 | Murphy Brown | Maddy | Episode: "The Bummer of 42" |
| 1991 | Empty Nest | Laura | Episode: "All About Harry" |
| 1992 | Rachel Gunn, R.N. | Rachel Gunn | 13 episodes |
| 1993 | Dying to Love You | Cheryl New | Television film |
| 1993 | Gypsy | Tessie Tura | Television film |
| 1996 | Hey Arnold! | Lana Vail | Voice, episode: "Heat/Snow" |
| 1998 | Ally McBeal | Marie Stokes | Episode: "Just Looking" |
| 1996 | An Unexpected Family | Ruth Whitney | Television film |
| 1998 | Just Shoot Me! | Margo Langhorne | Episode: "How Nina Got Her Groove Back" |
| 1999 | Double Platinum | Peggy | Television film |
| 2000 | Mary and Rhoda | Cecile Andrews | Television film |
| 2001 | Will & Grace | Candy Pruitt | Episode: "Poker? I Don't Even Like Her" |
| 2003 | The Electric Piper | Pat Dixon | Voice, television film |
| 2003 | An Unexpected Love | Sandy | Television film |
| 2004 | Crossing Jordan | Mrs. Maguire | Episode: "Fire in the Sky" |
| 2005–2006 | Related | Renee | 10 episodes |
| 2008 | Cashmere Mafia | Lily Parrish | 2 episodes |
| 2008 | Boston Legal | Sunny Fields | Episode: "Indecent Proposals" |
| 2008 | Lipstick Jungle | Maureen | Chapter Fifteen: "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Prada" |
| 2008 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Hilary Regnier | Episode: "Smut" |
| 2009 | Samantha Who? | Amy | Episode: "The Sister" |
| 2009–2016 | Royal Pains | Ms. Newberg | 14 episodes |
| 2010 | Ugly Betty | Frances | Episode: "The Passion of the Betty" |
| 2011 | Retired at 35 | Susan | 4 episodes |
| 2012–2014 | Sullivan & Son | Carol Walsh | 33 episodes |
| 2013 | American Horror Story: Coven | Anna-Lee Leighton | 2 episodes |
| 2015 | Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt | Helene | Episode "Kimmy's in a Love Triangle!" |
| 2015–2018 | Madam Secretary | First Lady Lydia Dalton | 4 episodes |
| 2016 | Crisis in Six Scenes | Eve | Episode: "Episode 6" |
| 2016 | Search Party | Mariel | 2 episodes |
| 2018 | Pose | Bobbi | Episode: "Giving and Receiving" |
| 2018–2019 | Steven Universe | White Diamond | Voice, 3 episodes |
| 2018–2019 | Blue Bloods | Lena Janko | 3 episodes |
| 2019–2024 | Bob Hearts Abishola | Dorothy "Dottie" Wheeler | Main role |
| 2020 | Steven Universe Future | White Diamond | Voice, 2 episodes |
| 2021 | The Kominsky Method | Estelle | 2 episodes, Season 3 |
| 2024 | Accused | Debra | Episode: "Margot's Story" |
| Award | Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daytime Emmy Award | 1984 | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | One Life to Live | Nominated | |
| Tony Awards | 2001 | Best Actress in a Musical | 42nd Street | Won | |
| 2003 | Best Featured Actress in a Play | Dinner at Eight | Nominated | ||
| 2007 | Best Actress in a Musical | Grey Gardens | Won | ||
| 2017 | War Paint | Nominated | |||
| Drama Desk Awards | 2001 | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | 42nd Street | Nominated | |
| 2003 | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play | Talking Heads | Nominated | ||
| 2006 | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Grey Gardens | Won | ||
| 2017 | War Paint | Nominated | |||
| Drama League Award | 2006 | Outstanding Distinguished Performance | Grey Gardens | Won | |
| New York Drama Critics' Circle | 2006 | Special Citation | Grey Gardens | Honored | [48] |
| Outer Critics Circle | 2001 | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | 42nd Street | Won | |
| 2003 | Outstanding Actress in a Play | Dinner at Eight | Nominated | ||
| 2006 | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Grey Gardens | Won | ||
| 2017 | War Paint | Nominated |
Some of the names here will be familiar only to die-hard fans; others, like Murphy, defined what was funny for generations of viewers.
It would be difficult to cram any more stereotypes into the premise of this ... Christine Ebersole is engagingly daffy, but strong-willed as Jones, turning in a far more successful performance acting than she does belting out the blah theme song
What I said to him was, 'All of my politics are shaped by 9/11.That's how my politics are shaped.' He said, 'Well, what do you mean, you think it's some kind of like vast Muslim conspiracy?' I said, 'No, no, darling. The terrorists are homegrown. They're right here, at the highest levels of government.' … [When] they tell you that two buildings, 210-story steel buildings, fell in ten seconds on their own footprint after burning for 45 minutes because of jet fuel—no. I don't think that's the truth.
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| Preceded by Brian Doyle-Murrayas solo anchor | Weekend Update anchor withBrian Doyle-Murray 1982 | Succeeded by |