Hope Davis | |
|---|---|
 Hope Davis in 2010 | |
| Born | (1964-03-23)March 23, 1964 (age 61) |
| Alma mater | Vassar College (A.B. 1986)[1] |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Hope Davis (born March 23, 1964)[2] is an American actress. Her accolades include nominations for threeEmmy Awards, twoGolden Globe Awards, and aTony Award.
She made her film debut inJoel Schumacher'sFlatliners in 1990. She then starred in the critically acclaimed filmsThe Daytrippers (1996),About Schmidt (2002),Infamous (2006), andAsteroid City (2023). She received aGolden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture nomination for her role inAmerican Splendor (2003). She received anIndependent Spirit Award with the cast ofSynecdoche, New York (2008). In 2016, she joined theMarvel Cinematic Universe portrayingTony Stark's motherMaria Stark inCaptain America: Civil War (2016).
In 1992, she made herBroadway theatre debut inTwo Shakespearean Actors. In 1997 she starred as Sasha inIvanov oppositeKevin Kline andMarian Seldes. She earned acclaim for her role inYasmina Reza'sGod of Carnage in 2009 acting alongsideJeff Daniels,Marcia Gay Harden, andJames Gandolfini. For her performance she received a nomination for theTony Award for Best Actress in a Play.
Hope's early television roles include theDick WolfNBC seriesDeadline (2000–2001) and theABC dramaSix Degrees (2006–2007). She later earnedPrimetime Emmy Award nominations for her performances in theHBO projectsIn Treatment (2009),The Special Relationship (2010), andSuccession (2021–2023).[3] Her other notable roles include inMildred Pierce (2011),The Newsroom (2012–2013), andYour Honor (2020–2023).
Davis made her debut as a dramatic actress in theJoel Schumacher directed psychological horror filmFlatliners (1990), appearing asWilliam Baldwin's fiancée.[4] That same year she appeared in the hit family filmHome Alone (1990) in a small role as a Parisian airport receptionist.[5] Her major stage debut came after she starred in the Wisdom Bridge/Remains Theater co-production ofDavid Mamet's playSpeed-the-Plow forJoel Schumacher withWilliam Petersen in Chicago in 1992.[6] That same year she made herBroadway debut inTwo Shakespearean Actors (1992) at theCort Theatre. In 1995 she had her first starring role as Eliza Malone D'Amico in theGreg Mottola directed independent comedy-dramaThe Daytrippers acting oppositeLiev Schreiber,Parker Posey,Anne Meara andStanley Tucci.Janet Maslin ofThe New York Times wrote, "Ms. Meara, who plays her role like an old pro, and Ms. Davis, who has the makings of a young one, are part of a cast that easily makes the film worth seeing".[7] In 1997 she returned toBroadway debut playing Sasha in theAnton Chekov playIvanov at theVivian Beaumont Theater atLincoln Center. Davis acted alongsideKevin Kline,Jayne Atkinson,Tom McGowan, andMarian Seldes.[8]
The following year she starred in independent romantic comedy filmNext Stop Wonderland (1998) directed byBrad Anderson.Stephen Holden ofThe New York Times wrote of the film, "[It] isn't really much more than a beautifully acted, finely edited sitcom, but it creates and sustains an intelligent, seriocomic mood better than any recent film about the urban single life. If the movie at moments recallsAs Good as It Gets, its characters are subtler and its vision of humanity more truthful."[9] That same year she had a supporting role in the comedyThe Impostors (1998) starringOliver Platt andStanley Tucci.[10] These led her to roles in Hollywood films such as the thrillerArlington Road (1999).
Davis also appeared in anNBC short-lived drama series calledDeadline withOliver Platt in 2001. She played the ex-wife to Platt's character at a newspaper giant.[11] She acted in theAlexander Payne directed comedy-dramaAbout Schmidt playing the daughter of Warren R. Schmidt playedJack Nicholson. She was nominated for theNew York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance.[12] The following year she starred oppositePaul Giamatti in the movie adaptation of theHarvey Pekar comicAmerican Splendor as the comic book version of Pekar's real-life wife,Joyce Brabner. For this role, Davis won theNew York Film Critics Circle Award and was nominated for aGolden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress.[13][14][15]
Later, she had lead roles in the New York premiere of Rebecca Gilman'sSpinning into Butter in 2000, and in the 2005 audio playHope Leaves the Theater, written and directed byCharlie Kaufman. This was a segment of the sound-only productionTheater of the New Ear, which debuted at St. Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn, NY. The title actually refers to Davis's character "leaving the theater".[16] In 2005 she took supporting roles in the black comedyThe Matador, theJohn Madden directed dramaProof, and theGore Verbinski comedy-dramaThe Weather Man. She portrayed socialiteSlim Keith in theTruman Capote biopicInfamous starringToby Jones.[17] The following year she acted in the science fiction thrillerThe Nines (2007) and thecoming-of-age filmCharlie Bartlett (2007). She acted inCharlie Kaufman's directorial debutSynecdoche, New York (2008) playing Madeleine Gravis.[18]
Davis co-starred as the bitter and self-deprecating Mia withGolden Globe winnerGabriel Byrne in the second season (2009) ofHBO'sIn Treatment, a dramatic series that tracks the backstory and progress of five patients during their series of psychological therapeutic sessions. Mia is a successful, unmarriedmalpractice attorney who returns to therapy with Dr. Paul Weston after a 20-year absence because of a lack of stability in her personal life. Also in 2009 Davis returned to Broadway starring inYasmina Reza's playGod of Carnage withMarcia Gay Harden,James Gandolfini andJeff Daniels.[19] The play surrounds two parents who come together to discuss a fight between their children. Davis played a Annette a wealth manager.[20] The role earned her a nomination for theTony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Play.[21] The following year she portrayedHillary Clinton in the BBC / HBO filmThe Special Relationship released in 2010. The film was written byPeter Morgan and also starredMichael Sheen andDennis Quaid.[22] She has received a nomination forEmmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie.[23]
Davis took recurring roles playing Mrs. Forrester in theHBO limited seriesMildred Pierce (2011) starringKate Winslet[24] and a fictionalgossip columnist Nina Howard inThe Newsroom (2012–2013) starringJeff Daniels.[25] Davis also starred in the short-lived NBC television drama,Allegiance (2015), where she plays Katya O'Connor, an ex-KGB agent. Her son works for theFBI/CIA, and Katya's family is brought back into action by theSVR in hopes that Alex, her son, can be swayed to join the SVR.[26] In 2015, she was approached by Marvel to play Maria Stark, mother of Tony Stark inCaptain America: Civil War.[27] She also appeared in a reoccurring capacity onWayward Pines (2015–2016) andAmerican Crime (2016).
In 2020, Davis narratedThe Truth About Fat episode of thePBS television seriesNova. From 2020 to 2023 she took a main role as Gina Baxter in theShowtime seriesYour Honor starringBryan Cranston.[28] She took a recurring role as Sandi Furness in theHBO drama seriesSuccession from 2021 to 2023. She was nominated for thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her performance in 2022.[29] She acted in theWes Anderson comedy filmAsteroid City (2023).[30]
Davis, second of three children, was born inEnglewood, New Jersey, the daughter of Joan, a librarian, and William Davis, an engineer.[31] Davis has described her mother as a "great storyteller" who would take Davis and her siblings tomuseums or to "something cultural" every Sunday after church.[32][33] Davis was raised inTenafly, New Jersey, and graduated in 1982 fromTenafly High School.[34]
She was a childhood friend ofMira Sorvino, who lived almost directly across the street, and with whom she wrote and acted in backyard plays. Davis has a degree incognitive science fromVassar College.[35] She studied acting atHB Studio in New York City.[36] She is married to actor Jon Patrick Walker. They have two daughters, Georgia and Mae.[37]
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Flatliners | Anne Coldren | |
| Home Alone | French Ticket Agent | ||
| 1995 | Run for Cover | Prescott's Secretary | |
| Kiss of Death | Junior's Girlfriend | ||
| 1996 | The Daytrippers | Eliza Malone D'Amico | |
| Mr. Wrong | Annie | ||
| 1997 | The Myth of Fingerprints | Margaret | |
| Guy | Camera | ||
| 1998 | Next Stop Wonderland | Erin Castleton | |
| The Impostors | Emily Essendine | ||
| 1999 | Arlington Road | Brooke Wolfe | |
| Mumford | Sofie Crisp | ||
| 2000 | Joe Gould's Secret | Therese Mitchell | |
| 2001 | Final | Dr. Ann Johnson | |
| Hearts in Atlantis | Liz Garfield | ||
| 2002 | About Schmidt | Jeannie Schmidt | |
| The Secret Lives of Dentists | Dana Hurst | ||
| 2003 | American Splendor | Joyce Brabner | |
| 2005 | The Matador | Carolyn 'Bean' Wright | |
| Duma | Kristin | ||
| Proof | Claire | ||
| The Weather Man | Noreen | ||
| 2006 | Infamous | Slim Keith | |
| The Hoax | Andrea Tate | ||
| 2007 | The Nines | Sarah / Susan / Sierra | |
| Charlie Bartlett | Marilyn Bartlett | ||
| 2008 | Synecdoche, New York | Madeleine Gravis | |
| Genova | Marianne | ||
| 2009 | The Lodger | Ellen Bunting | |
| 2011 | The Family Tree | Bunnie Burnett | |
| Real Steel | Aunt Debra | ||
| 2012 | Disconnect | Lydia Boyd | |
| 2013 | Louder Than Words | Brenda Fareri | |
| 2015 | Wild Card | Cassandra | |
| 2016 | Captain America: Civil War | Maria Stark | |
| 2017 | Rebel in the Rye | Miriam Salinger | |
| 2020 | Greenland | Judy Vento | |
| 2023 | Cat Person | Kelly | |
| Asteroid City | Sandy Borden | ||
| 2025 | The Phoenician Scheme | Mother Superior | |
| The Mastermind | Sarah Mooney | ||
| TBA | Reykjavik† | Nancy Reagan | Post-production |
| See You When I See You† | TBA | Post-production | |
| You Deserve Each Other | TBA | Filming |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000–2001 | Deadline | Brooke Benton | Main role, 13 episodes |
| 2006–2007 | Six Degrees | Laura Morgan | Main role, 13 episodes |
| 2009 | In Treatment | Mia | Main role, 7 episodes |
| 2010 | The Special Relationship | Hillary Clinton | Television film |
| 2011 | Mildred Pierce | Mrs. Forrester | Miniseries, 3 episodes |
| 2012–2013 | The Newsroom | Nina Howard | Recurring role, 5 episodes |
| 2013–2021 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Viola Mesner | 2 episodes |
| 2015 | Allegiance | Katya O'Connor | Main role, 13 episodes |
| Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | Herself | 1 episode | |
| 2015–2016 | Wayward Pines | Megan Fisher | Main role, 14 episodes |
| 2016 | American Crime | Steph Sullivan | Recurring role, 7 episodes |
| 2018–2019 | For the People | Jill Carlan | Main role, 20 episodes |
| Strange Angel | Ruth Parsons | Recurring role, 7 episodes | |
| 2020 | Nova | Narrator (voice) | 1 episode |
| Love Life | Claudia | Recurring role, 6 episodes | |
| 2020–2023 | Your Honor | Gina Baxter | Main role, 20 episodes |
| 2021–2023 | Succession | Sandi Furness | Recurring role, 7 episodes |
| 2022 | Minx | Victoria Hartnett | 1 episode |
| 2023 | Perry Mason | Camilla Nygaard | Recurring role, 6 episodes |
| 2024 | Before | Dr. Jane | Miniseries |
| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) | Juliet / Student / Soldier of Cyprus | East 13th Street Theatre, Off-Broadway | [38] |
| Two Shakespearean Actors | Miss Anne Holland | Cort Theatre,Broadway | [39] | |
| 1993 | Measure for Measure | Mariana | Delacorte Theater, Off-Broadway | [40] |
| Pterodactyls | Emma Duncan | Vineyard Theatre, Off-Broadway | [41] | |
| 1995–1996 | The Food Chain | Amanda | Westside Theatre, Off-Broadway | [42] |
| 1997–1998 | Ivanov | Sasha | Vivian Beaumont Theatre, Broadway | [43] |
| 2000 | Spinning Into Butter | Sarah | Lincoln Center, Off-Broadway | [44] |
| 2005 | Hope Leaves the Theater | Various roles | St. Ann's Warehouse, Off-Broadway | [45] |
| 2007 | The 24 Hour Plays | Hope | American Airlines Theatre, Broadway | [46] |
| 2009 | The 23rd Annual Easter Bonnet Competition | Judge | Minskoff Theatre, Broadway | [47] |
| 2009 | God of Carnage | Annette | Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre | [48] |
| 2016–2017 | The Red Barn | Ingrid Dodd | Royal National Theatre, London | [49] |
In 2004 the actress was nominated for... a Golden Globe Best Supporting Actress Award (for her work inAmerican Splendor)....
Starring Paul Giamatti as Harvey Pekar..., the film has already received a Golden Globe nomination and an award from theNew York Film Critics Circle. Both those bodies chose to honour Hope Davis for her performance as Giamatti's soulmate Joyce Brabner.
