Polly Draper | |
|---|---|
| Born | Polly Carey Draper (1955-06-15)June 15, 1955 (age 70) Gary, Indiana, U.S. |
| Education | Yale University (BA,MFA) |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, director, writer, producer |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Notable work | Thirtysomething (1987–91) The Tic Code (1999) The Naked Brothers Band (2007–09) Stella's Last Weekend (2018) Once Upon a Main Steet (2020) |
| Spouses | |
| Children | Nat Wolff Alex Wolff |
| Father | William Henry Draper III |
| Relatives | Jesse Draper (niece) Tim Draper (brother) William Henry Draper Jr. (grandfather) |
Polly Carey Draper[2] (born June 15, 1955) is an American actress, writer, producer, and director. Draper has received several awards, including aWriters Guild of America Award (WGA), and is noted for speaking in a "trademark throaty voice."[3][4] She gained recognition for her starring role in theABC drama television seriesThirtysomething (1987–91).
Draper's other acting credits include theTV movie adaption of Danielle Steel'sHeartbeat (1993), herscreenwriting debut filmThe Tic Code (1998), and off-Broadway in her playGetting into Heaven (2003). In mid-2004, she wrote her directing debutThe Naked Brothers Band: The Movie, and was the creator andshowrunner for theNickelodeon TV seriesThe Naked Brothers Band (2007–09), which won her a WGA for Children's Script: Long Form or Special.[5] Draper also wrote, directed, and co-starred in the TV movieStella's Last Weekend (2018) before directing the filmOnce Upon a Main Street (2020).
Draper was born on June 15, 1955, inGary, Indiana, to Phyllis (née Culbertson),[6] aPeace Corps administrator, andWilliam Henry Draper III, who was the CEO of theUnited Nations Development Programme and president of theU.S. Export-Import Bank.[7][8] She has two siblings:venture capitalistTim Draper[9] and Rebecca Draper. Her grandfather is banker and diplomatWilliam Henry Draper Jr.[10][11]
Draper grew up inChicago, Illinois, as well asPalo Alto andArlington, California.[12] In 1977, she earned herBachelor of Arts degree fromYale University andMaster of Fine Arts from theYale School of Drama in 1980.[7]
Following a five-year marriage with playwrightKevin Wade,[4] Draper married musicianMichael Wolff after meeting him in 1989 when making acameo appearance on thesyndicatedlate-night talk showArsenio Hall, where Wolff served as thebandleader.[13] Wolff's life withTourette syndrome influencedThe Tic Code; he provided the score.[12][14] She and Wolff have two sons,Nat andAlex; the latter three played the father and sons inThe Naked Brothers Band series andfilm, which also featured Draper's niece,Jesse, as the band's babysitter.[14] More recently, she starred with her sons as their mother inStella's Last Weekend.
Draper is a member of theDemocratic Party; she donated money forJohn Kerry andBarack Obama's presidential campaigns in 2004 and 2008, respectively.[15][16] Her father and late grandfather, William Henry Draper Jr., were members of theRepublican Party.[17] Draper's late mother, Phyllis, was a friend of former US first ladyBarbara Bush's since the late 1980s; the two first met when Draper's father was leading the United Nations.
Draper began her acting career appearing Off-Broadway, including a role inSplit (1980). She later starred as Ellyn Warren in theABC drama television seriesThirtysomething (1987–91),[4][14] and in 1993, as Adrian in the NBCtelevision movie adaptation of Danielle Steel'sHeartbeat.
She starred in the off-Broadway production ofFour Dogs and a Bone (1993), and also made appearances on TV shows, such asThe Larry Sanders Show (1998);Monk andLaw & Order: Criminal Intent, both in 2002; as well as in theLifetime TV movieToo Young to Marry in 2007.[7]
Draper played Laura Caraday in her screenwriting debut filmThe Tic Code (1998). In 2003, she starred as Cat, alesbian singer with adrug addiction in her playGetting Into Heaven (2003) atThe Flea Theater; she also wrote the music with her husband and then-young son, Nat.[18] She played Nina in the Broadway production ofBrooklyn Boy in 2005.[19] In addition, Draper was the creator,showrunner,head writer, and director of the hitNickelodeon musical comedy seriesThe Naked Brothers Band (2007–09), which was adapted bythe pilot movie of the same name that she originally wrote and directed as an independent film in mid-2004.
In 2010, she appeared with a recurring guest role in theShowtime comedic television dramaThe Big C. Draper directed her son Alex's playWhat Would Woody Do? (2010) at The Flea Theater.[citation needed] In 2011, she also wrote and starred in an episode of theCurrent TV science fiction seriesBar Karma and appeared in the playMy Brilliant Divorce (2012) at the Bay Street Theater. Since then, she appeared in the filmSide Effects and in the CBS television dramaGolden Boy, both in 2013. In 2014, Draper appeared in the filmObvious Child.[20]
Draper portrayed Sally in her film,Stella's Last Weekend, released in 2018. In 2020, she appeared inEmma Seligman's filmShiva Baby as the main character's mother, Debbie.IndieWire said that "Draper's refreshing take on a Jewish mother brightens" the film,[21] andVariety called her performance "delightfully witty".[22]Edge said that "Draper deserves awards attention for her amusing yet keen embodiment of the Jewish mother".[23]Rough Cut compares her performance in the film to her similar role inObvious Child.[24]
In 1988, Draper's work onThirtysomething earned her anEmmy Award nomination forOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.[7] In addition,Four Dogs and a Bone (1993) obtained her aNew York Magazine award for Best Broadway Actress.[25] ForThe Tic Code (1998), she took the Bronze Gryphon Award for Best Actress at theGiffoni Film Festival.[7]
Draper received the Audience Award for a Family Feature Film forThe Naked Brothers Band: The Movie at theHamptons International Film Festival in 2005.[26] She had twoWriters Guild Award nominations forThe Naked Brothers Band TV series (2007–09). The first, in 2007, Draper was nominated in the section of Children's Episodic Shows & Specials for the episode "Nat is a Stand Up Guy".[27] She was also given the Children's Script: Long Form or Special category for the TV movie "Polar Bears" in 2009.[5][28]
In 2018,Stella's Last Weekend won Draper the Grand Prize at theSan Antonio Film Festival.[29]
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