Christine Lahti | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Lahti in 2025 | |
| Born | Christine Ann Lahti (1950-04-04)April 4, 1950 (age 75) Birmingham, Michigan, U.S. |
| Education | Florida State University University of Michigan (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1973–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
Christine Ann Lahti[1] (born April 4, 1950) is an American actress and filmmaker.[2] She was nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the 1984 filmSwing Shift. Her other film roles include...And Justice for All (1979),Housekeeping (1987),Running on Empty (1988),Leaving Normal (1992), andA Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019). For her directorial debut with the 1995 short filmLieberman in Love, she won theAcademy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.
Lahti made herBroadway debut in 1980 as a replacement inLoose Ends and went on to star in the Broadway productions ofPresent Laughter (1982) andThe Heidi Chronicles (1989). An eight-time Golden Globe nominee and six-time Emmy Award nominee, she won a Golden Globe for the 1989 TV movieNo Place Like Home and won a Golden Globe and an Emmy in 1998 for her role as Kate Austin in theCBS seriesChicago Hope (1995–99). She returned to Broadway in 2009 to star inGod of Carnage. She has had a number of recurring roles: asSonya Paxton in theNBC seriesLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit (2009–11), asDoris McGarrett in theCBS seriesHawaii Five-0 (2012–19), asLaurel Hitchin in NBC'sThe Blacklist (2015–17), and as Sheryl Luria in theCBS/Paramount+ seriesEvil (2019–24).
Lahti was born inBirmingham, Michigan, the daughter of Elizabeth Margaret (née Tabar),[3] a painter, homemaker, and nurse, and Paul Theodore Lahti,[4] asurgeon. She has three sisters, Carol, Catherine, and Linda, and two brothers, Paul Jr. and James Lahti.[5] Her paternal grandparents were Finnish immigrants[6][7] and her maternal grandparents were from Austria-Hungary. Lahti was raised in the Lutheran Church.[8]
Lahti studied Fine Arts atFlorida State University and received her bachelor's degree in Drama from theUniversity of Michigan, where she joinedDelta Gammasorority. She studied acting atHB Studio[9] inNew York City, as well as completing a two-year professional actor training program at theWilliam Esper Studio for the performing arts inManhattan.[10]
After college, Lahti headed to New York City in 1973, where she worked as a waitress and did commercials. Her breakthrough movie was...And Justice for All (1979) withAl Pacino. In the filmWhose Life Is It Anyway? (1981), starringRichard Dreyfuss andJohn Cassavetes, she was cast as a physician who grows attached to a paralyzed patient seeking the right to leave the hospital. Later, she was cast in an important role inRunning on Empty, a 1988 movie in which she andJudd Hirsch played the parents of a musically promising son; the family went underground to avoid theFBI after the parents had damaged anapalm factory, and they all must periodically move on short notice and assume new identities. She has also focused on television, beginning with her role in the made-for-TV adaptation ofThe Executioner's Song (1982). She appeared onBroadway inWendy Wasserstein's seriocomic play,The Heidi Chronicles.
Lahti received an Academy Award nomination forBest Supporting Actress forSwing Shift (1984), and won an Academy Award forBest Short Film, Live Action forLieberman in Love (1995), in which she starred and also directed. It was adapted fromLieberman in Love, a short story byW. P. Kinsella. Lahti won aPrimetime Emmy Award and aGolden Globe Award in 1998 for her role inChicago Hope. Lahti was in the bathroom when she won the third award and finally came to the stage following an attempt by show producerJohn Tinker to accept on her behalf and an interruptive riff byRobin Williams. In 1999, she presented with a piece of toilet paper attached to her shoe as an "inside joke" about her previous appearance.
In 2001, her first directorial feature-length film,My First Mister, was released. StarringLeelee Sobieski andAlbert Brooks, the movie debuted with good reviews. In DVD commentary she applauds the work of her cast and crew, remarking "[I] was very lucky to have such a wonderful crew..." She said she felt regret that the film was rated R, for language, despairing that the movie might not be viewed by teens who would relate with the characters.[citation needed] Also, Lahti mentioned that she would have liked to have had more time to shoot different perspectives in order to facilitate story arc.
Lahti starred in the executiveADA role onLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit asSonya Paxton while the characterAlexandra Cabot (Stephanie March) was in appeals. She was in the first four episodes of the 11th season[11] and returned for the show's eighth episode, where she clashed withAlexandra Cabot (Stephanie March).[12] Lahti later guest starred in the ninth and 17th episodes of the12th season, where she reprised her role as Paxton. Her character was murdered in the 17th episode.
She returned to Broadway upon joining the cast of theTony Award–winning playGod of Carnage on November 17, 2009, replacingMarcia Gay Harden.[13][clarification needed] Both actresses had a few special appearances onLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit. In September 2011, Lahti starred withMorgan Freeman in the Broadway debut ofDustin Lance Black's play,8—a reenactment of thefederal trial that overturned California'sProp 8 ban onsame-sex marriage—asKris Perry.[14] In March 2012, she was featured withJamie Lee Curtis andJansen Panettiere at theWilshire Ebell Theatre. The production was broadcast on YouTube to raise money for theAmerican Foundation for Equal Rights.[15][16]
Her book of autobiographical essays, titledTrue Stories From an Unreliable Eyewitness, was published in 2018 byHarper Wave.[17][18]
In 2020, Lahti appeared as a guest on theStudio 60 on the Sunset Strip marathon fundraiser episode ofThe George Lucas Talk Show.
Lahti has been married to television directorThomas Schlamme since September 4, 1983. They have three children. Lahti resides inLos Angeles, California, with her family.[19] She also owns an apartment inGreenwich Village.[17]
In 2004, Lahti took part in a protest against themurders of women in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.[20]
Since May 2005, Lahti has been a contributor atHuffPost.[19]
| Year | Title | Role | Director(s) | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Loose Ends | Susan | Alan Schneider | Circle in the Square Theatre |
| 1980 | Division Street | Dianah | Tom Moore | Ambassador Theatre |
| 1981 | Scenes and Revelations | Helena | Sheldon Epps | Circle in the Square Theatre |
| 1982–83 | Present Laughter | Joanna Lyppiatt | George C. Scott | Circle in the Square Theatre |
| 1989–90 | The Heidi Chronicles | Heidi Holland | Daniel Sullivan | Plymouth Theatre |
| 2009–10 | God of Carnage | Veronica | Matthew Warchus | Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre |
| 2017 | Fucking A | Hester Smith | Jo Bonney | Signature Theatre |
| 2018 | Gloria: A Life | Gloria Steinem | Diane Paulus | Daryl Roth Theatre |
| 2023 | The Smile of Her | Herself | Robert H. Egan | Berkshire Theatre Festival |
Lahti has received numerous accolades for her work in film and television, including anAcademy Award, aGolden Globe Award, aPrimetime Emmy Award, and awards from theLos Angeles Film Critics Association,New York Film Critics Circle, and theScreen Actors Guild.
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Swing Shift | Nominated |
| 1984 | New York Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Swing Shift | Won |
| 1985 | Academy Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Swing Shift | Nominated |
| 1987 | New York Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Actress | Housekeeping | Nominated |
| 1988 | Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actress | Running on Empty | Won |
| 1990 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Special | No Place Like Home (as Zan Cooper) | Nominated |
| 1990 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actress – Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | No Place Like Home | Won |
| 1992 | CableACE Awards | Actress in a Movie or Miniseries | Crazy from the Heart | Won |
| 1993 | CableACE Awards | Actress in a Movie or Miniseries | The Fear Inside | Nominated |
| 1996 | Academy Awards | Best Live Action Short Film | Lieberman in Love (shared with Jana Sue Memel) | Won |
| 1996 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | Chicago Hope (as Kathryn Austin) | Nominated |
| 1996 | CableACE Awards | Supporting Actress in a Movie or Miniseries | The Four Diamonds | Nominated |
| 1996 | Viewers for Quality Television Awards | Best Actress in a Quality Drama Series | Chicago Hope | Nominated |
| 1997 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | Chicago Hope (as Kathryn Austin) | Nominated |
| 1997 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actress – Television Series Drama | Chicago Hope | Nominated |
| 1997 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series | Chicago Hope | Nominated |
| 1997 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Chicago Hope (shared with cast) | Nominated |
| 1997 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Actress in a Series | Chicago Hope | Nominated |
| 1997 | Viewers for Quality Television Awards | Best Actress in a Quality Drama Series | Chicago Hope | Nominated |
| 1997 | Satellite Awards | Best Actress in a Series, Drama | Chicago Hope | Won |
| 1998 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | Chicago Hope (as Kathryn Austin) | Won |
| 1998 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actress – Television Series Drama | Chicago Hope | Won |
| 1998 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series | Chicago Hope | Nominated |
| 1998 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Chicago Hope | Nominated |
| 1998 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Actress in a Drama Series | Chicago Hope | Nominated |
| 1998 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Actress in a Series | Chicago Hope | Nominated |
| 1998 | Viewers for Quality Television Awards | Best Actress in a Quality Drama Series | Chicago Hope | Nominated |
| 1998 | Lone Star Film & Television Awards | Best TV Supporting Actress | Hope | Won |
| 1999 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | Chicago Hope (as Kathryn Austin) | Nominated |
| 1999 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite Female TV Performer | Chicago Hope | Nominated |
| 1999 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series | Chicago Hope | Nominated |
| 1999 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Actress in a Drama Series | Chicago Hope | Nominated |
| 2001 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actress – Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | Trial by Media | Nominated |
| 2001 | Chicago International Film Festival | Gold Hugo – Best Feature | My First Mister | Nominated |
| 2005 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actress – Television Series Drama | Jack & Bobby | Nominated |
| 2005 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series | Jack & Bobby | Nominated |
| 2005 | Prism Awards | Performance in a Drama Series Storyline | Jack & Bobby | Won |
| 2005 | Women's Image Network Awards | Actress in Made-for-TV Movie/Miniseries | Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman | Won |
| 2005 | High Falls Film Festival | Susan B. Anthony "Failure is Impossible" Award | — | Won |
| 2007 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Guest Actress in a Drama Series | Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip | Nominated |
| 2011 | Prism Awards | Performance in a Drama Series Episode | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Nominated |
| 2017 | Northern Ontario Music and Film Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Northern Ontario Production | The Steps | Nominated |
| 2022 | Critics Choice Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Evil | Nominated |
| 2022 | Critics Choice Super Awards | Best Actress in a Horror Series | Evil | Nominated |
