Mary McDonnell | |
|---|---|
 McDonnell at the 2019GalaxyCon Raleigh | |
| Born | Mary Eileen McDonnell (1952-04-28)April 28, 1952 (age 73) |
| Education | State University of New York at Fredonia |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1972–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Mary Eileen McDonnell (born April 28, 1952) is an American film, stage, and television actress. She receivedAcademy Award nominations for her roles as Stands With A Fist inDances With Wolves and May-Alice Culhane inPassion Fish. McDonnell is well known for her performances as PresidentLaura Roslin inBattlestar Galactica,First Lady Marilyn Whitmore inIndependence Day, and Rose inDonnie Darko. She was featured as CaptainSharon Raydor during seasons 5–7 of theTNT seriesThe Closer and starred as Commander Sharon Raydor in thespin-off seriesMajor Crimes on the same network. In 2023, she played Madeleine Usher in the miniseriesThe Fall of the House of Usher onNetflix.
Mary Eileen McDonnell was born April 28, 1952,[1][2][3] inWilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, one of six children born to Eileen (née Mundy) and John "Jack" McDonnell, a computer consultant.[4] She is of Irish descent[5] and was raisedRoman Catholic.[6] As a child, McDonnell relocated with her family toIthaca, New York, where she spent the remainder of her upbringing.[6]
She attended theState University of New York at Fredonia.[7]
McDonnell's father died when she was 21 years old.[8]
McDonnell appeared off-Broadway in two separate productions ofBuried Child in 1978 and 1979, both times in the role of "Shelly".[9] She won anObie Award for Best Actress in 1981 for her work in the playStill Life.[10] On Broadway, she has performed in productions ofExecution of Justice,The Heidi Chronicles, andSummer and Smoke.
After more than 21 years of theater and television work, McDonnell made her film breakthrough in 1990 as the daughter of American settlers raised bySioux Indians named Stands With A Fist inKevin Costner'sDances With Wolves. Portraying the adopted daughter ofGraham Greene's character Kicking Bird, McDonnell, then 37, was actually two months older than Greene and less than two years younger thanTantoo Cardinal, who played Black Shawl, her adoptive mother. She was nominated for anAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the role.[11]
McDonnell's role inPassion Fish (1992) brought her another Academy Award nomination, this time forBest Actress in a Leading Role.[12] Her other notable films includeGrand Canyon (1991),Sneakers (1992),Independence Day (1996), andDonnie Darko (2001). McDonnell also starred withPatrick Swayze in the 1988 movie,Tiger Warsaw. In 1997, she played the judge in the film12 Angry Men.
On television, McDonnell had her first regular part in 1980 on the soap operaAs the World Turns. She starred in 1984 on the short-lived CBS medical comedyE/R. Coincidentally, she guest-starred in 2001 on the NBC medical series of the same nameER. She was nominated for anEmmy Award for her role on the show as Eleanor Carter. She played Dr. Virginia Dixon, a surgeon withAsperger syndrome for three episodes ofGrey's Anatomy in 2008 and 2009.[13]
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In 2003, McDonnell starred in the miniseriesBattlestar Galactica asLaura Roslin. The miniseries led to theweekly series, with McDonnell's reprising her Laura Roslin role. The series ended in March 2009. McDonnell received worldwide recognition for her performance in the show, part of which was shown when she was invited to the United Nations for a retrospective and discussion withEdward James Olmos (Admiral Adama).
McDonnell took part in a special session entitledBattlestar Galactica at the 2009World Science Festival.[14] The session also includedMichael Hogan, as well as scientistsHod Lipson andKevin Warwick.
In 2011, she appeared in the role of Kate Roberts, the mother ofEmma Roberts's character inScream 4.[15]
From 2009 to 2012, McDonnell had a recurring role inThe Closer as Capt. Sharon Raydor, a police captain in theForce Investigation Division, who often butts heads withKyra Sedgwick's Golden Globe and Emmy award-winning character.[16] McDonnell received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series in 2011 for the role.[17]
AfterThe Closer wrapped up its final season 2012, McDonnell's character continued as the lead in the spin-off,Major Crimes, which debuted August 13, 2012 and ended in January 2018.[18]
McDonnell married actor Randle Mell in 1984. They have two children, Michael and Olivia.[19] The couple separated in December 2021.[20]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Garbo Talks | Lady Capulet | |
| 1987 | Matewan | Elma Radnor | |
| 1988 | Tiger Warsaw | Paula Warsaw | |
| 1990 | Dances With Wolves | Stands With A Fist | |
| 1991 | Grand Canyon | Claire | |
| 1992 | Passion Fish | May-Alice Culhane | |
| Sneakers | Liz | ||
| 1994 | Blue Chips | Jenny Bell | |
| 1996 | Independence Day | First Lady Marilyn Whitmore | |
| Mariette in Ecstasy | Prioress | ||
| 1997 | Woman Undone | Terri Hansen | |
| 1998 | You Can Thank Me Later | Diane | |
| 1999 | Mumford | Althea Brockett | |
| 2001 | Donnie Darko | Rose Darko | |
| 2003 | Nola | Margaret Langworthy | |
| 2004 | Crazy Like a Fox | Amy Banks | |
| 2011 | Scream 4 | Kate Roberts | |
| Margin Call | Mary Rogers | ||
| 2021 | The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf | Lady Zerbst | Voice role |
| 2025 | Broke | Kathy Brandywine | |
| TBA | One Second After | Jen Matherson | Filming |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | As the World Turns | Claudia Colfax | Unknown episodes |
| 1982 | Money on the Side | Terri | Television film |
| 1984–1985 | E/R | Dr. Eve Sheridan | Main role; 20 episodes |
| 1995–1996 | High Society | Dorothy "Dott" Emerson | Main role; 13 episodes |
| 1997 | 12 Angry Men | Judge Cynthia Nance | Television film |
| 1998 | Evidence of Blood | Dora Overton | |
| 1999 | Replacing Dad | Linda Marsh | |
| Ryan Caulfield: Year One | Rachel Caulfield | 2 episodes | |
| 2000 | A Father's Choice | Susan Shaw | Television film |
| For All Time | Laura Brown | ||
| 2001–2002 | ER | Eleanor Carter | 5 episodes |
| 2002 | Touched by an Angel | Sister Theodore | Episode: "Minute by Minute" |
| The Locket | Helen Staples | Television film | |
| 2003 | Battlestar Galactica | PresidentLaura Roslin | Television miniseries |
| 2004–2009 | Battlestar Galactica | President Laura Roslin | Main role; 71 episodes |
| 2005 | Mrs. Harris | Vivian Schulte | Television film |
| 2008–2009 | Grey's Anatomy | Dr. Virginia Dixon | 3 episodes |
| 2009 | Killer Hair | Rose | Television film |
| Hostile Makeover | Rose Smithsonian | ||
| 2009–2012 | The Closer | Captain Sharon Raydor | Recurring role (seasons 5–6); main cast (season 7); 23 episodes |
| 2012–2018 | Major Crimes | Captain (later Commander) Sharon Raydor | Main role |
| 2017 | Fargo | Ruby Goldfarb | 4 episodes |
| 2019 | Veronica Mars | Jane | Episode: "Years, Continents, Bloodshed" |
| 2021 | Rebel | Helen Peterson | 7 episodes |
| 2023 | The Fall of the House of Usher | Madeline Usher | Main role, miniseries |
| 2026 | VisionQuest | TBA | Post-production; miniseries |
In 1992 McDonnell received an Outstanding Achievement Award from Fredonia's alumni association.[7]
| Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Academy Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Dances With Wolves | Nominated |
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | ||
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture | Nominated | ||
| 1993 | Academy Awards | Best Actress | Passion Fish | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama | Nominated | ||
| 2002 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series | ER | Nominated |
| 2009 | Saturn Awards | Best Actress on Television | Battlestar Galactica | Won |
| 2011 | Gotham Awards | Best Ensemble Cast | Margin Call | Nominated |
| Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards | Best Cast | Nominated | ||
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series | The Closer | Nominated | |
| 2024 | Astra TV Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Television Movie | The Fall of the House of Usher | Nominated |
| Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Miniseries | Nominated | ||
| Critics' Choice Super Awards | Best Villain in a Series | Nominated |
