Patricia Wettig | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Wettig at the41st Primetime Emmy Awards in 1989 | |
| Born | Patricia Anne Wettig (1951-12-04)December 4, 1951 (age 74) Milford, Ohio, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Temple University |
| Occupations | Actress, playwright |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Patricia Anne Wettig (born December 4, 1951) is an American actress and playwright.[1] She is best known for her role as Nancy Weston in the television seriesThirtysomething (1987–1991), for which she received aGolden Globe Award and threePrimetime Emmy Awards.
After her breakthrough role inThirtysomething, Wettig has appeared in a number of films, includingGuilty by Suspicion (1991),City Slickers (1991),City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold (1994), andThe Langoliers (1995). She returned to television playing a leading role in the 1995 short-lived dramaCourthouse and later playedCaroline Reynolds in the Fox dramaPrison Break (2005–2007) andHolly Harper in the ABC family dramaBrothers & Sisters (2006–2011).
Wettig was born inMilford, Ohio, to Florence (née Morlock) and Clifford Neal Wettig, a high school basketball coach. She has three sisters: Pam, Phyllis, and Peggy. She was raised inGrove City, Pennsylvania, and graduated in 1970.[2] She attendedOhio Wesleyan University and graduated fromTemple University in 1975. She returned to her studies later in life and received aMaster of Fine Arts in playwriting fromSmith College in 2001.[3]F2M, a play she authored, was performed in 2011 as part of the New York Stage and Film and Vassar College's 2011Powerhouse Theater season.[4][5]
Wettig began her career on stage and worked as a personal dresser forShirley MacLaine.[6] On television, she appeared in episodes of 1980s dramasRemington Steele,Hill Street Blues andL.A. Law, before taking a recurring role as Joanne McFadden in the NBC medical drama seriesSt. Elsewhere from 1986 to 1987.[3] Later in 1987, Wettig was cast as Nancy Weston in theABC drama seriesthirtysomething.
For her role inThirtysomething, Wettig received critical acclaim. Her portrayal of Nancy'scancer struggle attracted considerable acclaim and attention.[7][8] She won threePrimetime Emmy Awards: forOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 1988, and forOutstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1990 and 1991.[9] In 1991, she won theGolden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama.[10] The series ended in 1991 after four seasons. Later that year, she made her big screen debut in the drama filmGuilty by Suspicion starring oppositeRobert De Niro andAnnette Bening. She playedBilly Crystal's wife in the comedy filmsCity Slickers (1991) andCity Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold (1994). In 1993, she had a leading role in the comedy-drama filmMe and Veronica .[11]
Wettig has starred in a number of made-for-television movies, includeTaking Back My Life: The Nancy Ziegenmeyer Story (1992) andParallel Lives (1994). She played the role of Laurel Stevenson in the 1995Stephen King's miniseriesThe Langoliers. Later in 1995, she returned to television with a leading role of tough female judge in the CBS drama seriesCourthouse. Wettig intended to leave the show due to "creative differences", with sources saying that she wanted the show to be more of astar vehicle for her, rather than an ensemble cast, but the show was cancelled before her character could be written out.[12]
In 2002, Wettig was a regular cast member in the short-lived Bravo drama seriesBreaking News. From 2002 to 2004, she played the recurring role ofCIApsychotherapist Dr. Judy Barnett onAlias (on which her husband was an executive producer and director). From 2005 to 2007, Wettig appeared in 18 episodes ofFox television drama,Prison Break, playing fictionalVice PresidentCaroline Reynolds. She turned down Fox's offer of becoming a series regular onPrison Break in order to pursue the ABC comedy-drama seriesBrothers & Sisters, which debuted in September 2006. Wettig starred in the series as the Walker family patriarch's mistress,Holly Harper. She left the show midway through the show's fifth and final season after her character Holly followed fiancé David (played by Wettig's husbandKen Olin and daughter Rebecca to New York.[13]
In 2012, Wettig joined the national tour forLarry Kramer's production,The Normal Heart.[14] In 2014, she starred in the unsold the CW drama pilotIdentity oppositeAhna O'Reilly[15] In 2019, she played a leading role in the episode of Netflix anthology seriesHeartstrings.[16] In 2020, ABC ordered a sequel forThirtysomething and Wettig was set to return alongside Olin,Timothy Busfield andMel Harris.[17]
Wettig is married to actor and producerKen Olin; they have a son Clifford (born 1983) and a daughter Roxy (born 1985).[1]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Guilty by Suspicion | Dorothy Nolan | |
| 1991 | City Slickers | Barbara Robbins | |
| 1993 | Me and Veronica | Veronica | |
| 1994 | City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold | Barbara Robbins | |
| 1997 | Bongwater | Mom | |
| 1998 | Dancer, Texas Pop. 81 | Mrs. Lusk | |
| 1999 | Nightmare in Big Sky Country | Judge | |
| 2005 | The Naked Brothers Band: The Movie | Patricia Wettig | Cameo appearance |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Parole | Maureen | |
| 1988 | Police Story: Cop Killer | Dede Mandell | |
| 1991 | Silent Motive | Laura Bardell | |
| 1992 | Taking Back My Life: The Nancy Ziegenmeyer Story | Nancy Ziegenmeyer | |
| 1994 | Parallel Lives | Rebecca Ferguson Stone | |
| 1995 | The Langoliers | Laurel Stevenson | Miniseries |
| 1995 | Nothing But the Truth | Jill Ross | |
| 1995 | Kansas | Virginia 'Giny' Mae Farley | Also producer |
| 2005 | Lackawanna Blues | Laura's Mother | |
| 2010 | The 19th Wife | BeckyLyn |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Remington Steele | Barbara Frick | Episode: "Blood Is Thicker Than Steele" |
| 1985 | Hill Street Blues | Mrs. Florio | Episode: "The Life and Time of Dominic Florio Jr." |
| 1986 | Stingray | Annie Murray | Episode: "Below the Line" |
| 1986–1987 | St. Elsewhere | Joanne | 6 episodes |
| 1987 | L.A. Law | Carolyn Glasband | Episode: "Beef Jerky" |
| 1987–1991 | thirtysomething | Nancy Krieger Weston | 64 episodes |
| 1995 | Courthouse | Judge Justine Parkes | 11 episodes |
| 1997 | Frasier | Stephanie | Episode: "To Kill a Talking Bird" |
| 1998–1999 | L.A. Doctors | Eleanor Riggs-Cattan | 8 episodes |
| 2001 | The Practice | Allison Tucker | Episode: "Vanished: Part 2" |
| 2002 | Breaking News | Alison Dunne | 5 episodes |
| 2002 | Boomtown | Nora Jean Flannery | Episode: "Reelin' in the Years" |
| 2002–2004 | Alias | Dr. Judy Barnett | 11 episodes |
| 2005–2007 | Prison Break | Caroline Reynolds | 13 episodes |
| 2006–2011 | Brothers & Sisters | Holly Harper | 85 episodes |
| 2014 | Identity | Liana Grant | Unsold TV pilot |
| 2015 | Major Crimes | Judge Virginia Ryan | Episode: "Fifth Dynasty" |
| 2019 | Heartstrings | Harper Cantrell | Episode: "Sugar Hill" |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | thirtysomething | Won |
| 1990 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | Won | |
| 1990 | Q Award | Best Supporting Actress in a Quality Drama Series | Nominated | |
| 1991 | Golden Globes Awards | Best Actress – Television Series Drama | Won | |
| 1991 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | Won | |
| 1991 | Q Award | Best Actress in a Quality Drama Series | Nominated | |
| 2008 | Gold Derby Awards | Ensemble of the Year | Brothers & Sisters | Nominated |
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