Biography
Soft-spoken and endearing, Mary Steenburgen first achieved a measure of fame with her debut role in the Jack Nicholson-directed Western "Goin' South" (1978), before winning raves and a Best Supporting Actress Oscar as Melvin's flustered but caring wife in Jonathan Demme's "Melvin and Howard" (1980). She starred alongside Steve Martin and an all-star ensemble cast in the Ron Howard family comedy "Parenthood" (1989), prior to falling in love …
Mary Steenburgen SlideShow
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Career Milestones
| Born and raised in Arkansas | ||
| Co-founded (with four other Playhouse graduates) and acted with Cracked Tokens, an improvisational comedy troupe | ||
| Invited to return for the second year program; eliminated her thick Southern accent | ||
| Performed with Cracked Tokens for the NYC Bureau of Alcoholism | ||
1972 | Moved to NYC and sold books at Doubleday's while attending the first-year program at the Neighborhood Playhouse | |
1978 | Made film debut in Jack Nicholson's western, "Goin' South" | |
1979 | First leading role in a feature, "Time After Time" playing a modern woman who falls in love with author H.G. Wells (played by husband-to-be Malcolm McDowell) | |
1980 | Won an Academy Award for her performance in Jonathan Demme's "Melvin and Howard" as the wife of a man who claims to have befriended reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes | |
1982 | Featured in Woody Allen's "A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy" | |
1985 | TV debut, playing the lead in the Showtime adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Tender Is the Night" | |
1987 | Made London stage debut in Lindsay Anderson's "Holiday" | |
1988 | Earned an Emmy nomination for her role in the CBS movie "The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank" | |
1988 | Executive producing debut, "End of the Line"; also co-starred | |
1989 | Played Steve Martin's wife in the Ron Howard directed "Parenthood" | |
1990 | Played Clara Clayton, Doc's love interest, in Robert Zemeckis' "Back to the Future Part III" | |
1991 | Provided the voice of Clara Clayton for the CBS Saturday morning cartoon "Back to the Future: The Animated Series" | |
1993 | Made Broadway stage debut in the title role of "Candida" | |
1993 | Played an adulterous wife, having an affair with Johnny Depp in Lasse Hallström's "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" | |
1994 | Made Los Angeles stage debut in "Marvin's Room" | |
1995 | Portrayed the mother of Richard Nixon in the Oliver Stone biopic "Nixon" | |
1996 | Cast opposite real-life husband Ted Danson in the CBS sitcom "Ink" | |
1996 | Played the wife of the title character, opposite husband Ted Danson in the NBC miniseries, "Gulliver's Travels" | |
2000 | Appeared several times opposite real life husband, Ted Danson on Larry David's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (HBO) | |
2000 | Returned to the NYC stage in "The Beginning of August" | |
2001 | Featured in the drama, "Life as a House" starring Kevin Kline | |
2002 | Joined the ensemble cast of "Sunshine State" written and directed by John Sayles | |
2003 | Cast as the title character's mother in the CBS drama "Joan of Arcadia" | |
2003 | Played the wife of James Caan in the Jon Favreau comedy "Elf" | |
2006 | Played the title role in Randall Miller's "Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing and Charm School" | |
2007 | Co-starred with Jodie Foster in the crime drama, "The Brave One" | |
2008 | Cast as Will Ferrell's mother in the comedy "Step Brothers" | |
2009 | Played Ryan Reynolds' mother in the comedy "The Proposal" | |
Awards
1978 | Golden Globe Award for New Star Of The Year - Actress |
1980 | Academy Award for Actress In a Supporting Role in Melvin and Howard |
1980 | Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress in Melvin and Howard |
1980 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture in Melvin and Howard |
1980 | Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress in Melvin and Howard |
1980 | National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress in Melvin and Howard |
1980 | New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress in Melvin and Howard |
1981 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture in Ragtime |
1988 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress In a Miniseries or Special in The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank |
1996 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture in Nixon |
1999 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries in About Sarah |
2011 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture in The Help |