Amy Brenneman
| Amy Brenneman | |
|---|---|
 Brenneman at Heroes for Autism event, Hollywood, California, April 19, 2009 |
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| Born | Amy Frederica Brenneman June 22, 1964 New London, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress, producer, writer |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Spouse | Brad Silberling (1995–present) |
Amy Frederica Brenneman (born June 22, 1964) is an American actress, perhaps best known for her roles in the television series NYPD Blue, Judging Amy and Private Practice. She has also starred in films such as Heat, Fear, Daylight, Casper, Nine Lives and 88 Minutes.
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[edit] Early life
Brenneman was born in New London, Connecticut, the daughter of Frederica Joanne (née Shoenfield), a judge of the Connecticut State Superior Court, and Russell Langdon Brenneman, Jr., an environmental lawyer.[1][2][3] Her aunt was Cold War-era journalist Beryl D. Hines.[4] Brenneman was raised in Glastonbury, Connecticut, where she participated in theatre as a teenager, both in school and with a local theater group. She graduated from Harvard University, where she majored in comparative religion, in 1987. While at Harvard, she co-founded Cornerstone Theatre Company, with which she traveled for several years after graduation.[5]
[edit] Career
In her first major television role, Brenneman played mob-connected uniformed officer Janice Licalsi on the police drama NYPD Blue. Her story arc, which included a romantic relationship with David Caruso's character, ran through the show's first season (1993–1994) and the first few episodes of the second season. She was nominated for an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 1994 and for Outstanding Guest Actress the following year.
After leaving NYPD Blue, Brenneman appeared in a number of films, including Casper (1995), Heat (1995), Fear (1996), Daylight (1996) and Nevada (1997). She had a brief recurring role on Frasier in its 1998–1999 season.
In 1999, Brenneman became creator and executive producer of the television series Judging Amy, in which she played the title character. Brenneman portrayed a divorced single mother working as a Family Court Judge in Hartford, Connecticut. The show's concept was based on the real-life experiences of her mother, Frederica Brenneman, as a superior court judge in the state of Connecticut. Judging Amy ran on CBS for six seasons and 138 episodes from September 19, 1999 to May 3, 2005 to good ratings. Frederica Brenneman was one of Harvard Law School's first female graduates and became a juvenile court judge in Connecticut when Amy was 3 years old. Amy has said, "I play my mother's job, not my mother."[citation needed]
In 2002, she was awarded the Women in Film Lucy Award in recognition of her excellence and innovation in her creative works that have enhanced the perception of women through the medium of television.[6]
In March 2007, Brenneman was cast to co-star in the Grey's Anatomy spinoff, Private Practice.[7]
In 2007, Brenneman played "Sylvia Avila" in The Jane Austen Book Club.[8] In 2008, Brenneman co-starred in 88 Minutes alongside Al Pacino.
[edit] Personal life
In 1995, Brenneman married director Brad Silberling in the garden at the home of her parents. They have two children: Charlotte Tucker (b. March 20, 2001) and Bodhi Russell (b. June 8, 2005). Brenneman attends an Episcopal church, and is "also half-Jewish" (on her mother's side).[9][10]
Brenneman, who is very actively pro-choice, signed the "We Had Abortions" petition which appears in the October 2006 issue of Ms. Magazine.[11] The petition contains signatures of over 5,000 women declaring that they had an abortion and were "unashamed of the choice they made".
In the February 28, 2007, all-star benefit reading of "The Gift of Peace" at UCLA's Freud Playhouse, she portrays an entrepreneur, alongside actors Ed Asner, Barbara Bain, George Coe, Wendie Malick, and James Pickens, Jr.. The play was an open appeal and fundraiser for passage of U.S. House Resolution 808, which sought to establish a Cabinet-level "Department of Peace" in the U.S. government, funded by a two percent diversion of The Pentagon's annual budget.[12]
In July 2008, Brenneman was nominated as a candidate on the 'Unite for Strength' slate for a place on the national governing board of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) in elections scheduled for 18 September 2008.[13] The bid was successful.[14]
Brenneman is also a strong supporter of more restrictive gun control laws, and in 2009 she hosted the Target for a Safe America gala at the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles for the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, a gun control group that favors restrictive gun laws and supports gun bans.[15]
[edit] Filmography
[edit] Feature films
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Bye Bye Love | Susan | |
| 1995 | Casper | Amelia | |
| 1995 | Heat | Eady | |
| 1996 | Fear | Laura Walker | Also known as No Fear |
| 1996 | Daylight | Madelyne Thompson | |
| 1997 | Lesser Prophets | Annie | Also known as The Last Bet |
| 1997 | Nevada | Chrysty | |
| 1998 | Your Friends & Neighbors | Mary | |
| 1999 | The Suburbans | Grace | |
| 1999 | Mary Cassatt: An American Impressionist | Mary Cassatt | |
| 2000 | Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her | Detective Kathy Faber | segment "Love Waits For Kathy" |
| 2003 | Off The Map | Adult Bo Grodin | |
| 2005 | Nine Lives | Lorna | Locarno International Film Festival - Best Actress (2005) Nominated — Gotham Awards - Best Ensemble Cast (2005) |
| 2007 | The Jane Austen Book Club | Sylvia Avila | |
| 2007 | 88 Minutes | Shelly Barnes | |
| 2008 | Downloading Nancy | Carol | |
| 2010 | Mother and Child | Dr. Stone |
[edit] Television
[edit] References
- ^ Who's Who in American Law. Marquis Who's Who. 1983. pp. 78. ISBN 0837935032.
- ^ Amy Brenneman Biography (1964-)
- ^ Amy Brenneman Biography - Yahoo! Movies
- ^ "Cold War Journalist Beryl D. Hines, 84". The Washington Post. August 16, 2007. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/15/AR2007081502323.html.
- ^ Julia Collins, "Brennemans on the Bench," Harvard Law School Alumni Bulletin.
- ^ Past Recipients
- ^ Applegate, Smart, Brenneman cast in pilots
- ^ The Jane Austen Book Club - Cast, Reviews, Summary, and Awards - AllRovi
- ^ Mouth Wide Open Program: Program Notes: Amy Brenneman Opens Up | A.R.T. - American Repertory Theater
- ^ Amy Brenneman | Hollywood Prayer Network
- ^ David Crary (October 3, 2006). "Women Sign "We Had Abortions" Petition". Associated Press. http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/10/03/D8KHAKIO0.html. Retrieved 2007-04-12.
- ^ Martino, Stacey (2007-02-28). "The Peace Alliance". The Gift of Peace. http://www.thepeacealliance.org/content/view/289/148/. Retrieved 2007-03-01.
- ^ "Hollywood actors' union faces internal rift". Reuters. 2008-07-25. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/07/25/2314256.htm?section=entertainment. Retrieved 2008-07-27.
- ^ "National Board of Directors". Screen Actors Guild. http://www.sag.org/node/5. Retrieved 2008-11-12.
- ^ "Amy Brenneman hosts the Brady Center Target for a Safe America gala, Los Angeles 2009". Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence web site. http://www.bradycenter.org/donate/events/la. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Amy Brenneman |
- Amy Brenneman at the Internet Movie Database
- Official Amy Brenneman web site
- Amy Brenneman at AllRovi
- Frederica/Amy Brenneman article at Harvard Law School alumni site
