Laurie Metcalf

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Laurie Metcalf
LaurieMetcalfFeb08 cropped.jpg
Metcalf in February 2008
Born Lauren Elizabeth Metcalf
(1955-06-16) June 16, 1955 (age 57)
Carbondale, Illinois, U.S.
Occupation Actress
Years active 1978–present
Spouse(s)

Jeff Perry
(m.1983-1992; 1 child)

Matt Roth
(m.1993-present (filed for divorce); 2 children)
Children Two daughters and one son

Lauren Elizabeth "Laurie" Metcalf (born June 16, 1955) is an American actress. She is perhaps most widely known for her performance as Jackie Harris on the ABC sitcom Roseanne and has also had series television roles as Carolyn Bigsby on Desperate Housewives and Mary Cooper on The Big Bang Theory. Her motion picture roles include the voice of Mrs. Davis in the Toy Story film series and the character Debbie Loomis/Debbie Salt in Scream 2, as well as roles in such critically acclaimed[1] films as Making Mr. Right, JFK, and Mistress. Metcalf frequently works in Chicago theater, where she is well known for her performance in the 1983 revival of Lanford Wilson's play Balm in Gilead. She has also appeared in commercials for Plan USA, a humanitarian organization which helps children in need around the world.[2]

She is a three-time Emmy Award winner,[3] and has been nominated four other times, as well as having been nominated for two Golden Globe Awards, two Tony Awards, a Satellite Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Metcalf has won both a Theatre World Award and an Obie Award for her work on the stage, and recently starred as Mary Tyrone in Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey into Night, with David Suchet, Kyle Soller and Trevor White. This production was performed at London's Apollo Theatre until August 18, 2012.[4] She is currently appearing as Juliana Smithton in Sharr White's The Other Place on Broadway, a role she originated off-Broadway in 2011.

Contents

Early life [edit]

Metcalf was born in Carbondale, Illinois, the eldest of three children, and was raised in Edwardsville, Illinois. Her father, James, was the budget director at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville at the time of his death in 1984 [5], and her mother, Libby, was a librarian.[6][7] Her great-aunt was the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Zoë Akins.[8] Metcalf is an alumna of Illinois State University, class of 1976.[9]

Career [edit]

Stage [edit]

Metcalf attended Illinois State University and obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Theater in 1977. While at ISU, she met fellow theater students, among them John Malkovich, Glenne Headly, Joan Allen, Terry Kinney, and Jeff Perry, the latter two of whom, along with Perry's high school classmate Gary Sinise, went on to establish Chicago's famed Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Metcalf began her professional career at Steppenwolf, of which she was a charter member.[1][10] In 1983, Metcalf went to New York to appear in a Steppenwolf production of Balm in Gilead, for which she received the 1984 Obie Award for Best Actress and a 1984-1985 Theatre World Award (for best debut in a Broadway or Off-Broadway performance).[1] Metcalf was showered with praise for her performance as "Darlene", and was specifically singled out for her tour de force twenty minute Act Two monologue.[11]

“ There's a moment when Laurie Metcalf – who plays this poor young thing that comes to the big city and hangs out at this greasy spoon diner where the play is set – is talking about her once boyfriend who is an albino; I think it's a monologue of about five, six, seven minutes. Just to sit there and watch and hear Laurie unspool that story, it just brought tears coming down your eyes–oh, boy, it was something. ”
 
— Chicago critic Richard Christiansen on Balm in Gilead

Thereafter, Metcalf relocated to Manhattan and began to work in both film and theater, including such productions as David Mamet's November.

Through the end of June 2009, Metcalf starred with French Stewart in Justin Tanner's play, Voice Lessons, in Hollywood before beginning rehearsals to play Kate Jerome in the Broadway revival of Neil Simon's semi-autobiographical plays Brighton Beach Memoirs and Broadway Bound, directed by David Cromer. The former production's run, however, lasted but one week, while the latter was canceled prior to opening. Voice Lessons, however, with its original cast intact, went on to two more runs - one Off-Broadway in May 2010,[12] and another in Hollywood in May 2011.[13]

In September 2010, Metcalf returned to Steppenwolf and starred in Lisa D'Amour's play, Detroit. In the Spring of 2011, she began work on an Off-Broadway play, The Other Place by Sharr White.[14]

In 2012, Metcalf joined British actor David Suchet in a British stage production of Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey into Night.

Television and film [edit]

Metcalf has performed in roles that range from very large to very small in many films, including Desperately Seeking Susan, Making Mr. Right, Miles from Home, Internal Affairs, Stars and Bars, Beer League, Mistress, A Dangerous Woman, Uncle Buck, Blink, The Secret Life of Houses, Treasure Planet, Toy Story, Runaway Bride, Bulworth, Meet the Robinsons, Georgia Rule, Fun with Dick and Jane, Leaving Las Vegas, Scream 2, Stop Loss, and Hop.

Metcalf has often appeared against type in both film and television; in JFK, she played a dramatic role as one of Jim Garrison's chief investigators. She appeared as the murderous mother of Billy Loomis in the horror film Scream 2, and portrayed real-life Carolyn McCarthy in the television movie The Long Island Incident.

Metcalf has appeared in several television series, including being a cast member for a single episode of Saturday Night Live – the final episode of the show's tumultuous 1980-1981 season. In 1981, she appeared as a feature player on the first Dick Ebersol-produced episode of Saturday Night Live following the firing of Jean Doumanian and her cast (save for Eddie Murphy, Joe Piscopo, Denny Dillon, and Gail Matthius). She appeared in a Weekend Update segment about taking a bullet for the President of the United States. Because of the sketch show's severe decline in quality at the time and the 1981 Writers Guild of America strike, the show was put on hiatus for retooling. Metcalf was never asked back to be a cast member.

Metcalf is perhaps best known for her role as "Jackie", the police-officer sister of the title character in the hit series Roseanne. Her performance garnered her three consecutive Emmy Awards. Roseanne ran from 1988 to 1997, and Laurie appeared as Jackie over the show's entire run.

She subsequently appeared with Norm Macdonald on The Norm Show (or Norm), which ran for three seasons, and was also a regular character on the 2003 Nathan Lane series Charlie Lawrence, which was cancelled after the airing of two episodes. Metcalf has made guest appearances on Absolutely Fabulous, Malcolm in the Middle, My Boys, Dharma & Greg, Frasier, Without a Trace, 3rd Rock from the Sun, and Monk; she was nominated for the Emmy Award as Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series for both of the latter two listed roles.

She took a recurring role on Desperate Housewives – for which she received an Emmy (also in the category Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series) and a Satellite Award nomination – and also appeared alongside her ex-husband Jeff Perry in an episode of Grey's Anatomy. In fall 2008, Metcalf starred in the CW dramedy Easy Money, as the matriarch of a family of loan sharks. The series was canceled after three episodes.

Personal life [edit]

Metcalf married Steppenwolf Theatre Company co-founding member Jeff Perry in 1983. They had a daughter, Zoe in 1984, and later divorced, in 1992.[15]

Metcalf later began a relationship with Matt Roth, the Roseanne co-star who played her abusive boyfriend, Fisher. By November 1993 they had a son, Will, and eventually married. They also worked together on occasion, as in the 1994 feature film thriller Blink and the 1998 drama Chicago Cab;[16] they also appeared together in an episode of Desperate Housewives. Their daughter Mae was born in 2005 via surrogate.

In September 2011, Roth filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. They separated on November 26, 2008.[17]

Filmography [edit]

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1978 Wedding, AA Wedding Maid Uncredited Role
1985 Desperately Seeking Susan Leslie Glass
1987 Making Mr. Right Sandy
1988 Candy Mountain Alice
1988 Stars and Bars Melissa
1988 Appointments of Dennis Jennings, TheThe Appointments of Dennis Jennings Emma Short film
1988 Miles from Home Exotic Dancer
1989 Uncle Buck Marcie Dahlgren-Frost
1990 Internal Affairs Amy Wallace
1990 Pacific Heights Stephanie MacDonald
1991 JFK Susie Cox
1992 Mistress Rachel Landisman
1993 Dangerous Woman, AA Dangerous Woman Anita Bell
1994 Secret Life of Houses, TheThe Secret Life of Houses Ann
1994 Blink Candice
1995 Leaving Las Vegas Landlady
1995 Toy Story Mrs. Davis Voice role
1996 Dear God Rebecca Frazen
1997 U Turn Bus Station Clerk
1997 Chicago Cab Female Ad Exec
1997 Scream 2 Debbie Loomis/Debbie Salt
1998 Bulworth Mimi
1999 Runaway Bride Betty Trout Uncredited Role
1999 Toy Story 2 Mrs. Davis Voice role
2000 Timecode Dava Adair Scenes Deleted
2002 Treasure Planet Sarah Hawkins Voice role
2005 Fun with Dick and Jane Phyllis Uncredited Role
2006 Steel City Marianne Karn
2006 Beer League Artie's Mom
2007 Meet the Robinsons Lucille Krunklehorn-Robinson Voice role
2007 Georgia Rule Paula Richards
2008 Stop-Loss Mrs. Colson
2008 Persepolis Mother of a young teenage boy Voice role
2010 Toy Story 3 Mrs. Davis Voice role
2011 Hop Mrs. Bunny Voice role
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1981 Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Reporter Episode 119
1985 Execution of Raymond Graham, TheThe Execution of Raymond Graham Carol Graham Television film
1986 Equalizer, TheThe Equalizer Theresa Episode: "No Conscience"
1988–97 Roseanne Jackie Harris 221 episodes
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Comedy Series (1992–94)
Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress - Comedy Series (1995)
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Series, Miniseries or Television Film (1993, 1995)
1995–96 Duckman Voice role
Episodes: "Research and Destroy" and "Forbidden Fruit"
1997 King of the Hill Cissy Cobb Episode: "Peggy the Boggle Champ"
1997 Eddie Files, TheThe Eddie Files Special Agent Hicks Episode: "Decimals - The Fake Money Caper"
1997 Life with Louie Miss Kinney Voice role
Episode: "The Kiss Is the Thing"
1997 Dharma & Greg Spyder Episode: "Instant Dharma"
1998 Always Outnumbered Halley Grimes Television film
1998 Long Island Incident, TheThe Long Island Incident Carolyn McCarthy Television film
1998 3rd Rock from the Sun Jennifer Ravelli Episodes: "What's Love Got to Do, Got to Do With Dick?", "I Am Dick Pentameter!" and "D3 - Judgment Day"
Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress - Comedy Series
1999 Balloon Farm Casey Johnson Television film
1999–2001 Norm Show, TheThe Norm Show Laurie Freeman 54 episodes
2000 God, the Devil and Bob Donna Allman Voice role
13 episodes
2002 Two Families Unsold pilot
2003 Phil at the Gate Teddy Duffy Unsold pilot
2003 Charlie Lawrence Sarah Dolecek 7 episodes
2004 Malcolm in the Middle Susan Episode: "Lois's Sister"
2004 Frasier Nanny G Episode: "Caught in the Act"
2004 Absolutely Fabulous Crystalline Episode: "White Box"
2005 Without a Trace Susan Hopkins Episode: "A Day in the Life"
2006 Monk Cora Episode: "Mr. Monk Bumps His Head"
Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress - Comedy Series
2006 Grey's Anatomy Beatrice Carver Episode: "The Name of the Game"
2006 Desperate Housewives Carolyn Bigsby 4 episodes
Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress - Comedy Series
Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film
Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
2006 My Boys Aunt Phyllis Episode: "When Heroes Fall from Grace"
2007 Virgin of Akron, Ohio, TheThe Virgin of Akron, Ohio Lydia Pilot episode
2007 Raines Alice Brody Episode: "Reconstructing Alice"
2007–11 Big Bang Theory, TheThe Big Bang Theory Mary Cooper Episodes: "The Luminous Fish Effect", "The Electric Can Opener Fluctuation", "The Zazzy Substitution", and "The Rhinitis Revelation"
2008–09 Easy Money Bobette Buffkin 8 episodes
2009 Farm, TheThe Farm Warden Margaret Elder Unsold pilot
2012- Goodwin Games, TheThe Goodwin Games Dr. Richland[18]

Awards and nominations [edit]

Emmy Awards
  • 1992 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for: Roseanne
  • 1993 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for: Roseanne
  • 1994 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for: Roseanne
Nominations
  • 1995 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Roseanne
  • 1999 Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for: 3rd Rock from the Sun
  • 2006 Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for: Monk
  • 2007 Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for: Desperate Housewives
Golden Globe Award
Nominations
  • 1993 Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV for: Roseanne
  • 1995 Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV for: Roseanne
Ovation Award
  • 2011 Lead Actress in a Play as Virginia in the Sacred Fools Theatre Company production of "Voice Lessons"[19]
Tony Award
Nominations
  • 2008 Best Featured Actress In A Play for: November
  • 2013 Best Leading Actress In A Play for: The Other Place

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b c Hal Erickson. "Laurie Metcalf - Biography - Movies & TV - NYTimes.com". The New York Times (The New York Times Company). AllRovi. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2012. 
  2. ^ "Plan International USA". youtube.com. June 4, 2010. Retrieved December 24, 2012.  Text " Laurie Metcalf" ignored (help)
  3. ^ "Laurie Metcalf Emmy Awards & Nominations". Primetime Emmy® Award Database. Emmys.com. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2012. 
  4. ^ "tims" (User) (8 March 2012). "Long Day’s Journey into Night at the Apollo Theatre, London". Apollo Theatre London. Apollotheatrelondon.co.uk. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2012. 
  5. ^ (http://www.familytreelegends.com/records/ssdi/search?l=metcalf&ss=X&f=james&m=f&s1=&s2=&s3=&ib=IL&ad=&by=1929&ba=0&dy=1984&da=0&bm=0&dm=0&bd=0&dd=0&rci=&bci=&rco=&bco=&rst=&bst=&rzi=&bzi=)
  6. ^ "Laurie Metcalf Biography (1955-)". Film Reference. Filmreference.com. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2011. 
  7. ^ "STLtoday.com - St. Louis Post-Dispatch Archives". Nl.newsbank.com. 1992-09-01. Retrieved 2011-10-24. 
  8. ^ Michael Hooper. "Laurie bio". Wchstv.com. Retrieved 2011-10-24. 
  9. ^ By. "Illinois State University Alumni Magazine". Blogs.ilstu.edu. Retrieved 2011-10-24. 
  10. ^ "Laurie Metcalf: Ensemble Member Bio". Steppenwolf.org. Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2012. 
  11. ^ Christiansen, Richard (1 March 2002). "Steppenwolf's Balm in Gilead was the best play Christiansen ever saw". Performink (Carrie Kaufman). PerformInk Online. Retrieved 5 August 2012. 
  12. ^ Laurie Metcalf & French Stewart Take Voice Lessons Off-Broadway Playbill article by Harry Haun
  13. ^ "''Voice Lessons'' at Sacred Fools Theater Company - production website". Sacredfools.org. Retrieved 2011-10-24. 
  14. ^ Laurie Metcalf Journeys to The Other Place Off-Broadway Beginning March 11 Playbill article by Adam Hetrick
  15. ^ Hoffman, Barbara (10 April 2008). "DIFFERENT FAMILY VALUES". New York Post (News Corporation). NYPost.com. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2012. 
  16. ^ Laurie Metcalf, Yahoo! Movies, accessed June 29, 2011.
  17. ^ Dyball, Rennie (September 21, 2011). "Laurie Metcalf Is Getting Divorced". people.com. Retrieved December 24, 2012. 
  18. ^ Masters, Megan. "Exclusive: Roseanne's Laurie Metcalf Books Arc on Fox's New Comedy The Goodwin Games". TVline.com. Retrieved 30 October 2012. 
  19. ^ "A Troubie Triumph at the Ovation Awards.". 14 November 2011. 

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