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Constance Shulman

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Constance Shulman
Born
Constance Ann Shulman

(1958-04-04) April 4, 1958 (age 66)
Johnson City, Tennessee, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Tennessee
OccupationActress
Years active1987–present
Spouse
​
(m. 1999)​
Children2, including Gus Birney

Constance Ann Shulman[1] (born April 4, 1958[2]) is an American actress. In 1987, Shulman originated the role of Annelle in the first production of Steel Magnolias off Broadway. She later appeared in films Fletch Lives (1989), Men Don't Leave (1990), and Fried Green Tomatoes (1991). She voiced Patti Mayonnaise in the animated sitcom Doug (1991–99) and the 1999 film Doug's 1st Movie. She played Yoga Jones in the Netflix comedy-drama series, Orange Is the New Black from 2013 to 2017, for which she received three Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.

Life and career

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A native of Johnson City, Tennessee,[3] Shulman is one of seven children born to Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Lipner Shulman,[4] a Jewish-American couple who had recently relocated from Fall River, Massachusetts.[3] She is also the granddaughter of Judge Sadie Lipner Shulman.[5][1] In 1980, she graduated from the University of Tennessee with a bachelor's degree in both speech and theater.[6] She moved to New York City to study acting at the Circle in the Square Theatre School and pursue an acting career.[7] In 1987, Shulman originated the role of Annelle in the first production of Steel Magnolias on Off-Broadway.[8] In 1989, she made her screen debut in the comedy film Fletch Lives, playing Cindy Mae. She later had supporting parts in films Lost Angels (1989), Men Don't Leave (1990), and Fried Green Tomatoes (1991).

On television, Shulman worked as a voice actress, playing Patti Mayonnaise on Doug from 1991 to 1999.[9] In the early 1990s, Shulman appeared in a series of Kraft mayonnaise commercials.[10] She was also a regular cast member in the short-lived 1996 ABC sitcom, The Faculty, playing the best friend of Meredith Baxter's character,[11] and the Dolly Parton unaired CBS sitcom Heavens to Betsy (1994).[12] In the late 1990s Shulman left the screen to raise her two children.[7]

In 2013, Shulman was cast in a recurring role as "Yoga Jones" in the Netflix comedy-drama series, Orange Is the New Black. Along with the rest of the cast, she received a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in 2015, 2016 and 2017.[13] She left the series after five seasons in 2017 and appeared in the series finale in 2019. She later appeared in films Nasty Baby (2015) and Most Likely to Murder (2018) and guest-starred on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Broad City, and The Blacklist.

In 2015, Shulman starred in off-Broadway production of Barbecue receiving Barbecue nomination.[14] In 2018, Shulman received positive reviews and Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play nomination for her performance in the play Bobbie Clearly.[15][16][17] In 2019 she performed in the Broadway revival of The Rose Tattoo.[18] In 2021, Shulman starred in the independent films Giving Birth to a Butterfly playing a former actress like Norma Desmond,[19] and Strawberry Mansion. Both films have received positive reviews from critics.[20][21] In 2022, she had a recurring role in the HBO Max comedy series, Search Party and later was cast as a series regular in the Showtime comedy The Curse.[22] In 2023 she starred in the Manhattan Theatre Club production of The Best We Could.[23]

Personal life

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She is married to fellow actor Reed Birney, and their daughter Gus Birney is an actress.[24]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1989 Fletch Lives Cindy Mae
1989 Lost Angels Beautician
1990 Men Don't Leave Carly
1990 Reversal of Fortune Pharmacist Uncredited
1991 He Said, She Said Make-Up Girl
1991 McBain Dr. Blazier
1991 Fried Green Tomatoes Missy
1993 Weekend at Bernie's II Tour Operator
1999 Doug's 1st Movie Patti Mayonnaise Voice role
1999 Sweet and Lowdown Hazel
2008 A Jersey Christmas Connie
2009 Finding Jean Lewis Connie Lewis Short film
2015 Nasty Baby Bishop's Girlfriend
2016 Better Off Single Unemployment Worker
2017 Sylvio Tina
2017 The Broken Ones Rowland
2018 Mama Jane Jane Short film
2018 Most Likely to Murder Lowell's Mom
2020 Central Standard Poppy
2020 Smithtown Cindy Cohen
2021 Giving Birth to a Butterfly Monica
2021 Strawberry Mansion Martha
2022 Funny Pages Mrs. Ochs
2024 Darla in Space Leona Peterson
TBA Caravan Margaux

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1989 The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd Bonnie Sayles Episodes: "Here's Why You Should Lock Your Bathroom Door" and "Here's a Little Night Music"
1991 Lethal Innocence Nell Willis Television film
1991–1992 Loving Maggie Recurring role
1991–1999 Doug Patti Mayonnaise Voice role
Main role, 52 episodes
1994 Heavens to Betsy Donna 6 episodes
1996 The Faculty Shelly Ray 13 episodes
2013–2017; 2019 Orange Is the New Black Yoga Jones Recurring role, 48 episodes
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2015–17)
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
2014 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Daycare Manager Episode: "Wednesday's Child"
2017 Broad City Oda Episode: "Sliding Doors"
2017 Star vs. the Forces of Evil Milly Sparkles Voice role, 1 episode
2018 The Blacklist Fiona Episode: "Ilyas Surkov (No. 54)"
2019 OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes Dr. Sphinxson Episode: "Radical Rescue"
2022 Search Party Helen 3 episodes
2023– The Curse Elizabeth Recurring role

References

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  1. ^ a b "Miss Shulman, Mr. Taylor". The Daily News Journal. June 15, 1975. p. 22. Retrieved August 30, 2023. See also:
  2. ^ "Today in History: Today's Birthdays". Republican & Herald. April 4, 2022. ProQuest 2646788499. Writer-producer David E. Kelley is 66. Actor Constance Shulman is 64. Actor Phil Morris is 63.. See also:
    • "Celebrity Birthdays". Montgomery Advertiser. April 4, 2016. p. 2A. ProQuest 2058693189. Writer-producer David E. Kelley ("Ally McBeal," "The Practice") is 60. Actor Constance Shulman ("Orange Is the New Black") is 58. Actor Hugo Weaving is 56.
  3. ^ a b Rizzo, Frank (March 12, 1993). "Southern actress helps change image of 'belle' as fragile blossom to STEEL magnolia; Actress Shulman's career blossoms as image of Southern belle withers. Hartford Courant. pp. B1, B8. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  4. ^ King, Andrea Shea (July 7, 2001). "Out & About: Patriotic spirit soars at benefit". Florida Today. p. . Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  5. ^ "Deaths: Shulman". The Boston Globe. December 25, 1998. p. B8. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  6. ^ McRary, Amy (March 29, 2017). "'Orange is New Black' actress says new season 'off the wall'". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved September 29, 2017.
  7. ^ a b Brillantes, Mariam (December 12, 2013). "'Orange Is the New Black' Star Constance Shulman Says New Season Looks Golden". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  8. ^ Gussow, Mel (March 27, 1987). "Stage - 'Steel Magnolias,' A Louisiana Story". The New York Times. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
  9. ^ "'Orange Is The New Black' Star Constance Shulman Voiced Patti Mayonnaise On 'Doug' (PHOTO)". The Huffington Post. July 24, 2013. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  10. ^ Rizzo, Frank. "Actress Shulman's Career Blossoms As Image Of Southern Belle Withers". Hartford Courant. Archived from the original on October 26, 2018. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  11. ^ Fallon, Kevin (July 29, 2013). "Patti Mayonnaise From 'Doug' Is on 'Orange Is the New Black'". The Daily Beast. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  12. ^ Terrace, Vincent (October 12, 2018). Encyclopedia of Unaired Television Pilots, 1945-2018. McFarland. ISBN 9781476672069 – via Google Books.
  13. ^ McCue, Michelle (January 25, 2015). "BIRDMAN, DOWNTON ABBEY Big Winners At 21st Screen Actors Guild Awards". We Are Movie Geeks. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  14. ^ "Barbecue". www.iobdb.com.
  15. ^ "Bobbie Clearly". The New Yorker.
  16. ^ "Constance Shulman – Broadway Cast & Staff | IBDB". www.ibdb.com.
  17. ^ Green, Jesse (April 4, 2018). "Review: In 'Bobbie Clearly,' It's Crime, Punishment and Then What?" – via NYTimes.com.
  18. ^ "The Rose Tattoo – Broadway Play – 2019 Revival | IBDB".
  19. ^ Loayza, Beatrice (May 16, 2023). "'Giving Birth to a Butterfly' Review: Melancholy and Menace" – via NYTimes.com.
  20. ^ "Giving Birth to a Butterfly - Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. May 1, 2023.
  21. ^ "Strawberry Mansion - Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. February 18, 2022.
  22. ^ Otterson, Joe (July 7, 2022). "Showtime Comedy Series 'The Curse' Casts Corbin Bernsen, Barkhad Abdi, Constance Shulman (EXCLUSIVE)".
  23. ^ Kumar, Naveen (March 6, 2023). "Review: In 'The Best We Could,' the Players Follow Directions" – via NYTimes.com.
  24. ^ Berman, Nat (June 26, 2017). "Five Things You Didn't Know About Gus Birney". TVOvermind.com. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
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