Holland Taylor
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Holland Taylor (b. January 14, 1943 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an Emmy Award winning American actress, known for her film, television and theater work. She is currently a main cast member of the series Two and a Half Men and has been nominated for an Emmy in that role.
Taylor attended high school at Westtown School, a Quaker boarding school then majored in drama at Bennington College (class of '64), before moving to New York City to become an actress. Her first credits were in the theater and throughout the 60s and 1970s she appeared in numerous Broadway and off-Broadway productions including, "The Devils" starring Anne Bancroft and "Butley" opposite Alan Bates. After less than a week of rehearsal Taylor stepped into what had been Eve Arden's lead (until she quit after the first preview) in Moose Murders, a play which opened and closed in one performance and is infamous as Broadway's greatest flop! Taylor went on to star in "Breakfast with Less and Bess" and A.R. Gurney's "The Cocktail Hour"Legendary Broadway critic John Simon once said of Taylor, "She is one of the few utterly graceful, attractive, elegant and technically accomplished actresses in our theater."
Encouraged by her acting coach, Stella Adler, Taylor took two roles that would make her well known: alongside Tom Hanks in the 1980s sitcom Bosom Buddies, and a supporting role in the 1984 film Romancing the Stone. After several more years travelling between California and New York, Taylor officially moved to California.
The hard-working actress' rising fame, built slowly over many years, led her to roles that made her a well known name in the industry. Equally adept at comedy and drama, her film roles since have included To Die For (1995), How to Make an American Quilt (1995), One Fine Day (1996), George of the Jungle (1997), The Wedding Date (2005), The Truman Show (1998), Keeping the Faith (2000), The Day Reagan Was Shot (2001), Legally Blonde (2001), D.E.B.S. (2004), as well as, (1998's) "Next Stop Wonderland" and (2000's) "Happy Accidents" both directed by her nephew, Brad Anderson.
On television, Taylor starred from 1992-1993 in Norman Lear's "The Powers That Be" with John Forsythe and David Hyde Pierce, from 1995 to 1998 on The Naked Truth and played the recurring role of Judge Roberta Kittleson on The Practice from 1998 to 2003, for which she was nominated for two Emmy's, winning one for best supporting actress. In her Emmy speech, she brought the house down when she lifted the Emmy over her head and said, "Overnight!" Taylor thanked David E. Kelly the Practice's producer/writer and creator, for, "...giving me a chariot to ride up here on: A woman who puts a flag on the moon for women over 40. Who can think, who can work, who are successes, who can cook, and who can COOK!"
From 1999 to 2001, she played Hedda Hopper-esque Letitia Devine on The Lot for which she was also nominated for an Emmy. Other guest roles include appearances on ER, Veronica's Closet, and recurring roles on Monk and as billionaire Peggy Peabody on and The L Word.
She has never married nor had children.
[edit] Emmy Awards
Taylor has been nominated for four Emmy Awards, one of which she won:
- 1999 - Winner, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, The Practice
- 2000 - Nominee, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, The Practice
- 2000 - Nominee, Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, The Lot
- 2005 - Nominee, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, Two and a Half Men
