Mary McDonnell
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| Mary McDonnell | |
 At the San Diego Comic-Con, 15 July 2005 |
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| Birth name | Mary McDonnell |
| Born | April 28, 1952 (age 54) Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania  United States |
| Spouse(s) | Randle Mell |
| Notable roles | Stands With A Fist in Dances With Wolves Marilyn Whitmore in Independence Day President Laura Roslin in Battlestar Galactica |
Mary McDonnell (born April 28, 1952) is an Academy Award-nominated American film, stage, and television actress. She currently stars as President Laura Roslin in Battlestar Galactica.
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[edit] Early life
McDonnell was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and raised in Ithaca, New York. After graduating from the State University of New York at Fredonia, she attended drama school and joined the East Coast's prestigious Long Wharf Theatre Company, with whom she worked for over 20 years. She won an Obie in 1980 for her work in the play Still Life. On Broadway, she has performed in productions of Execution of Justice, The Heidi Chronicles, and Summer and Smoke.
[edit] Film career
After more than 21 years of theater and television work, McDonnell made her film breakthrough in 1990 as Stands With A Fist, a European American raised by Sioux Indians, in Kevin Costner's Dances With Wolves. She received a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the role. McDonnell's role in Passion Fish (1992) brought her another Academy Award nomination, this time for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
Her other notable films include Grand Canyon (1991), Sneakers (1992), Independence Day (1996), and Donnie Darko (2001).
On television, McDonnell had her first regular role in 1980 on the soap opera As the World Turns. She starred in 1984 on the short-lived medical sitcom E/R, alongside Elliott Gould and George Clooney. Coincidentally, she guest-starred in 2001 on the NBC medical series of the same name, ER, which also featured Clooney. She was nominated for an Emmy Award for her role on the show as Eleanor Carter, the mother of Dr. John Carter.
McDonnell also starred with Patrick Swayze in the 1988 movie, Tiger Warsaw.
[edit] Battlestar Galactica
In 2003, the cult 1970s show Battlestar Galactica was brought back to life, albeit in a re-imagined form as a three-hour miniseries. McDonnell starred as Laura Roslin, a Secretary of Education who is sworn in as President of the Colonies. The miniseries effectively served as a pilot for the subsequent series, which was commissioned in a collaborative effort between the Sci Fi Channel and Sky TV. Battlestar Galactica is filmed mostly in Vancouver, Canada and is currently in its third season, where McDonnell is a regular cast member.
[edit] Private Life
McDonnell is married to actor Randle Mell, with whom she has two children, Olivia and Michael.
[edit] Selected filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Garbo Talks | Lady Capulet | |
| 1987 | Matewan | Elma Radnor | |
| 1990 | Dances with Wolves | Stands With A Fist | Best Supporting Actress Nominee |
| 1991 | Grand Canyon | Claire | |
| 1992 | Passion Fish | May-Alice Culhane | Best Actress Nominee |
| Sneakers | Liz | ||
| 1994 | Blue Chips | Jenny Bell | |
| 1996 | Independence Day | First Lady Marilyn Whitmore | |
| 1999 | Mumford | Althea Brockett | |
| 2001 | Donnie Darko | Rose Darko | |
| 2003 | Nola | Margaret Langworthy |
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Mary McDonnell at the Internet Movie Database
- Mary McDonnell at Battlestar Wiki
- Interview on her role in Battlestar Galactica
