Christine Estabrook

Christine Estabrook
Born September 13, 1952
Erie, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Years active 1979–present
Spouse(s) Vic Polizos (since 1998)
Children 2

Christine Estabrook (born September 13, 1952) is an American actress, known for her roles on the television series The Crew, Nikki, Desperate Housewives and American Horror Story; she had a recurring role on the drama Mad Men during that show's fifth season, and continuing into the sixth. She has received Obie Award and Drama Desk Award.[1]

Life and career

She has been featured in several motion pictures mostly in supporting roles. Her more recent films include Grind, Spider-Man 2 and Catch That Kid.

She had a recurring role on the popular ABC television series, Desperate Housewives playing Martha Huber, the widowed, nosy neighbour of the street and best friend of Edie Britt (Nicollette Sheridan). Other appearances include a 2002 episode of the HBO original series, Six Feet Under where she played Emily Previn, a woman who died alone without any family or friends. The episode sparked much discussion in the following days about the character's death. Estabrook has also guest starred on 7th Heaven, Dharma and Greg, The Guardian, Veronica Mars and NYPD Blue. In 2009 she guest-starred in two episodes of the CBS drama Ghost Whisperer as Evelyn James, Eli's mom.

Christine attended the Yale School of Drama in the 1970s with fellow students Wendy Wasserstein, Christopher Durang, Meryl Streep, and Albert Innaurato, among others. Known for her comic abilities, she was Lidia in the student production of Durang's Titanic, and played a radical feminist in Durang and Wendy Wasserstein's When Dinah Shore Ruled the Earth. At Yale Repertory Theatre she was in Durang-Innaurato's The Idiots Karamazov, and played Hermia (opposite Meryl Streep's Helena) in Alvin Epstein's acclaimed production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. She also received critical praise for her moving portrayal of a troubled girl in Robert Auletta's Walk the Dog, Willie, also at Yale Rep.

At the O'Neill National Playwrights Conference, she created the role of the young daughter in Kevin O'Morrison's Ladyhouse Blues, which then moved to off-Broadway. On Broadway she was in The Inspector General and Andrei Șerban's production of The Cherry Orchard. She won an Obie award for her performance in Deborah Eisenberg's Pastorale at the Second Stage, off-Broadway. She also created the role of Helen opposite William H. Macy in Durang's Baby with the Bathwater at Playwrights Horizons. And on Broadway she took over the role of Feni in Wendy Wasserstein's The Sisters Rosensweig. In the fall of 2006, she returned to Broadway in the musical Spring Awakening playing all the adult female roles.

Since the 1990s, she has lived in Los Angeles and mostly done TV and movies. Some of her movies include Second Sight, Sea of Love, and Presumed Innocent.

In 2011 she appeared on the first season of FX series American Horror Story (Murder House) as Marcy. She currently appears in the AMC cable television series Mad Men, playing Joan Harris' mother, Gail Holloway.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1979 The Bell Jar Student editor
1982 The Wall Rutka
1984 The Last Honor of Kathryn Beck Janet Reiss Television movie
1985 Almost You Maggie
1989 Sea of Love Gina Gallagher
1989 Second Sight Priscilla Pickett
1990 Presumed Innocent Lydia MacDougall
1991 One Special Victory Ruthie Television movie
1995 The Usual Suspects Dr. Plummer
1995 Kidnapped: In the Line of Duty N/A Television movie
1996 Special Report: Journey to Mars N/A Television movie
1997 Murder Live! Dr. Christine Winter Television movie
2002 Chance Desiree
2003 Living in Walter's World Robin Short film
2003 Grind Sarah Jensen
2004 Catch That Kid Sharon
2004 Spider-Man 2 Mrs. Jameson
2006 Lovers, Liars & Lunatics Elaine Rayne
2008 Meet Marker Mom
2010 Backyard Wedding Joanne Blake Television movie

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1984 George Washington Abigail Adams 3 episodes
1985 Hometown Jane Parnell 10 episodes
1990 L.A. Law Susan Parral Episode: "Blood, Sweat and Fears"
1993 Frasier Lou Episode: "Miracle on Third or Fourth Street"
1994 The X-Files Agent Henderson Episode: "Young at Heart"
1995 Cybill Patty Episode: "The Replacements"
1995–96 The Crew Lenora Zwick 21 episodes
1997 The Practice Judge Maureen Zisk Episode: "Part VI"
1997 Dharma & Greg Lindsay Episode: "Haus Arrest"
1997 Almost Perfect Lindsay Wolf Episode: "Where No Man Has Gone Before"
1998 The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer Mary Todd Lincoln 4 episodes
1999 Ally McBeal Bonnie Mannix Episode: "The Green Monster"
2000 Chicago Hope Rene Sederberg Episode: "Boys Will Be Girls"
2000 Touched by an Angel Kate Radcliff Episode: "Pandora's Box"
2000–02 Nikki Marion 11 episodes
2002 Six Feet Under Emily Previn Episode: "The Invisible Woman"
2002 Crossing Jordan Anne Lauer Episode: "Scared Straight"
2002–03 The Guardian Aunt Liz 2 episodes
2004 7th Heaven Ruthie's teacher Episode: "Don't Speak Ill of the Living or the Dead"
2004–12 Desperate Housewives Martha Huber 12 episodes
2004 Strong Medicine Berri Kaplan Episode: "Quarantine"
2004 NYPD Blue Lynn Cahill Episode: "The 3-H Club"
2005 Veronica Mars Madame Sophie Episode: "Blast from the Past"
2006 Numb3rs Laura Price Episode: "Dark Matter"
2006 Bones Lisa Supac Episode: "The Titan on the Track"
2008 Law & Order Hensley's attorney Episode: "Angelgrove"
2009 Ghost Whisperer Evelyn James 2 episodes
2010 Nip/Tuck Sheila Carlton Episode: "Sheila Carlton"
2011 American Horror Story: Murder House Marcy 6 episodes
2012–14 Mad Men Gail Holloway 7 episodes
2012 Anger Management Judy Episode: "Charlie Gets Romantic"
2013 Rules of Engagement Moderator Episode: "Baby Talk"
2014 State of Affairs Therapist Episode: "Pilot"
2015 American Horror Story: Hotel Abigail White Upcoming series

Stage

Year Title Role Notes
1976 Ladyhouse Blues Eylie
1976–77 Marco Polo Princess Kogatin
1977 The Cherry Orchard Dunyasha
1978 The Inspector General Marya Antonovna
1978 City Sugar Nicola Davies
1979 Ladyhouse Blues Eylie
1981 Inadmissible Evidence Joy
1982 Pastorale N/A
1983 What I Did Last Summer Elsie
1983 Win/Lose/Draw Various Nominated—Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play
1983–84 Baby with the Bathwater Helen
1984 The Flight of the Earls Bridgette Earl
1985–88 I'm Not Rappaport Clara
1988–89 For Dear Life Dottie
1988 The Boys Next Door Sheila Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
1989 The Widow's Blind Date Maggy Burke
1990 What a Man Weighs Joan
1993–94 The Sisters Rosensweig Pfeni Rosensweig
2006–07 Spring Awakening The Adult Woman

References

External links