The energetic Huffman began her career off-Broadway with the prestigious Atlantic Theater Company, cofounded by playwright David Mamet and actor William H. Macy. Both men ended up playing important roles in Huffman's life. Mamet cast her in her first film (1988's
Things Change) and Macy became her husband and frequent collaborator. In the '90s the versatile actress worked consistently (if somewhat anonymously) in dramas and comedies on stage and screen, notably the cult sitcom
Sports Night. But in 2004 she became a household name playing a high-strung mom on
Desperate Housewives and won an Emmy for her efforts. The very next year, Huffman proved that she was also a formidable film talent with her turn as a pre-op transsexual in the indie hit
Transamerica, which earned her a Golden Globe and an Oscar nod.
Felicity Huffman Fast Facts:
- Was Madonna's understudy and eventual successor in the David Mamet-penned 1988 Broadway play Speed-the-Plow.
- After confessing to Oprah Winfrey that her dream was to be a back-up singer, the wish-granting talk-show host surprised Huffman with the chance to sing back-up for her idol, Tina Turner, in February 2005.
- Despite having a 101-degree fever, completed the 2005 Malibu Triathlon, raising funds for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.
- Has talked openly about her struggles with eating disorders and her own negative self-image, but offered a more joyful and nostalgic tone in her acceptance speech at the 2005 Emmy Awards: "I would like to thank the incomparable William H. Macy for taking a chunky 22-year-old with a bad perm and glasses out into a cow pasture and kissing me and making me his wife."
- Felicity Huffman Relationships:
- Georgia Grace Macy - Daughter
- Grace Ewing Huffman - Mother
- Sophia Grace Macy - Daughter
- William H. Macy - Husband
- Felicity Huffman Awards:
- 2005 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - Winner
- 2005 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - Nominee
- 2007 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - Nominee
- 2006 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama - Winner
- 2005 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy - Nominee
- 2006 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy - Nominee
- 2007 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy - Nominee
- College:
- New York University, Tisch School of the Arts, New York, NY (BFA in Drama, 1988)
