Got her big break appearing in the 1960s TV series Gidget
Changed her professional name to Barbara Seagull in the 1970s in tribute to a seagull she accidentally killed while filming the 1969 drama Last Summer
During the making of the 1972 film Boxcar Bertha, she gave young director Martin Scorsese a copy of the book The Last Temptation of Christ; he directed the film adaptation in 1988 and cast her as Mary Magdalene
Was the first to win two consecutive Best Actress awards at Cannes (1987 for Shy People and 1988 for A World Apart)
Awards
2011BAFTA Film Awards-Best Supporting Actress:nominated
2010Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture:nominated
1997Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture:nominated
1996Oscar-Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role:nominated
1996Los Angeles Film Critics Association-Best Supporting Actress:winner
1996National Society of Film Critics-Best Supporting Actress:winner
1991Emmy-Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Special:nominated
1991Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television:winner
1990Emmy-Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Special:winner
1989Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture:nominated
1988Cannes Film Festival-Best Actress:winner
1987BAFTA Film Awards-Best Actress in a Supporting Role:nominated