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Mary Steenburgen Biography

Birth Name:
Mary Nell Steenburgen
Birth Place:
Newport, Arkansas, United States
Profession
Actor, comedian, producer, executive producer, playwright

Fast Facts

  • Sold books at Doubleday while attending the first-year program at New York's Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre
  • Cofounded and acted with the improv-comedy troupe Cracked Tokens, which performed skits for the halfway houses of NYC's Bureau of Alcoholism
  • Was discovered by Jack Nicholson in the reception room of Paramount's New York office
  • He later cast her as the lead in his second directorial effort, the 1978 Western Goin' South
  • Along with Alfre Woodard, founded Artists for a Free South Africa in 1989
  • Met second husband Ted Danson in 1994 on the set of the reviled road pic Pontiac Moon
  • Actively participates in charity work, supporting the ASPCA, Heifer International, Oceana and the Young Storytellers Foundation
  • Won two awards for her involvement in social and charitable causes: a Desert AIDS Project Award in 1995 and Liberty Hill Foundation's prestigious Upton Sinclair Award a year later
  • Was appointed the national spokesperson of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation in 1997

Awards

  • 2011Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture: winner
  • 1998Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries: nominated
  • 1995Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture: nominated
  • 1988Emmy-Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Special: nominated
  • 1986Genie Awards-Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role: nominated
  • 1982Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture: nominated
  • 1981Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture: winner
  • 1980Oscar-Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role: winner
  • 1980Los Angeles Film Critics Association-Best Supporting Actress: winner
  • 1980National Society of Film Critics-Best Supporting Actress: winner
  • 1980New York Film Critics Circle-Best Supporting Actress: winner
  • 1979Golden Globe-New Star of the Year - Actress: nominated

Relationships