Swoosie Kurtz Biography

Fast Facts

• Won the triple crown of Broadway - a Tony Award, a Drama Desk Award and an Outer Critics Circle Award - for her performance in "Fifth of July․"
• Was nominated for two CableACE Awards for Supporting Actress in a Movie or Miniseries for "Baja Oklahoma" in 1989 and "And the Band Played On" in 1995
• Majored in drama at the University of Southern California, then attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
• Made her screen acting debut in the TV series "The Donna Reed Show" in 1962
• Quote: "I'm an extrovert in front of a camera or on stage, but an introvert in life․ It took me a while to figure that out․ A lot of actors start out shy and then discover that they can․․․somehow be liberated by playing someone else․"
• Has devoted most of her energy to television, playing recurring roles on many popular series
• Normally plays supporting roles and character parts, but occasionally stars as a leading actress
• Best known for her role as Alex Reed in "Sisters" and as Madame de Volanges in "Dangerous Liaisons․"
• Due to her father's service in the Air Force, she moved 17 times as a child and lived in eight different states
• Her name comes from the B-17D Flying Fortress airplane that her father piloted and broke speed records in during World War II, The Swoose