Mary Steenburgen
- Actress
- Producer
- Music Department
Mary Steenburgen is an Academy Award-winning American actress.
She was born February 8, 1953, in Newport, Arkansas, USA. Her mother,
Nellie May (Wall) Steenburgen, was a school-board secretary, and her
father, Maurice H. Steenburgen, was a freight-train conductor. Her
surname comes from distant Dutch ancestry, and her roots also include
English, Scottish, and Welsh.
Young Steenburgen was fond of arts and literature. Mary grew up
tap-dancing her way through talent shows and school functions. She was
active in her school drama class. After appearing in a number of high
school plays, she enrolled at Hendrix College, a highly progressive
Southern School located in Conway, Arkansas. Upon the recommendation of
her drama professor, she left college in 1972 and moved to New York to
study acting professionally. In the past several years,
Mary Steenburgen has emerged as one of
the most accomplished and sought-after screen actresses. Ever since
Jack Nicholson discovered her and cast her as a sassy adventuress in
his rollicking western,
Goin' South (1978), her career has
skyrocketed and she has won acclaim for exceptional performances in
each of her diverse film roles. In Nicholas Meyer's
Time After Time (1979),
Steenburgen was afforded critical praise for her portrayal of a
somewhat dippy but liberated young bank clerk in San Francisco who
crosses paths, via time machine, with English author H.G. Wells (played
by Malcolm McDowell, who later became
her husband). In 1980 she shot to fame with her role as Lynda Dummar in
Melvin and Howard (1980) for
which she won Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Steenburgen again impressed audiences and critics alike with
her stunning performance as the strong-willed turn-of-the-century
Mother in Ragtime (1981).
Steenburgen is a notable patron of arts. She is also an active
supporter of humanitarian causes. She has two children from her
previous marriage to actor
Malcolm McDowell. Since 1995 she has
been married to actor Ted Danson, and the
couple is living in Los Angeles area.
She was born February 8, 1953, in Newport, Arkansas, USA. Her mother,
Nellie May (Wall) Steenburgen, was a school-board secretary, and her
father, Maurice H. Steenburgen, was a freight-train conductor. Her
surname comes from distant Dutch ancestry, and her roots also include
English, Scottish, and Welsh.
Young Steenburgen was fond of arts and literature. Mary grew up
tap-dancing her way through talent shows and school functions. She was
active in her school drama class. After appearing in a number of high
school plays, she enrolled at Hendrix College, a highly progressive
Southern School located in Conway, Arkansas. Upon the recommendation of
her drama professor, she left college in 1972 and moved to New York to
study acting professionally. In the past several years,
Mary Steenburgen has emerged as one of
the most accomplished and sought-after screen actresses. Ever since
Jack Nicholson discovered her and cast her as a sassy adventuress in
his rollicking western,
Goin' South (1978), her career has
skyrocketed and she has won acclaim for exceptional performances in
each of her diverse film roles. In Nicholas Meyer's
Time After Time (1979),
Steenburgen was afforded critical praise for her portrayal of a
somewhat dippy but liberated young bank clerk in San Francisco who
crosses paths, via time machine, with English author H.G. Wells (played
by Malcolm McDowell, who later became
her husband). In 1980 she shot to fame with her role as Lynda Dummar in
Melvin and Howard (1980) for
which she won Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Steenburgen again impressed audiences and critics alike with
her stunning performance as the strong-willed turn-of-the-century
Mother in Ragtime (1981).
Steenburgen is a notable patron of arts. She is also an active
supporter of humanitarian causes. She has two children from her
previous marriage to actor
Malcolm McDowell. Since 1995 she has
been married to actor Ted Danson, and the
couple is living in Los Angeles area.