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IMDbPro

Deborah Geffner

  • Actress
  • Director
  • Writer
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Deborah Geffner
Chronicles the summer 1989 afternoon when the future President of the United States of America, Barack Obama, wooed his future First Lady on an epic first date across Chicago's South Side.
Play trailer2:31
Southside with You (2016)
10 Videos
18 Photos
Deborah Geffner is an actress, writer, director, singer, dancer, filmmaker, coach, animal-lover, and mom. She is best recognized for her role in Bob Fosse's Oscar-winning film All That Jazz (1979). You've seen her on TV in ER (1994), Grey's Anatomy (2005), Monk (2002), and Criminal Minds (2005), among others, and in films such as Living Out Loud (1998), Infestation, and Exterminator 2 (1984).

Deborah's passion is telling stories. She has loved acting ever since the age of five when she filled in for the little boy who got the measles on opening night of the Caucasian Chalk Circle at Carnegie Mellon. She got to say lines, fence with boys and eat cookies on stage. And at the end everyone applauded for her! (What could be better?!) Later engagements included 2 ½ years on Broadway in the original run of "A Chorus Line", the Broadway revival of "Pal Joey" and "Accomplice" at the Pasadena Playhouse.

While in New York, Deborah studied at Juilliard, at HB Studios and with great teachers: Larry Moss, Sam Schacht, then in Los Angeles with Peggy Feury, Peter Flood, The Groundlings, and the wonderful Richard Seyd. Soon after moving to LA, she was cast as a series regular in the pilot "Century Hill" and in the TV-movie Legs (1983). She starred as a Radio City Music Hall Rockette in Manhattan with one of her idols Gwen Verdon. It was there, on the day after Valentine's Day, that her boyfriend flew to New York and proposed to her in the middle of the Brooklyn Bridge after a snowstorm. They are still married.

After a break to raise two bizarre, sweet and fascinating daughters, she returned to acting full time and started writing, directing, and producing. She considers directing very relaxing. After living with teenagers, she finds it refreshing to have people actually listen to her.

She has made three award-winning short films to date, and directed three plays which got rave reviews. The last was chosen for Best Of Fringe in the 2012 Hollywood Fringe Festival.
BornAugust 26
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornAugust 26
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
  • Awards
    • 1 win & 2 nominations

Photos18

"The Morning Show" with Jennifer Aniston
Deborah Geffner
January Jones, Deborah Geffner, and Kiernan Shipka in Mad Men (2007)
"American Horror Story" with Frances Conroy
"American Horror Story" with Frances Conroy
"All That Jazz"
Deborah Geffner
Deborah Geffner
Deborah Geffner
Deborah Geffner
Deborah Geffner
"All That Jazz" screentest

Known for

All That Jazz (1979)
All That Jazz
7.8
  • Victoria
  • 1979
Guitar Lessons (2009)
Guitar Lessons
Short
  • Claire
  • 2009
Tika Sumpter and Parker Sawyers in Southside with You (2016)
Southside with You
6.3
  • Toot
  • 2016
Exterminator 2 (1984)
Exterminator 2
4.5
  • Caroline
  • 1984

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Actress

  • Bunco Babes (2022)
    Bunco Babes
    • Rose
    • TV Movie
    • 2022
  • Discover Indie Film (2019)
    Discover Indie Film
    • (Tristan and Isaac) Sheila
    • TV Series
    • 2022
  • The Phenomenon (2017)
    The Phenomenon
    • Alexandra
    • Podcast Series
    • 2022
  • American Horror Story (2011)
    American Horror Story
    • JoAnna
    • TV Series
    • 2021
  • Andrew Bowen, Michaela Myers, and Andressa Cordeiro in Tristan and Isaac (2020)
    Tristan and Isaac
    • Sheila
    • Short
    • 2020
  • Eileen Davidson, Bryton James, Joshua Morrow, Gina Tognoni, Justin Hartley, Melissa Claire Egan, and Peter Bergman in The Young and the Restless (1973)
    The Young and the Restless
    • Gwendolyn Gardner
    • Gwendolyn
    • TV Series
    • 2020
  • One Night in L.A. (2020)
    One Night in L.A.
    • 911 Operator
    • Short
    • 2020
  • Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon in The Morning Show (2019)
    The Morning Show
    • Kassie Spitser Crisis Specialist
    • TV Series
    • 2019
  • Cleo Bowling in Welcome to Grandville (2019)
    Welcome to Grandville
    • Georgia
    • Short
    • 2019
  • Judy Jean Kwon in MILFriend (2019)
    MILFriend
    • Kathy (voice)
    • TV Movie
    • 2019
  • Aesthetic Rebellion Presents (2018)
    Aesthetic Rebellion Presents
    • K
    • TV Series
    • 2019
  • For The People (2018)
    For The People
    • Judge Drexen
    • TV Series
    • 2019
  • Judy Jean Kwon in MILFriend (2019)
    MILFriend
    • Kathy (voice)
    • TV Series
    • 2019
  • Viola Davis in How to Get Away with Murder (2014)
    How to Get Away with Murder
    • Jillian
    • TV Series
    • 2018
  • Andrew Garfield and Riley Keough in Under the Silver Lake (2018)
    Under the Silver Lake
    • Mom (voice)
    • 2018

Director

  • Guitar Lessons (2009)
    Guitar Lessons
    • Director
    • Short
    • 2009

Writer

  • Guitar Lessons (2009)
    Guitar Lessons
    • written by
    • Short
    • 2009
  • In-development projects at IMDbPro

Videos10

Deborah Geffner - Demo Reel
Demo Reel 4:13
Deborah Geffner - Demo Reel
Deborah Geffner - American Horror Story Season 10 Episode 4
Demo Reel 2:01
Deborah Geffner - American Horror Story Season 10 Episode 4
Mad Men Season 6 Episode 12
Demo Reel 2:17
Mad Men Season 6 Episode 12
Exterminator 2
Clip 2:05
Exterminator 2
Official Trailer
Trailer 2:09
Official Trailer
Official Trailer
Trailer 2:31
Official Trailer
Official Trailer
Trailer 2:31
Official Trailer
Infestation
Trailer 1:51
Infestation
Infestation
Trailer 1:56
Infestation
Guitar Lessons
Trailer 2:39
Guitar Lessons

Personal details

Edit
  • Official sites
    • Deborah Geffner Vimeo profile page
    • Official Site
  • Height
    • 5′ 8″ (1.73 m)
  • Born
    • August 26
    • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
  • Spouse
    • William HolcombJuly 31, 1983 - present (2 children)
  • Other works
    Active on Broadway in the following productions:
  • Publicity listings
    • 2 Pictorials

Self-verified on IMDbPro

  • Gender / Gender identity
    • Female

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    First cousin to Jeff Goldblum.

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