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Laura Linney

Acting

Born February 5, 1964 · Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Biography

Laura Leggett Linney (born February 5, 1964) is an American actress. She is the recipient of several awards, including two Golden Globe Awards and four Primetime Emmy Awards, and has been nominated for three Academy Awards and five Tony Awards. Linney made her Broadway debut in 1990 before going on to receive Tony Award nominations for the 2002 revival of The Crucible, the original Broadway productions of Sight Unseen (2004), Time Stands Still (2010), My Name Is Lucy Barton (2020), and the 2017 revival of The Little Foxes. On television, she won her first Emmy Award for the television film Wild Iris (2001), and had subsequent wins for the sitcom Frasier (2003–04) and the miniseries John Adams (2008). From 2010 to 2013, she starred in the Showtime series The Big C, which won her a fourth Emmy in 2013, and from 2017 to 2022 she starred in the Netflix crime series Ozark. Linney is also an established film actress. She made her film debut with a minor role in Lorenzo's Oil (1992) and went on to receive Academy Award nominations for the dramas You Can Count on Me (2000), Kinsey (2004), and The Savages (2007). She's also known for her performances in Primal Fear (1996), The Truman Show (1998), Mystic River and Love Actually (both 2003), The Squid and the Whale (2005), The Nanny Diaries (2007), Hyde Park on Hudson (2012), Mr. Holmes (2015), Sully and Nocturnal Animals (both 2016).

Awards & recognition

  • Crystal Award · 2013
  • Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie · 2013
  • Golden Globe Awards · 2009
  • Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie · 2008
  • Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series · 2004
Show all 15 awards →
  • Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie · 2002
  • Theatre World Award · 1992
  • Drama Desk AwardOutstanding Actress in a Play
  • Golden Globe AwardBest Actress – Television Series Drama · 2023 · nominated
  • Tony AwardBest Actress in a Play · 2010 · nominated
  • Academy AwardBest Actress · 2008 · nominated
  • Academy AwardBest Supporting Actress · 2005 · nominated
  • Tony AwardBest Actress in a Play · 2005 · nominated
  • Tony AwardBest Actress in a Play · 2002 · nominated
  • Academy AwardBest Actress · 2001 · nominated

Filmography50+ titles

Masterpiece

1971as Self - Narrator

BoJack Horseman

2014as Laura Linney (voice)

Ozark

2017as Wendy Byrde

The Truman Show

1998as Meryl Burbank / Hannah Gill

Olympia

2018as Self

Be My Guest with Ina Garten

2022as Self

John Adams

2008as Abigail Adams

Mystic River

2003as Annabeth Markum

Primal Fear

1996as Janet Venable

Frasier

1993as Mindy (voice)

Tales of the City

1993as Mary Ann Singleton

Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields

2023as Self

Nocturnal Animals

2016as Anne Sutton

The Life of David Gale

2003as Constance Hallaway

King of the Hill

1997as Marlene (voice)

American Classic

2026as Kristen Forrest Bean

Law & Order

1990as Martha Bowen

Sully

2016as Lorrie Sullenberger

The Big C

2010as Cathy Jamison

The Graham Norton Show

2007as Self

Creating a Character: The Moni Yakim Legacy

2020as Self

Love Actually

2003as Sarah

Searching for Bobby Fischer

1993as School Teacher

Lorenzo's Oil

1992as Young Teacher

American Dad!

2005as Doctor Gupta (voice)

The Squid and the Whale

2005as Joan Berkman

Coronavirus, Explained

2020as Self - Narrator

The Savages

2007as Wendy Savage

You Can Count on Me

2000as Sammy

Tales of the City

2019as Mary Ann Singleton

Arthur Christmas

2011as North Pole Computer (voice)

Suncoast

2024as Kristine

Absolute Power

1997as Kate Whitney

A Farewell to Ozark

2022as Self

Breach

2007as Kate Burroughs

The Exorcism of Emily Rose

2005as Erin Bruner

Kinsey

2004as Clara McMillen

Dave

1993as Randi

American Experience

1988as Narrator (voice)

Genius

2016as Louise Saunders

Mr. Holmes

2015as Mrs. Munro

The Men in Blazers Show

as Self

Falling

2020as Sarah (45 Yrs)

The Kelly Clarkson Show

2019as Self

Finding Your Roots

2012as Self

The Nanny Diaries

2007as Mrs. X

The Daily Show

1996as Self

The Miracle Club

2023as Chrissie Ahearn

The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin

2017as Self

The Laramie Project

2002as Sherry Johnson