Elizabeth Perkins (born November 18, 1960[1]) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in films including About Last Night (1986), From the Hip (1987), Big (1988), Enid Is Sleeping (1990), The Flintstones (1994), Moonlight and Valentino (1995), The Ring Two (2005) and Hop (2011). She is also well known for her role as Celia Hodes in the Showtime TV series Weeds, for which she received three Primetime Emmy nominations and two Golden Globe nominations.

Elizabeth Perkins
Perkins in 2008
Born (1960-11-18) November 18, 1960 (age 63)
EducationDePaul University
OccupationActress
Years active1984–present
Spouses
(m. 1984; div. 1988)
(m. 2000)
Children1

Early life

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Perkins's paternal grandparents were Greek immigrants from Salonika who anglicized their surname from "Pisperikos" to "Perkins" when they moved to the United States.[2][3][4]

Perkins was raised in Colrain, Massachusetts; her parents divorced in 1963.[5] She began working in theatre with Arena Civic Theatre, a non-profit community theatre group based in Greenfield, Massachusetts.[6] Perkins attended Northfield Mount Hermon School, an elite preparatory school, and then spent 1978 to 1981 in Chicago attaining her Certificate in Acting from the Goodman School of Drama at DePaul University.[5] In 1984, she made her theatrical debut on Broadway in Neil Simon's Brighton Beach Memoirs[7] and afterward, worked in a number of ensemble companies, including The New York Shakespeare Festival and the Steppenwolf Theater.[8]

Career

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Perkins was listed as one of the 12 "Promising New Actors of 1986" in John Willis' Screen World. She made her film debut in 1986 in Edward Zwick's About Last Night... and had a career breakthrough co-starring with Tom Hanks in Big. She received critical acclaim for her performance in Barry Levinson's Avalon,[9] and was a standout opposite William Hurt in The Doctor (1991), receiving critical acclaim for her performance as a terminal cancer patient.[5] In 1993, Perkins appeared in the television project For Their Own Good.[10] She later starred in the comedy series Battery Park and has appeared in television and films, including 1994's The Flintstones (starring as Wilma Flintstone) and Miracle on 34th Street (starring as Dorey Walker), and 2000's 28 Days (starring as Sandra Bullock's sister). Perkins also played a small voice role in 2003's Finding Nemo as Coral, a clownfish who is Marlin's wife and Nemo's mom that gets killed and eaten by a barracuda at the beginning of the film. Perkins also appeared as a psychiatrist in 2005's The Ring Two, starring Naomi Watts.

From 2005 to 2009, Perkins played Celia Hodes, an alcoholic and image-obsessed parent–teacher association (PTA) mother, alongside Mary-Louise Parker and Justin Kirk on the Showtime series Weeds. For her work on Weeds, Perkins received two Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actress in a TV Series, Miniseries or Made for TV Motion Picture (in 2006 and 2007).[5] She was also nominated three times for an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on Weeds.[5] At a screening of the season 2 finale of Weeds, at the Museum of TV and Radio on October 25, 2006, Perkins said that she considers Celia Hodes her favorite role in her career.[5] On May 6, 2010, she announced that the fifth season of Weeds was her last despite the cliffhanger her character had in the season finale.[11]

She starred in the ABC comedy series How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life).[12] She played Birdie in the Netflix original series GLOW.

Personal life

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Perkins married Terry Kinney in 1984; they divorced in 1988.[13] She has one daughter with Maurice Phillips. In 2000, she married Argentine-born cinematographer Julio Macat, gaining three stepsons: Maximillian, Alexander and Andreas.[14]

In 2005, at the age of 44, she learned that she had latent autoimmune diabetes, a form of type 1 diabetes that is most often diagnosed in middle age.[15]

In 2017, Perkins held a sign naming actor James Woods above the hashtag #MeToo during a rally against sexual harassment in Los Angeles.[16]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1986 About Last Night Joan
1987 From the Hip Jo Ann
1988 Big Susan Lawrence
Sweet Hearts Dance Adie Nims
1990 Love at Large Stella Wynkowski
Enid Is Sleeping June
Avalon Ann Kaye
1991 He Said, She Said Lorie Bryer
The Doctor June Ellis
1993 Indian Summer Jennifer Morton
1994 The Flintstones Wilma Flintstone
Miracle on 34th Street Dorey Walker
1995 Moonlight and Valentino Rebecca Trager Lott
1997 Lesser Prophets Susan
1998 I'm Losing You Aubrey Wicker
1999 Crazy in Alabama Joan Blake
2000 28 Days Lily Cummings
2001 Cats & Dogs Carolyn Brody
2002 All I Want Blanche AKA, Try Seventeen
2003 Finding Nemo Coral Voice
2004 Gilded Stones Polly Short film
Speak Joyce Sordino
Jiminy Glick in Lalawood Miranda Coolidge
2005 The Ring Two Dr. Emma Temple
The Thing About My Folks Rachel Kleinman
Must Love Dogs Carol Nolan
Fierce People Mrs. Langley
Kids in America Sondra Carmichael
2011 Hop Bonnie O'Hare
2016 Ghostbusters Phyllis Adler Uncredited
2021 My Little Pony: A New Generation Phyllis Cloverleaf Voice role[17]
2023 Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Aunt May Parker
TBA Untitled A Simple Favor sequel Post-production

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1993 For Their Own Good Sally Wheeler Television film
1997 Cloned Skye Weston
Rescuers: Stories of Courage: Two Women Gertruda Babilinska
1998 From the Earth to the Moon Marilyn Lovell Episode: "The Original Wives Club"
2000 If These Walls Could Talk 2 Alice Hedley Television film
Battery Park Captain Madeline Dunleavy 6 episodes
2001 What Girls Learn Mama Television film
2002 My Sister's Keeper Judy Chapman
2002–04 King of the Hill Jan Shaw, Mrs. Ashmore, Sherilyn (voice) Episodes: "Get Your Freak Off," "How I Learned to Stop Worrying," "The Redneck on Rainey Street"
2005 Hercules Alcmene 2 episodes
2005–09 Weeds Celia Hodes 63 episodes
2009 Monk Christine Rapp Episode: "Mr. Monk's Favorite Show"
2011 Vince Uncensored Janet Donohue Television film
The Closer Gail Meyers Episode: "Road Block"
2013 How to Live with Your Parents
(For the Rest of Your Life)
Elaine Green 13 episodes
2014 Hell's Kitchen Herself Episode: "15 Chefs Compete"
How to Get Away with Murder Marren Trudeau Episode: "Let's Get to Scooping"
One Child Katherine Ashley 3 episodes
2017–22 This Is Us Janet Malone 6 episodes
2017–19 GLOW Birdie 2 episodes
2017 Curb Your Enthusiasm Marilyn
2018 Sharp Objects Jackie O'Neill 8 episodes
2019 Corporate The Accountant Episode: "The Expense Report"
2019–21 The Moodys Ann Moody Main role[18]
2019–20 Truth Be Told Melanie Cave
2022 Barry Diane Villa 3 episodes
2023 The Afterparty Isabel Minnows Main role (Season 2)
Minx Constance 7 episodes
The Morning Show Elena Episode: "Update Your Priors"

Awards and nominations

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Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Production Result
1992 CFCA Award Best Supporting Actress The Doctor Nominated
2005 Satellite Award Outstanding Actress in a Series, Comedy or Musical Weeds Nominated
2006 Satellite Award Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series, or TV Movie Nominated
Golden Globe Award Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series, or TV Movie Nominated
Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Nominated
2007 Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Nominated
Golden Globe Award Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series, or TV Movie Nominated
Golden Nymph Outstanding Actress – Comedy Series Nominated
2009 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Nominated
2019 Critics' Choice Television Award Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Miniseries[19] Sharp Objects Nominated

References

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  1. ^ "Today's famous birthdays list for November 18, 2021 includes celebrities Owen Wilson, Chloe Sevigny". Cleveland.com. November 18, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  2. ^ "'Big' star relates to 'Avalon' role Article from Chicago Sun-Times". HighBeam Research. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  3. ^ "Elizabeth Perkins Biography – Yahoo! Movies". Movies.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on May 22, 2011. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  4. ^ "– 20Q – Elizabeth Perkins – Interview With Elizabeth Perkins". Playboy.com. Archived from the original on February 21, 2009. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Perkins, Elizabeth (October 22, 2009). "Biography". elizabeth-perkins.org. Archived from the original on May 4, 2013. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  6. ^ Arena Civic Theatre Boston Globe August 10, 1978
  7. ^ Movie's stars reflect on their roles and relationships by Philip Wuntch The Dallas Morning News, July 6, 1986
  8. ^ Perkins Finds a Role to Sink Sharp Teeth Into by JAN BRESLAUER Los Angeles Times November 17, 1995
  9. ^ Elizabeth Perkins Biography, Dreamworks April 11, 2005
  10. ^ Elizabeth Perkins Biography, Warner Brothers
  11. ^ "Elizabeth Perkins is leaving 'Weeds.' Who needs a margarita?". Entertainment Weekly. May 6, 2010. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
  12. ^ Producer Claudia Lonow On ABC's 'How To Live With Your Parents': TCA,Deadline Hollywood, July 27, 2012. Played Birdie in the Netflix original show GLOW.
  13. ^ Chicago Sun Times Perkins doctors up career after 'Big' break by Luaine Lee, August 30, 1991
  14. ^ According to Parade Magazine (August 5, 2007)
  15. ^ "Shock & Awesome" Archived October 22, 2019, at the Wayback Machine. (February 2008) Diabetes Forecast Magazine. Accessed July 5, 2009.
  16. ^ "Elizabeth Perkins Names James Woods During March Against Sexual Harassment". HuffPost. November 13, 2017.
  17. ^ Bonaime, Ross (June 30, 2021). "'My Little Pony: A New Generation' Netflix Film Reveals Release Date and Cast". Collider. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  18. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (August 14, 2019). "Elizabeth Perkins To Star In Fox's 'The Moodys' Holiday Event Comedy Series". Deadline Hollywood.
  19. ^ "Best Supporting Actress in a Movie Made for Television or Limited Series - Critics' Choice Awards: 'Roma,' 'Americans,' 'Mrs. Maisel' Top Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. January 13, 2019.
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