American film and theater actress Mary McDonnell was nominated for Oscars twice. The first time - for her role in the film "Fish of Passion", the second - for her work in the film "Dancing with Wolves."
Mary played the role of President in the exciting and iconic television series Battlestar Galaktika. To date, she plays the main character in the TV serial "Especially Serious Crimes".
The beginning of the creative path
The actress was born in Wilkes-Barr, Pennsylvania on April 28, 1952. The family decided to move to New York State, where they settled in the small town of Ithaca. There the girl spent all her childhood.
McDonnell was educated at the city's chief state university and at his school of acting. The future celebrity studied easily: everything was given to her without effort.
She began working after graduating from the New Haven Theater. The performer served there for two decades. After completing her studies at the University in 1974, Mary played her first major role.
On the New York stage, yesterday's graduate starred in Sheppard's Buried Child. In 1980, with John Spencer and Timothy Nier, partners in the stage production of Still Life, the performer was awarded the Obie Prize.
Mary has appeared in a large number of Broadway performances during her theatrical work. She took part in "Punishment of Justice", "Summer and Smoke", "The Chronicles of Heidi". Simultaneously with theatrical work, McDonnell starred for television and cinema.
She, like others, began with episodes and minor roles. This went on for a decade.
Career takeoff
The first notable television success of the performer was in 1984 her character in the television series "Ambulance".
The girl was quickly noticed. Invitations to other serious work followed. The future star played roles in famous films: "Independence Day", where she performed the first lady, "Donnie Darko", "12 Angry Men".
She took part in the multi-part films "Ambulance", "Grey's Anatomy", "Snoop" and others. Mary McDonnell got a serious role in the historical film Dancing with Wolves.
She played a white girl adopted by an Indian tribe. At that time, such pictures appeared on the screen quite often. But it is very rare that critics spoke about them as warmly as this one.
The project was produced and directed by Kevin Costner. The actor played one of the main roles along with famous artists in America. The work on the tape took five years. The premiere took place in 1990.
"Dancing with Wolves" was nominated for twelve "Oscar" nominations. The painting received a well-deserved award in seven of them. The Best Film Award was one of them.
In 1993, Mary was nominated for an Oscar as Best Supporting Actress. The award was deserved for the main role in the movie "Fish of Passion" directed by John Sayles, which grossed about five million at the box office.
After the game, Mary McDonnell's photo began to appear frequently in the press as a paralyzed woman. The plot was based on the story of a serial performer. The actress, who returned after the accident, deprived of the ability to move independently, is forced to change her attitude to life and condition thanks to the care of the nurse.
Awards and roles
The film was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe in two categories. The project received the Flanders Film Festival Award and the Independent Spirit Award.
In 1994 McDonnell took part in William Friedkin's baseball film The Game of Chance. In 1995, the performer took part in the film adaptation of "American Clock" based on the work of Arthur Miller.
At the Emmy, the actress was nominated in 2002 for the role of the mother of one of the leading characters in the television series Ambulance, Eleanor Carter. Since 2003, a demonstration of the Battlestar Galaktika began on television.
The character of Laura Roslin, head of the twelve colonies, was entrusted to McDonnell. The audience liked the work. As a result, several full-length films were shot based on the plot that has become so popular. Mary took part in all of them.
Currently, the actress does not take part in film projects so often. She prefers quality over quantity. For filming, the performer chooses only proposals that are very interesting to her. In 2011, she starred in the thriller Scream 4 and JC Chandler's The Limit of Risk.
Living in the present tense
Since 2012, the performer has worked in the serial film "Especially Serious Crimes". In the project, she got the leading role of Raylor, the police captain. Since 2017, the actress has been involved in Noah Hawley's "Fargo" project. She has the character of the widow Ruby Goldfarb.
In the first seasons alone, the picture was nominated for one hundred and thirty-three television award nominations. The project was handed thirty-two. The show is constantly nominated for Emmy awards.
The actress calls the most significant only one of her awards, the Saturn Award. She received her as the best television actress for her performance as Roslyn. Multiple Oscar, Golden Globe and Emmy nominations are undeniable proof of McDonnell's talent.
Mary is also happy in her family life. Her husband Randall Mell is known for his paintings "The Cotton Club", "The Postman". He is engaged in the series "The Defective Detective", "24 Hours" and "Law & Order". The actors have been married since 1984.
The family has two children. In 1987, the first child was born, daughter Olivia, and in 1993, son Michael appeared.
