Elizabeth Perkins

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 edit

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 edit

She was listed as one of the 12 "Promising New Actors of 1986" in John Willis' Screen World, and has since landed numerous film roles. Perkins 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 as 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 edit

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 the actor James Woods above the hashtag #MeToo during a rally against sexual harassment in Los Angeles.[16]

Filmography edit

Film edit

YearTitleRoleNotes
1986About Last NightJoan
1987From the HipJo Ann
1988BigSusan Lawrence
Sweet Hearts DanceAdie Nims
1990Love at LargeStella Wynkowski
Enid Is SleepingJune
AvalonAnn Kaye
1991He Said, She SaidLorie Bryer
The DoctorJune Ellis
1993Indian SummerJennifer Morton
1994The FlintstonesWilma Flintstone
Miracle on 34th StreetDorey Walker
1995Moonlight and ValentinoRebecca Trager Lott
1997Lesser ProphetsSusan
1998I'm Losing YouAubrey Wicker
1999Crazy in AlabamaJoan Blake
200028 DaysLily Cummings
2001Cats & DogsMrs. Caroline Brody
2002All I WantBlancheAKA, Try Seventeen
2003Finding NemoCoralVoice
2004Gilded StonesPollyShort film
SpeakJoyce Sordino
Jiminy Glick in LalawoodMiranda Coolidge
2005The Ring TwoDr. Emma Temple
The Thing About My FolksRachel Kleinman
Must Love DogsCarol Nolan
Fierce PeopleMrs. Langley
Kids in AmericaSondra Carmichael
2011HopBonnie O'Hare
2016GhostbustersPhyllis AdlerUncredited
2021My Little Pony: A New GenerationPhyllis CloverleafVoice role[17]
2023Spider-Man: Across the Spider-VerseAunt May Parker
TBAUntitled A Simple Favor sequelFilming

Television edit

YearTitleRoleNotes
1993For Their Own GoodSally WheelerTelevision film
1997ClonedSkye Weston
Rescuers: Stories of Courage: Two WomenGertruda Babilinska
1998From the Earth to the MoonMarilyn LovellEpisode: "The Original Wives Club"
2000If These Walls Could Talk 2Alice HedleyTelevision film
Battery ParkCaptain Madeline Dunleavy6 episodes
2001What Girls LearnMamaTelevision film
2002My Sister's KeeperJudy Chapman
2002–04King of the HillJan Shaw, Mrs. Ashmore, Sherilyn (voice)Episodes: "Get Your Freak Off," "How I Learned to Stop Worrying," "The Redneck on Rainey Street"
2005HerculesAlcmene2 episodes
2005–09WeedsCelia Hodes63 episodes
2009MonkChristine RappEpisode: "Mr. Monk's Favorite Show"
2011Vince UncensoredJanet DonohueTelevision film
The CloserGail MeyersEpisode: "Road Block"
2013How to Live with Your Parents
(For the Rest of Your Life)
Elaine Green13 episodes
2014Hell's KitchenHerselfEpisode: "15 Chefs Compete"
How to Get Away with MurderMarren TrudeauEpisode: "Let's Get to Scooping"
One ChildKatherine Ashley3 episodes
2017–22This Is UsJanet Malone6 episodes
2017–19GLOWBirdie2 episodes
2017Curb Your EnthusiasmMarilyn
2018Sharp ObjectsJackie O'Neill8 episodes
2019CorporateThe AccountantEpisode: "The Expense Report"
2019–21The MoodysAnn MoodyMain role[18]
2019–20Truth Be ToldMelanie Cave
2022BarryDiane Villa3 episodes
2023The AfterpartyIsabel MinnowsMain role (Season 2)
MinxConstance7 episodes
The Morning ShowElenaEpisode: "Update Your Priors"

Awards and nominations edit

Awards and nominations
YearAwardCategoryProductionResult
1992CFCA AwardBest Supporting ActressThe DoctorNominated
2005Satellite AwardOutstanding Actress in a Series, Comedy or MusicalWeedsNominated
2006Satellite AwardBest Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series, or TV MovieNominated
Golden Globe AwardBest Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series, or TV MovieNominated
Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy SeriesNominated
2007Nominated
Screen Actors Guild AwardOutstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy SeriesNominated
Golden Globe AwardBest Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series, or TV MovieNominated
Golden NymphOutstanding Actress – Comedy SeriesNominated
2009Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy SeriesNominated
Screen Actors Guild AwardOutstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy SeriesNominated
2019Critics' Choice Television AwardBest Supporting Actress in a Movie/Miniseries[19]Sharp ObjectsNominated

References edit

  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.

External links edit