Mary Steenburgen, born February 8, 1953, in Newport, Arkansas, is an American actress, comedian, singer, and songwriter.
Raised in North Little Rock, Arkansas, after her family relocated when she was three, Steenburgen developed an early passion for the arts, engaging in tap dancing and drama during her school years.
Her father, Maurice H. Steenburgen, worked as a freight-train conductor for the Missouri Pacific Railroad, while her mother, Nellie Mae Wall, was a school-board secretary.
Steenburgen’s heritage includes Dutch, English, Scottish, and Welsh ancestry, reflected in her surname.
After briefly attending Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas, she moved to New York City in 1972 to pursue acting, studying at the Neighborhood Playhouse under Will Esper.
Discovered by Jack Nicholson, she landed her breakout role in the 1978 Western comedy Goin’ South, launching a prolific career that spans decades.
Siblings
Mary has one sibling, a younger sister named Nancy Lynn Steenburgen Kelly.
Born to the same parents, Maurice and Nellie Mae Steenburgen, Nancy pursued a career in education, becoming a teacher.
While Mary achieved fame in the entertainment industry, Nancy maintained a more private life, focusing on her professional endeavors outside the public eye.
Career
Steenburgen’s career began with her debut in Goin’ South (1978), where she played Julia Tate, earning a Golden Globe nomination.
Her role in Time After Time (1979) as Amy Robbins, a modern woman who falls for H.G. Wells (played by Malcolm McDowell, her future husband), won her a Saturn Award for Best Actress.
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Steenburgen’s third film, Melvin and Howard (1980), brought her widespread acclaim as Lynda Dummar, securing an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress.
She continued to shine in films like Ragtime (1981), earning another Golden Globe nomination, and Cross Creek (1983), where she portrayed author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings.
Her versatility allowed her to excel in diverse roles, from the schoolteacher Clara Clayton in Back to the Future Part III (1990) to a seductive housewife in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) and a tough lawyer in Philadelphia (1993).
Steenburgen’s comedic roles in films like Parenthood (1989), Elf (2003), Step Brothers (2008), and The Proposal (2009) showcased her humor, while her dramatic performances in Nixon (1995) and The Help (2011) highlighted her depth.
On television, she starred in series like Ink (1996–97), Joan of Arcadia (2003–05), Justified (2014–15), and The Last Man on Earth (2015–18), and made recurring appearances on Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Beyond acting, Steenburgen is an accomplished songwriter, earning a Critics’ Choice Movie Award for her song “Glasgow (No Place Like Home)” in Wild Rose (2018).
She has also appeared in recent projects like Book Club (2018), Happiest Season (2020), and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist (2020–21).
Accolades
Steenburgen standout achievement is the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Melvin and Howard (1980), complemented by a Golden Globe Award for the same role.
She received a Golden Globe nomination for Ragtime (1981) and a Saturn Award for Best Actress for Time After Time (1979).
Steenburgen was also nominated for a BAFTA TV Award for her role in the miniseries Tender Is the Night (1985) and a Primetime Emmy Award for The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank (1988).
Her songwriting earned her a Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Song for “Glasgow (No Place Like Home)” in Wild Rose (2018).
In recognition of her contributions to the arts, Steenburgen received honorary doctorates from Hendrix College (1989) and Lyon College (2006).
She was honored with the 1,337th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2009, cementing her legacy as a multifaceted artist.
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