View source for Blythe Danner

{{Short description|American actress (born 1943)}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2015}}
{{Infobox person
| image              = Blythe Danner 2.jpg
| caption            = Danner in 2010
| birth_name         = Blythe Katherine Danner
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|1943|2|3}}
| birth_place        = [[Philadelphia]], Pennsylvania, U.S.
| death_date         = 
| death_place        = 
| death_cause        = 
| alma_mater         = [[Bard College]]
| occupation         = Actress
| years_active       = 1965–present
| spouse             = {{marriage|[[Bruce Paltrow]]|December 14, 1969|October 3, 2002|end=d}}
| children           = {{flatlist|*[[Gwyneth Paltrow]]
*[[Jake Paltrow]]}}
| relatives          = [[Harry Danner]] (brother)<br>[[Katherine Moennig]] (niece)<br>[[Apple Martin]] (granddaughter)
}}

'''Blythe Katherine Danner''' (born February 3, 1943)<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bryer |first1=Jackson R. |last2=Davison |first2=Richard Allan |title=The Actor's Art: Conversations with Contemporary American Stage Performers |date=2001 |publisher=Rutgers University Press |isbn=978-0-8135-2873-1 |page=40 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PgOf2mJLmNEC}}</ref> is an American actress. Accolades she has received include two [[Primetime Emmy Award]]s for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series|Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series]] for her role as Izzy Huffstodt on ''[[Huff (TV series)|Huff]]'' (2004–2006), and a [[Tony Award]] for [[Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play|Best Featured Actress]] for her performance in ''[[Butterflies Are Free (play)|Butterflies Are Free]]'' on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] (1969–1972). Danner was twice nominated for the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series|Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series]] for portraying Marilyn Truman on ''[[Will & Grace]]'' (2001–06; 2018–20), and the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie|Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie]] for her roles in ''[[We Were the Mulvaneys (film)|We Were the Mulvaneys]]'' (2002) and ''[[Back When We Were Grownups#Films|Back When We Were Grownups]]'' (2004). For the latter, she also received a [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film|Golden Globe Award]] nomination.

Danner played Dina Byrnes in ''[[Meet the Parents]]'' (2000) and its sequels ''[[Meet the Fockers]]'' (2004), ''[[Little Fockers]]'' (2010) and ''[[Focker In-Law]]'' (2026). She has collaborated on several occasions with [[Woody Allen]], appearing in three of his films: ''[[Another Woman (1988 film)|Another Woman]]'' (1988), ''[[Alice (1990 film)|Alice]]'' (1990), and ''[[Husbands and Wives]]'' (1992). Her other notable film credits include ''[[1776 (film)|1776]]'' (1972), ''[[Hearts of the West]]'' (1975), ''[[The Great Santini]]'' (1979), ''[[Mr. & Mrs. Bridge]]'' (1990), ''[[The Prince of Tides]]'' (1991), ''[[To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar]]'' (1995), ''[[The Myth of Fingerprints]]'' (1997), ''[[The X-Files (film)|The X-Files]]'' (1998), ''[[Forces of Nature (1999 film)|Forces of Nature]]'' (1999), ''[[The Love Letter (1999 film)|The Love Letter]]'' (1999), ''[[The Last Kiss (2006 film)|The Last Kiss]]'' (2006), ''[[Paul (2011 film)|Paul]]'' (2011), ''[[Hello I Must Be Going (2012 film)|Hello I Must Be Going]]'' (2012), ''[[I'll See You in My Dreams (2015 film)|I'll See You in My Dreams]]'' (2015), and ''[[What They Had]]'' (2018).

Danner is the sister of [[Harry Danner]] and the widow of [[Bruce Paltrow]].

== Early life ==
Danner was born in [[Philadelphia]], Pennsylvania, to Katharine and Harry Earl Danner, a bank executive.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://articles.philly.com/2011-04-28/entertainment/29483137_1_violin-maker-water-club-marlton|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120603125511/http://articles.philly.com/2011-04-28/entertainment/29483137_1_violin-maker-water-club-marlton|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 3, 2012|title=Dan Gross: Gwynnie had no time for granny|date=April 28, 2011|website=Philly.com}}</ref> She has a brother, opera singer and actor [[Harry Danner]], a sister and a maternal half-brother. Danner has [[Pennsylvania Dutch]], some English and Irish ancestry. Her maternal grandmother was a German immigrant, and one of her paternal great-grandmothers was born in [[Barbados]] to a family of European descent.<ref name="laetgi">{{Cite web|last=Hughes|first=Mike|title='Grownups' star finds role is a welcome distraction|website=Lansing State Journal|date=November 20, 2004|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/lansingstatejournal/access/1800643341.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Nov+20%2C+2004&author=Hughes+Mike&pub=Lansing+State+Journal&desc=%27Grownups%27+star+finds+role+is+a+welcom+distraction&pqatl=google|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130131191413/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/lansingstatejournal/access/1800643341.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Nov+20,+2004&author=Hughes+Mike&pub=Lansing+State+Journal&desc='Grownups'+star+finds+role+is+a+welcom+distraction&pqatl=google|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 31, 2013|access-date=December 17, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.barbadosadvocate.com/newsitem.asp?more=lifestyle&NewsID=16711|title=Hollywood celebrity finds family links in Barbados|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119080432/http://www.barbadosadvocate.com/newsitem.asp?more=lifestyle&NewsID=16711|archive-date=January 19, 2012|website=Barbados Advocate|date=March 31, 2011}}</ref> Danner graduated from [[George School]], a Quaker high school located near [[Newtown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania]], in 1960.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.georgeschool.org/NewsAndEvents/2014/Fast%20Friends%20Blythe%20Danner%20and%20Meredith%20Monk.aspx|title=George School profile|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018034154/http://www.georgeschool.org/NewsAndEvents/2014/Fast%20Friends%20Blythe%20Danner%20and%20Meredith%20Monk.aspx|archive-date=October 18, 2014|website=GeorgeSchool.org|access-date=February 3, 2016}}</ref>

==Career==
A graduate of [[Bard College]], Danner's first roles included the 1967 musical ''[[Mata Hari (1967 musical)|Mata Hari]]'' and the 1968 Off-Broadway production of ''Summertree''. Her early Broadway appearances included ''[[Cyrano de Bergerac (play)|Cyrano de Bergerac]]'' (1968) and her [[Theatre World Award]]-winning performance in ''[[The Miser]]'' (1969). She won the [[Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play]] for portraying a free-spirited divorcée in ''[[Butterflies Are Free (play)|Butterflies Are Free]]'' (1970).
[[File:Blythe Danner - 1980.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Danner in 1980]]
In 1972, Danner portrayed [[Martha Jefferson]] in the film version of ''[[1776 (film)|1776]]''. That same year, she played the unknowing wife of a husband who committed murder, opposite [[Peter Falk]] and [[John Cassavetes]], in the ''[[Columbo (TV series)|Columbo]]'' episode "Étude in Black".

Her earliest starring film role was opposite [[Alan Alda]] in ''To Kill a Clown'' (1972). Danner appeared in the episode of ''[[M*A*S*H (TV series)|M*A*S*H]]'' entitled "[[List of M*A*S*H episodes (Season 4)|The More I See You]]", playing the love interest of Alda's character [[Hawkeye Pierce]]. She played lawyer Amanda Bonner in television's ''Adam's Rib'', opposite [[Ken Howard]] as Adam Bonner.  She played [[Zelda Fitzgerald]] in ''[[F. Scott Fitzgerald and 'The Last of the Belles']]'' (1974). She was the eponymous heroine in the film ''[[Lovin' Molly]]'' (1974) (directed by [[Sidney Lumet]]). She appeared in ''[[Futureworld]]'', playing Tracy Ballard with co-star [[Peter Fonda]] (1976). In the 1982 TV movie ''[[Inside the Third Reich (film)|Inside the Third Reich]]'', she played the wife of [[Albert Speer]]. In the [[Brighton Beach Memoirs (film)|film version]] of [[Neil Simon]]'s semi-autobiographical play ''[[Brighton Beach Memoirs]]'' (1986), she portrayed a middle-aged [[Jew]]ish mother. She has appeared in two films based on the novels of [[Pat Conroy]], ''[[The Great Santini]]'' (1979) and ''[[The Prince of Tides]]'' (1991), as well as two television movies adapted from books by [[Anne Tyler]], ''[[Saint Maybe]]'' and ''[[Back When We Were Grownups]]'', both for the [[Hallmark Hall of Fame]].

[[File:Blythe Danner at Met Opera.jpg|thumb|upright|Danner at the Metropolitan Opera opening, September 22, 2008]]
Danner appeared opposite [[Robert De Niro]] in the 2000 comedy hit ''[[Meet the Parents]]'', and its sequels, ''[[Meet the Fockers]]'' (2004) and ''[[Little Fockers]]'' (2010). On May 30, 2025, it was announced that Danner would return for a fourth film which is scheduled to release on November 25, 2026.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kroll |first=Justin |date=2025-05-30 |title=Ariana Grande Joins 'Meet The Parents' Sequel At Universal; Fall 2026 Release Date Set |url=https://deadline.com/2025/05/ariana-grande-meet-the-parents-movie-1236413786/ |access-date=2025-05-31 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref>

From 2001 to 2006, she regularly appeared on NBC's sitcom ''[[Will & Grace]]'' as [[Will Truman]]'s mother [[Supporting characters on Will & Grace#Will's family|Marilyn]]. From 2004 to 2006, she starred in the main cast of the comedy-drama series ''[[Huff (TV series)|Huff]]''. In 2005, she was nominated for three [[Primetime Emmy Award]]s for her work on ''Will & Grace'', ''Huff'', and the television film ''[[Back When We Were Grownups]]'', winning for her role in ''Huff''. The following year, she won a second consecutive Emmy Award for ''Huff''. For 25 years, she has been a regular performer at the Williamstown Summer Theater Festival, where she also serves on the board of directors.<ref name="wtf">{{cite web|title=Trustees |url=http://wtfestival.org/about/trustees |publisher=Williamstown Theatre Festival |access-date=December 7, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111021203352/http://www.wtfestival.org/about/trustees |archive-date=October 21, 2011 |df=mdy }}</ref>

In 2006, Danner was awarded an inaugural [[Katharine Hepburn]] Medal by [[Bryn Mawr College]]'s Katharine Houghton Hepburn Center.<ref>[http://www.brynmawr.edu/hepburn/medalists/danner.shtml "Danner wins medal"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130604002641/http://brynmawr.edu/hepburn/medalists/danner.shtml |date=June 4, 2013 }} Bryn Mawr.edu</ref> In 2015, Danner was inducted into the [[American Theater Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/theater-hall-of-fame-ceremony-honoring-susan-stroman-f.-murray-abraham-philip-j.-smith-and-more-presented-tonight-348021|title=Theater Hall of Fame Ceremony, Honoring Susan Stroman, F. Murray Abraham, Philip J. Smith and more, presented tonight|date=May 4, 2015|publisher=www.playbill.com|access-date=July 31, 2015}}</ref>

==Environmental activism==
Danner has been involved in environmental issues such as [[recycling]] and [[conservation ethic|conservation]] for over 30 years.<ref name="minutes">{{cite web| title=City Council Minutes| url=http://www01.smgov.net/cityclerk/council/agendas/2003/20030826/wm062403.htm| date=June 24, 2003| publisher=[[Santa Monica, California|City of Santa Monica]]| access-date=December 7, 2011| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119052954/http://www01.smgov.net/cityclerk/council/agendas/2003/20030826/wm062403.htm| archive-date=January 19, 2012| df=mdy-all}}</ref> She has been active with [[INFORM, Inc.]], is on the Board of Environmental Advocates of New York and the board of directors of the [[Environmental Media Association]],<ref name="board">{{cite web| title=Board of Directors| url=http://www.ema-online.org/board_of_directors.php| publisher=Environmental Media Association| access-date=December 7, 2011| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111206060552/http://www.ema-online.org/board_of_directors.php| archive-date=December 6, 2011| df=mdy-all}}</ref> and won the 2002 [[Environmental Media Awards|EMA Board of Directors Ongoing Commitment Award]].<ref name="award">{{cite web| title=12th Annual Environmental Media Awards| url=http://www.ema-online.org/awards_12th_annual.php| publisher=Environmental Media Association| access-date=December 7, 2011| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524015139/http://www.ema-online.org/awards_12th_annual.php| archive-date=May 24, 2011| df=mdy-all}}</ref> In 2011, Danner joined [[Moms Clean Air Force]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.momscleanairforce.org/blythe-danner/|title=Moms Clean Air Force |publisher=momscleanairforce.org |access-date=February 28, 2012}}</ref> to help call on parents to join in the fight against toxic air pollution.

==Health care activism==
After the death of her husband [[Bruce Paltrow]] from [[oral cancer]], she became involved with the nonprofit [[Oral Cancer Foundation]].<ref name="foundation">{{cite web| title=The Oral Cancer Foundation| url=http://www.oralcancer.org/| date=December 7, 2011| publisher=Oral Cancer Fund| access-date=December 7, 2011| archive-date=September 2, 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160902054807/http://www.oralcancer.org/| url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2005, she filmed a [[public service announcement]] to raise public awareness of the disease and the need for early detection. She has since appeared on [[breakfast television|morning talk show]]s and given interviews in such magazines as ''[[People (American magazine)|People]]''. The Bruce Paltrow Oral Cancer Fund, administered by the Oral Cancer Foundation, raises funding for oral cancer research and treatment, with a particular focus on those communities in which healthcare disparities exist.<ref name="cancer">{{cite web| title=Bruce Paltrow Fund| url=http://www.oralcancerfoundation.org/paltrowfund/index.html| publisher=Oral Cancer Fund| date=December 7, 2011| access-date=December 7, 2011| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111126221002/http://www.oralcancerfoundation.org/paltrowfund/index.html| archive-date=November 26, 2011| df=mdy-all}}</ref>

She has also appeared in commercials for Prolia, a brand of [[denosumab]] used in the treatment of [[osteoporosis]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.prolia.com/blythe-danner-on-prolia/|title=Hear from Blythe on Prolia|website=Prolia.com|access-date=2018-10-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181019001453/https://www.prolia.com/blythe-danner-on-prolia/|archive-date=October 19, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drug/denosumab.html#indicationsAndDoses|title=Denosumab|date=2018|website=BNF British National Formulary - NICE|access-date=18 Oct 2018}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Danner was married to producer and director [[Bruce Paltrow]], who died of oral cancer in 2002.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oralcancerfoundation.org/paltrowfund/index.html|title=Bruce Paltrow Fund|access-date=December 20, 2012|publisher=OCF Inc.|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130122151604/http://oralcancerfoundation.org/paltrowfund/index.html|archive-date=January 22, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref> She and Paltrow had two children together, actress [[Gwyneth Paltrow]] and director [[Jake Paltrow]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-03-13|title=Gwyneth Paltrow - Hollywood Star Walk - Los Angeles Times|url=http://projects.latimes.com/hollywood/star-walk/gwyneth-paltrow/|access-date=2021-06-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180313044812/http://projects.latimes.com/hollywood/star-walk/gwyneth-paltrow/|archive-date=March 13, 2018}}</ref>

Danner's niece is the actress [[Katherine Moennig]], the daughter of her maternal half-brother William.

Danner co-starred with her daughter in the 1992 television film ''[[Cruel Doubt]]''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-05-17-tv-68-story.html|title=Blythe's Spirit|date=1992-05-17|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-31}}</ref> and again in the 2003 film ''[[Sylvia (2003 film)|Sylvia]]'', in which she portrayed [[Aurelia Plath]], mother to Gwyneth's title role of [[Sylvia Plath]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-oct-17-et-sylvia17-story.html|title=Paltrow equal to the task of portraying a tortured Plath|date=2003-10-17|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-31}}</ref>

Danner is a practitioner of [[transcendental meditation]], which she has described as "very helpful and comforting".<ref>{{cite web|last1=Douglas|first1=Clare|last2=Whitwell|first2=Carli|date=May 27, 2015|url=http://ca.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/02015052716476/blythe-danner-a-part-of-me-feels-like-i-have-never-grown-up/|title=Blythe Danner: 'A part of me feels like I have never grown up'|website=Hello! Canada|access-date=June 3, 2015|quote="I have found transcendental meditation very helpful and comforting. It centers me."}}</ref>

==Acting credits==
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Key
| style="background:#ffc;"| {{dagger|alt=Denotes films that have not yet been released}}
| Denotes productions that have not yet been released
|}
===Film===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1972 || ''[[To Kill a Clown]]'' || Lily Frischer ||
|-
| ''[[1776 (film)|1776]]'' || [[Martha Jefferson]] ||
|-
| 1974 || ''[[Lovin' Molly]]'' || Molly Taylor ||
|-
| 1975 || ''[[Hearts of the West (1975 film)|Hearts of the West]]'' || Miss Trout ||
|-
| 1976 || ''[[Futureworld]]'' || Tracy Ballard ||
|-
| 1979 || ''[[The Great Santini]]'' || Lillian Meechum ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1983 || ''[[Inside the Third Reich (film)|Inside the Third Reich]]'' || Margarete Speer||
|-
| ''[[Man, Woman and Child (film)|Man, Woman and Child]]'' || Sheila Beckwith ||
|-
| 1985 || ''[[Guilty Conscience (film)|''Guilty Conscience'']]'' || Louise Jamison ||
|-
| 1986 || ''[[Brighton Beach Memoirs (film)|Brighton Beach Memoirs]]'' || Kate Jerome ||
|-
| 1988 || ''[[Another Woman (1988 film)|Another Woman]]'' || Lydia ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1990 || ''[[Mr. & Mrs. Bridge]]'' || Grace Barron ||
|-
| ''[[Alice (1990 film)|Alice]]'' || Dorothy Smith ||
|-
| 1991 || ''[[The Prince of Tides]]'' || Sally Wingo ||
|-
| 1992 || ''[[Husbands and Wives]]'' || Rain's Mother ||
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1995 || ''[[Napoleon (1995 film)|Napoleon]]'' || Mother Dingo ||
|-
| ''[[Homage (film)|Homage]]'' || Katherine Samuel ||
|-
| ''[[To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar]]'' || Beatrice ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1997 || ''[[The Myth of Fingerprints]]'' || Lena ||
|-
| ''[[Mad City (film)|Mad City]]'' || Mrs. Banks ||
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1998 || ''[[The Proposition (1998 film)|The Proposition]]'' || Syril Danning ||
|-
| ''[[No Looking Back (1998 film)|No Looking Back]]'' || Claudia's Mother ||
|-
| ''[[The X-Files (film)|The X-Files]]'' || Jana Cassidy ||
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1999 || ''[[Forces of Nature (1999 film)|Forces of Nature]]'' || Virginia Cahill ||
|-
| ''[[The Love Letter (1999 film)|The Love Letter]]'' || Lillian MacFarquhar ||
|-
| ''Things I Forgot to Remember'' || Mrs. Bradford ||
|-
| 2000 || ''[[Meet the Parents]]'' || Dina Byrnes ||
|-
| 2001 || ''[[The Invisible Circus (film)|The Invisible Circus]]'' || Gail O'Connor ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2003 || ''[[Three Days of Rain]]'' || Woman in Cab ||
|-
| ''[[Sylvia (2003 film)|Sylvia]]'' || [[Aurelia Plath]] ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2004 || ''[[Howl's Moving Castle (film)|Howl's Moving Castle]]'' || Madam Suliman || Voice role; English dub
|-
| ''[[Meet the Fockers]]'' || Dina Byrnes ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2006 || ''Stolen'' || Isabella Stewart Gardner ||
|-
| ''[[The Last Kiss (2006 film)|The Last Kiss]]'' || Anna ||
|-
| 2008 || ''[[The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2]]'' || Greta Randolph ||
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2009 || ''[[Waiting for Forever]]'' || Miranda Twist ||
|-
| ''[[Beyond All Boundaries]] '' || [[Elsa Maxwell]] || Voice; Documentary 
|-
| ''[[The Lightkeepers]]'' || Mrs. Bascom ||
|-
| 2010 || ''[[Little Fockers]]'' || Dina Byrnes ||
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2011 || ''[[Paul (2011 film)|Paul]]'' || Tara Walton ||
|-
| ''[[What's Your Number?]]'' || Ava Darling ||
|-
| ''[[Detachment (film)|Detachment]]'' || Mrs. Perkins ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2012 || ''[[The Lucky One (film)|The Lucky One]]'' || Ellie Green ||
|-
| ''[[Hello I Must Be Going (2012 film)|Hello I Must Be Going]]'' || Ruth Minsky ||
|-
| 2014 || ''[[Murder of a Cat]]'' || Edie Moisey ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2015 || ''[[I'll See You in My Dreams (2015 film)|I'll See You in My Dreams]]'' || Carol Petersen ||
|-
| ''[[Tumbledown (2015 film)|Tumbledown]]'' || Linda Jespersen ||
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2018 || ''[[What They Had]]'' || Ruth O’Shea ||
|-
| ''[[Hearts Beat Loud]]'' || Marianne Fisher ||
|-
| ''[[The Chaperone (2018 film)|The Chaperone]]'' || Mary O'Dell ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2019 || ''[[The Tomorrow Man]]'' || Ronnie Meisner ||
|-
| ''[[Strange but True (film)|Strange but True]]'' || Gail Erwin ||
|-
| 2023 || ''[[Happiness for Beginners]]'' || Gigi ||
|-
| 2026 || style="background:#ffc;"| ''[[Focker In-Law]]'' {{dagger}} || Dina Byrnes || Post-production
|}

===Television===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1970 || ''[[George M!]]'' || Agnes Nolan Cohan || rowspan="2" | Television film
|-
| 1971 || ''[[Dr. Cook's Garden]]'' || Janey Rausch 
|-
| 1972 || ''[[Columbo]]'' || Janice Benedict || Episode: "Etude in Black"
|-
| 1973 || ''[[Adam's Rib (TV series)|Adam's Rib]]'' || Amanda Bonner || 13 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1974 || ''[[F. Scott Fitzgerald and 'The Last of the Belles']]'' || [[Zelda Fitzgerald]] || rowspan="2" | Television film
|-
| ''[[Sidekicks (1974 film)|Sidekicks]]'' || Prudy Jenkins 
|-
| 1975 || ''[[Great Performances]]'' || Nina Zarechnaya || Episode: "The Seagull"
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1976 || ''[[M*A*S*H (TV series)|M*A*S*H]]'' || Carlye Breslin Walton || Episode: "The More I See You"
|-
| ''A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story'' || [[Eleanor Gehrig|Eleanor Twitchell Gehrig]] || Television film
|-
| ''[[Great Performances]]'' || Alma Winemiller || Episode: "Eccentricites of a Nightingale"
|-
| 1977 || ''[[The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer]]'' || [[Elizabeth Bacon Custer|Mrs. Custer]]|| rowspan="5" | Television film
|-
| 1978 || ''[[Are You in the House Alone?]]'' || Anne Osbourne 
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1979 || ''Too Far to Go'' || Joan Barlow Maple 
|-
| ''[[You Can't Take It with You (play)#Film and TV adaptations|You Can't Take It with You]]'' || Alice Sycamore 
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1982 || ''[[Inside the Third Reich (film)|Inside the Third Reich]]'' || Margarete Speer 
|-
| ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' || Guest host || Episode: "[[Saturday Night Live (season 7)|Blythe Danner / Rickie Lee Jones]]"
|-
| 1983 || ''In Defense of Kids'' || Ellen Wilcox|| rowspan="3" | Television film
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1984 || ''[[Guilty Conscience (film)|Guilty Conscience]]'' || Louise Jamison 
|-
| ''[[The Miracle Continues|Helen Keller: The Miracle Continues]]'' || [[Anne Sullivan]] 
|-
| 1988–1989 || ''[[Tattingers]]'' || Hillary Tattinger || 13 episodes
|-
| 1989 || ''Money, Power, Murder'' || Jeannie || rowspan="4" | Television film
|-
| 1990 || ''[[Judgment (film)|Judgment]]'' || Emmeline Guitry 
|-
| rowspan="4" | 1992 || ''Getting Up and Going Home'' || Lily 
|-
| ''[[Cruel Doubt]]'' || Bonnie Van Stein 
|-
| ''[[Tales from the Crypt (TV series)|Tales from the Crypt]]'' || Margaret || Episode: "Maniac at Large"
|-
| ''Lincoln'' || [[Elizabeth Todd Edwards]]|| rowspan="2" | Television film
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1993 || ''[[Tracey Ullman Takes on New York]]'' || Eleanor Levine 
|-
| ''[[Great Performances]]'' || Narrator || Episode: "The Maestros of Philadelphia"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1994 || ''[[Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All (film)|Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All]]'' || Bianca Honicut || rowspan="4" | Television film
|-
| ''Leave of Absence'' || Elisa 
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1997 || ''[[Thomas Jefferson (film)|Thomas Jefferson]]'' || [[Martha Jefferson]] 
|-
| ''A Call to Remember'' || Paula Tobias 
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1998 || ''[[From the Earth to the Moon (miniseries)|From the Earth to the Moon]]'' || Narrator || Episode: "Le voyage dans la lune"
|-
| ''[[Saint Maybe]]'' || Bee Bedloe || rowspan="2" | Television film
|-
| ''[[Murder She Purred: A Mrs. Murphy Mystery]]'' || Mrs. Murphy 
|-
| 2001–2006,<br>2018–2020 || ''[[Will & Grace]]'' || Marilyn Truman || Recurring role
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2002 || ''[[We Were the Mulvaneys]]'' || Corinne Mulvaney || Television film
|-
| ''[[Presidio Med]]'' || Dr. Harriet Lanning || 3 episodes
|-
| 2003 || ''[[Two and a Half Men]]'' || Evelyn Harper || Episode: "Most Chicks Won't Eat Veal" (unaired pilot)
|-
| 2004 || ''[[Back When We Were Grownups]]'' || Rebecca Holmes Davitch || Television film
|-
| 2004–2006 || ''[[Huff (TV series)|Huff]]'' || Isabelle Huffstodt || Main role
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2009 || ''[[Medium (TV series)|Medium]]'' || Louise Leaming || Episode: "A Taste of Her Own Medicine"
|-
| ''[[Nurse Jackie]]'' || Maureen Cooper || Episode: "Tiny Bubbles"
|-
| 2011–2012 || ''[[Up All Night (TV series)|Up All Night]]'' || Dr. Angie Chafin || 3 episodes
|-
| 2015 || ''[[The Slap (American TV series)|The Slap]]'' || Virginia Latham || Episode: "Anouk"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2016 || ''[[Madoff (miniseries)|Madoff]]'' || [[Ruth Madoff]] || 4 episodes
|-
| ''[[Odd Mom Out]]'' || Jill's Mom || Episode: "Fasting and Furious"
|-
| 2017 || ''[[Gypsy (TV series)|Gypsy]]'' || Nancy || 4 episodes
|-
| 2018 || ''[[Patrick Melrose (miniseries)|Patrick Melrose]]'' || Nancy Valance || Miniseries
|-
| 2021 || ''[[American Gods (TV series)|American Gods]]'' || [[Demeter]] || 2 episodes
|-
| 2021–2023 || ''[[Ridley Jones]]'' || Sylvia Jones (voice) || Recurring role
|}

===Stage===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Venue
! class="unsortable" | {{tooltip|Refs.|References}}
|-
| 1965 || ''[[The Glass Menagerie]]'' || Laura Wingfield || [[Theater Company of Boston]] ||
|-
| 1967 || ''[[Three Sisters (play)|Three Sisters]]'' || Irina Prozorova || [[Trinity Repertory Company|Trinity Square Playhouse]] ||
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1968 || ''[[Cyrano de Bergerac (play)|Cyrano de Bergerac]]'' || Sister Marthe || [[Vivian Beaumont Theater]] ||
|-
| ''Up Eden'' || Violet Beam || [[Jan Hus Presbyterian Church|Jan Hus Playhouse Theater]] ||
|-
| ''[[Lovers (play)|Lovers]]'' || Margaret Mary Enright || Vivian Beaumont Theater ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1969 || ''Someone's Comin' Hungry'' || Connie Odum || Pocket Theatre ||
|-
| ''[[The Miser]]'' || Elise || Vivian Beaumont Theater ||
|-
| 1969–1972 || ''[[Butterflies Are Free (play)|Butterflies Are Free]]'' || Jill Tanner || [[Booth Theatre]] ||
|-
| 1971 || ''[[Major Barbara]]'' || Barbara Undershaft || [[Mark Taper Forum]] ||
|-
| 1972 || ''[[Twelfth Night]]'' || [[Viola (Twelfth Night)|Viola]] || Vivian Beaumont Theater ||
|-
| 1974 || ''[[The Seagull]]'' || Nina Zarechnaya || [[Williamstown Theatre Festival]] ||
|-
| 1975 || ''[[Ring Round the Moon]]'' || Isabelle || Williamstown Theatre Festival ||
|-
| 1977 || ''[[The New York Idea]]'' || Cynthia Karslake || [[Brooklyn Academy of Music]] ||
|-
| 1979 || ''[[Children of the Sun (play)|Children of the Sun]]'' || Lisa || Williamstown Theatre Festival ||
|-
| 1980 || ''[[Betrayal (play)|Betrayal]]'' || Emma || [[Trafalgar Theatre]] ||
|-
| 1980–1981 || ''[[The Philadelphia Story (play)|The Philadelphia Story]]'' || Tracy Samantha Lord || Vivian Beaumont Theater ||
|-
| 1987 || ''[[Blithe Spirit (play)|Blithe Spirit]]'' || Elvira Condomine || [[Neil Simon Theatre]] ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1988 || ''[[Much Ado About Nothing]]'' || [[Beatrice (Much Ado About Nothing)|Beatrice]] || [[Delacorte Theater]] ||<ref name=tul>Simon, Fran, [https://news.tulane.edu/node/36846/pdf "Star of Stage and Screen Coaches Students"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220814165654/https://news.tulane.edu/node/36846/pdf |date=August 14, 2022 }}, ''news.tulane.edu'', May 1, 2008. Retrieved 2022-08-14.</ref><ref>[[Frank Rich|Rich, Frank]], [https://www.nytimes.com/1988/07/15/theater/review-theater-kline-and-danner-in-much-ado-in-park.html "Review/Theater; Kline and Danner In 'Much Ado' in Park"], ''New York Times'', July 15, 1988. Retrieved 2022-08-14.</ref><ref>Beaufort. John, [https://www.csmonitor.com/1988/0719/lbeau.html "New `Much Ado' matches saucy Danner with superb Kline"], ''[[The Christian Science Monitor]]'', July 19, 1988. Retrieved 2022-08-14.</ref>
|-
| ''[[A Streetcar Named Desire]]'' || [[Blanche DuBois]] || [[Circle in the Square Theatre]] ||<ref name=tul/>
|-
| 1989 || ''[[Love Letters (play)|Love Letters]]'' || Melissa Gardner || Promenade Theatre ||
|-
| 1991 || ''[[Picnic (play)|Picnic]]'' || Rosemary Sydney || Williamstown Theatre Festival ||
|-
| 1994 || ''[[The Seagull]]'' || Irina Arkadina || Williamstown Theatre Festival ||
|-
| 1995 || ''[[Sylvia (play)|Sylvia]]'' || Kate || [[New York City Center]] ||
|-
| 1995–1996 || ''[[Moonlight (play)|Moonlight]]'' || Bel || [[Laura Pels Theatre]] ||
|-
| 1998 || ''[[The Deep Blue Sea (play)|The Deep Blue Sea]]'' || Hester Collyer || [[Criterion Center Stage Right]] ||
|-
| 2000 || ''[[Tonight at 8.30]]'' || Jane Featherways || Williamstown Theatre Festival ||
|-
| 2001 || ''[[Follies]]'' || Phyllis Rogers Stone || [[Belasco Theatre (Broadway)|Belasco Theatre]] ||
|-
| 2002 || ''[[Carousel (musical)|Carousel]]'' || Mrs. Mullin || [[Carnegie Hall]] ||
|-
| 2003 || ''[[All About Eve]]'' || Karen Richards || [[Ahmanson Theatre]] ||
|-
| 2006 || ''[[Suddenly Last Summer]]'' || Violet Venable || Laura Pels Theatre ||
|-
| 2012–2013 || ''[[Nice Work If You Can Get It (musical)|Nice Work If You Can Get It]]'' || Millicent Winter || [[Imperial Theatre]] ||
|-
| 2014 || ''[[The Country House (play)|The Country House]]'' || Anna Paterson || [[Samuel J. Friedman Theatre]] ||
|}

==Awards and nominations==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Nominated work
! Award
! Result
|-
| 1969 || ''[[The Miser]]'' || [[Theatre World Award]] || {{won}}
|-
| 1970 || ''[[Butterflies Are Free (play)|Butterflies Are Free]]'' || [[Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play]] || {{won}}
|-
| 1976 || ''[[Futureworld]]'' || [[Saturn Award for Best Actress]] || {{won}}
|-
| 1977 || ''[[The New York Idea]]'' || [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play]] || {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1980 || rowspan="2" | ''[[Betrayal (play)|Betrayal]]'' || [[Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play]] || {{nom}}
|-
| [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play]] || {{nom}}
|-
| 1988 || ''[[A Streetcar Named Desire]]'' || [[Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play]] || {{nom}}
|-
| 2001 || ''[[Follies]]'' || [[Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical]] || {{nom}}
|-
| 2002 || ''[[We Were the Mulvaneys]]'' || [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie]] || {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2004 || rowspan="2" | ''[[Back When We Were Grownups]]'' || [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film]] || {{nom}}
|-
| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie]] || {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2005 || ''[[Huff (TV series)|Huff]]'' || [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series]] || {{won}}
|-
| ''[[Will & Grace]]'' || [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series]] || {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="4" | 2006 || ''[[Huff (TV series)|Huff]]'' || [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series]] || {{won}}
|-
| ''[[Suddenly Last Summer]]'' || [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play]] || {{nom}}
|-
| ''[[Will & Grace]]'' || [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series]] || {{nom}}
|-
| ''[[The Last Kiss (2006 film)|The Last Kiss]]'' || [[Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture]] || {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2015 || rowspan="2" | ''[[I'll See You in My Dreams (2015 film)|I'll See You in My Dreams]]'' || [[Gotham Awards|Gotham Award for Best Actress]] || {{nom}}
|-
| [[Satellite Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture]]  || {{nom}}
|-
|}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Blythe Danner}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* {{iobdb name|5986|Blythe Danner}}
* {{IMDb name|1100}}
* {{Playbill person}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040822065351/http://ema-online.org/greenlight_2003_spring_in_focus.htm 2003 article] from the [[Environmental Media Association]]
* Blythe Danner interview: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070204081558/http://www.americantheatrewing.org/seminars/detail/leading_ladies_12_06 Leading Ladies] Working in the Theatre video from [[American Theatre Wing]], December 2006
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070312103049/http://www.americantheatrewing.org/seminars/detail/performance_04_98 Working in the Theatre: Performance] video seminar at [[American Theatre Wing]], April 1998
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070929104944/http://www.americantheatrewing.org/seminars/detail/performance_04_88 Working in the Theatre: Performance] video seminar at [[American Theatre Wing]], April 1988

{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Blythe Danner
|list =
{{AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Grownup Love Story}}
{{EmmyAward DramaSupportingActress 2001–2025}}
{{Saturn Award for Best Actress}}
{{TonyAward PlayFeaturedActress 1947–1975}}
}}
{{Gwyneth Paltrow}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Danner, Blythe}}
[[Category:1943 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century American actresses]]
[[Category:21st-century American actresses]]
[[Category:American environmentalists]]
[[Category:Actresses from Philadelphia]]
[[Category:American film actresses]]
[[Category:American people of Barbadian descent]]
[[Category:American people of Pennsylvania Dutch descent]]
[[Category:American stage actresses]]
[[Category:American television actresses]]
[[Category:American voice actresses]]
[[Category:Bard College alumni]]
[[Category:Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Primetime Emmy Award winners]]
[[Category:Tony Award winners]]
[[Category:George School alumni]]
[[Category:Paltrow family]]