Christine Ebersole

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Christine Ebersole (born February 21, 1953) is an American actress, singer and comedian. She has appeared in film, television, and on stage. She has received two Tony Awards, and a Drama Desk Award as well as a nomination for a Daytime Emmy Award.

Ebersole made her Broadway debut in the play Angel Street (1975). She won two Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Musical for playing a prima donna in the musical revival 42nd Street (2001) and for her dual roles as Edith Bouvier Beale and Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale in the original musical Grey Gardens (2006). She was Tony-nominated for playing a society matron in Dinner at Eight (2003), and Elizabeth Arden in War Paint (2017).

On film, she made her film debut with a minor role as an actress the romantic comedy Tootsie (1982) before portraying Caterina Cavalieri in Academy Award-winning period biographical drama film Amadeus (1984). She has also acted in films such as Mac and Me (1988), Dead Again (1991), Black Sheep (1996), True Crime (1999), The Big Wedding (2013), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), and Licorice Pizza (2021).

On television, she got her start on the soap opera Ryan's Hope (1977–1980) and as a cast member of Saturday Night Live (1981–1982). She earned an Emmy Award nomination for her work in One Life to Live. She has co-starred on the TBS sitcom Sullivan & Son (2012–2014), the comedy-drama Royal Pains, the animated series Steven Universe (2018–2019), and the CBS sitcom Bob Hearts Abishola (2019–2024)

Early life, family and education

Ebersole was born outside of Chicago in Winnetka, Illinois, the daughter of Marian Esther (née Goodley) and Robert "Bob" Ebersole.[1][2] Her father was the president of a steel company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.[3] She has Swiss-German and Irish ancestry.[4]

Ebersole graduated from New Trier High School in 1971. She attended MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Illinois,[5] class of 1975, and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.[6]

Career

File:Christine Ebersole 1981.jpg
Ebersole in a Saturday Night Live promotional photo, 1981

She met Marc Shaiman when he was 19 and the musical director of her first club act.[7] She appeared in two different parts on Ryan's Hope in 1977 (as a nurse) and 1980 (as Lily Darnell).

Ebersole was a cast member of Saturday Night Live during 1981–82, the first full season under new producer Dick Ebersol (their similar surnames being a coincidence),[8] acting as "Weekend Update" co-anchor with Brian Doyle-Murray. Among her impersonations were Mary Travers, Cheryl Tiegs, Barbara Mandrell, Diana, Princess of Wales, and Rona Barrett.[9]

Following SNL, she appeared in One Life to Live as daffy Maxie McDermott (receiving an Emmy nomination) and Valerie. She co-starred with Barnard Hughes on the sitcom The Cavanaughs, played the title role in the short-lived sitcom Rachel Gunn, R.N., and guest-starred on Will & Grace, Dolly!, Just Shoot Me, Murphy Brown, Ally McBeal, Samantha Who, Boston Legal, The Colbert Report, and Royal Pains. In 1991, she appeared as the titular Miss Jones in a pilot for an ABC series about a single mother, but the series was not taken up.[10]

She appeared in the 1993 television film adaptation of Gypsy starring Bette Midler, and in the 2000 ABC-TV film Mary and Rhoda starring Mary Tyler Moore and Valerie Harper.

In 2011, she had a recurring role on the TV Land sitcom Retired at 35.[11] In 2014, she played Carol Walsh on the TBS sitcom Sullivan & Son. She has a recurring role on the USA Network television show Royal Pains as Ms. Newberg.[12][13]

Ebersole's films have included Tootsie (1982), Amadeus (1984), Three Men and a Baby (1987), Mac and Me (1988), My Girl 2 (1994), Richie Rich (1994), Black Sheep (1996), and My Favorite Martian (1999).

Stage career

Ebersole has found considerable success on stage. She appeared in Going Hollywood, a musical by David Zippel and Jeremy Shaeffer. She was in the chorus in 1983 with Jerry Mitchell. They were both excited about the possibility of going to Broadway but never made it.[7] She was featured in Paper Moon by Larry Grossman and Ellen Fitzhugh and Carol Hall, which ran at the Paper Mill Playhouse (Millburn, New Jersey) in September 1993.[14] Off-Broadway, she has appeared in Three Sisters and Talking Heads, and her Broadway credits include On the Twentieth Century, the 1979 revival of Oklahoma! (as Ado Annie), the 1980 revival of Camelot and the 2000 revival of Gore Vidal's The Best Man.

In 2001, she appeared in the Broadway revival of 42nd Street as Dorothy Brock, for which she won her first Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical,[15] She next appeared in the 2002 Broadway revival of Dinner at Eight as Millicent Jordan for which she was nominated for the Tony Award, Featured Actress in a Play.[16] In 2005, she played M'Lynn in the Broadway production of Steel Magnolias.[17]

File:Ebersole, Christine (2006).jpg
Ebersole performing in Broadway on Broadway, a free promotional concert for Broadway shows, 2006

In 2006, Ebersole took the dual roles of Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale ("Big Edie") and Edith Bouvier Beale ("Little Edie") in Grey Gardens, a musical based upon the film of the same name. After a sold-out off-Broadway run, Ebersole remained with the roles when the production moved to Broadway in November 2006, and remained with the show through its closing in July 2007. For this role, she won her second Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical.[18] She appeared as Elvira in the 2009 Broadway revival of the Noël Coward comedy Blithe Spirit.[19]

She appeared in the musical War Paint, which premiered at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago on June 28, 2016, for a run through August 2016. The show began previews at the Nederlander Theatre on Broadway on March 7, 2017, and opened on April 6, 2017. It closed on November 5, 2017. She played the role of Elizabeth Arden, opposite Patti LuPone as Helena Rubinstein. The musical had a book by Doug Wright with the music composed by Scott Frankel (music) and Michael Korie (lyrics).[20][21]

Concerts

Ebersole appears in concerts and cabaret engagements at venues such as the Cinegrill and Cafe Carlyle. She won the 2010 Nightlife Award for Outstanding Cabaret Vocalist in a Major Engagement for her 2009 Café Carlyle cabaret.[22] In 2009 she performed with Michael Feinstein at his club, Feinstein's at Loews Regency, (New York City) in a cabaret titled "Good Friends".[23] She was one of the performers on the Playbill Cruise in September 2011.[24] In November 2011, she performed for two sold-out nights at Birdland in New York City with jazz violinist Aaron Weinstein and his trio.[25]

In 2015, Ebersole toured her show Big Noise from Winnetka, which included the 1938 jazz song Big Noise from Winnetka and a stop in Illinois.[26]

Recording

She also has appeared on several albums. She was featured on the Bright Lights, Big City concept album.[7] She also released an album of Noël Coward songs after browsing through them for scene change music for Blithe Spirit.[27] She also voiced White Diamond in Steven Universe.

Personal life

Ebersole has been married twice, to actor Peter Bergman from 1976 through 1981, and since 1988 to Bill Moloney, with whom she has adopted three children.[28] She lives in Maplewood, New Jersey, with her family.[29]

Ebersole claims to have experienced psychic phenomena.[30] In 2012, Ebersole appeared on InfoWars' radio program The Alex Jones Show, expressing her misgivings about the Federal Reserve System and the Council on Foreign Relations.[31] She has professed belief in the conspiracy theory that the September 11 attacks were carried out by the United States government.[30][32]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1982 Tootsie Linda
1984 Amadeus Caterina Cavalieri
1984 Thief of Hearts Janie Pointer
1988 Mac and Me Janet Cruise
1990 Ghost Dad Carol
1991 Dead Again Lydia Larsen
1992 Folks! Arlene Aldrich
1992 The Lounge People Cynthia Lewis
1994 My Girl 2 Rose Zsigmond
1994 Richie Rich Regina Rich
1996 Black Sheep Governor Evelyn Tracy
1996 Pie in the Sky Mom Dunlap
1997 'Til There Was You Beebee Moss
1999 My Favorite Martian Mrs. Brown
1999 True Crime Bridget Rossiter
2009 Confessions of a Shopaholic TV show host
2010 The Drawn Together Movie: The Movie! Bossom Buddies Singer
2013 The Big Wedding Muffin
2013 The Wolf of Wall Street Leah Belfort
2019 Steven Universe: The Movie White Diamond Voice role
2019 Driveways Linda
2021 Licorice Pizza Lucille Doolittle
TBA Is This Thing On? Post-production Grandmother Marilyn

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1977–80 Ryan's Hope Lily Darnell 12 episodes
1981–82 Saturday Night Live Various 20 episodes
1982 Love, Sidney Nurse Loring Episode: "The Accident"
1983–85 One Life to Live Maxie McDermott Unknown episodes
1984 The Dollmaker Miss Vashinski Television film
1986 Valerie Barbara Goodwin 6 episodes
1986 Acceptable Risks Lee Snyder Television film
1986-89 The Cavanaughs Kit Cavanaugh 26 episodes
1990 American Dreamer Kathleen 2 episodes
1990 Murphy Brown Maddy Episode: "The Bummer of 42"
1991 Empty Nest Laura Episode: "All About Harry"
1992 Rachel Gunn, R.N. Rachel Gunn 13 episodes
1993 Dying to Love You Cheryl New Television film
1993 Gypsy Tessie Tura Television film
1996 Hey Arnold! Lana Vail Voice, episode: "Heat/Snow"
1998 Ally McBeal Marie Stokes Episode: "Just Looking"
1996 An Unexpected Family Ruth Whitney Television film
1998 Just Shoot Me! Margo Langhorne Episode: "How Nina Got Her Groove Back"
1999 Double Platinum Peggy Television film
2000 Mary and Rhoda Cecile Andrews Television film
2001 Will & Grace Candy Pruitt Episode: "Poker? I Don't Even Like Her"
2003 The Electric Piper Pat Dixon Voice, television film
2003 An Unexpected Love Sandy Television film
2004 Crossing Jordan Mrs. Maguire Episode: "Fire in the Sky"
2005–06 Related Renee 10 episodes
2008 Cashmere Mafia Lily Parrish 2 episodes
2008 Boston Legal Sunny Fields Episode: "Indecent Proposals"
2008 Lipstick Jungle Maureen Chapter Fifteen: "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Prada"
2008 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Hilary Regnier Episode: "Smut"
2009 Samantha Who? Amy Episode: "The Sister"
2009–16 Royal Pains Ms. Newberg 14 episodes
2010 Ugly Betty Frances Episode: "The Passion of the Betty"
2011 Retired at 35 Susan 4 episodes
2012–14 Sullivan & Son Carol Walsh 33 episodes
2013 American Horror Story: Coven Anna-Lee Leighton 2 episodes
2015 Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Helene Episode "Kimmy's in a Love Triangle!"
2015-2018 Madam Secretary First Lady Lydia Dalton 4 episodes
2016 Crisis in Six Scenes Eve Episode: "Episode 6"
2016 Search Party Mariel 2 episodes
2018 Pose Bobbi Episode: "Giving and Receiving"
2018–2019 Steven Universe White Diamond Voice, 3 episodes
2018–2019 Blue Bloods Lena Janko 3 episodes
2019–2024 Bob Hearts Abishola Dorothy "Dottie" Wheeler Main role
2020 Steven Universe Future White Diamond Voice, 2 episodes
2021 The Kominsky Method Estelle 2 episodes, Season 3
2024 Accused Debra Episode: "Margot's Story"

Theatre

Year Title Role(s) Venue Ref.
1975–76 Angel Street Nancy (Replacement) Lyceum Theatre [33]
1978–79 On the 20th Century Agnes (Understudy) St. James Theatre
1979–80 Oklahoma! Ado Annie National Tour
Palace Theatre
1980-81 Camelot Guenevere National Tour
New York State Theatre
1985 Harrigan 'N Hart Greta Granville Longacre Theatre
1993 Paper Moon Trixie Delight Paper Mill Playhouse [34]
1994 Allegro Emily New York City Center [35]
1994 Lady in the Dark Liza Elliott New York City Center [36]
1996 Getting Away with Murder Dossie Lustig Broadhurst Theatre [33]
1999 Ziegfeld Follies of 1936 performer New York City Center [37]
1999 Mame Mame Dennis Paper Mill Playhouse [38]
2000 Current Events Diana Manhattan Theatre Club [39]
2000 Gore Vidal's The Best Man Mabel Cantwell Virginia Theatre [33]
2000 A Connecticut Yankee Morgan LeFay New York City Center [40]
2001–02 42nd Street Dorothy Brock Ford Center for the Performing Arts [33]
2002–03 Dinner at Eight Millicent Jordan Vivian Beaumont Theatre
2003 Talking Heads Irene Ruddock Minetta Lane Theatre [41]
2005 Steel Magnolias M'Lynn Lyceum Theatre [33]
2006–07 Grey Gardens Edith Bouvier Beale
Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale
Playwrights Horizons
Walter Kerr Theatre
[42]
2008 Applause Margo Channing New York City Center [43]
2009 Blithe Spirit Elvira Shubert Theatre [33]
2014 Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike Masha Mark Taper Forum [44]
2015 Ever After Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent Paper Mill Playhouse [45]
2016 War Paint Elizabeth Arden Goodman Theatre [46]
2017 Nederlander Theatre [33]

Awards and nominations

Award Year Category Nominated work Result Template:Ref heading
Daytime Emmy Award 1984 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series One Life to Live Nominated
Tony Awards 2001 Best Actress in a Musical 42nd Street Won
2003 Best Featured Actress in a Play Dinner at Eight Nominated
2007 Best Actress in a Musical Grey Gardens Won
2017 War Paint Nominated
Drama Desk Awards 2001 Outstanding Actress in a Musical 42nd Street Nominated
2003 Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Talking Heads Nominated
2006 Outstanding Actress in a Musical Grey Gardens Won
2017 War Paint Nominated
Drama League Award 2006 Outstanding Distinguished Performance Grey Gardens Won
New York Drama Critics' Circle 2006 Special Citation Grey Gardens Honored [47]
Outer Critics Circle 2001 Outstanding Actress in a Musical 42nd Street Won
2003 Outstanding Actress in a Play Dinner at Eight Nominated
2006 Outstanding Actress in a Musical Grey Gardens Won
2017 War Paint Nominated

References

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  8. Hamlin, Jesse."Christine Ebersole wraps up S.F. cabaret" San Francisco Chronicle, April 22, 2010
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  12. Gans, Andrew. "'Royal Pains' TV Series, with Tony Winner Ebersole, Debuts June 4" Playbill, June 4, 2009
  13. Abrams, Natalie. "First Look: NBA star Muggsy Bogues cameos on 'Royal Pains'" Entertainment Weekly, May 28, 2015
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  15. Jones, Kenneth and Simonson, Robert. "Tony-Winner Ebersole Returns to '42nd Street' March 12" Playbill, March 12, 2002
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  17. Jones, Kenneth. "Still Teasing: 'Steel Magnolias' Plays Its 100th Performance June 30" Template:Webarchive Playbill, June 30, 2005
  18. Gans, Andrew, and Jones, Kenneth."'Grey Gardens 'Will Close on Broadway July 29" Template:Webarchive playbill.com, July 2, 2007
  19. Gans, Andrew."'Blithe Spirit' Revival, with Lansbury, Ebersole and Everett, Opens on Broadway March 15" Template:Webarchive Playbill, March 15, 2009
  20. Gans, Andrew. "Patti LuPone and Christine Ebersole Apply 'War Paint', Starting Tonight" Playbill, June 28, 2016
  21. Gans, Andrew. "Patti LuPone and Christine Ebersole Apply 'War Paint' on Broadway, Starting March 7" Playbill, March 7, 2017
  22. Gans, Andrew. "Tony Winner Christine Ebersole Begins Carlyle Engagement Jan. 11" Template:Webarchive Playbill, January 11, 2011
  23. Holden, Stephen. "Channeling a Chummier Time, in Tandem" The New York Times, September 11, 2009
  24. Rudetsky, Seth. "Onstage & Backstage: A Playbill Cruise With Christine Ebersole, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Andrea Martin and Debra Monk" Template:Webarchive playbill.com, Sep 26, 2011
  25. Gans, Andrew. "Christine Ebersole Will Offer Strings Attached Concerts at Birdland" Playbill, November 22, 2011
  26. Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  27. Jones, Kenneth. "Someday I'll Find You": Ebersole Will Record Blithe Spirit Interlude Songs for CD" Playbill, March 31, 2009
  28. Drexel, Paul. "Night and Day" New Jersey Monthly, December 19, 2007
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External links

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