Amy Madigan

Actress

Birthday September 11, 1950

Birth Sign Virgo

Birthplace Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

Age 73 years old

Nationality United States

#6037 Most Popular

1918

Her father, John J. Madigan (1918–2012), was a well-known journalist who worked for Newsweek and provided political commentary on programs such as Meet the Press and Face the Nation.

He interviewed a range of political figures, from Richard Nixon to Martin Luther King Jr., and hosted his own show with WBBM (AM).

1921

Her mother was Dolores (Hanlon; 1921–1992), an administrative assistant and amateur actress who performed in community theatre.

She has two brothers, Jack and Jim.

Madigan attended Chicago's St. Aquinas Dominican High School, where she performed in school plays.

1950

Amy Marie Madigan (born September 11, 1950) is an American actress.

Madigan was born September 11, 1950, in Chicago to a third-generation Catholic Irish American family.

1960

In the 1960s, she studied piano at the Chicago Conservatory of Music, and went on to attend Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she earned a B.A. in philosophy.

1970

In the 1970s, Madigan pursued a career as a musician, singing lead vocals for the band Jelly, whose only album, A True Story (1977), was released by Asylum Records.

She toured the United States performing with several bands through the late 1970s.

1974

She moved to Los Angeles in 1974.

She later studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.

1978

She appeared in Playboy (June 1978) nude and covered in jelly, to promote her band.

1980

In the 1980s, Madigan transitioned from a singing career to acting, and studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.

1981

Her first television role was Adele on an episode of Hart to Hart in 1981; she then had role in the television film Crazy Times.

The following year, she made her film debut as Terry Jean Moore in Love Child, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress.

1982

Her other film credits include Love Child (1982), Places in the Heart (1984), Field of Dreams (1989), Uncle Buck (1989), The Dark Half (1993), Pollock (2000), and Gone Baby Gone (2007).

1983

In 1983, she starred as Alison Ransom in the television film The Day After.

1984

In 1984, she portrayed McCoy in the film Streets of Fire, and had a supporting role as Viola Kelsey in Places in the Heart.

1985

She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the 1985 film Twice in a Lifetime.

In 1985, she starred in the television film The Laundromat, written by Marsha Norman, opposite Carol Burnett.

She won a CableACE Award for her performance as Deedee Johnson.

She then co-starred as Glory Scheer, with her husband Ed Harris, in Alamo Bay, directed by Louis Malle.

Also in 1985, she portrayed Sunny Mackenzie-Sobel in Twice in a Lifetime, for which she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

1987

Madigan made her Off-Broadway debut in 1987, portraying Sue Jack Tiller in The Lucky Spot by Beth Henley, for which she won a Theatre World Award and was nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play.

1988

In 1988, she was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female for her performance in The Prince of Pennsylvania.

That year, she performed in A Lie of the Mind at the Mark Taper Forum.

1989

She won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television and was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for her portrayal of Sarah Weddington in the television film Roe vs. Wade (1989).

In 1989 she played the wife of Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture; and played Chanice Kobolowski, the girlfriend of John Candy's character, in the John Hughes film Uncle Buck.

Also in 1989, she won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film and was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for her performance as Sarah Weddington in the television film Roe vs. Wade.

1990

In 1990, Madigan starred opposite Paula Kelly in Stevie Wants To Play The Blues by Eduardo Machado, for which she won a Drama-Logue Award.

1991

In 1991, she starred opposite Olympia Dukakis in the Emmy-nominated television film Lucky Day.

1992

She made her Broadway debut in the role of Stella Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire in 1992, opposite Jessica Lange and Alec Baldwin, and was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Debut Performance.

1996

In 1996, she and Harris produced and starred in the television film Riders of the Purple Sage.

She then starred with Tilda Swinton in Female Perversions.

1997

In 1997, she was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female for her performance as Brett Armerson in the film Loved.

2000

In 2000, she portrayed Peggy Guggenheim in the film Pollock, starring her husband, which he also directed and produced.

2002

In 2002 she had a supporting role as Reggie Fluty, the officer who responded to aid the dying Matthew Shepard in the television film The Laramie Project.

2003

Her television work includes the role of Iris Crowe on the HBO series Carnivàle (2003–2005).

In 2003–2005, Madigan had the supporting role of Iris Crowe/Irina, sister of villain Justin Crowe, in HBO's series Carnivále.