Lili Taylor

Early life

Taylor, the fifth of six children, was born in Glencoe, Illinois, a north suburb of Chicago, to an artist and hardware store operator. She grew up in a "warm family environment", and has described herself as being "a bit of a searcher" during her childhood. She graduated from New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois in 1985. Thereafter, she attended The Theatre School at DePaul University before being cut from the acting program for a policy violation, and the Piven Theatre Workshop.

Career

Taylor has appeared in dozens of films since 1988, including Dogfight, Mystic Pizza, and Rudy. Her work has mostly been in independent films and theater. She played Lisa Kimmel Fisher (mostly in the second and third seasons) in the HBO drama Six Feet Under for which she was nominated for an Emmy Award. Taylor played supporting roles in Mystic Pizza (1988) and Say Anything... (1989). She starred in Dogfight (1991) directed by Nancy Savoca, in which she played an unattractive young woman who is taken to a cruel contest by a Marine (played by River Phoenix) under the pretense of a date; in his 1993 book Alternate Oscars, Danny Peary argued that Taylor deserved a Best Actress Academy Award for her performance in Dogfight.

In 1991, Taylor played Grace, the witty and romantic step-daughter of Faye Dunaway, in Arizona Dream (released 1993), directed by Emir Kusturica, co-starring Johnny Depp, Vincent Gallo and Jerry Lewis. In 1993 too, she re-teamed with Savoca for Household Saints. Director Robert Altman hired Taylor in 1993 for his epic Los Angeles drama Short Cuts, in which Taylor shared scenes with Lily Tomlin. Taylor portrayed Valerie Solanas, who attempted to assassinate Andy Warhol, in Mary Harron's I Shot Andy Warhol (1996). The same year, she co-starred in Girls Town with Bruklin Harris and Aunjanue Ellis, where three inner-city friends dealt with a friend's suicide, and later in Ransom, as caterer who helps her corrupt policeman boyfriend kidnap a rich man's son.

In 1998 she appeared in the X-Files episode "Mind's Eye", and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. The same year, she appeared in John Waters' film Pecker, alongside Edward Furlong, Christina Ricci and Mary Kay Place. In 1999, Taylor starred in Jan de Bont's remake of The Haunting. In 2001, Taylor appeared in the independent feature Julie Johnson. The film, co-starring Courtney Love, centered on a Long Island mother and housewife who leaves her husband to pursue her dream of studying science. In early 2004, Taylor made her New York City stage debut in Wallace Shawn's Aunt Dan and Lemon in the role of Lemon.

Taylor won the 2005 Best Actress award at the Copenhagen International Film Festival for her role in Factotum. In 2006, Taylor worked again with Mary Harron in The Notorious Bettie Page. She starred in the Lifetime cable network's hour-long comedy-drama series State of Mind, as a New Haven therapist dealing with a divorce and a parade of quirky clients. She played the daughter of Frank Langella's character in Andrew Wagner's 2007 drama Starting Out in the Evening. In the 2008 film The Promotion, Taylor played Lori Wehlner, the wife of John C. Reilly's character. In 2009, Taylor played Sheriff Lillian Holley of Lake County, Indiana, who incarcerates John Dillinger (played by Johnny Depp), in Michael Mann's Public Enemies. In 2011, Fence Books released Taylor's audio recording of poet Ariana Reines' Save The World. In 2013, Taylor starred in the horror hit The Conjuring.

In 2014, Taylor starred alongside Chloë Grace Moretz in the off-Broadway play The Library directed by Steven Soderbergh. The following year she co-starred in Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, as Dr. Mary Cooper, "a doctor who helps Thomas and his fellow Gladers". Filming began at the end of October, and the movie was released on September 18, 2015. In 2020, Taylor starred opposite Stefania LaVie Owen in Paper Spiders.

Taylor will portray Mags in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping set to be released in November 2026. Taylor will also work in season two of Daredevil: Born Again as the as-yet-unidentified Governor of New York.

Personal life

In May 1997, Taylor's former boyfriend, actor Michael Rapaport, was arrested for harassing Taylor and charged with two counts of aggravated harassment. He pleaded guilty to the charges. New York Supreme Court Justice Arlene Goldberg issued a protection order forbidding him from contacting Taylor and requiring him to undergo counseling.

In 2009, Taylor married writer Nick Flynn. They have a daughter Maeve, who was born sometime around 2008.

Taylor is an activist for conservation issues, particularly those having to do with birds, and sits on the boards of the American Birding Association and National Audubon Society. She wrote a book of essays, Turning to Birds, The Power and Beauty of Noticing, published in 2025.

Taylor introduced Louise Post to Nina Gordon, and they went on to found the 1990s alternative band Veruca Salt in the early 1990s.

Awards

Taylor is a three-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee. Also recognized for her extensive work in American independent film, she has been nominated for four Independent Spirit Awards, winning Best Supporting Female for her performance in Household Saints (1993). She was nominated for Best Female Lead for Bright Angel (1990) and The Addiction (1995), and again for Best Supporting Female for Girls Town (1996). In 1996, she received a Special Recognition award from the Sundance Film Festival for her performance in Mary Harron's I Shot Andy Warhol, in which she portrayed Valerie Solanas. Ten years later, in 2006, she was honored with the Excellence in Acting Award at the Provincetown International Film Festival.

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage credits

References

References

1. (14 February 2022). "Celebrity birthdays for the week of Feb. 20-26". ABC News.
2. [https://archive.today/20130630042911/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/72953733.html?dids=72953733:72953733&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May+13,+2001&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=TAYLOR&pqatl=google "Obituary: Park Taylor"], ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'', May 13, 2001
3. [http://lili.net/lili/articles/out01.html Lili Taylor profile] {{Webarchive. link. (2017-10-24 , ''[[Out Magazine]]'')
4. (16 May 1996). "On the Verge of a Nervous Breakthrough".
5. Jacobs, Evan. [http://www.movieweb.com/lili-taylor-talks-the-notorious-bettie-page "Lili Taylor Talks 'The Notorious Bettie Page'."] www.movieweb.com. April 14, 2006.
6. [http://www.movieweb.com/movie/the-promotion/lili-taylor-interview "'The Promotion' Lili Taylor interview"] www.movieweb.com
7. "Can We Talk About Lili Taylor in 'The Conjuring'?".
8. . ["The Library"](https://www.publictheater.org/Tickets/Calendar/PlayDetailsCollection/13-14-Season/The-Library/). *The Public Theater*.
9. Healy, Patrick. (16 January 2014). "Soderbergh to Direct New Play at Public Theater". The New York Times.
10. Rooney, David. (16 January 2014). "Steven Soderbergh to Direct Off-Broadway Play Starring Chloe Grace Moretz". The Hollywood Reporter.
11. Jen Yamato. (November 3, 2014). "Lili Taylor Joins Fox's 'The Maze Runner 2′". [[Deadline Hollywood]].
12. (24 April 2019). "Lili Taylor & Stefania LaVie Owen To Star In Mental Illness Drama 'Paper Spiders'". [[Deadline Hollywood]].
13. Andreeva, Nellie. (March 27, 2025). "Lili Taylor Joins 'Daredevil: Born Again' Season 2".
14. Larson, Jamie. (May 12, 2025). "Lili Taylor Reveals Role as NY Governor In Marvel's 'Daredevil' While Discussing New Book on Birdwatching".
15. (May 19, 1998). "Michael Rapaport Sentenced for Harassment". E! News.
16. (May 19, 1998). "Actor ordered to stay away from girlfriend he harassed". Deseret News.
17. Kachka, Boris. (January 21, 2010). "Nick Flynn Talks (and Writes) About Meeting With His Actress Dream Girl, Lili Taylor". [[New York (magazine).
18. [https://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/07/10/1057783280884.html "Grohl schmoll"], ''[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]'', July 11, 2003
19. [https://www.emmys.com/bios/lili-taylor Lili Taylor]
20. (3 March 2014). "Memories from the Set: Almost Human's Lili Taylor Talks Six Feet Under, X-Files and More".
21. [https://www.eonline.com/news/1200221/see-the-stars-of-mystic-pizza-then-now See the Stars of Mystic Pizza, Then & Now]
22. Jnes, Kenneth. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/landscape-of-the-body-guares-glimpse-of-greenwich-village-in-the-1970s-begi-131644# " 'Landscape of the Body', Guare's Glimpse of Greenwich Village in the 1970s, Begins at NYC's Signature"] ''Playbill'', March 28, 2006
23. Hernandez, Ernio. [https://www.playbill.com/article/new-groups-mourning-becomes-electra-revival-closes-off-broadway-march-1-com-158480# "New Group's 'Mourning Becomes Electra' Revival Closes Off-Broadway March 1"] ''Playbill'', March 1, 2009
24. Stewart, Zachary. [http://www.theatermania.com/new-york-city-theater/reviews/04-2014/the-library_68247.html "Review. 'The Library' "] theatermania.com, April 15, 2014