Mary-Louise Parker

Early life

Parker was born in Columbia, South Carolina, the youngest of four children, to Caroline Louise (née Morell) and John Morgan Parker, a judge who served in the U.S. Army. Because of her father's career, Parker spent parts of her childhood in South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas, as well as in Thailand, Germany, and France. She described her childhood as "profoundly unhappy", noting that, "My parents did everything they could; I had books, clothes, a home and a warm bed, but I was never happy." She graduated from Marcos de Niza High School in Tempe, Arizona. Parker majored in drama at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and graduated in 1986.

Acting career

1980s

Parker got her start in acting with a role on the soap opera Ryan's Hope. In the late 1980s, Parker moved to New York City. After a few minor roles, she made her Broadway debut in a production of Craig Lucas' Prelude to a Kiss, playing the lead role of Rita, in 1990. She moved with the production when it transferred from its origin off-Broadway. Parker won the Clarence Derwent Award for her performance and was nominated for a Tony Award (although she did not play the role when the film was made). In 1989, she was in the film Longtime Companion, a film starring Campbell Scott, Bruce Davison and Dermot Mulroney about the emergence and devastation of the AIDS epidemic.

1990s

Parker starred with Kevin Kline in Grand Canyon (1991); with Kathy Bates, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Jessica Tandy in Fried Green Tomatoes (1991); with Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones in The Client (1994); with John Cusack in Bullets Over Broadway (1994); and with Drew Barrymore and Whoopi Goldberg in Boys on the Side (1995), as a woman with AIDS. Parker's next role was in a movie adaptation of another Craig Lucas play, Reckless (1995), alongside Mia Farrow, followed by Jane Campion's The Portrait of a Lady (1996), which also starred Nicole Kidman, Viggo Mortensen, Christian Bale, John Malkovich and Barbara Hershey. In addition she appeared alongside Matthew Modine in Tim Hunter's The Maker (1997).

Parker's theater career continued when she appeared off-Broadway in Paula Vogel's 1997 critical smash How I Learned to Drive, with David Morse. She received the 1997 Lucille Lortel Award, Outstanding Actress, and 1997 Obie Award, Performance for her performance.

In the late 1990s, she appeared in several independent films, including Let the Devil Wear Black and The Five Senses. She starred alongside Sidney Poitier in the 1999 movie The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn.

2000s

From 2000 to 2001, Parker starred in the play Proof in off-Broadway and Broadway productions, winning the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for the latter.

On December 7, 2003, HBO aired a six-and-a-half-hour adaptation of Tony Kushner's acclaimed Broadway play Angels in America, directed by Mike Nichols. Parker played Harper Pitt, the Mormon, Valium-addicted wife of a closeted lawyer. For her performance, Parker received the Golden Globe Award and Primetime Emmy Award, both for Best Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film.

In 2004, Parker appeared in the comedy Saved! and a television film called Miracle Run, based on the true story of a mother of two sons with autism, as well as appearing in the lead role in Craig Lucas' Reckless on Broadway. The production, directed by Mark Brokaw, earned Parker another nomination for a Tony Award for Best Actress in 2005. In November 2005, Parker was the subject of a career exhibition at Boston University, where memorabilia from her career were donated to the university's library.

In 2005, Parker began starring on the Showtime series Weeds. In 2006, Parker received the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy, given by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, for her lead role in Weeds. In that category, she defeated the four leads of Desperate Housewives. She dedicated the award to the late John Spencer, known for his work as Leo McGarry on The West Wing. After receiving the award, Parker stated: "I'm really in favor of legalizing marijuana. I don't think it's that controversial."

In March 2007, Parker played the lead role in the television film The Robber Bride. She then portrayed Zerelda Mimms in the Andrew Dominik film The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, which opened in cinemas in September 2007. Parker appeared alongside Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, Sam Rockwell, and Garret Dillahunt. In August 2007, Parker continued her role in the third season of Weeds.

Parker appeared in 2008's The Spiderwick Chronicles and in off-Broadway's Playwrights Horizons production in the New York premiere of Dead Man's Cell Phone, a new play by Sarah Ruhl, alongside Drama Desk Award winner Kathleen Chalfant.

Following this, she returned to work on the fifth season of Weeds. Parker took the lead role in the Roundabout Theatre Broadway revival of the play Hedda Gabler, running from January through March 29, 2009. The play garnered a series of negative reviews.

2010s

Parker starred opposite Bruce Willis in the film Red, an adaptation of the comic book miniseries of the same name. The film was released on October 15, 2010. In 2011, Parker became the host for the tenth season of the PBS documentary series Independent Lens. In 2013, she played roles in both Red 2 and R.I.P.D. She appeared in the Broadway Manhattan Theatre Club production of the play The Snow Geese by Sharr White at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre from October 24 through December 15, 2013. The play was directed by Daniel J. Sullivan and also starred Danny Burstein and Victoria Clark.

Parker starred in the play by Simon Stephens, Heisenberg, produced off-Broadway by the Manhattan Theatre Club. The play, directed by Mark Brokaw, opened on June 2, 2015. The play extended its run, closing on July 11, 2015. The play transferred to Broadway at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, with previews starting on September 20, 2016, officially opening on October 13, with Parker and Denis Arndt reprising their roles.

She starred on Broadway in the Adam Rapp play The Sound Inside at Studio 54 starting on September 14, 2019, in previews, officially on October 17. She performed in the world premiere of the play in June to July 2018 at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. In September 2021, she won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for the Broadway run.

2020s

Parker appeared in the 2022 Broadway revival by the Manhattan Theatre Club of How I Learned to Drive, which was originally supposed to open at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre in previews in March 2020. David Morse co-starred, with direction by Mark Brokaw. This production united Parker, Morse and Brokaw from the original 1997 production. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this production was postponed to Manhattan Theater Club's 2021–22 season. She received her fifth Tony Award nomination for the production. In 2023, Parker appeared in the music video for country music duo The Reklaws' song "Honky Tonkin' About" with Drake Milligan.

Writing career

Since 2007, Parker has contributed articles to Esquire magazine. In November 2015, Scribner Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, published her memoir in letters titled Dear Mr. You.

Personal life

From 1996 to November 2003, Parker dated actor Billy Crudup. Their relationship ended in 2003 when Parker, who was seven months pregnant with their son William Atticus Parker, discovered that Crudup was leaving her for actress Claire Danes. William's godmother is actress Susan Sarandon. Parker was also briefly linked to Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz.

In December 2006, Parker began dating actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan, whom she had met on the set of Weeds. On February 12, 2008, Parker and Morgan announced their engagement, only to break up in April 2008.

In September 2007, Parker adopted a baby girl, Caroline Aberash Parker, from Ethiopia.

In 2013, Parker was honored for her work with Hope North, an organization that works in the educating and healing of young victims in the Ugandan civil war. The actress began her involvement with the organization after meeting a former victim of Uganda's civil war.

Parker lives in Brooklyn Heights with her two children.

Parker practices transcendental meditation. She says: "I'd always heard about transcendental meditation, and I thought, maybe that's the way back in for me. I learned TM and it changed everything." She also participates in a charity dinner for military veterans who are victims of post-traumatic stress disorder organized by the David Lynch Foundations Operation Warrior Wellness's Resilient Warrior Program, with Tom Hanks.

Filmography

Film

Television

Audio

Music videos

Theatre credits

Awards and nominations

References

References

1. "Mary-Louise Parker".
2. (January 16, 1992). "Parker's career makes leap with 'Canyon', 'Tomatoes'". [[San Antonio Express-News]].
3. (November 1, 2000). "Debra Messing – 5 Women Who Make Us Want to Be a Better Man".
4. (October 14, 2010). "Obituaries: John Morgan Parker". [[The Washington Post]].
5. "Parker, Mary-Louise".
6. Gordon, Meryl. "Mary-Louise Parker Likes to Reveal Herself". MORE Magazine.
7. Robertson, Campbell. (March 3, 2008). "You're Welcome to See Her Live, Not to Ask About Her Life". The New York Times.
8. [http://iobdb.com/Production/371 "Internet Off-Broadway Database listing"] iobdb.com, accessed August 14, 2019
9. "Mary-Louise Parker | Television Academy". Emmys.com.
10. (May 10, 2005). "14 Tony Nods For 'Spamalot'". CBS News.
11. Account. (January 17, 2006). "Parker: 'Legalise Cannabis'". Contactmusic.com.
12. "Playwrights Horizons". Playwrights Horizons.
13. Jones, Kenneth. (March 29, 2009). "Parker's 'Hedda Gabler' Takes Her Last Shot March 29".
14. (2008-08-15). "Weeds' Mary-Louise Parker cast as star of Hedda Gabler on Broadway – Today's News: Our Take {{!}} TVGuide.com".
15. (January 18, 2010). "Red Begins Principal Photography". [[/Film]].
16. "Introducing Our Illustrious New Host, Mary-Louise Parker! – Independent Lens Blog".
17. (October 25, 2013). "The Verdict: Critics Review The Snow Geese on Broadway Starring Mary-Louise Parker".
18. Clement, Olivia. (June 2, 2015). "MTC's 'Heisenberg', Starring Mary-Louise Parker, Opens Tonight".
19. Clement, Olivia. (June 17, 2015). "Demand for Mary-Louise Parker Play Continues; Show Extends a Final Time".
20. Clement, Olivia. (February 2, 2016). "'Heisenberg', with Mary-Louise Parker, Is Transferring to Broadway".
21. Simoes, Monica. (September 28, 2016). "First Look at Mary-Louise Parker and Denis Arndt in 'Heisenberg'".
22. Clement, Olivia. (September 14, 2019). "Adam Rapp's The Sound Inside, Starring Mary-Louise Parker, Begins on Broadway".
23. "The Sound Inside".
24. Bergman, J. Peter. (July 2, 2018). "Theatre Review: ''The Sound Inside,'' one-of-a-kind premiere at WTF". The Berkshire Edge.
25. Libbey, Peter. (October 15, 2020). "Full List of the 2020 Tony Award Nominees". [[The New York Times]].
26. Clement, Olivia. (August 13, 2019). "Mary-Louise Parker and David Morse to Star in Paula Vogel's ''How I Learned to Drive'' — Again — on Broadway".
27. Watts, Cindy. (October 19, 2023). "CMT Premiere: The Reklaws and Drake Milligan Headed to Romania to Give 'Honky Tonkin' About' a 'Back to the Future' Vibe". [[CMT (American TV channel).
28. "Mary-Louise Parker". [[Esquire (magazine).
29. Parker, Mary-Louise. (2015). "Dear Mr. You". Scribner.
30. Susman, Gary. (January 14, 2004). "Mary-Louise Parker names son after Billy Crudup".
31. Daly, Sean. (June 4, 2014). "Interview: Inside the wild, weird head of Counting Crows' Adam Duritz". Tampa Bay Times.
32. McDonnell, Jen. (December 10, 2007). "Weeds Star's Relationship Hasn't Gone To Pot".
33. Rush, George. (February 12, 2008). "Mary-Louise Parker and Jeffrey Dean Morgan Engaged". The New York Daily News.
34. (April 8, 2008). "Mary-Louise Parker, Fiancé Break Off Engagement". People.
35. Jones, Oliver. (September 17, 2007). "Mary-Louise Parker Adopts a Child from Ethiopia". People.
36. (February 15, 2008). "Reading is a favorite activity for Mary-Louise Parker and her kids". Celebrity Baby Blog.
37. "Fall Season 2013: Episode 3 | In the Mixx". Inthemixxshow.com.
38. Morris, Bob. (November 15, 2015). "Mary-Louise Parker on Life With and Without Men". [[The New York Times]].
39. . (n.d.). ["A Mother's Mantra – Actress and author Mary-Louise Parker tells Purist about the virtues of maintaining a regular meditation practice, and showing your children the way"](https://thepuristonline.com/2019/04/a-mothers-mantra/).
40. "Transcendental Meditation for Veterans and Military Personnel".
41. "The Resilient Warrior Program".
42. Transcendental Meditation. (July 18, 2018). "Tom Hanks, the Afternoon Crash, and Meditation". YouTube.
43. Spangler, Todd. (2023-05-09). "Mary-Louise Parker Stars in James Patterson Thriller 'Murder in Bermuda' at Audible".
44. "Murder in Bermuda {{!}} A Legal Thriller Podcast, Created by Aaron Tracy, Starring Mary-Louise Parker".