Frances Conroy

Classically trained and extremely versatile, actress Frances Conroy crafted a wide-ranging career as a supporting player in an admirable array of films, television projects, and live stage productions. After graduating from the prestigious Juilliard School, she performed in several New York Shakespeare Festival productions prior to making early appearances in films like "Manhattan" (1979) and "Falling in Love" (1984). The increasingly in-demand actress juggled TV guest spots on shows like "The Twilight Zone" (CBS, 1985-87), with turns in such films as "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" (1988), as well as award-winning performances in Broadway productions like "The Secret Rapture" (1989). In the early 1990s, Conroy began a fruitful working relationship with American playwright Arthur Miller, starring in a number of his stage efforts over the decade, as well as in the screen adaptation of his classic work, "The Crucible" (1996). However, Conroy would become best known for her role as the emotionally distant matriarch of a troubled family of morticians on the acclaimed cable drama "Six Feet Under" (HBO, 2000-05). For her role as the frustratingly naïve Ruth Fisher, Conroy would be nominated for an Emmy for each season of the show, in addition to winning a Golden Globe for her portrayal. Post-"Six Feet Under" work found her making several noteworthy appearances on the hit series "Desperate Housewives" (ABC, 2004-2012), and sharing screen time with Robert De Niro in the crime drama "Stone" (2010). Though seldom receiving top-billing in her numerable projects, Conroy nonetheless became one of the most respected working actresses during her time on stage and screen.