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Grace Zabriskie

Highest Rated: 100% Bastard Out of Carolina (1996)

Lowest Rated: 7% License to Wed (2007)

Birthday: May 17, 1941

Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

A character actress given to tasty bit parts, Grace Zabriskie vacillates between erotic exhibitionists and colorful, brassy mothers. Since making her feature debut in "Norma Rae" (1978), the New Orleans-born actress has gone on to leave an indelible mark on both the small and big screens. She has been particularly effective in movies playing mothers, albeit not the kind that would be embraced by June Cleaver. In "An Officer and a Gentleman" (1982), Zabriskie portrayed Debra Winger's mom while in "Drugstore Cowboy" (1989), she was the rejecting parent of Matt Dillon. The actress drew on her roots as Dennis Quaid's Cajun mom in "The Big Easy" (1986) and was another Southern mother, this time to Sissy Spacek, in "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" (1994). Two of her most memorable feature parts were as a crazed killer (in a role tailored specifically for her) in David Lynch's "Wild at Heart" (1990) and as Malcolm McDowall's wife in "Chain of Desire" (1993), for which she donned a maid's uniform and wig for a softly sadistic sex scene. Along with a steady string of low-profile indie films, Zabriskie has appeared in "A Family Thing" (1996), "Armageddon" (1998), "Gone In Sixty Seconds" (2001), "The House on Turk Street" (2002) and, in a particularly effective turn, as the near-catatonic victim of "The Grudge" (2004). On the small screen, the actress has lent her unique talents to a variety of memorable roles. Zabriskie was effective as a snake-handler who attempts to romance a detective in a two-part 1986 installment of NBC's "Hill Street Blues" and as the supportive wife of Admiral Elmo Zumwalt in the CBS biopic "My Father, My Son" (1988). Zabriskie went on to play the grandmother of a child stricken with AIDS in "The Ryan White Story" (ABC, 1989), and the therapist of a sexually abused teen in "A Deadly Silence" (ABC, 1989). The following year, David Lynch tapped her to portray the excessively sobbing mother of murder victim Laura Palmer in the quirky primetime serial "Twin Peaks" (ABC), which she reprised in the confusing 1993 feature prequel "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me." Zabriskie had the recurring role of the mother of Susan Ross, George Costanza's ill-fated fiancee in several episodes of "Seinfeld." She also offered an effective supporting turn as Jennifer Jason Leigh's mother in the controversial but critically-praised "Bastard Out of Carolina" (Showtime, 1996). She also had a recurring stint as Yellow Teeth on the sci-fi series "John Doe" (UPN, 2002-2003) and appeared as The Crone on the popular WB witchcraft-lite series "Charmed."

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Highest rated movies

100% 84% Bastard Out of Carolina
Watchlist
94% 63% The Waterdance
Watchlist
91% 79% Norma Rae
Watchlist
89% 61% The Big Easy
Watchlist
80% 57% Chrystal
Watchlist
80% 80% My Own Private Idaho Watchlist
73% 72% A Family Thing
Watchlist
72% 75% Inland Empire
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71% 59% Cryptozoo Watchlist
67% 64% FernGully ... the Last Rainforest
Watchlist

Filmography

Movies

Credit
71% 59% Cryptozoo Joan (Voice) $32.3K 2021
No Score Yet 29% Polaroid Lena Sable (Character) - 2019
No Score Yet No Score Yet Joe Frank: Somewhere Out There Unknown (Character) - 2018
No Score Yet 73% Rosemont Josephine (Character) - 2015
No Score Yet No Score Yet Polaroid Lena (Character) - 2015
49% 72% The Judge Mrs. Blackwell (Character) $2.7M 2014
No Score Yet No Score Yet Blind Malice Nanna (Character) - 2014
55% 42% Wrong Cops Donna (Character) - 2013
50% 44% My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done Mrs. McCullum (Character) - 2009
17% 23% Bob Funk Mrs. Funk (Character) - 2009
No Score Yet 22% Brothel Madam (Character) - 2008
7% 53% License to Wed Grandma Jones (Character) $43.8M 2007
72% 75% Inland Empire Visitor #1 (Character) - 2006
80% 57% Chrystal Gladys (Character) $80.7K 2004
40% 46% The Grudge Emma Williams (Character) $110.2M 2004
No Score Yet 58% The Last Letter Mrs. Allison (Character) - 2004
25% 25% The House on Turk Street Mrs. Quarre (Character) - 2002
20% 36% R.S.V.P. Mary Franklin (Character) - 2002
No Score Yet 8% They Crawl Mrs. Gage (Character) - 2002
No Score Yet No Score Yet Home: The Horror Story Grace Parkinson (Character) - 2000
No Score Yet 53% A Texas Funeral Murtis (Character) - 2000
26% 77% Gone in Sixty Seconds Helen Raines (Character) $101.6M 2000
No Score Yet 46% Trash Mrs. DeMarie (Character) - 1999
No Score Yet 27% Houdini Mrs. Weiss (Character) - 1998
No Score Yet No Score Yet Dante's View Geraldine (Character) - 1998
No Score Yet 53% Me & Will Edith (Character) - 1998
43% 73% Armageddon Dottie (Character) $201.6M 1998
55% 43% Sparkler Sherri (Character) $5.5K 1998
No Score Yet No Score Yet George B. The Mother (Character) - 1997
No Score Yet 0% Dead Men Can't Dance Brig. Gen. Burke (Character) - 1997
No Score Yet No Score Yet Devil's Child Rose DeMarco (Character) - 1997
No Score Yet No Score Yet Murder at My Door Grandma (Character) - 1996
73% 72% A Family Thing Ruby (Character) $10.1M 1996
No Score Yet 92% A Promise to Carolyn Francie Harper (Character) - 1996
100% 84% Bastard Out of Carolina Granny (Character) - 1996
44% 56% The Passion of Darkly Noon Roxy (Character) - 1995
22% No Score Yet Desert Winds Jackie's Mother (Character) - 1995
No Score Yet 76% A Good Day to Die Rose (Character) - 1995
No Score Yet 25% The Crew Gloria Pierce (Character) - 1994
39% 32% Drop Zone Winona (Character) $26.7M 1994
No Score Yet 80% Black Widow Murders: The Blanche Taylor Moore Story Ethel (Character) - 1993
No Score Yet No Score Yet Bonds of Love Emma Smith (Character) - 1993
17% 28% Even Cowgirls Get the Blues Mrs. Hankshaw (Character) $1.7M 1993
No Score Yet No Score Yet Miracle Child Adeleine Newberry (Character) - 1993
60% No Score Yet Chain of Desire Linda Bailey (Character) $3.1K 1993
94% 63% The Waterdance Pat (Character) $1.7M 1992
67% 64% FernGully ... the Last Rainforest Magi Lune (Voice) $20.9M 1992
64% 78% Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me Sarah Palmer (Character) $4.2M 1992
No Score Yet No Score Yet A House of Secrets and Lies Ruby (Character) - 1992
No Score Yet 26% The Servants of Twilight Grace Spivey (Character) - 1991
80% 80% My Own Private Idaho Alena (Character) $6.4M 1991
No Score Yet 15% Ambition Mrs. Merrick (Character) $282.5K 1991
No Score Yet No Score Yet Prison Stories: Women on the Inside Genevieve (Character) - 1991
No Score Yet 0% Intimate Stranger Dana P. Ashley (Character) - 1991
No Score Yet No Score Yet Megaville Mrs. Palinov (Character) - 1990
47% 53% Child's Play 2 Grace Poole (Character) $26.9M 1990
65% 81% Wild at Heart Juana Durango (Character) $14.5M 1990
No Score Yet No Score Yet Hometown Boy Makes Good Helen Geary (Character) - 1990
No Score Yet 68% The Ryan White Story Gloria White (Character) - 1989
40% 49% The Boost Sheryl (Character) $766.8K 1988
50% 50% Rampage Naomi Reece (Character) $322.5K 1987
89% 61% The Big Easy Mama (Character) $15.5M 1986
No Score Yet 97% Nickel Mountain Ellie Wells (Character) - 1985
No Score Yet No Score Yet Shadow Chasers Mary Komatar (Character) - 1985
No Score Yet 77% The Burning Bed Flossie Hughes (Character) - 1984
No Score Yet No Score Yet M.A.D.D.: The Candy Lightner Story Silvie Alice Kohler (Character) - 1983
27% 28% Galaxy of Terror Captain Trantor (Character) - 1981
No Score Yet 83% The Private Eyes Nanny (Character) - 1980
91% 79% Norma Rae Linette Odum (Character) - 1979

TV

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs: Nightmareathon Unknown (Character) 2024
43% 42% Mike Camille D'Amato (Character) 2022
94% 83% Twin Peaks: The Return Sarah Palmer (Character) 2017
72% 85% Ray Donovan Unknown (Guest Star) 2015
80% 82% Big Love Lois Henrickson (Character) 2006-2007 2009-2011
No Score Yet 90% Charmed The Crone (Guest Star) 2003
73% No Score Yet John Doe Unknown (Guest Star) 2002-2003
No Score Yet 83% The Guardian Unknown (Guest Star) 2002
81% 95% The West Wing Isabel (Guest Star) 2000
No Score Yet 80% The King of Queens Unknown (Guest Star) 1999
No Score Yet No Score Yet Dharma & Greg Naomi (Guest Star) 1998
89% 92% Seinfeld Mrs. Ross (Guest Star) 1992 1996 1998
No Score Yet No Score Yet High Incident Unknown (Guest Star) 1997
83% 95% NYPD Blue Wanda Padzik (Guest Star) 1995 1997
43% No Score Yet The Burning Zone Unknown (Guest Star) 1996
50% No Score Yet Second Noah Unknown (Guest Star) 1996
No Score Yet No Score Yet Fallen Angels Virna (Character) 1995
No Score Yet No Score Yet Children of the Dust Unknown (Character) 1995
71% No Score Yet Angel Falls Cuema (Character) 1993
78% 92% Twin Peaks Sarah Palmer (Character),
Unknown (Voice)
1990-1991
82% 90% Tales From the Crypt Unknown (Character) 1990
No Score Yet No Score Yet People Like Us Unknown (Character) 1990
97% 85% Hill Street Blues Terry Sylvestri (Guest Star) 1986
No Score Yet No Score Yet Paper Dolls Unknown (Guest Star) 1984
No Score Yet No Score Yet Hart to Hart Unknown (Guest Star) 1981