Lisa Joyce

Actress Lisa Joyce drew rave reviews for her work on the New York and London stage, which led to notable roles on television in "Boardwalk Empire" (HBO, 2010-14) and on screen as the female lead in Jonathan Demme's "A Master Builder" (2013). Born and raised in Chicago, Joyce studied acting at DePaul University before immersing herself in her hometown's acclaimed theater scene. She earned a Joseph Jefferson Award nomination for her performance in Adam Rapp's Pulitzer Prize-nominated "Red Light Winter" (2006) at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Joyce continued with the play after it moved off-Broadway, and soon added more New York theater credits to her c.v., including "Beast" (2008) and "Love, Loss and What I Wore" (2009). During this period, Joyce also landed guest and support roles in various television and feature projects, including "Law & Order" (NBC, 1990-2010) and its various franchise titles, as well as Oren Moverman's "The Messenger" (2009). The following year, she made her West End and Broadway debuts in "La Bete," starring David Hyde Pierce, Mark Rylance and Joanna Lumley, then toured with Cherry Jones in "Doubt." In 2010, she also enjoyed a showcase role as Mary Dittrich, who joins her husband in an illicit affair with Angela Darmody (Aleksa Palladino), wife of gangster Jimmy Darmody (Michael Pitt), on "Boardwalk Empire." The exposure led to more roles for the cable network, including a supporting turn in the teleplay "Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight" (2013) for director Stephen Frears. That same year, Joyce was cast as the female lead in Jonathan Demme's "A Master Builder" (2013), a film version of Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn's adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's play of the same name. The production, which had undergone nearly two decades of rehearsal prior to filming, starred Shawn as a dying architect who falls under the spell of an admirer (Joyce), much to the consternation of his long-suffering wife (Julie Hagerty) and employees. In 2014, Joyce returned to off-Broadway for the thriller "Our New Girl."