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Margo Martindale
A standout in roles earthy, empathetic and hardboiled, Emmy-winning Margo Martindale made herself one of the most distinctive character actors of the 1990s and early 2000s. Wielding a dulcet Texan lilt, Martindale carved a niche as a New York stage actor before securing her footing in feature films as the mother of a chronically ill boy in "Lorenzo's Oil" (1992). It began a series of projects with Susan Sarandon - most notably a turn as a fellow crusading nun in the Oscar-winning "Dead Man Walking" (1995) - and a career track of playing matronly authority figures. She ventured into series television in the courtroom drama "100 Centre Street" (A&E, 2001-02), opening a spigot of series work that would include "The Riches" (FX, 2007-08) and "Dexter" (Showtime, 2006-13). In 2004, Martindale earned a Tony for her part in the revival of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." In 2010, she joined the cast of the crime drama "Justified" (FX, 2010-15), wowing critics as a sweet-natured yet murderously Machiavellian godmother of a drug cartel. A go-to performer for tough but textured characters, Martindale well earned the reputation of a supporting player able to effortlessly steal scenes wholesale.
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Margo Martindale
Filmography
Movies
| Credit | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 66% |
|
Cocaine Bear | Ranger Liz (Character) | $64.4M | 2023 |
| 75% |
|
Family Squares | Diane (Character) | - | 2022 |
| 77% |
|
Uncle Frank | Mammaw Bledsoe (Character) | - | 2020 |
| 10% |
|
Lazy Susan | Mary (Character) | - | 2020 |
| 99% |
|
Blow the Man Down | Enid Nora Devlin (Character) | - | 2019 |
| 24% |
|
The Kitchen | Helen O'Carroll (Character) | $12.2M | 2019 |
| 82% |
|
Instant Family | Grandma Sandy (Character) | $67.3M | 2018 |
| 47% |
|
Downsizing | Woman on Shuttle (Character) | $24.4M | 2017 |
| 69% |
|
Cars 3 | Louise Nash (Voice) | $152.9M | 2017 |
| 47% |
|
Wilson | Alta (Character) | $653.0K | 2017 |
| 25% |
|
Table 19 | Freda Eckberg (Character) | $3.6M | 2017 |
| 75% |
|
Sophie and the Rising Sun | Anne Morrison (Character) | $30.3K | 2016 |
| 45% |
|
The Hollars | Sally Hollar (Character) | $1.0M | 2016 |
| 8% |
|
Mother's Day | Flo (Character) | $32.5M | 2016 |
| 22% |
|
The Boss | Sister Aluminata (Character) | $63.0M | 2016 |
| 52% |
|
Heaven Is for Real | Nancy Rawling (Character) | $91.4M | 2014 |
| 79% |
|
Bluebird | Crystal (Character) | - | 2013 |
| 67% |
|
August: Osage County | Mattie Fae Aiken (Character) | $37.7M | 2013 |
| 48% |
|
Beautiful Creatures | Aunt Del (Character) | $19.4M | 2013 |
| 78% |
|
Scalene | Janice Trimble (Character) | - | 2011 |
| 95% |
|
Win Win | Eleanor (Character) | $10.2M | 2011 |
| No Score Yet |
|
Forged | Dianne (Character) | - | 2010 |
| 13% |
|
Main Street | Mrs. Parker (Character) | $1.6K | 2010 |
| 64% |
|
Secretariat | Miss Ham (Character) | $59.7M | 2010 |
| 52% |
|
The Winning Season | Donna (Character) | - | 2009 |
| 47% |
|
The Butcher's Son | Flannigan (Character) | $210.6K | 2009 |
| 60% |
|
Orphan | Dr. Browning (Character) | $41.6M | 2009 |
| 44% |
|
Hannah Montana: The Movie | Ruby (Character) | $79.6M | 2009 |
| 46% |
|
Management | Trish (Character) | $933.2K | 2008 |
| 74% |
|
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story | Ma Cox (Character) | $18.3M | 2007 |
| 34% |
|
Rails & Ties | Judy Neasy (Character) | $21.4K | 2007 |
| 84% |
|
Rocket Science | Coach Lumbly (Character) | $712.4K | 2007 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Out There | Jeri (Character) | - | 2006 |
| 33% |
|
Wedding Daze | Betsy (Character) | - | 2006 |
| No Score Yet |
|
Silver Bells | Mrs. Quinn (Character) | - | 2005 |
| 40% |
|
The Best Thief in the World | Miss Mason (Character) | - | 2004 |
| 56% |
|
Iron Jawed Angels | Harriot Blatch (Character) | - | 2004 |
| 90% |
|
Million Dollar Baby | Earline Fitzgerald (Character) | $100.4M | 2004 |
| No Score Yet |
|
An Unexpected Love | Maggie (Character) | - | 2003 |
| 19% |
|
It's All About Love | Betsy (Character) | - | 2003 |
| 42% |
|
The Human Stain | Psychologist (Character) | $5.4M | 2003 |
| 92% |
|
The Laramie Project | Trish Steger (Character) | - | 2002 |
| 80% |
|
The Hours | Mrs. Latch (Character) | $41.6M | 2002 |
| No Score Yet |
|
A Girl Thing | May (Character) | - | 2001 |
| No Score Yet |
|
What Girls Learn | Lainey (Character) | - | 2001 |
| 39% |
|
Proof of Life | Ivy (Character) | $32.6M | 2000 |
| 33% |
|
28 Days | Betty (Character) | $37.0M | 2000 |
| 64% |
|
Ride With the Devil | Wilma Brown (Character) | $630.8K | 1999 |
| No Score Yet |
|
Earthly Possessions | Libby (Character) | - | 1999 |
| 25% |
|
In Dreams | Nurse Floyd (Character) | $11.9M | 1999 |
| 61% |
|
Twilight | Gloria Lamar (Character) | $15.0M | 1998 |
| No Score Yet |
|
...First Do No Harm | Marjean (Character) | - | 1997 |
| 59% |
|
Critical Care | Constance "Connie" Potter (Character) | $169.4K | 1997 |
| 84% |
|
Marvin's Room | Dr. Charlotte (Character) | $12.8M | 1996 |
| No Score Yet |
|
Ruby Jean and Joe | Frankie (Character) | - | 1996 |
| 91% |
|
Nobody's Fool | Birdy (Character) | $38.3M | 1994 |
| 93% |
|
Lorenzo's Oil | Wendy Gimble (Character) | $6.9M | 1992 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Emma and Elvis | Jenny (Character) | - | 1992 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Child Saver | Alma (Character) | - | 1988 |
TV
| Credit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 81% | 69% | The Sticky | Ruth Clarke (Character) | 2024 |
| 63% | 44% | Doctor Odyssey | Ellen Parsons (Character) | 2024 |
| 54% | 35% | The Watcher | Mo (Character) | 2022 |
| 84% | 90% | American Crime Story | Lucianne Goldberg (Character) | 2021 |
| 100% | 93% | Infinity Train | Judge Morpho (Voice) | 2021 |
| 96% | 69% | Mrs. America | Bella Abzug (Character) | 2020 |
| No Score Yet | 55% | Late Night With Seth Meyers | Guest | 2019 |
| 96% | 90% | Sneaky Pete | Audrey Bernhardt (Character) | 2015 2017-2019 |
| No Score Yet | 93% | DuckTales | Ma Beagle (Guest Voice) | 2019 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Rachael Ray | Guest | 2017-2019 |
| 96% | 94% | The Americans |
Claudia (Character), Claudio (Guest Star) |
2013-2018 |
| 95% | 65% | The Good Fight | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2018 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Chew | Guest | 2016 2018 |
| 65% | 91% | BrainDead | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2016 |
| 93% | 90% | The Good Wife | Ruth Eastman (Guest Star) | 2015-2016 |
| 47% | 44% | The Millers | Carol Miller (Character) | 2013-2015 |
| No Score Yet | 63% | Mike & Molly | Rosemary (Guest Star) | 2015 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Talk | Guest | 2013 |
| 84% | 85% | Masters of Sex | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2013 |
| 95% | 85% | New Girl | Bonnie (Guest Star) | 2013 |
| 68% | 80% | Smash | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2013 |
| 92% | 78% | Person of Interest | Barbara Russell (Guest Star) | 2012 |
| 91% | 87% | Suits | Nell Sawyer (Guest Star) | 2012 |
| 66% | 75% | A Gifted Man | Rita Perkins-Hall (Character) | 2011-2012 |
| 47% | No Score Yet | CHAOS | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2011 |
| 97% | 95% | Justified | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2011 |
| 43% | 77% | Harry's Law | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2011 |
| 25% | No Score Yet | Mercy | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2009-2010 |
| 71% | 81% | Dexter | Camilla (Guest Star) | 2006-2008 |
| 86% | 57% | The Riches | Nina (Character) | 2008 |
| No Score Yet | 80% | Medium | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2005-2006 |
| 78% | 83% | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Rita Gabler (Guest Star) | 2006 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | 100 Centre Street | Unknown (Character) | 2001-2002 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Snoops | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1999 |
| 91% | 90% | Homicide: Life on the Street | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1999 |
| No Score Yet | 83% | Law & Order | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1996 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | New York Undercover | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1994 |
| 54% | No Score Yet | Welcome to New York | Unknown (Guest Star) |