Swoosie Kurtz
The title of playwright Wendy Wasserstein's 1977 off-Broadway hit, "Uncommon Women and Others," accurately described the roles which brought original cast member Swoosie Kurtz several awards and universal renown as a character actress par excellence. In the years since she first caught theatergoers' attention with her quirky performance as a sex-obsessed Mount Holyoke graduate in Wasserstein's semi-autobiographical ensemble drama, Kurtz demonstrated her formidable range on stage, screen and television for decades to come. She made a memorable impression in a brief appearance as a world-weary prostitute in "The World According to Garp" (1982) before hitting the stage for a number of roles, including her Tony-winning performance in "The House of Blue Leaves" (1986). After several years bouncing around various mediums, Kurtz started making a name for herself as one of four "Sisters" (NBC, 1991-96) and in notable supporting roles in major features like "Liar Liar" (1997). Following rather thankless parts in "Bubble Boy" (2001) and "Rules of Attraction" (2002), she played a grieving mother confronting her daughter's killer in Broadway's "Frozen" (2004) before landing a regular series role as an ex-synchronized swimmer on "Pushing Daisies" (ABC, 2007-09) respectively. Even as she slummed by taking recurring roles in rather mediocre sitcoms like "Suddenly Susan" (NBC, 1996-2000) and "Still Standing"(CBS, 2002-06), Kurtz maintained her reputation as a critical darling and one of the finest character actresses working in the business.
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Swoosie Kurtz
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
24% |
|
Overboard | Grace (Character) | $50.2M | 2018 |
70% |
|
An Englishman in New York | Connie Clausen (Character) | - | 2009 |
No Score Yet |
|
Living Proof | Unknown (Character) | - | 2008 |
57% |
|
Superman: Doomsday | Unknown (Voice) | - | 2007 |
35% |
|
Duplex | Jean (Character) | $9.7M | 2003 |
44% |
|
The Rules of Attraction | Mrs .Jared (Character) | $6.5M | 2002 |
32% |
|
Bubble Boy | Mrs. Livingston (Character) | $5.0M | 2001 |
43% |
|
Get Over It | Beverly Landers (Character) | $11.6M | 2001 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Wilde Girls | Sierra Lambert (Character) | - | 2001 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Sleep Easy, Hutch Rimes | Binny Redwine (Character) | - | 2000 |
53% |
|
Cruel Intentions | Dr. Regina Greenbaum (Character) | $38.6M | 1999 |
No Score Yet |
|
The White River Kid | Mummy Weed (Character) | - | 1999 |
No Score Yet |
|
My Own Country | Hope Flanders (Character) | - | 1998 |
No Score Yet |
|
Harvey | Veta Simmons (Character) | - | 1998 |
25% |
|
Outside Ozona | Rosalee (Character) | $7.4K | 1998 |
83% |
|
Liar Liar | Dana Appleton (Character) | $181.4M | 1997 |
No Score Yet |
|
Little Girls in Pretty Boxes | Allison Bryant (Character) | - | 1997 |
81% |
|
Citizen Ruth | Diane (Character) | $278.5K | 1996 |
No Score Yet |
|
A Promise to Carolyn | Kay (Character) | - | 1996 |
No Score Yet |
|
Storybook | Queen Evilia (Character) | - | 1995 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Betrayed: A Story of Three Women | Joan Bixler (Character) | - | 1995 |
No Score Yet |
|
One Christmas | Emily (Character) | - | 1994 |
62% |
|
Reality Bites | Charlane McGregor (Character) | $20.0M | 1994 |
100% |
|
And the Band Played On | Mrs. Johnstone (Character) | - | 1993 |
91% |
|
The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom | Marla Harper (Character) | - | 1993 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Terror on Track 9 | Marcia Hobbs (Character) | - | 1992 |
29% |
|
Stanley & Iris | Sharon (Character) | $5.5M | 1990 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Image | Joanne Winstow-Darvish (Character) | - | 1990 |
71% |
|
A Shock to the System | Leslie Marshall (Character) | $2.0M | 1990 |
57% |
|
Bright Lights, Big City | Megan (Character) | $15.7M | 1988 |
94% |
|
Dangerous Liaisons | Madame de Volanges (Character) | $32.7M | 1988 |
50% |
|
Vice Versa | Tina Brooks (Character) | $12.2M | 1988 |
No Score Yet |
|
Baja Oklahoma | Doris Steadman (Character) | - | 1988 |
79% |
|
True Stories | Miss Rollings (Character) | $1.6M | 1986 |
26% |
|
Wildcats | Verna McGrath (Character) | $23.6M | 1986 |
No Score Yet |
|
Guilty Conscience | Jackie Willis (Character) | - | 1985 |
64% |
|
Against All Odds | Edie (Character) | - | 1984 |
No Score Yet |
|
A Caribbean Mystery | Ruth Walter (Character) | - | 1983 |
71% |
|
The World According to Garp | The Hooker (Character) | - | 1982 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Fifth of July | Unknown (Character) | - | 1982 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Mating Season | Roberta (Character) | - | 1980 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Walking Through the Fire | Caria (Character) | - | 1979 |
25% |
|
Oliver's Story | Gwen Simpson (Character) | - | 1978 |
No Score Yet |
|
First Love | Marsha (Character) | - | 1977 |
87% |
|
Slap Shot | Shirley Upton (Character) | - | 1977 |
TV
Credit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
No Score Yet | 55% | Call Me Kat | Sheila (Character) | 2021-2023 |
82% | 60% | Bless the Harts | Mee-Maw Edwards (Guest Voice) | 2021 |
No Score Yet | 75% | Man With a Plan | Bev (Guest Star) | 2017-2020 |
71% | 73% | The Dangerous Book for Boys | Tiffany (Character) | 2018 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Home & Family | Guest | 2018 |
89% | 76% | Lethal Weapon | Ruthie (Guest Star) | 2018 |
90% | 87% | Grace and Frankie | Janet (Guest Star) | 2016 2018 |
No Score Yet | 63% | Mike & Molly | Joyce Flynn (Character) | 2010-2016 |
No Score Yet | 90% | American Dad! | Marylin Thacker (Guest Voice) | 2006 2008 2010 2012-2014 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Talk | Guest | 2011 2013-2014 |
81% | 88% | Nurse Jackie | Mrs. Scheinhorn (Guest Star) | 2009 2011 |
90% | 91% | Chuck | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2010 |
11% | No Score Yet | Hank | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2009 |
52% | 65% | Heroes | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2009 |
96% | 95% | Pushing Daisies | Lily Charles (Character) | 2007-2009 |
78% | 83% | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Judge Hilda Marsden (Guest Star) | 2009 |
72% | 89% | Desperate Housewives | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2009 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Bonnie Hunt Show | Guest | 2008 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Category 7: The End of the World | Penny Hall (Character) | 2005 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Still Standing | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2005 |
86% | 90% | Lost | Emily Locke (Guest Star) | 2005 |
83% | No Score Yet | That's Life | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2001 |
36% | No Score Yet | The Fighting Fitzgeralds | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2001 |
44% | No Score Yet | Love & Money | Effie Conklin (Character) | 1999-2000 |
78% | No Score Yet | Armistead Maupin's More Tales of the City | Unknown (Character) | 1998 |
No Score Yet | 85% | ER | Tina Marie Chambliss (Guest Star) | 1998 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Touched by an Angel | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1997 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Suddenly Susan | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1996-1997 |
11% | No Score Yet | Party Girl | Unknown (Character) | 1996 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Sisters | Alex Reed Halsey Barker (Character) | 1991-1996 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Hope & Gloria | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1995 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Kojak | Julie Di Nata (Guest Star) | 1976 |