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Talia Balsam

Talia Balsam

Highest Rated: 100% South Mountain (2019)

Lowest Rated: 12% All the King's Men (2006)

Birthday: Mar 5, 1959

Birthplace: New York, New York, USA

Actress Talia Balsam graduated from youthful supporting roles to more mature and complex character turns over the course of a career that included such popular film and television projects as "thirtysomething" (ABC, 1987-1991), "Mad Men" (AMC, 2007-2015) and "The Good Wife" (CBS, 2009-2016). Born March 5, 1959 in New York City, she was the daughter of Oscar-winning character actor Martin Balsam and his second wife, actress Joyce Van Patten. The couple split in 1962, and their daughter was educated at the Treehaven School in Arizona from 1971 to 1974. She made her acting debut in 1977 on a notorious multi-part episode of "Happy Days" in Henry Winkler's "Fonzie" jumped over a shark in a water tank, and from there, worked steadily on episodic television for much of the 1970s and 1980s. She made her feature film debut in 1979's "Sunnyside," a vehicle intended to launch the career of John Travolta's brother Joey, and would appear in a handful of pictures throughout the decade - most notably "Mass Appeal" (1984) with Jack Lemmon and the thriller "Crawlspace" (1986) opposite Klaus Kinski - but television was her primary showcase during the period. Among her more notable small screen appearances was as Judd Hirsch's estranged daughter on two episodes of "Taxi" (ABC/NBC, 1978-1982), a guest role as the daughter of her father's character, Murray Klein, on "Archie Bunker's Place" (CBS, 1979-1983) and the made-for-TV movies "OHMS" (1980) with Ralph Waite, and "Kent State" (1981). In 1989, Balsam married actor George Clooney, then a decade before his rise to stardom; the couple remained together until 1993. She remained busy during and after the marriage, now working in more adult roles on series like "thirtysomething" and "Without a Trace" (CBS, 2002-09), and eventually married again, wedding actor John Slattery in 1998. With the new millennium also came more substantive feature projects, including the independent dramas "Little Manhattan" (2005) and as the long-suffering wife of political bully Sean Penn in Steve Zaillian's remake of "All the King's Men" (2006). Balsam also enjoyed one of her most high-profile projects when she was cast as Mona Sterling, the tart-tongued but infinitely patient ex-spouse of hard-drinking ad executive Roger Sterling (played by her husband) on "Mad Men." When that celebrated series ran its course, Balsam continued her busy schedule as an in-demand character player, logging repeat appearances on "The Good Wife", "Homeland" (Showtime, 2012- ) and enjoying cast member status on "Divorce" (HBO, 2016- ) as a close friend of Sarah Jessica Parker's newly separated lead.

Highest rated movies

100% 38% South Mountain
100% 80% Mass Appeal
97% 63% Little Men 93% 56% The Girl in the Book 90% 80% The Climb
83% 43% Return
82% 74% Late Bloomers 81% 76% Worth

Filmography

Movies

Credit
82% 74% Late Bloomers Dorothy (Character) - 2023
75% 37% Master Diandra (Character) - 2022
No Score Yet 80% With/In Unknown (Character) - 2021
72% 59% The Many Saints of Newark Mrs. Jarecki (Character) $8.2M 2021
No Score Yet No Score Yet Everything I Ever Wanted to Tell My Daughter About Men Director - 2021
81% 76% Worth Unknown (Character) - 2020
90% 80% The Climb Suzi (Character) $234.4K 2019
100% 38% South Mountain Lila (Character) - 2019
97% 63% Little Men Audrey (Character) $702.2K 2016
57% 58% Don't Worry Baby Miriam Lang (Character) - 2015
93% 56% The Girl in the Book Mom (Character) $5.2K 2015
83% 43% Return Julie (Character) - 2011
40% 17% Choose Clarissa (Character) - 2010
71% 72% The Wackness Luke's Mother (Character) $2.1M 2008
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Wackness Mrs. Shapiro (Character) - 2008
64% 48% The Cake Eaters Violet (Character) - 2007
12% 40% All the King's Men Lucy Stark (Character) $7.2M 2006
No Score Yet 47% Emmett's Mark Suzanne (Character) - 2002
No Score Yet No Score Yet Camp Stories Mary (Character) - 1997
No Score Yet No Score Yet Shame II: The Secret Unknown (Character) - 1995
No Score Yet 68% Coldblooded Jean Alexander (Character) $8.4K 1995
No Score Yet No Score Yet Killer Instinct Emma (Character) - 1992
No Score Yet 67% Sins of the Mother Liz Trent (Character) - 1991
No Score Yet No Score Yet Trust Me Catherine Walker (Character) - 1989
No Score Yet No Score Yet P.I. Private Investigations Jenny Fox (Character) $21.3K 1987
No Score Yet 29% The Supernaturals Pvt. Angela Lejune (Character) - 1987
67% 68% In the Mood Judy Cusimano (Character) $709.1K 1987
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Ladies Linda (Character) - 1987
17% 21% Crawlspace Lori Bancroft (Character) - 1986
No Score Yet 40% Consenting Adult Margie (Character) - 1985
No Score Yet 67% Calamity Jane Jean Irene O'Neill (Character) - 1984
100% 80% Mass Appeal Liz Dolson (Character) - 1984
No Score Yet No Score Yet Kent State Sandy Scheuer (Character) - 1981
No Score Yet No Score Yet Crazy Times Eve (Character) - 1981
No Score Yet No Score Yet OHMS Noranne Wing (Character) - 1980
No Score Yet No Score Yet Sunnyside Ann Rosario (Character) - 1979
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Survival of Dana Rona (Character) - 1979
No Score Yet 26% The Initiation of Sarah Allison (Character) - 1978

TV

Credit
66% 61% Wilderness Bonnie (Character) 2023
78% 71% Divorce Dallas (Character) 2016 2018-2019
No Score Yet 91% The Newsroom Toni Dodd (Guest Star) 2014
94% 96% Mad Men Mona Sterling (Guest Star) 2007-2009 2012-2014
95% 89% Elementary Cheryl Gregson (Guest Star) 2013
93% 91% The Good Wife Anne Stevens (Guest Star) 2013
85% 86% Homeland Cynthia Walden (Guest Star) 2012
81% 88% Nurse Jackie Grace's Therapist (Guest Star) 2011
97% 87% Treme Carla Hall (Guest Star) 2010
80% 78% FlashForward Surgeon General Anita Ralston (Guest Star) 2009
No Score Yet 72% Law & Order: Criminal Intent Unknown (Guest Star) 2006
82% No Score Yet Commander in Chief Ruth (Guest Star) 2005
No Score Yet 72% Without a Trace Unknown (Guest Star) 2003-2004
No Score Yet 72% Third Watch Unknown (Guest Star) 2003
No Score Yet No Score Yet L.A. Doctors Unknown (Guest Star) 1998-1999
61% 76% Ally McBeal Unknown (Guest Star) 1999
14% No Score Yet Love Boat: The Next Wave Unknown (Guest Star) 1998
71% No Score Yet Nothing Sacred Unknown (Guest Star) 1998
No Score Yet No Score Yet Early Edition Unknown (Guest Star) 1997
No Score Yet 83% Law & Order Unknown (Guest Star) 1992 1996
86% No Score Yet Almost Perfect Unknown (Guest Star) 1995
No Score Yet No Score Yet Touched by an Angel Unknown (Guest Star) 1995
No Score Yet No Score Yet Diagnosis Murder Unknown (Guest Star) 1995
No Score Yet No Score Yet Mad About You Debbie (Guest Star) 1993
No Score Yet No Score Yet Jake and the Fatman Unknown (Guest Star) 1991
No Score Yet 89% Murder, She Wrote Debbie Delancey (Guest Star) 1985 1990
83% No Score Yet thirtysomething Paige (Guest Star) 1990
No Score Yet No Score Yet Tour of Duty Vickie Adams (Guest Star) 1988
No Score Yet No Score Yet Punky Brewster Miranda 'Randi' Mitchell (Guest Star) 1984
No Score Yet 95% Magnum, P.I. Emily Jackson (Guest Star) 1984
No Score Yet 88% Family Ties Unknown (Guest Star) 1983
No Score Yet No Score Yet Chicago Story Unknown (Guest Star) 1982
97% 82% Hill Street Blues Sally (Guest Star) 1982
No Score Yet 62% Taxi Cathy Consuelos (Guest Star) 1978 1980
66% No Score Yet Archie Bunker's Place Unknown (Guest Star) 1980
No Score Yet No Score Yet Dallas Unknown (Guest Star) 1978
No Score Yet No Score Yet Happy Days Nancy Croft (Guest Star) 1977