Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

143

Gender

Female

Birthday

1953-02-08 (72 years old)

Place of Birth

Newport, Arkansas, USA

Also Known As

Mary Nell Steenburgen

Μάρι Στινμπούργζεν

مری استینبورگن

Mary Steenburgen

Biography

Mary Nell Steenburgen (born February 8, 1953) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and songwriter. After studying at New York's Neighborhood Playhouse in the 1970s, she made her professional acting debut in the Western comedy film Goin' South (1978). Steenburgen went on to earn critical acclaim for her role in Time After Time (1979) and Jonathan Demme's comedy-drama film Melvin and Howard (1980), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Known For

Acting

Back to the Future Part III

1990

Back to the Future Part III

as

Clara Clayton

Zoey's Extraordinary Christmas

2021

Zoey's Extraordinary Christmas

as

Maggie Clarke

Parenthood

1989

Parenthood

as

Karen Buckman

What's Eating Gilbert Grape

1993

What's Eating Gilbert Grape

as

Betty Carver

Elf

2003

Elf

as

Emily

Clifford

1994

Clifford

as

Sarah Davis

The Brave One

2007

The Brave One

as

Carol

The Butcher's Wife

1991

The Butcher's Wife

as

Stella Keefover

Nixon

1995

Nixon

as

Hannah Nixon

Picnic

2000

Picnic

as

Rosemary Sydney

Hope Springs

2003

Hope Springs

as

Joanie Fisher

Wish You Were Dead

2002

Wish You Were Dead

as

Sally Rider

Time After Time

1979

Time After Time

as

Amy Robbins

A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy

1982

A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy

as

Adrian

Step Brothers

2008

Step Brothers

as

Nancy Huff

Four Christmases

2008

Four Christmases

as

Marilyn

Ragtime

1981

Ragtime

as

Mother

The Long Walk Home

1990

The Long Walk Home

as

Narrator (voice)

Powder

1995

Powder

as

Jessie Caldwell

Goin' South

1978

Goin' South

as

Julia Tate

One Magic Christmas

1985

One Magic Christmas

as

Ginny Grainger

The Dead Girl

2006

The Dead Girl

as

Beverley, Leah's Mother

In the Electric Mist

2009

In the Electric Mist

as

Bootsie Robicheaux

Nightmare Alley

2021

Nightmare Alley

as

Mrs. Kimball

Fight for Your Right Revisited

2011

Fight for Your Right Revisited

as

Café Patron

Nobel Son

2007

Nobel Son

as

Sarah Michaelson

Casa de los Babys

2003

Casa de los Babys

as

Gayle

Melvin and Howard

1980

Melvin and Howard

as

Lynda Dummar

Numb

2007

Numb

as

Dr. Blaine

The Grass Harp

1995

The Grass Harp

as

Sister Ida

Nobody's Baby

2001

Nobody's Baby

as

Estelle

The Proposal

2009

The Proposal

as

Grace Paxton

The Whales of August

1987

The Whales of August

as

Young Sarah

End of the Line

1987

End of the Line

as

Rose Pickett

Elvis & Anabelle

2007

Elvis & Anabelle

as

Geneva Leigh

Pontiac Moon

1994

Pontiac Moon

as

Katherine Bellamy

It Runs in the Family

1994

It Runs in the Family

as

Mrs. Parker (Mother)

Dirty Girl

2010

Dirty Girl

as

Peggy

Dead of Winter

1987

Dead of Winter

as

Julie Rose / Katie McGovern / Evelyn

The Trumpet of the Swan

2001

The Trumpet of the Swan

as

Mother (voice)

Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School

2006

Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School

as

Marienne Hotchkiss

Clarkworld

2009

Clarkworld

as

Self

Living with the Dead

2002

Living with the Dead

as

Detective Karen Condrin

Sunshine State

2002

Sunshine State

as

Francine Pinkney

Romantic Comedy

1983

Romantic Comedy

as

Phoebe Craddock

O Lucky Malcolm!

2006

O Lucky Malcolm!

as

Self

Outlaw Country

2012

Outlaw Country

as

Anastasia Lee

Brahmin Bulls

2013

Brahmin Bulls

as

Helen West

The Secrets of the 'Back to the Future' Trilogy

1990

The Secrets of the 'Back to the Future' Trilogy

as

Self

Cross Creek

1983

Cross Creek

as

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

Last Vegas

2013

Last Vegas

as

Diana Boyle

Remembering Ragtime

2004

Remembering Ragtime

as

Mother (archive footage)

About Sarah

1998

About Sarah

as

Sarah Elizabeth McCaffrey

It Must Be Love

2004

It Must Be Love

as

Book Club: The Next Chapter

2023

Book Club: The Next Chapter

as

Carol

Song One

2014

Song One

as

Karen Ellis

Miss Firecracker

1989

Miss Firecracker

as

Elaine Rutledge

Philadelphia

1993

Philadelphia

as

Belinda Conine

7 Days in Hell

2015

7 Days in Hell

as

Louisa Poole

Last Train to Fortune

Last Train to Fortune

as

Dean

2016

Dean

as

Carol

Dick Van Dyke: 98 Years of Magic

2023

Dick Van Dyke: 98 Years of Magic

as

Self

Sanford Meisner: The American Theatre's Best Kept Secret

1990

Sanford Meisner: The American Theatre's Best Kept Secret

as

Self

Did You Hear About the Morgans?

2009

Did You Hear About the Morgans?

as

Emma Wheeler

Life As A House

2001

Life As A House

as

Colleen Beck

Jim Henson's Turkey Hollow

2015

Jim Henson's Turkey Hollow

as

Aunt Cly

The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank

1988

The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank

as

Miep Gies

The Book of Love

2017

The Book of Love

as

Julia Mureaux

A Walk in the Woods

2015

A Walk in the Woods

as

Jeannie

Let's Have Kids!

Let's Have Kids!

as

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story

2010

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story

as

Mrs. Yankovic

The Open Road

2009

The Open Road

as

Katherine

I Do... Until I Don't

2017

I Do... Until I Don't

as

Cybil Burger

The Help

2011

The Help

as

Elaine Stein

Katie Says Goodbye

2018

Katie Says Goodbye

as

Maybelle

Little Red Riding Hood

1983

Little Red Riding Hood

as

Little Red Riding Hood a.k.a. Mary

Inland Empire

2006

Inland Empire

as

Visitor #2

I Am Sam

2001

I Am Sam

as

Dr. Blake

The Discovery

2017

The Discovery

as

Interviewer

Honeydripper

2007

Honeydripper

as

Amanda Winship

Book Club

2018

Book Club

as

Carol

Antiquities

2019

Antiquities

as

Dr. Margot

My Family

1995

My Family

as

Gloria

Flannery

2019

Flannery

as

Flannery O'Connor (voice)

The Tulsa Lynching of 1921: A Hidden Story

2000

The Tulsa Lynching of 1921: A Hidden Story

as

Tales from the Future

2010

Tales from the Future

as

Self

Happiest Season

2020

Happiest Season

as

Tipper

The One I Love

2014

The One I Love

as

Mom (voice)

Earth and the American Dream

1992

Earth and the American Dream

as

Reader (voice)

30 Rock: A One-Time Special

2020

30 Rock: A One-Time Special

as

Mary Steenburgen

The Dink

The Dink

as

Clinton Foundation: Celebrity Division

2011

Clinton Foundation: Celebrity Division

as

Self

Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre

1989

Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre

as

Herself

Celebrating Betty White: America's Golden Girl

2022

Celebrating Betty White: America's Golden Girl

as

Self

Mrs. Pilgrim Goes to Hollywood

2003

Mrs. Pilgrim Goes to Hollywood

as

Mary

Ink

Ink

as

Kate Montgomery

Dinner for Five

Dinner for Five

as

Ellen

Ellen

as

Self (uncredited)

The Tony Danza Show

The Tony Danza Show

as

Self - Guest

Joan of Arcadia

Joan of Arcadia

as

Helen Girardi

The View

The View

as

Self

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

as

Grace Rinato

Frasier

Frasier

as

Marjorie (voice)

Finding Your Roots

Finding Your Roots

as

Self

Becker

Becker

as

Patient (uncredited)

Faerie Tale Theatre

Faerie Tale Theatre

as

Mary / Little Red Riding Hood

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Curb Your Enthusiasm

as

Mary Steenburgen

Back to the Future

Back to the Future

as

Clara Clayton (voice)

Orange Is the New Black

Orange Is the New Black

as

Delia Powell

Wilfred

Wilfred

as

Catherine Newman

Bless the Harts

Bless the Harts

as

Crystalynn (voice)

The Oscars

The Oscars

as

Self

Good Day Live

Good Day Live

as

Self

E!'s 101

E!'s 101

as

Self

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

as

Self

Late Night with Seth Meyers

Late Night with Seth Meyers

as

Self

The Last Man on Earth

The Last Man on Earth

as

Gail Klosterman

30 Rock

30 Rock

as

Diana Jessup

Tender Is the Night

Tender Is the Night

as

Nicole Warren Diver

Justified

Justified

as

Katherine Hale

Mr. Mayor

Mr. Mayor

as

Adriana

Gulliver's Travels

Gulliver's Travels

as

Mary Gulliver

Noah's Ark

Noah's Ark

as

Naamah

The Kelly Clarkson Show

The Kelly Clarkson Show

as

Self

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

as

Self - Guest

Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories

Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories

as

Narrator (Voice)

Happiness Isn't Everything

Happiness Isn't Everything

as

Audrey Veill

The Conners

The Conners

as

Marcy Bellinger

Stars in the House

Stars in the House

as

Self

Living with the Dead

Living with the Dead

as

Detective Karen Condrin

Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist

Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist

as

Maggie Clarke

On Becoming a God in Central Florida

On Becoming a God in Central Florida

as

Ellen Joy Bonar

Togetherness

Togetherness

as

Linda

The Good Place

The Good Place

as

Teacher

Reunited Apart

Reunited Apart

as

Self

Grace and Frankie

Grace and Frankie

as

Miriam

BULLDOZER

BULLDOZER

as

Kathy

In the Kitchen with Harry Hamlin

In the Kitchen with Harry Hamlin

as

Self

Production

End of the Line

1987

End of the Line

as

Bye Bye Benjamin

2006

Bye Bye Benjamin

as

Best Summer Ever

2020

Best Summer Ever

as

Ink

Ink

as

Crew

The One I Love

2014

The One I Love

as

Directing