Went to the United Nations with Edward James Olmos to raise profile of humanitarian concerns.
Mary McDonnell was born on April 28, 1952, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to Eileen (née McNulty) and John McDonnell, a computer consultant. She has three siblings: two brothers, Richard and Robert, and a sister, Eileen. McDonnell was raised in Ithaca, New York, and graduated from the State University of New York at Fredonia in 1974.
McDonnell began her career working in regional theater productions in the 1970s. She made her Broadway debut in 1984 in the play “Serious Money.” McDonnell’s breakout role came in 1990 when she played Lt. Colonel Sharon Raydor on the television series “Major Crimes.” McDonnell has also starred in the films “Dances with Wolves” (1990), “Independence Day” (1996), and “Munich” (2005).
McDonnell has been married to actor Randle Mell since 1999. The couple has two children: Olivia and Michael.
As of 2021, Mary McDonnell’s net worth is $8 million. She earns a salary of $100,000 per episode of “Major Crimes.”
General Info
Full Name
Mary McDonnell
Net Worth
$10 million
Date Of Birth
April 28, 1952
Height
1.69 m
Profession
Actor
Education
State University of New York at Fredonia
Nationality
American
Family
Spouse
Randle Mell
Children
Olivia Mell, Michael Mell
Parents
John "Jack" McDonnell, Eileen McDonnell
Accomplishments
Awards
Independent Spirit Robert Altman Award, Obie Award for Performance
Nominations
Academy Award for Best Actress, Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture – Drama, Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Ensemble Performance, Golden Globe Award...
Movies
Dances with Wolves, Independence Day, Donnie Darko, Passion Fish, Scream 4, Margin Call, Blue Chips, Matewan, Evidence of Blood, Sneakers, Tiger Warsaw, A Father's Choice, The Locket, You Can Thank Me Later, Crazy like a Fox, Mrs. Harris, Two Small Voices, Battlestar Galactica: Razor, For All Time, ...
TV Shows
The Closer, Battlestar Galactica, Ryan Caulfield: Year One, High Society, E/R, Major Crimes
We have to get back to the beauty of just being alive in this present moment.
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It's really important for actors to feel that they're more than something for hire.
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Actors are part of a certain percentage of people on this planet who have an emotional vocabulary as a primary experience. It's as if their life is experienced emotionally and then that is translated intellectually or conceptually into the performance.
Went to the United Nations with Edward James Olmos to raise profile of humanitarian concerns.
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Mary and her family lived for a time just outside Philadelphia in Upper Merion Township, Pennsylvania, where she attended Port Kennedy Kindergarten, 1957-58.
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After graduation, she moved to New York City. While looking for acting work, she supported herself by selling Fuller brushes door to door in Rockefeller Center. In the classic struggling-actress tradition, she also worked as a waitress.
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Was a competitive and synchronized swimmer as a child and still swims to keep in shape.
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The role of Laura Roslin in Battlestar Galactica (2004) was written with her in mind. She was the first actor offered the role by creator Ronald D. Moore.
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Was offered the part of May-Alice Culhane in Passion Fish (1992) before it was even written.
Plays the First Lady during a devastating attack by aliens in Independence Day (1996), and the President after a devastating attack by robots in Battlestar Galactica (2004).
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Though born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, she was raised in Ithaca, New York.
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Moved to Los Angeles, California, as an adult with her husband and daughter.
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Was a cast member of the medical drama E/R (1984) and also has a recurring role on the 1990s medical drama of nearly the same name, ER (1994).