Patricia Clarkson

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Stage and screen actress Patricia Clarkson debuted in movies as the young wife of "Eliot Ness" in Brian De Palma's The Untouchables, in 1987. Her varied roles include that of a Confederate woman who is forced to give shelter to a contingent of Union soldiers in the period drama Pharaoh's Army (1995), a washed-up, drug-addicted German actress whose lesbian lover begins to pull away from her in the indie film High Art (1998), one of the ensemble of the romantic comedy-drama Playing By Heart (1998), and the warden's wife in the Stephen King thriller The Green Mile (1999). In 2002, she acted in the comedy, Welcome to Collinwood, and in the melodrama, Far From Heaven, and in 2003, she made the period thriller, Dogville.

Clarkson's role as "Joy Burns" in the film Pieces of April won her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in 2004, as well as a Golden Globe nomination. She was also nominated by the Screen Actor's Guild for her role as "Olivia Harris" in The Station Agent. She has acted in Good Night and Good Luck (2005), All the King's Men (2006), Lars and the Real Girl (2007) and Vicky Christina Barcelona (2008).

Patricia Clarkson was born in New Orleans, LA, on December 29, 1959. She debuted on television in a guest spot on Spenser for Hire in 1985. Since then she has guest-starred in several series, including a recurring role on Frasier, and on Murder One, and a role that won her two Emmys — that of "Sarah O'Conner" in Six Feet Under.

Clarkson has also acted in some 30 stage productions, including the Broadway plays, The House of Blue Leaves and Eastern Standard.

Last updated: March 18, 2009.

• Born: 29 December 1959
• Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana
• Best Known As: Aunt Sarah on TV's Six Feet Under

After nearly twenty years of steady work and solid performances, actress Patricia Clarkson gained widespread critical notice in 2003 for her performances in the films The Station Agent and Pieces of April. A graduate of Fordham University and the Yale School of Drama, Clarkson began her acting career on the New York stage. In the mid-1980s she began working in television, and within a couple of years she had earned roles in big-budget Hollywood movies like The Untouchables (1987, starring Kevin Costner) and The Dead Pool (1988, starring Clint Eastwood). During the 1990s she appeared mostly in TV movies and low-budget independent films, earning a reputation as an unappreciated serious actress. After she turned 40, Clarkson's career took off -- she has since won two Emmys for guest appearances on TV's Six Feet Under (in 2002 and 2006), and was nominated for an Oscar for playing Katie Holmes's mother in Pieces of April. Combining the quiet intensity of Joan Allen with the mature sex appeal of Helen Mirren, Clarkson is both sturdy supporting player and sexy leading lady. Her other films include The Green Mile (1999, opposite James Cromwell), Far From Heaven (2002, starring Julianne Moore), Good Night, and Good Luck (2005, starring David Strathairn) and All the King's Men (2006, starring Sean Penn).

Clarkson's mother is Jackie Clarkson, a local politician in their hometown of New Orleans.

• Born: Dec 29, 1959 in New Orleans, Louisiana
• Occupation: Actor
• Active: '90s-2000s
• Major Genres: Drama, Comedy
• Career Highlights: High Art, Tune in Tomorrow, The Safety of Objects
• First Major Screen Credit: The Dead Pool (1988)

Biography

Born and raised in New Orleans, deep-voiced actress Patricia Clarkson studied drama at Yale. She stayed on the East coast working in theater productions before her feature film debut in The Untouchables (1987) as the wife of Elliot Ness. Continuing to work in film, she gained attention for her role as the drug-addicted Greta in the independent film High Art. Also working in TV, she had reoccuring roles on Wonderland and Fraser, and even won an Emmy award for her role as Sarah on the HBO drama Six Feet Under. She gave memorable performances in her smaller film roles, such as the bedridden wife in The Green Mile. Her career really picked up in 2002 with appearances in such films as the Russo brothers' Welcome to Collinwood, Todd Haynes' Far From Heaven, and Lars von Trier's Dogville. In 2003, Clarkson appeared in several films at the Sundance Film Festival, where she won the Outstanding Performance award for her work in All the Real Girls, The Station Agent, and Pieces of April. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

Miracle Buy this Movie	Pieces of April Buy this Movie	The Station Agent Buy this Movie	Welcome to Collinwood Buy this Movie
Far from Heaven Buy this Movie	Carrie Buy this Movie	The Pledge Buy this Movie	Wendigo Buy this Movie

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