Blair Brown

Blair Brown Headshot

Actress

Birth Name: Bonnie Blair Brown

Birth Date: April 23, 1946

Age: 78 years old

Birth Place: Washington, D.C.

Partners: Richard Jordan

An intelligent, theatrically trained actress, Blair Brown already had an impressive list of credits by the time she achieved fame as the devoted wife of William Hurt in the bizarre "Altered States" (1980). She earned a Golden Globe nomination opposite John Belushi in "Continental Divide" (1981) and a Golden Globe nomination as well as a BAFTA nomination for playing the iconic Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy in the miniseries "Kennedy" (NBC, 1983). At the peak of her powers, she earned five Emmy nominations as the titular star of "The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd" (NBC, 1987-88; Lifetime, 1989-1991), a groundbreaking dramedy about an independent-minded divorceé.

She won a 2000 Tony for her role in the physics-themed Broadway drama "Copenhagen" and essayed memorable supporting roles in the Johnny Depp thriller "The Astronaut's Wife" (1999), the Clint Eastwood action adventure "Space Cowboys" (2000) and Lars von Trier's "Dogville" (2003). She earned excellent reviews for her return to series television as Nina Sharp, the mysterious executive director of Massive Dynamic on the parallel universe series "Fringe" (FOX, 2008-13). An immensely respected veteran of stage, television and film, Blair Brown embodied intelligent, quirky women and proved a fascinating addition to any genre or medium.

Born April 23, 1947 in Washington, DC, Bonnie Blair Brown pursued theater across the United States border, where she trained for three years at the National Theatre School of Canada. A role in the revue "Love and Maple Syrup" in Ottawa led to several years of employment with the Stratford Shakespeare Festival Company and other regional theaters, honing her craft in such stage productions as "The Merchant of Venice," "A Doll's House" and "The Crucible." She landed a small role in the Oscar-winning drama "The Paper Chase" (1973) and recreated her stage role of Lady Teazle in "The School for Scandal" for "Theater in America" (PBS, 1975) before finding work with the New York Shakespeare Festival in "The Comedy of Errors" in Central Park and in "The Threepenny Opera" on Broadway.

She was cast in several acclaimed TV productions, ranging from the NBC miniseries "Captains and the Kings" (1976), where she met her longtime boyfriend, actor Richard Jordan, to the award-winning "Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years" (ABC, 1977). That same year, she landed her first film lead in "The Choirboys" (1977) but truly came into her own as a leading lady as the ferociously devoted wife to William Hurt in the trippy "Altered States" (1980).

One of her best screen roles was as a take-charge naturalist romanced by a newspaper reporter (John Belushi) in the romantic comedy "Continental Divide" (1981), for which she earned a Golden Globe nomination. Made-for-TV movies offered the actress an excellent showcase, winning her plaudits for her work as the vulnerable, overwhelmed mother of a murderous child in the remake of "The Bad Seed" (ABC, 1985) and nominations for a Golden Globe and BAFTA for her turn as Jackie Kennedy in the 1983 NBC miniseries "Kennedy."

Brown's biggest claim to fame came as the star of the groundbreaking dramedy "The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd" (NBC, 1987-88; Lifetime, 1989-1991), which followed the titular New Yorker, a warm-hearted, independent but aimless divorceé. For her charming portrayal of the quirky Dodd, Brown earned five Emmy nominations as well as the opportunity to direct two episodes of the series. She was romantically linked to David Hare, who wrote the leading role of Lillian Hempel in "Strapless" (1989) for her. He also penned the stage play "The Secret Rapture" for her as well.

The actress played the first female general who runs for the U.S. presidency in "Majority Rule"" (Lifetime, 1992) and returned to Broadway to star in Tom Stoppard's "Arcadia" and to play the supporting role of Frau Schneider in the revival of "Cabaret."

Back on television, she appeared in "A Season in Purgatory" (CBS, 1996) and "The Ultimate Lie" (NBC, 1996) before returning to series TV as a no-nonsense U.S. attorney on the short-lived "Feds" (CBS, 1997). On the big screen, Brown played important supporting roles in the Johnny Depp/Charlize Theron thriller "The Astronaut's Wife" (1999) and in the Clint Eastwood/Tommy Lee Jones action adventure "Space Cowboys" (2000).

She won a Tony for her role in the challenging, physics-themed Broadway drama "Copenhagen," but spent much of the subsequent decade collecting small credits in everything from Lars von Trier's "Dogville" (2003) and Kevin Bacon's "Loverboy" (2005) to "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (NBC, 1999- ). Brown also embarked on a lucrative side career in narration, serving as the voice of many specials, including several "American Experience" (PBS, 1988- ) installments. Critics and longtime fans alike were thrilled to see her accept the juicy role of Nina Sharp, the executive director of Massive Dynamic on the genre-bending, sci-fi thriller "Fringe" (Fox, 2008-13). As a mysterious, cutthroat businesswoman who lost an arm attempting to prevent Walter (John Noble) from crossing over into a parallel universe, Brown delivered a layered, magnetic performance on the cult series.

Credits

LimitlessStream

Guest Star
Series
2015
58%

ForeverStream

Guest Star
Series
2014
57%

Orange Is the New BlackStream

Actor
Judy King
Series
2013
90%

Orange Is the New BlackStream

Guest Star
Judy King
Series
2013
90%

ElementaryStream

Guest Star
Kate Durning
Series
2012
95%

Person of InterestStream

Guest Star
Emma Blake
Series
2011
92%

Falling SkiesStream

Guest Star
Sonya Rankin
Series
2011
79%

The Speed of Thought

Actor
Bridger
Movie
2011

FringeStream

Actor
Series
2008
90%

The Mysterious Human Heart

Narrator
Show
2007

Dark Matter

Actor
Hildy
Movie
2007

First Born

Actor
Laura's Mother
Movie
2007

Marie Antoinette

Narrator
Show
2006

Griffin and Phoenix

Actor
Eve
Movie
2006

The Treatment

Actor
Miss Callucci
Movie
2006

Loverboy

Actor
Jeannette
Movie
2005

1-800-MissingStream

Guest Star
Emma Roderick
Series
2003

Dogville

Actor
Mrs. Henson
Movie
2003

CSI: MiamiStream

Guest Star
Series
2002

SmallvilleStream

Guest Star
Rachel Dunleavy
Series
2001
78%

PBS Hollywood Presents

Actor
Show
2001

Follow the Stars Home

Actor
Hannah Parker
Movie
2001

Ed

Guest Star
Series
2000

Space CowboysStream

Actor
Dr. Anne Caruthers
Movie
2000
78%

Hamlet

Actor
Gertrude
Movie
2000

In His Life: The John Lennon Story

Actor
Mimi Smith
Movie
2000

The Astronaut's Wife

Actor
Shelly McLaren
Movie
1999

Feds

Actor
Show
1997

Convictions

Actor
Zalinda Dorcheus
Movie
1997

The Ultimate Lie

Actor
Joan "Joanie" McGrath
Movie
1996

A Season in Purgatory

Actor
Grace Bradley
Movie
1996

Touched by an AngelStream

Guest Star
Series
1994

Moment of Truth: To Walk Again

Actor
Carol Keating
Movie
1994

The Gift of Love

Actor
Helen Porter
Movie
1994

FrasierStream

Guest Voice
Jill
Series
1993
95%

Rio Shannon

Actor
Elizabeth Cleary
Movie
1993

The Day My Parents Ran Away

Actor
Mrs. Judy Miller
Movie
1993

La Dama de la Casa Blanca

Actor
Movie
1992

Those Secrets

Actor
Neille Banesh
Movie
1992

Passed Away

Actor
Amy Scanlan
Movie
1992

Majority Rule

Actor
Gen. Katherine Taylor
Movie
1992

Inocencia Rebelde

Actor
Movie
1991

Lethal Innocence

Actor
Sally Hatch
Movie
1991

The Good Policeman

Actor
Movie
1991

Law & OrderStream

Guest Star
Series
1990

Extreme Close-Up

Actor
Margaret Toll
Movie
1990

Strapless

Actor
Dr. Lillian Hempel
Movie
1989

Stealing Home

Actor
Ginny Wyatt
Movie
1988

The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd

Actor
Molly Dodd
Series
1987

Hands of a Stranger

Actor
Show
1987

Space

Actor
Miniseries
1985

The Bad Seed

Actor
Christine Penmark
Movie
1985

Kennedy

Actor
Movie
1985

A Flash of Green

Actor
Kat Hubble
Movie
1984

Kennedy

Actor
Jacqueline Kennedy
Miniseries
1983

Kennedy

Actor
Jacqueline Kennedy
Movie
1983

Continental Divide

Actor
Nell Porter
Movie
1981

One-Trick Pony

Actor
Marion
Movie
1980

Altered StatesStream

Actor
Emily Jessup
Movie
1980
85%

Wheels

Actor
Barbara Lipton
Show
1979

The Child Stealer

Actor
Jan Rodman
Movie
1979

Sólo Yo Sobreviví

Actor
Movie
1978

And I Alone Survived

Actor
Lauren Elder
Movie
1978

Charlie Cobb: Nice Night for a Hanging

Actor
Charity
Movie
1977

The 3,000 Mile Chase

Actor
Rachel Kane
Movie
1977

The Quinns

Actor
Millicent Priestley
Movie
1977

The Choirboys

Actor
Kimberly Lyles
Movie
1977

Good Morning America

Guest
News
1975

The School for Scandal

Actor
Lady Teazle
Show
1975

The Oregon Trail

Actor
Jessica Thorpe
Movie
1975

The Rockford FilesStream

Guest Star
Kate Flanders / Dep. DA Kate Doyle
Series
1974

KojakStream

Guest Star
Stella
Series
1973

Great PerformancesStream

Actor
Lady Teazle
Franchise
1972

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonStream

Guest
Talk
1962

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