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Christine Baranski
Christine Baranski Met Opera 2010 Shankbone crop.JPG
Baranski in 2010
Born
Christine Jane Baranski

(1952-05-02) May 2, 1952 (age 72)
Alma mater Juilliard School (BFA)
Occupation Actress
Years active 1972–present
Spouse(s)
Matthew Cowles
(m. 1983; died 2014)
Children 2, including Lily Cowles
Awards Full list

Christine Jane Baranski (born May 2, 1952) is an American actress. She is a 15-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee, winning once in 1995 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Maryann Thorpe in the sitcom Cybill (1995–1998). Baranski additionally won a Screen Actors Guild Award for her performance in 1996. Baranski has received further critical acclaim for her performance as Diane Lockhart in the legal drama series The Good Wife (2009–2016) and its spin-off series The Good Fight (2017–2022). Baranski is the most nominated performer at the Critics' Choice Television Awards, with 10 nominations.

Baranski has appeared in several television films, including To Dance with the White Dog (1993), Eloise at the Plaza and Eloise at Christmastime (both 2003), and Who Is Simon Miller? (2011). Her major Broadway credits include Hide and Seek (1980), Hurlyburly (1984), The House of Blue Leaves (1986), Nick & Nora (1991), and Boeing Boeing (2008). Baranski has also appeared in numerous films, such as Reversal of Fortune (1990), The Birdcage (1996), Cruel Intentions (1999), How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), Chicago (2002), Mamma Mia! (2008), Into the Woods (2014), and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018).

Baranski won two Tony Awards for Best Featured Actress in a Play for the original Broadway productions of The Real Thing in 1984 and Rumors in 1989. For her recurring role as Dr. Beverly Hofstadter in the sitcom The Big Bang Theory (2009–2019), she received four Emmy Award nominations.

Early life and education

Baranski was born in Buffalo, New York, the daughter of Virginia (née Mazurowska) and Lucien Baranski, who edited a Polish-language newspaper. She had an older brother, Michael J. Baranski (1949–1998), who was an advertising executive and who died at age 48. She is of Polish descent, and her grandparents were stage actors in Poland before emigrating to America. Baranski was raised in a heavily Polish and Roman Catholic neighborhood in the Buffalo suburb of Cheektowaga. She attended high school at the Villa Maria Academy where she was class president and salutatorian. She later studied at New York City's Juilliard School (Drama Division Group 3: 1970–1974), where she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1974.

Career

Stage

Christine Baranski at Met Opera cropped
Baranski at the 2008 Metropolitan Opera opening night

Baranski made her Off-Broadway debut in Coming Attractions at Playwrights Horizons in 1980, and has appeared in several Off-Broadway productions at the Manhattan Theatre Club, starting with Sally and Marsha in 1982.

Baranski made her Broadway debut in Hide & Seek in 1980. For her next Broadway performance, in Tom Stoppard's The Real Thing, she won the 1984 Tony Award Best Featured Actress in a Play. Other Broadway credits include Hurlyburly, The House of Blue Leaves, Rumors (for which she won her second Tony), Regrets Only, Nick & Nora, and the Encores! concert staging of Follies.

At the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Baranski starred as Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd in 2002 (for which she won the 2003 Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical) and as the title character in Mame in 2006.

In her first Broadway production since 1991, Baranski was featured as the maid Berthe in the 2008 revival of Boeing Boeing. The show garnered two Tony Awards, one for Best Revival of a Play and the other for Best Actor (Mark Rylance). The original cast was Bradley Whitford (Bernard), Kathryn Hahn (Gloria), Christine Baranski (Berthe), Gina Gershon (Gabriella), and Mary McCormack (Gretchen). The show closed on January 4, 2009.

Baranski also appeared in a one-night-only concert benefit performance of Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music for Roundabout Theatre Company as Countess Charlotte Malcolm on January 12, 2009. The cast included Vanessa Redgrave, Natasha Richardson, Victor Garber and Marc Kudisch.

Baranski has won both the Tony Award and Drama Desk Awards twice. In 2018, she was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame.

Film

Baranski has appeared in various film roles. Some of her better-known roles are as Katherine Archer in The Birdcage (1996), Martha May Whovier in How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), Mary Sunshine in Chicago (2002) and Connie Chasseur in The Ref (1994).

Baranski received further recognition for her role as Tanya Chesham-Leigh in the hit musical film Mamma Mia! (2008), and its sequel Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018).

Baranski played Cinderella's stepmother in the 2014 film adaptation of the musical Into the Woods.

Baranski appeared in the films 9½ Weeks (1986), Legal Eagles (1986), Reversal of Fortune (1990), Addams Family Values (1993), Jeffrey (1995), The Odd Couple II (1998) Bulworth (1998), Cruel Intentions (1999), Bowfinger (1999),Trolls (2016) and A Bad Moms Christmas (2017).

ROMY 2012 04 Christine Baranski crop
Baranski at the 2012 Romy Awards

Television

Baranski appeared in short-term roles on various daytime soap operas, including All My Children and Another World.

Baranski was featured as Cybill Shepherd's sarcastic friend Maryann Thorpe in the CBS sitcom Cybill, which ran from 1995 until 1998, during which time she hosted Saturday Night Live and won an Emmy Award as Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series along with three other nominations. During this, Baranski portrayed a librarian named Sonja Umdahl in the "Dick and the Single Girl" episode of 3rd Rock from the Sun. A few years later, Baranski received an Emmy nomination for a guest starring role in the NBC series Frasier as a controversial tough love radio psychiatrist named Dr. Nora. The episode, which was named for the character, parodied Dr. Laura Schlessinger. The episode was pulled from syndication by Paramount. Baranski had an uncredited role in the series Now and Again as the voice of Roger's overbearing wife Ruth, who was never seen by viewers.

Baranski later appeared in the 2000–2001 sitcom Welcome to New York and, with John Laroquette, in the 2003–2004 NBC sitcom Happy Family. She co-starred with Bernadette Peters in a pilot for an ABC sitcom, Adopted, in 2005, which was not picked up. She also played Faith Clancy, the mother of Jim Clancy in Ghost Whisperer.

In 2009, Baranski began guest-starring in The Big Bang Theory as Dr. Beverly Hofstadter, a dispassionate psychiatrist and neuroscientist and mother of one of the protagonists, Leonard Hofstadter. She first appeared in the second-season episode "The Maternal Capacitance", for which she received an Emmy nomination. Due to the popularity of her first appearance, Baranski returned in the third season for the Christmas episode "The Maternal Congruence", receiving another Emmy nomination. She appeared in a total of 16 episodes during the show's run, earning four Emmy nominations for her recurring role.

From 2009 to 2016, Baranski played the role of Diane Lockhart, a top litigator and senior partner of a Chicago law firm on the CBS series The Good Wife. She was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for six seasons of the series, in the years 2010 to 2015. Besides her work on The Good Wife and the aforementioned guest appearances on The Big Bang Theory, her other recent appearances include Ugly Betty in 2009 as Victoria Hartley, the haughty mother of Betty's new boyfriend.

From 2017 to 2022, Baranski starred in the CBS spinoff of The Good Wife, titled The Good Fight. Her character, Diane Lockhart, joins another law firm after being forced to return to work. In the 79th Golden Globe Awards, she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama for her work in the fifth season of the show.

Acting style and screen persona

Although recognized for her versatility across genres and performing media, Baranski is particularly known for playing sophisticated and highly educated upper-class women. Consequently, the media began alluding to the resemblance between this repeated on-screen persona and Baranski's real personality. Caroline Hallemann of Town & Country notes that, "For years, the award-winning actress has been the definition of on-screen sophistication". In 2017, the actress told Zac Posen for Interview Magazine, "What I'm getting at is if your career is not predicated on just your physical beauty, you're able to project a sophistication. You can take sophisticated to your grave. You can be that worldly woman, that woman who looks beautiful dressed up." On the other hand, however, Baranski humorously addressed these claims during her appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, "Everybody thinks this is, you know, this sophisticated lady, this New York type, these characters that I play, they think that's me. They should be in a room alone with me when I watch the Buffalo Bills. It is loud".

Personal life

Baranski was married to actor Matthew Cowles from October 1983 until his death on May 22, 2014. They have two daughters, Isabel (born 1984), a lawyer, and Lily (born 1987), an actress. She lives in Connecticut.

A devout Catholic, Baranski often attends Mass with Robert King, co-creator of The Good Fight.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Ref.
1982 Soup for One Blonde in Bar
1983 Lovesick
1984 Crackers Maxine
1986 9½ Weeks Thea
Legal Eagles Carol Freeman
1987 The Pick-up Artist Harriet
1990 Reversal of Fortune Andrea Reynolds
1993 The Night We Never Met Lucy
Life with Mikey Carol
Addams Family Values Becky Martin-Granger
1994 The Ref Connie Chasseur
Getting In Mrs. Margaret "Maggie" Higgs
The War Miss Strapford
1995 New Jersey Drive Prosecutor
Jeffrey Ann Marwood Bartle
1996 The Birdcage Katherine Archer
1998 The Odd Couple II Thelma
Bulworth Constance Bulworth
1999 Cruel Intentions Bunny Caldwell
Bowfinger Carol
Get Bruce! Herself
2000 How the Grinch Stole Christmas Martha May Whovier
2001 Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse Featherduster
2002 The Guru Shantal
Chicago Mary Sunshine
2003 Marci X Mary Ellen Spinkle
2004 Welcome to Mooseport Charlotte Cole
2005 Scooby-Doo! in Where's My Mummy? Amelia Von Butch (voice)
2006 Falling for Grace Bree Barrington
Relative Strangers Arleen Clayton
Bonneville Francine
2008 Mamma Mia! Tanya Chesham-Leigh
2010 The Bounty Hunter Kitty Hurley
2012 Foodfight! Hedda Shopper (voice)
2014 Into the Woods Cinderella's Stepmother
Yellowbird Janet (voice)
2016 Trolls Chef (voice)
Miss Sloane Evelyn Sumner
2017 A Bad Moms Christmas Ruth
2018 Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again Tanya Chesham-Leigh
2020 Christmas on the Square Regina Fuller

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1977 Busting Loose Debbie Episode: "The Decision: Part 1"
1980 Playing for Time Olga TV movie
1981 Texas Sadie 2 episodes
1982 Midsummer Night's Dream, AA Midsummer Night's Dream Helena TV movie
1983 Another World Beverly Tucker Unknown episodes
1984 All My Children Jewel Maniscalo Unknown episodes
1985 Big Shots in America Cara TV movie
The Equalizer Victoria Baines Episode: "Mama's Boy"
1987 The House of Blue Leaves Bunny Flingus TV movie
1988 The Thorns Polly Episode: "The Maid"
1991 Law & Order Katherine Masucci Beigel Episodes: "The Torrents of Greed Parts 1 & 2"
1992 Screenplay Blair Bennett Episode: "Buying a Landslide"
1993 To Dance with the White Dog Kate TV movie
1994 Law & Order Rose Siegal Episode: "Nurture"
1995–98 Cybill Maryann Thorpe Main role
1996 Saturday Night Live Herself (host) Episode: "Christine Baranski/The Cure"
1997 3rd Rock from the Sun Sonja Umdahl Episode: "Dick and the Single Girl"
1999 Now and Again Ruth Bender (voice) Episode: "Origins"; uncredited
Frasier Dr. Nora Fairchild Episode: "Dr. Nora"
2000 Timothy Tweedle the First Christmas Elf Flo (voice) TV movie
2000–01 Welcome to New York Marsha Bickner Main role
2001 Citizen Baines Glenn Ferguson Baines Welch Episode: "Three Days in November"
2002 Presidio Med Dr. Terry Howland Episodes: "Pick Your Battles", "Best of Enemies"
2003 Eloise at the Plaza Prunella Stickler TV movie
Eloise at Christmastime TV movie
2003–04 Happy Family Annie Brennan Main role
2004 Spellbound TV movie
In the Game TV pilot
2005 Recipe for a Perfect Christmas Lee Bellmont TV movie
Adopted Judy Rabinowitz TV movie
Ghost Whisperer Faith Clancy 2 episodes
2006 Inseparable Barbara TV movie
American Dad! Homeless Woman (voice) Episode: "Failure Is Not a Factory-installed Option"
2009 Ugly Betty Victoria Hartley 3 episodes
Psych Alice Clayton Episode: "He Dead"
2009–11,
2013–19
The Big Bang Theory Dr. Beverly Hofstadter Recurring role
2009–16 The Good Wife Diane Lockhart Main role
2011 Who Is Simon Miller? Amanda TV movie
Ugly Americans Grimes' Mummy (voice) Episode: "Mummy Dearest"
2013 Family Guy Herself 1 episode
2015 Sinatra: All or Nothing at All Ruth Berle (voice) Limited series
2015–19 BoJack Horseman Amanda Hannity (voice) 2 episodes
2017 Regular Show Guardian (voice) Episode: "A Regular Epic Final Battle"
2017–22 The Good Fight Diane Lockhart Main role; Also producer
2017 Michael Jackson's Halloween Mrs. Grau (voice) TV special
Spirit Riding Free Miz McDonnell (voice) 1 episode
2018-22 Fancy Nancy Mrs. Devine (voice) 19 episodes
2018 Family Guy Newport Heiress Episode: "Con Heiress"
2019 Young Sheldon Beverly Hofstadter (voice) Episode: "A Swedish Science Thing and the Equation for Toast"
Archibald's Next Big Thing Madame Baroness (voice) Episode: "Best in Showbot/The Secret of Madame Baroness"
The Bravest Knight The Dragon (voice) 2 episodes
Spirit Riding Free: Pony Tales Miz McDonnell (voice) 1 episode
2020 Magical Girl Friendship Squad Verus (voice) 3 episodes
2021 Fairfax Joyce (voice) Episode: "Fairfolks"
The Simpsons Herself (voice) Episode: "Portrait of a Lackey on Fire"
2022–present The Gilded Age Agnes van Rhijn Main role
2022 The Loud House Joyce Crandall (voice) Episode: "Save Royal Woods!"
2023 Praise Petey White St. Barts (voice) Main role

Theatre

Year Title Role Notes
1972 Hamlet Lady Delacorte Theater
1974 Romeo and Juliet Lady Capulet American Shakespeare Festival
1974 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Margaret American Shakespeare Festival, double-cast
1974 Twelfth Night Lady-in-Waiting American Shakespeare Festival
1975 The Cherry Orchard Danyasha Center Stage Theatre
1975 Tartuffe Dorina
1976 Misalliance Lina Szczepanowska
1976 She Stoops To Conquer Constance
1977 Private Lives Amanda or Sibyl (?) Cohoes Music Hall
1977 Angel City Miss Scoons McCarter Theatre
1977 Otherwise Engaged Davina Saunders U.S. cities tour
1978 Born Yesterday Billie Dawn Center Stage Theatre
1978 One Crack Out Wanda Marymount Manhattan Theatre
1978 Much Ado About Nothing Beatrice Annenberg Center, American Shakespeare Festival
1979 Says I, Says He Maeve Macpherson Marymount Manhattan Theatre
1979 The Shadow of a Gunman Minnie Powell Symphony Space
1980 Company April Playwrights Horizons
1980 Lady of The Diamond Connie Weaver Studio Arena
1980 The Trouble with Europe Amanda Gracie, Madame Igrec,
and second underworld figure
Marymount Manhattan Theatre
1980 Hide & Seek Elly Bart Broadway
1980 Coming Attractions Miss America Playwrights Horizons
1981 Talley's Folly Sally Talley Studio Arena
1981 Operation Midnight Climax Angela Off-Center Theatre
1982 Midsummer Night's Dream, AA Midsummer Night's Dream Helena American Shakespeare Festival, Delacorte Theatre
1982 Sally and Marsha Marsha Manhattan Theatre Club
1982 Blithe Spirit Elvira McCarter Theatre
1982 The Undefeated Rumba Champ Miss Harris Ensemble Studio Theater
1983 Sunday in the Park with George Clarisse (later named Yvonne),
Blair Daniels
Playwrights Horizons
1984 The Real Thing Charlotte Plymouth Theatre
1985 Hurlyburly Bonnie Ethel Barrymore Theatre
1986 The House of Blue Leaves Bunny Flingus Vivian Beaumont Theatre, Plymouth Theatre
1986 It's Only a Play Julia Budder Manhattan Theatre Club
1988 Hedda Gabler Hedda Gabler Studio Arena
1988 Rumors Chris Gorman Broadhurst Theatre
1989 Assassins Performer (reading) Playwrights Horizons
1990 Elliot Loves Joanna Goodman Theatre
1991 Lips Together, Teeth Apart Chloe Haddock New York City Center Stage I, Lucille Lortel Theatre
1991 Nick & Nora Tracy Gardner Marriott Marquis Theatre
1993 The Loman Family Picnic Doris Manhattan Theatre Club Stage I
1994 The Petrified Prince Queen Katarina (?) (reading) Joseph Papp Public Theater
1997 Promises, Promises Marge MacDougall Encores!, City Center Theatre
1998 Mizlansky/Zilinsky or "Schmucks" Sylvia Zilinsky (voice) Manhattan Theatre Club Stage I
1999 Sweeney Todd Mrs. Lovett Ahmanson Theatre
2002 Kennedy Center
2002 Sondheim Concert Spectacular Herself David Geffen Hall
2002 The Threepenny Opera Mrs. Peachum (reading) Roundabout Theatre Company
2004 Dinner Paige (reading) Royal National Theatre/Loft
2006 Mame Mame Dennis Kennedy Center
2007 Follies Carlotta Campion Encores!, New York City Center
2007 The Sisters Rosensweig Gorgeous Teitelbaum (reading) Vivian Beaumont Theater
2007 Regrets Only Tibby McCullough New York City Center Stage I
2008 Boeing-Boeing Berthe Longacre Theatre
2009 A Little Night Music Countess Charlotte Malcolm Roundabout Theatre Company
2009 Love, Loss, and What I Wore Performer (reading) DR2 Theatre
2013 On Your Toes Peggy Porterfield Encores!, New York City Center
2015 Follies Phyllis Rogers Stone Royal Albert Hall
2016 White Rabbit Red Rabbit Performer (replacement) Westside Theatre

Video games

Year Project Role
2013 Skylanders: Swap Force Kaos' Mother
2017 Steven Universe: Save the Light Hessonite
2019 Steven Universe: Unleash the Light

Audio

Year Title Role Notes
1992 A Christmas Memory Female cousin (Sook in later adaptations) Short autobiographical story
1994 Unsung Musicals Performer Song: Sherry! from: Sherry!
2002 Short Talks on the Universe Maria Story: "3 A.M."
2019–20 The Two Princes Queen Lavinia Audio drama, 3 seasons

Awards and nominations

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Christine Baranski para niños

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