Mary McDonnell

Mary McDonnell is an actress who has been nominated for two Oscars(r). She is popular for her portrayals as characters in period and contemporary screen roles. Mary Eileen McDonnell is a Pennsylvania-born actress. She was the daughter of Eileen (Mundy) the Irish-American computer expert, and John McDonnell. Born in Ithaca, New York, she graduated from the State University of New York (SUNY) in Fredonia. After that, she went to the drama school and was admitted to the prestigious Long Wharf Theatre Company on the East Coast. She was 22 years old when she was offered her breakthrough film part in Dances with Wolves (1990), where she was "Stands with a Fist", a Sioux Indian woman who was white. The role was so well-loved that she was the first actress to receive an Academy Award nomination. McDonnell has appeared in the Lawrence Kasdan films Grand Canyon (1991), and Mumford (1999) with such famous actors such as Robert Redford and Sidney Poitier. She also appeared in Roland Emmerich's Independence Day (1996), with Will Smith. Margin Call (2011) the film, which was a battle with Kevin Spacey, earned McDonnell the Robert Altman award at the 2012 Independent Spirit Awards. McDonnell was President Laura Roslin in the critically well-reviewed show Battlestar Galactica (2004) on Syfy. She starred in four seasons. McDonnell received an Emmy for her recurring guest role on the TV series ER (1994). The hit TNT drama series Major Crimes (2012) features McDonnell as Captain Sharon Raydor. This is the sequel to The Closer (2005) in which McDonnell developed the role. She was nominated to win the Primetime Emmy(r). For her role as a paraplegic soap-opera actress in John Sayles's critically acclaimed film Passion Fish (1992), she was awarded the Best Actress Academy Award(r), nomination, and a Golden Globe nomination.