Ellen Burstyn
Ellen Burstyn (born Edna Rae Gillooly; December 7, 1932) is an American actress. Known for her portrayals of complex women in dramas, she has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards, making her one of the few performers to achieve the "Triple Crown of Acting". She has also received a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award. Burstyn made her acting debut on Broadway in Fair Game in 1957 before winning the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for Same Time, Next Year (1975). She earned the Academy Award for Best Actress as the widow Alice Hyatt in Martin Scorsese's romantic drama Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974). Her other Oscar-nominated roles were in The Last Picture Show (1971), The Exorcist (1973), Same Time, Next Year (1978), Resurrection (1980), and Requiem for a Dream (2000). Her other notable films include Harry and Tonto (1974), How to Make an American Quilt (1995), Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002), W. (2008), Interstellar (2014), The Age of Adaline (2015), and Pieces of a Woman (2020). She won Primetime Emmy Awards for her guest role in the NBC legal drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2009) and supporting role in the USA Network political miniseries Political Animals (2013). Her other Emmy-nominated roles include Pack of Lies (1988), Mrs. Harris (2005), Big Love (2008), Draft Day, Flowers in the Attic (both 2014), and House of Cards (2016). Since 2000, she has been co-president of the Actors Studio, a drama school in New York City. In 2013, she was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame for her work onstage.
Known For
Credits
- 2025 · Breakdown: 1975 as Self
- 2025 · Duse, the Greatest as
- 2024 · E. Jean Carroll v. Donald J. Trump as E. Jean Carroll
- 2024 · Mother, Couch as Mother
- 2019 · American Woman as Miss Dolly
- 2018 · Friedkin Uncut as Self
- 2015 · Unity as Narrator (voice)
- 2015 · About Scout as Gram
- 2014 · The Calling as Emily Micallef
- 2014 · Two Men in Town as Mère Garnett
- 2014 · River of Fundament as Hathfertiti
- 2013 · Wish You Well as Louisa Mae Cardinal
- 2011 · Another Happy Day as Doris Baker
- 2011 · The Mighty Macs as Mother St. John
- 2010 · BBStory: An American Film Renaissance as Self
- 2009 · According to Greta as Katherine
- 2009 · The Velveteen Rabbit as Swan (voice)
- 2006 · 30 Days as Maura
- 2006 · Mrs. Harris as Former Tarnower Steady
- 2005 · Our Fathers as Mary Ryan
- 2003 · A Decade Under the Influence as Self
- 2003 · Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex 'n' Drugs 'n' Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood as Self
- 1999 · Die letzte Vorstellung: Ein Rückblick as Self
- 1998 · Playing by Heart as Mildred
- 1998 · The Fear of God: 25 Years of The Exorcist as Self - Chris MacNeil
- 1998 · The Patron Saint of Liars as June Clatterbuck
- 1997 · Deceiver as Mook
- 1996 · Timepiece as Maud Gannon
- 1996 · The Spitfire Grill as Hannah Ferguson
- 1995 · The Baby-Sitters Club as Mrs. Haberman
- 1995 · Follow The River as Gretel
- 1993 · The Cemetery Club as Esther Moskowitz
- 1991 · Grand Isle as Mademoiselle Reisz
- 1989 · Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre as Self
- 1988 · Hello Actors Studio as Self
- 1988 · Hanna's War as Katalin
- 1987 · Pack of Lies as Barbara Jackson
- 1986 · Act of Vengeance as Margaret Yablonski
- 1985 · Into Thin Air as Joan Walker
- 1985 · Twice in a Lifetime as Kate MacKenzie
- 1985 · Night of 100 Stars II as Self
- 1985 · Surviving as Tina Brogan
- 1985 · The Ambassador as Alex Hacker
- 1982 · Night of 100 Stars as Self
- 1978 · A Dream of Passion as Brenda Collins
- 1972 · The King of Marvin Gardens as Sally
- 1970 · Alex in Wonderland as Beth Morrison
- 1970 · Tropic of Cancer as Mona (uncredited)
- 1969 · Pit Stop as Ellen McCleod
- 1964 · For Those Who Think Young as Dr. Pauline Swenson
- Future · Bathing Flo as
- Future · Place To Be as Brooke
- 2025 · This Ordinary Thing as Self (voice)
- 2025 · Legacy of Screams: The Evolution of Horror Movies as Self - (archive footage)
- 2024 · Fear and Love: The Story of The Exorcist as Self
- 2024 · Martin Scorsese, the Italian-American Master as Self
- 2023 · The Exorcist: Believer as Chris MacNeil
- 2022 · The First Lady as Sara Delano Roosevelt
- 2022 · Three Months as Valerie
- 2022 · Reframed: Marilyn Monroe as Self
- 2021 · Paul Newman, Behind Blue Eyes as Herself
- 2021 · Queen Bees as Helen Wilson
- 2021 · Watch on the Rhine as Fanny
- 2021 · Law & Order: Organized Crime as Bernadette 'Bernie' Stabler
- 2020 · Pieces of a Woman as Elizabeth Weiss
- 2020 · Delphine and Carole as Self (archive footage)
- 2019 · Lucy in the Sky as Nana Holbrook
- 2019 · Steven Arnold: Heavenly Bodies as Self
- 2019 · The House of Tomorrow as Josephine Prendergast
- 2018 · Nostalgia as Helen Greer
- 2018 · All I Wish as Celia Berges
- 2018 · The Tale as Nettie
- 2017 · Marilyn Monroe: Auction of a Lifetime as Self
- 2016 · Wiener-Dog as Nana
- 2016 · Custody as Beatrice Fisher
- 2015 · The Age of Adaline as Flemming
- 2014 · Interstellar as Murph (older)
- 2014 · Petals on the Wind as Olivia Foxworth
- 2014 · Draft Day as Barb Weaver
- 2014 · And the Oscar Goes To... as Self - Interviewee
- 2014 · Flowers in the Attic as Grandmother
- 2013 · Mom as Shirley
- 2013 · Love, Marilyn as Self
- 2013 · House of Cards as Elizabeth Hale
- 2012 · Coma as Mrs. Emerson
- 2012 · Political Animals as Margaret Barrish
- 2012 · Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You as Nanette
- 2010 · Reflections of a Philosopher King as Self
- 2010 · America Lost and Found: The BBS Story as Self
- 2010 · Main Street as Georgiana Carr
- 2009 · Lovely, Still as Mary
- 2009 · PoliWood as Self
- 2008 · W. as Barbara Bush
- 2008 · The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond as Miss Addie
- 2007 · Mitch Albom's For One More Day as Pauline "Posey" Benetto
- 2007 · The Stone Angel as Hagar
- 2006 · The Fountain as Dr. Lillian Guzetti
- 2006 · The Wicker Man as Sister Summersisle
- 2006 · Hubert Selby Jr: It/ll Be Better Tomorrow as Self
- 2006 · Stardust: The Bette Davis Story as Self
- 2006 · The Elephant King as Diana Hunt
- 2006 · Big Love as Nancy Davis Dutton
- 2006 · The Book of Daniel as Bishop Beatrice Congreve
- 2004 · The Five People You Meet In Heaven as Ruby
- 2004 · The Madam's Family: The Truth About the Canal Street Brothel as Tommie
- 2004 · Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore: Second Chances as Self
- 2003 · Brush with Fate as Rika
- 2002 · Red Dragon as Grandma Dolarhyde (voice) (uncredited)
- 2002 · Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood as Vivi Abbott Walker
- 2001 · Within These Walls as Joan Thomas
- 2001 · The Making of Requiem for a Dream as Self
- 2001 · Memories, Dreams & Addictions as Self
- 2000 · Requiem for a Dream as Sara Goldfarb
- 2000 · That's Life as Dolly DeLucca
- 2000 · Mermaid as Trish
- 2000 · The Yards as Val Handler
- 1999 · Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Bernie Stabler
- 1999 · Night Ride Home as Maggie
- 1999 · Walking Across Egypt as Mattie Rigsbee
- 1998 · A Will of their Own as Veronica Steward
- 1998 · Marilyn in Manhattan as Self
- 1998 · You Can Thank Me Later as Shirley Cooperberg
- 1997 · Flash as Laura Strong
- 1997 · The View as Self
- 1997 · A Deadly Vision as Yvette Watson
- 1997 · HARDtalk as
- 1996 · The Rosie O'Donnell Show as Self - Guest
- 1995 · How to Make an American Quilt as Hy Dodd
- 1995 · My Brother's Keeper as Helen
- 1995 · Roommates as Judith
- 1994 · Trick of the Eye as Frances Griffin
- 1994 · Inside the Actors Studio as Self
- 1994 · Getting Gotti as Jo Giacalone
- 1994 · When a Man Loves a Woman as Emily
- 1994 · Getting Out as Arlie's Mother
- 1993 · Roots of Roe as Narrator (voice)
- 1993 · Shattered Trust: The Shari Karney Story as Joan Delvecchio
- 1992 · Earth and the American Dream as Reader (voice)
- 1992 · When It Was a Game 2 as Passage Narrator (voice)
- 1992 · Taking Back My Life: The Nancy Ziegenmeyer Story as Wilma
- 1991 · Picture This as Self
- 1991 · Dying Young as Mrs. O'Neil
- 1991 · Mrs. Lambert Remembers Love as Lillian "Lil" Lambert
- 1990 · When You Remember Me as Nurse Cooder
- 1990 · The Color of Evening as Kate O'Rielly
- 1988 · American Experience as Narrator (voice)
- 1987 · Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam as Mrs. Stocks (voice)
- 1986 · Something in Common as Lynn Hollander
- 1986 · The Ellen Burstyn Show as Ellen Brewer
- 1982 · I Love Liberty as Self
- 1981 · Silence of the North as Olive Frederickson
- 1981 · People vs. Jean Harris as Jean Harris
- 1981 · Be Pretty and Shut Up! as Self
- 1980 · Resurrection as Edna
- 1978 · Same Time, Next Year as Doris
- 1977 · Providence as Sonia Langham
- 1975 · Saturday Night Live as Self - Host
- 1975 · Les Rendez-vous du dimanche as Self
- 1974 · Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore as Alice Hyatt
- 1974 · Dinah! as Self
- 1974 · Harry and Tonto as Shirley Mallard
- 1974 · Thursday's Game as Lynne Evers
- 1974 · The Horror Hall of Fame: A Monster Salute as Self (archive footage)
- 1973 · The Exorcist as Chris MacNeil
- 1971 · The Last Picture Show as Lois Farrow
- 1966 · The Time Tunnel as Eve Holland
- 1965 · The Big Valley as Sister Sarah Jacob
- 1964 · Goodbye Charlie as Franny Salzman
- 1963 · Kraft Suspense Theatre as Barbara Sherwood / Lucille Benton
- 1963 · Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre as Eva Laurelton
- 1963 · The Greatest Show on Earth as Susan Mason
- 1963 · Vacation Playhouse as Ellen
- 1962 · Going My Way as Louise
- 1962 · The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as Self
- 1962 · I'm Dickens, He's Fenster as Joan
- 1962 · The Virginian as Kate Burden
- 1961 · Ricochet as Rose Maxon
- 1961 · Ben Casey as Dr. Leslie Fraser
- 1961 · Ben Casey as Connie
- 1961 · Bus Stop as Phyllis Dunning
- 1961 · Dr. Kildare as Anne Garner
- 1961 · The Defenders as Hilda Wesley
- 1960 · Surfside 6 as Wandra Drake
- 1960 · Checkmate as Margo as Ellen McRae
- 1959 · The Detectives as Nora
- 1959 · The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis as Donna Whittaker
- 1958 · The Christmas Tree as Elizabeth
- 1958 · 77 Sunset Strip as Betty Benson
- 1958 · 77 Sunset Strip as Sandra Keene
- 1957 · Perry Mason as Mona Winthrope White
- 1955 · Cheyenne as Emmy Mae
- 1955 · Gunsmoke as Polly
- 1955 · Gunsmoke as Amy Waters
- 1953 · Letter to Loretta as Ann Walters
- 1953 · The Oscars as Self
- 1951 · Hallmark Hall of Fame as Elizabeth
- 1951 · Hallmark Hall of Fame as Barbara Jackson
- 1951 · Hallmark Hall of Fame as Maggie
- 1951 · Hallmark Hall of Fame as Rika
- 1948 · Easy Out? as Mary
- 1944 · Golden Globe Awards as Self - Presenter
- 1944 · Golden Globe Awards as Self - Nominee