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
- 2024 · Mother, Couch as Mother
- 2024 · Fear and Love: The Story of The Exorcist as Self
- 2021 · Paul Newman, Behind Blue Eyes as Herself
- 2020 · Pieces of a Woman as Elizabeth Weiss
- 2019 · Lucy in the Sky as Nana Holbrook
- 2018 · All I Wish as Celia Berges
- 2016 · Wiener-Dog as Nana
- 2015 · Unity as Narrator (voice)
- 2014 · River of Fundament as Hathfertiti
- 2014 · And the Oscar Goes To... as Self - Interviewee
- 2013 · Wish You Well as Louisa Mae Cardinal
- 2012 · Political Animals as Margaret Barrish
- 2010 · BBStory: An American Film Renaissance as Self
- 2010 · Main Street as Georgiana Carr
- 2007 · Mitch Albom's For One More Day as Pauline "Posey" Benetto
- 2007 · The Stone Angel as Hagar
- 2006 · 30 Days as Maura
- 2006 · Stardust: The Bette Davis Story as Self
- 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
- 2003 · Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex 'n' Drugs 'n' Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood as Self
- 2001 · Within These Walls as Joan Thomas
- 2000 · That's Life as Dolly DeLucca
- 2000 · Mermaid as Trish
- 1999 · Walking Across Egypt as Mattie Rigsbee
- 1998 · Playing by Heart as Mildred
- 1998 · A Will of their Own as Veronica Steward
- 1998 · You Can Thank Me Later as Shirley Cooperberg
- 1998 · The Patron Saint of Liars as June Clatterbuck
- 1997 · Flash as Laura Strong
- 1995 · How to Make an American Quilt as Hy Dodd
- 1995 · The Baby-Sitters Club as Mrs. Haberman
- 1994 · Trick of the Eye as Frances Griffin
- 1992 · Earth and the American Dream as Reader (voice)
- 1992 · When It Was a Game 2 as Passage Narrator (voice)
- 1990 · When You Remember Me as Nurse Cooder
- 1990 · The Color of Evening as Kate O'Rielly
- 1988 · Hanna's War as Katalin
- 1987 · Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam as Mrs. Stocks (voice)
- 1987 · Pack of Lies as Barbara Jackson
- 1986 · Something in Common as Lynn Hollander
- 1986 · Act of Vengeance as Margaret Yablonski
- 1985 · Twice in a Lifetime as Kate MacKenzie
- 1978 · Same Time, Next Year as Doris
- 1974 · Harry and Tonto as Shirley Mallard
- 1974 · Thursday's Game as Lynne Evers
- 1971 · The Last Picture Show as Lois Farrow
- 1962 · Going My Way as Louise
- Future · Place To Be as Brooke
- 2025 · Breakdown: 1975 as
- 2025 · Duse, the Greatest as
- 2024 · E. Jean Carroll v. Donald J. Trump as E. Jean Carroll
- 2023 · Martin Scorsese, l'Italo-Américain 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 · Queen Bees as Helen Wilson
- 2021 · Watch on the Rhine as Fanny
- 2021 · Law & Order: Organized Crime as Bernadette 'Bernie' Stabler
- 2020 · Delphine and Carole as Self (archive footage)
- 2019 · American Woman as Miss Dolly
- 2019 · Steven Arnold: Heavenly Bodies as Self
- 2019 · The House of Tomorrow as Josephine Prendergast
- 2018 · Friedkin Uncut as Self
- 2018 · Nostalgia as Helen Greer
- 2018 · The Tale as Nettie
- 2017 · Marilyn Monroe: Auction of a Lifetime as Self
- 2016 · Custody as Beatrice Fisher
- 2015 · About Scout as Gram
- 2015 · The Age of Adaline as Flemming
- 2014 · Interstellar as Murph (older)
- 2014 · The Calling as Emily Micallef
- 2014 · Petals on the Wind as Olivia Foxworth
- 2014 · Two Men in Town as Mère Garnett
- 2014 · Draft Day as Barb Weaver
- 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 · Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You as Nanette
- 2011 · Another Happy Day as Doris Baker
- 2011 · The Mighty Macs as Mother St. John
- 2010 · America Lost and Found: The BBS Story as Self
- 2010 · Reflections of a Philosopher King as Self
- 2009 · According to Greta as Katherine
- 2009 · Lovely, Still as Mary
- 2009 · PoliWood as Self
- 2009 · The Velveteen Rabbit as Swan (voice)
- 2008 · W. as Barbara Bush
- 2008 · The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond as Miss Addie
- 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 · The Elephant King as Diana Hunt
- 2006 · Big Love as Nancy Davis Dutton
- 2006 · Mrs. Harris as Former Tarnower Steady
- 2005 · Our Fathers as Mary Ryan
- 2004 · Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore: Second Chances as Self
- 2003 · A Decade Under the Influence 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 · The Making of Requiem for a Dream as Self
- 2001 · Memories, Dreams & Addictions as Self
- 2000 · Requiem for a Dream as Sara Goldfarb
- 2000 · The Yards as Val Handler
- 1999 · Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Bernie Stabler
- 1999 · The Last Picture Show: A Look Back as Self
- 1999 · Night Ride Home as Maggie
- 1998 · Marilyn in Manhattan as Self
- 1998 · The Fear of God: 25 Years of The Exorcist as Self - Chris MacNeil
- 1997 · Deceiver as Mook
- 1997 · The View as Self
- 1997 · A Deadly Vision as Yvette Watson
- 1996 · Timepiece as Maud Gannon
- 1996 · The Spitfire Grill as Hannah Ferguson
- 1996 · The Rosie O'Donnell Show as Self - Guest
- 1995 · Follow The River as Gretel
- 1995 · My Brother's Keeper as Helen
- 1995 · Roommates as Judith
- 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 · Shattered Trust: The Shari Karney Story as Joan Delvecchio
- 1993 · The Cemetery Club as Esther Moskowitz
- 1992 · Taking Back My Life: The Nancy Ziegenmeyer Story as Wilma
- 1991 · Picture This: The Times of Peter Bogdanovich in Archer City, Texas as Self
- 1991 · Grand Isle as Mademoiselle Reisz
- 1991 · Dying Young as Mrs. O'Neil
- 1991 · Mrs. Lambert Remembers Love as Lillian "Lil" Lambert
- 1989 · Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre as Self
- 1988 · Hello Actors Studio as Self
- 1988 · American Experience as Narrator (voice)
- 1986 · The Ellen Burstyn Show as Ellen Brewer
- 1985 · Into Thin Air as Joan Walker
- 1985 · Night of 100 Stars II as Self
- 1985 · Surviving as Tina Brogan
- 1985 · The Ambassador as Alex Hacker
- 1982 · I Love Liberty as Self
- 1982 · Night of 100 Stars 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 · A Dream of Passion as Brenda Collins
- 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 · The Horror Hall of Fame: A Monster Salute as Self (archive footage)
- 1973 · The Exorcist as Chris MacNeil
- 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
- 1966 · The Time Tunnel as Eve Holland
- 1965 · The Big Valley as Sister Sarah Jacob
- 1964 · Goodbye Charlie as Franny Salzman
- 1964 · For Those Who Think Young as Dr. Pauline Swenson
- 1963 · Kraft Suspense Theatre as Barbara Sherwood / Lucille Benton
- 1963 · The Greatest Show on Earth as Susan Mason
- 1963 · Vacation Playhouse as Ellen
- 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
- 1956 · Tony Awards as Self - Host/Presenter
- 1956 · Tony Awards as Self - Winner
- 1956 · Tony Awards as Self - Presenter
- 1956 · Tony Awards as Self - Host
- 1956 · Tony Awards as Self - Audience Member
- 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
- Future · Bathing Flo as