Ellen Burstyn
Born: 1932-12-07 in Detroit, Michigan, USA
Known For: Acting
Biography
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.
Filmography
2025
- Breakdown: 1975 as Self
- This Ordinary Thing as Self (voice)
- Duse, the Greatest
2024
- Mother, Couch as Mother
- Fear and Love: The Story of The Exorcist as Self
- E. Jean Carroll v. Donald J. Trump as E. Jean Carroll
2023
- The Exorcist: Believer as Chris MacNeil
2022
- The First Lady as Sara Delano Roosevelt
- Reframed: Marilyn Monroe as Self
- Three Months as Valerie
2021
- Law & Order: Organized Crime as Bernadette 'Bernie' Stabler
- Queen Bees as Helen Wilson
- Watch on the Rhine as Fanny
- Paul Newman, Behind Blue Eyes as Herself
2020
- Pieces of a Woman as Elizabeth Weiss
- Delphine and Carole as Self (archive footage)
2019
- Lucy in the Sky as Nana Holbrook
- The House of Tomorrow as Josephine Prendergast
- American Woman as Miss Dolly
- Steven Arnold: Heavenly Bodies as Self
2018
- The Tale as Nettie
- All I Wish as Celia Berges
- Nostalgia as Helen Greer
- Friedkin Uncut as Self
2017
2016
- Wiener-Dog as Nana
- Custody as Beatrice Fisher
2015
- The Age of Adaline as Flemming
- Unity as Narrator (voice)
- About Scout as Gram
2014
- Interstellar as Murph (older)
- Flowers in the Attic as Grandmother
- Draft Day as Barb Weaver
- Petals on the Wind as Olivia Foxworth
- The Calling as Emily Micallef
- And the Oscar Goes To... as Self - Interviewee
- Two Men in Town as Mère Garnett
- River of Fundament as Hathfertiti
2013
- Mom as Shirley
- House of Cards as Elizabeth Hale
- Love, Marilyn as Self
- Wish You Well as Louisa Mae Cardinal
2012
- Political Animals as Margaret Barrish
- Coma as Mrs. Emerson
- Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You as Nanette
2011
- Another Happy Day as Doris Baker
- The Mighty Macs as Mother St. John
2010
- Main Street as Georgiana Carr
- BBStory: An American Film Renaissance as Self
- America Lost and Found: The BBS Story as Self
- Reflections of a Philosopher King as Self
2009
- Lovely, Still as Mary
- PoliWood as Self
- According to Greta as Katherine
- The Velveteen Rabbit as Swan (voice)
2008
- W. as Barbara Bush
- The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond as Miss Addie
2007
- The Stone Angel as Hagar
- Mitch Albom's For One More Day as Pauline "Posey" Benetto
2006
- Big Love as Nancy Davis Dutton
- The Fountain as Dr. Lillian Guzetti
- The Wicker Man as Sister Summersisle
- The Book of Daniel as Bishop Beatrice Congreve
- Mrs. Harris as Former Tarnower Steady
- Hubert Selby Jr: It/ll Be Better Tomorrow as Self
- The Elephant King as Diana Hunt
- Stardust: The Bette Davis Story as Self
- 30 Days as Maura
2005
- Our Fathers as Mary Ryan
2004
2003
2002
- Red Dragon as Grandma Dolarhyde (voice) (uncredited)
- Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood as Vivi Abbott Walker
2001
- Within These Walls as Joan Thomas
- The Making of Requiem for a Dream as Self
- Memories, Dreams & Addictions as Self
2000
- Requiem for a Dream as Sara Goldfarb
- That's Life as Dolly DeLucca
- The Yards as Val Handler
- Mermaid as Trish
1999
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Bernie Stabler
- Walking Across Egypt as Mattie Rigsbee
- Night Ride Home as Maggie
- The Last Picture Show: A Look Back as Self
1998
- Playing by Heart as Mildred
- A Will of their Own as Veronica Steward
- You Can Thank Me Later as Shirley Cooperberg
- The Fear of God: 25 Years of The Exorcist as Self - Chris MacNeil
- The Patron Saint of Liars as June Clatterbuck
- Marilyn in Manhattan as Self
1997
- The View as Self
- HARDtalk
- Deceiver as Mook
- Flash as Laura Strong
- A Deadly Vision as Yvette Watson
1996
- The Rosie O'Donnell Show as Self - Guest
- The Spitfire Grill as Hannah Ferguson
- Timepiece as Maud Gannon
1995
- How to Make an American Quilt as Hy Dodd
- The Baby-Sitters Club as Mrs. Haberman
- Roommates as Judith
- Follow The River as Gretel
- My Brother's Keeper as Helen
1994
- When a Man Loves a Woman as Emily
- Inside the Actors Studio as Self
- Getting Gotti as Jo Giacalone
- Getting Out as Arlie's Mother
- Trick of the Eye as Frances Griffin
1993
- The Cemetery Club as Esther Moskowitz
- Shattered Trust: The Shari Karney Story as Joan Delvecchio
- Roots of Roe as Narrator (voice)
1992
- Earth and the American Dream as Reader (voice)
- When It Was a Game 2 as Passage Narrator (voice)
- Taking Back My Life: The Nancy Ziegenmeyer Story as Wilma
1991
- Dying Young as Mrs. O'Neil
- Grand Isle as Mademoiselle Reisz
- Picture This as Self
- Mrs. Lambert Remembers Love as Lillian "Lil" Lambert
1990
- When You Remember Me as Nurse Cooder
- The Color of Evening as Kate O'Rielly
1989
1988
- American Experience as Narrator (voice)
- Hanna's War as Katalin
- Hello Actors Studio as Self
1987
- Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam as Mrs. Stocks (voice)
- Pack of Lies as Barbara Jackson
1986
- The Ellen Burstyn Show as Ellen Brewer
- Act of Vengeance as Margaret Yablonski
- Something in Common as Lynn Hollander
1985
- Night of 100 Stars II as Self
- Surviving as Tina Brogan
- Into Thin Air as Joan Walker
- The Ambassador as Alex Hacker
- Twice in a Lifetime as Kate MacKenzie
1982
- Night of 100 Stars as Self
- I Love Liberty as Self
1981
- Be Pretty and Shut Up! as Self
- Silence of the North as Olive Frederickson
- People vs. Jean Harris as Jean Harris
1980
- Resurrection as Edna
1978
- Same Time, Next Year as Doris
- A Dream of Passion as Brenda Collins
1977
- Providence as Sonia Langham
1975
- Saturday Night Live as Self - Host
- Les Rendez-vous du dimanche as Self
1974
- Dinah! as Self
- Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore as Alice Hyatt
- Harry and Tonto as Shirley Mallard
- Thursday's Game as Lynne Evers
- 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
1971
- The Last Picture Show as Lois Farrow
1970
- Tropic of Cancer as Mona (uncredited)
- Alex in Wonderland as Beth Morrison
1969
- Pit Stop as Ellen McCleod
1966
- The Time Tunnel as Eve Holland
1965
- The Big Valley as Sister Sarah Jacob
1964
- For Those Who Think Young as Dr. Pauline Swenson
- Goodbye Charlie as Franny Salzman
1963
- Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre as Eva Laurelton
- Kraft Suspense Theatre as Barbara Sherwood / Lucille Benton
- The Greatest Show on Earth as Susan Mason
- Vacation Playhouse as Ellen
1962
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as Self
- The Virginian as Kate Burden
- Going My Way as Louise
- I'm Dickens, He's Fenster as Joan
1961
- Ben Casey as Dr. Leslie Fraser
- Dr. Kildare as Anne Garner
- The Defenders as Hilda Wesley
- Bus Stop as Phyllis Dunning
- Ricochet as Rose Maxon
1960
- Surfside 6 as Wandra Drake
- Checkmate as Margo as Ellen McRae
1959
- The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis as Donna Whittaker
- The Detectives as Nora
1958
- 77 Sunset Strip as Betty Benson
- The Christmas Tree as Elizabeth
1957
- Perry Mason as Mona Winthrope White
1956
- Tony Awards as Self - Host
1953
- The Oscars as Self
- Letter to Loretta as Ann Walters
1951
- Hallmark Hall of Fame as Elizabeth
1948
- Easy Out? as Mary
1944
- Golden Globe Awards as Self - Presenter