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
- Legacy of Screams: The Evolution of Horror Movies as Self - (archive footage)
- This Ordinary Thing as Voice
- Breakdown: 1975 as Self
- 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
- Martin Scorsese, l'Italo-Américain as Self
2022
- Three Months as Valerie
- The First Lady as Sara Delano Roosevelt
- Reframed: Marilyn Monroe as Self
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
- American Woman as Miss Dolly
- The House of Tomorrow as Josephine Prendergast
- Lucy in the Sky as Nana Holbrook
- Steven Arnold: Heavenly Bodies as Self
2018
- Friedkin Uncut as Self
- All I Wish as Celia Berges
- The Tale as Nettie
- Nostalgia as Helen Greer
2017
2016
- Custody as Beatrice Fisher
- Wiener-Dog as Nana
2015
- The Age of Adaline as Flemming
- Unity as Narrator (voice)
- About Scout as Gram
2014
- Interstellar as Murph (older)
- Draft Day as Barb Weaver
- The Calling as Emily Micallef
- Flowers in the Attic as Grandmother
- And the Oscar Goes To... as Self - Interviewee
- Two Men in Town as Mère Garnett
- River of Fundament as Hathfertiti
- Petals on the Wind as Olivia Foxworth
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
- Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You as Nanette
- Coma as Mrs. Emerson
2011
- Another Happy Day as Doris Baker
- The Mighty Macs as Mother St. John
2010
- Main Street as Georgiana Carr
- America Lost and Found: The BBS Story as Self
- BBStory: An American Film Renaissance 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
- The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond as Miss Addie
- W. as Barbara Bush
2007
- Mitch Albom's For One More Day as Pauline "Posey" Benetto
- The Stone Angel as Hagar
2006
- Big Love as Nancy Davis Dutton
- The Fountain as Dr. Lillian Guzetti
- Mrs. Harris as Former Tarnower Steady
- 30 Days as Maura
- The Wicker Man as Sister Summersisle
- The Book of Daniel as Bishop Beatrice Congreve
- The Elephant King as Diana Hunt
- Stardust: The Bette Davis Story as Self
- Hubert Selby Jr: It/ll Be Better Tomorrow as Self
2005
- Our Fathers as Mary Ryan
2004
2003
2002
- Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood as Vivi Abbott Walker
- Red Dragon as Grandma Dolarhyde (voice) (uncredited)
2001
- Within These Walls as Joan Thomas
- The Making of Requiem for a Dream as Self
- Memories, Dreams & Addictions as Self
2000
- The Yards as Val Handler
- Requiem for a Dream as Sara Goldfarb
- Mermaid as Trish
- That's Life as Dolly DeLucca
1999
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Bernie Stabler
- Die letzte Vorstellung: Ein Rückblick as Self
- Walking Across Egypt as Mattie Rigsbee
- Night Ride Home as Maggie
1998
- Playing by Heart as Mildred
- The Fear of God: 25 Years of The Exorcist as Self - Chris MacNeil
- The Patron Saint of Liars as June Clatterbuck
- A Will of their Own as Veronica Steward
- You Can Thank Me Later as Shirley Cooperberg
- Marilyn in Manhattan as Self
1997
- The View as Self
- Deceiver as Mook
- Flash as Laura Strong
- A Deadly Vision as Yvette Watson
1996
- Timepiece as Maud Gannon
- The Rosie O'Donnell Show as Self - Guest
- The Spitfire Grill as Hannah Ferguson
1995
- Roommates as Judith
- How to Make an American Quilt as Hy Dodd
- Follow The River as Gretel
- The Baby-Sitters Club as Mrs. Haberman
- My Brother's Keeper as Helen
1994
- Getting Gotti as Jo Giacalone
- Getting Out as Arlie's Mother
- Trick of the Eye as Frances Griffin
- When a Man Loves a Woman as Emily
- Inside the Actors Studio as Self
1993
- The Cemetery Club as Esther Moskowitz
- Shattered Trust: The Shari Karney Story as Joan Delvecchio
1992
- When It Was a Game 2 as Passage Narrator (voice)
- Earth and the American Dream as Reader (voice)
- Taking Back My Life: The Nancy Ziegenmeyer Story as Wilma
1991
- Grand Isle as Mademoiselle Reisz
- Dying Young as Mrs. O'Neil
- Mrs. Lambert Remembers Love as Lillian "Lil" Lambert
- Picture This: The Times of Peter Bogdanovich in Archer City, Texas as Self
1990
- The Color of Evening as Kate O'Rielly
- When You Remember Me as Nurse Cooder
1989
1988
- American Experience as Narrator (voice)
- Hanna's War as Katalin
- Hello Actors Studio as Self
1987
- Pack of Lies as Barbara Jackson
- Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam as Mrs. Stocks (voice)
1986
- Something in Common as Lynn Hollander
- Act of Vengeance as Margaret Yablonski
- The Ellen Burstyn Show as Ellen Brewer
1985
- The Ambassador as Alex Hacker
- Surviving as Tina Brogan
- Twice in a Lifetime as Kate MacKenzie
- Into Thin Air as Joan Walker
- Night of 100 Stars II as Self
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
- The Horror Hall of Fame: A Monster Salute as Self (archive footage)
- Thursday's Game as Lynne Evers
1973
- The Exorcist as Chris MacNeil
1972
- The King of Marvin Gardens as Sally
1971
- The Last Picture Show as Lois Farrow
1970
- Alex in Wonderland as Beth Morrison
- 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
- For Those Who Think Young as Dr. Pauline Swenson
1963
- Kraft Suspense Theatre as Barbara Sherwood / Lucille Benton
- Vacation Playhouse as Ellen
- The Greatest Show on Earth as Susan Mason
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
- Dr. Kildare as Anne Garner
- Ben Casey as Dr. Leslie Fraser
- The Defenders as Hilda Wesley
- Ricochet as Rose Maxon
- Bus Stop as Phyllis Dunning
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/Presenter
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