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 · This Ordinary Thing as Self (voice)
- 2025 · Legacy of Screams: The Evolution of Horror Movies as Self - (archive footage)
- 2024 · Martin Scorsese, the Italian-American Master as Self
- 2021 · Queen Bees as Helen Wilson
- 2019 · Lucy in the Sky as Nana Holbrook
- 2019 · The House of Tomorrow as Josephine Prendergast
- 2016 · Custody as Beatrice Fisher
- 2015 · Unity as Narrator (voice)
- 2015 · About Scout as Gram
- 2014 · And the Oscar Goes To... as Self - Interviewee
- 2012 · Coma as Mrs. Emerson
- 2011 · Another Happy Day as Doris Baker
- 2010 · Reflections of a Philosopher King 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 · Mrs. Harris as Former Tarnower Steady
- 2006 · The Book of Daniel as Bishop Beatrice Congreve
- 2005 · Our Fathers as Mary Ryan
- 2003 · Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex 'n' Drugs 'n' Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood as Self
- 2002 · Red Dragon as Grandma Dolarhyde (voice) (uncredited)
- 2000 · Mermaid as Trish
- 1999 · Die letzte Vorstellung: Ein Rückblick as Self
- 1999 · Walking Across Egypt as Mattie Rigsbee
- 1998 · Playing by Heart as Mildred
- 1998 · A Will of their Own as Veronica Steward
- 1997 · Flash as Laura Strong
- 1997 · Deceiver as Mook
- 1995 · The Baby-Sitters Club as Mrs. Haberman
- 1995 · Roommates as Judith
- 1994 · Inside the Actors Studio as Self
- 1992 · Earth and the American Dream as Reader (voice)
- 1991 · Picture This as Self
- 1991 · Grand Isle as Mademoiselle Reisz
- 1988 · Hanna's War as Katalin
- 1987 · Pack of Lies as Barbara Jackson
- 1986 · The Ellen Burstyn Show as Ellen Brewer
- 1986 · Act of Vengeance as Margaret Yablonski
- 1985 · Twice in a Lifetime as Kate MacKenzie
- 1985 · Night of 100 Stars II as Self
- 1985 · Surviving as Tina Brogan
- 1982 · Night of 100 Stars as Self
- 1980 · Resurrection as Edna
- 1974 · Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore as Alice Hyatt
- 1974 · Harry and Tonto as Shirley Mallard
- 1972 · The King of Marvin Gardens as Sally
- 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
- Future · Place To Be as Brooke
- 2025 · Duse, the Greatest as
- 2024 · E. Jean Carroll v. Donald J. Trump as E. Jean Carroll
- 2024 · Mother, Couch as Mother
- 2024 · Fear and Love: The Story of The Exorcist 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 · 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 · American Woman as Miss Dolly
- 2019 · Steven Arnold: Heavenly Bodies as Self
- 2018 · Friedkin Uncut as Self
- 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
- 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 · River of Fundament as Hathfertiti
- 2014 · Flowers in the Attic as Grandmother
- 2013 · Wish You Well as Louisa Mae Cardinal
- 2013 · Mom as Shirley
- 2013 · Love, Marilyn as Self
- 2013 · House of Cards as Elizabeth Hale
- 2012 · Political Animals as Margaret Barrish
- 2012 · Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You as Nanette
- 2011 · The Mighty Macs as Mother St. John
- 2010 · America Lost and Found: The BBS Story as Self
- 2010 · BBStory: An American Film Renaissance 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 · 30 Days as Maura
- 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
- 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 · A Decade Under the Influence as Self
- 2003 · Brush with Fate as Rika
- 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 · The Yards as Val Handler
- 1999 · Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Bernie Stabler
- 1999 · Night Ride Home as Maggie
- 1998 · Marilyn in Manhattan as Self
- 1998