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Ellen Barkin

Birth Place: New York, NY, USA

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BIO

Ellen Barkin's break-out role was in the comedy-drama film Diner (1982), written and directed by Barry Levinson, for which she received favorable reviews. Barkin was cast in the drama film Tender Mercies (1983) after impressing its director Bruce Beresford during an audition in New York City, despite her inexperience and his lack of familiarity with her work. Robert Duvall, who played the lead role in Tender Mercies, said of Barkin, "She brings a real credibility to that part, plus she was young and attractive and had a certain sense of edge, a danger to her that was good for that part." She also appeared in the 1983 rock and roll drama film Eddie and the Cruisers.



Barkin later appeared in several successful films, including the thrillers The Big Easy (1987), opposite Dennis Quaid and Sea of Love (1989), opposite Al Pacino. Barkin also appeared in off-Broadway plays, including a role as one of the roommates in Extremities, about an intended rape victim played by Susan Sarandon who turns the tables on her attacker. About her performance in the play Eden Court, The New York Times critic Frank Rich summarized: "If it were really possible to give the kiss of life to a corpse, the actress Ellen Barkin would be the one to do it. In Eden Court, the moribund play that has brought her to the Promenade Theater, Miss Barkin is tantalizingly alive from her bouncing blond ponytail to the long legs that gyrate wildly and involuntarily every time an Elvis Presley record plays on stage".

Barkin has also done work in made-for-television films such as Before Women Had Wings (1997), for which she won an Emmy as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie and The White River Kid (1999). She voiced the start of each Theme Time Radio Hour with host Bob Dylan on XM's Deep Tracks. In 2005, Barkin set up a film production company with her brother, George, along with her husband at the time and billionaire investor, Ronald Perelman.

Barkin appeared in her Broadway debut as Dr. Brookner in The Normal Heart, for which she won the 2011 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play. Barkin has received acclaim for her performance in Another Happy Day. IndieWire cited her turn as one of the best female performances of the year. In 2015, she starred as Dani Kirschenbloom, in the Showtime comedy-drama series Happyish.

From 2016 through 2019, Barkin starred as Janine "Smurf" Cody, the crime family's matriarch, in the TNT drama series Animal Kingdom. The series is based on the 2010 Australian film where Smurf was played by Jacki Weaver.

Photos

STAGE CREDITS

[Broadway]
Original Broadway Production, 2011
Dr. Emma Brookner

[Broadway]
Special Benefit Production, 2002
Simone

[Off-Broadway]
1985
Performer

[Off-Broadway]
1983
May [Replacement]

[Off-Broadway]
1982
Terry

[Off-Broadway]
1980
Performer

[Off-Broadway]
1979
Christine


Movies

Diner
[ 1982 ] Beth
Eddie and the Cruisers
[ 1983 ] Maggie Foley
Daniel
[ 1983 ] Phyllis Isaacson
Tender Mercies
[ 1983 ] Sue Anne
Enormous Changes at the Last Minute
[ 1983 ] Virginia
Harry & Son
[ 1984 ] Katie Wilowski
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
[ 1984 ] Penny Priddy
Terminal Choice
[ 1985 ] Mary O Connor
The Big Easy
[ 1986 ] Anne Osborne
Desert Bloom
[ 1986 ] Aunt Starr
Down by Law
[ 1986 ] Laurette
Siesta
[ 1987 ] Claire
Sea of Love
[ 1989 ] Helen
Johnny Handsome
[ 1989 ] Sunny Boyd
Switch
[ 1991 ] Amanda Brooks
Man Trouble
[ 1992 ] Joan Spruance
Into the West
[ 1992 ] Kathleen
Mac
[ 1992 ] Oona Goldfarb
This Boy's Life
[ 1993 ] Caroline
Wild Bill
[ 1995 ] Calamity Jane
Bad Company
[ 1995 ] Margaret Wells
The Fan
[ 1996 ] Jewel Stern
Mad Dog Time
[ 1996 ] Rita Everly
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
[ 1998 ] North Star Waitress
Drop Dead Gorgeous
[ 1999 ] Annette Atkins
The White River Kid
[ 1999 ] Eva Nell La Fangroy
Mercy
[ 2000 ] Det. Cathy Palmer
Crime + Punishment in Suburbia
[ 2000 ] Maggie Skolnick
Someone Like You
[ 2001 ] Diane Roberts
Palindromes
[ 2004 ] Joyce Victor
She Hate Me
[ 2004 ] Margo Chadwick
Trust the Man
[ 2005 ] Norah
Ocean's Thirteen
[ 2007 ] Abigail Sponder
Brooklyn's Finest
[ 2009 ] Agent Smith
Happy Tears
[ 2009 ] Shelly
Shit Year
[ 2010 ] Colleen West
Operation: Endgame
[ 2010 ] Empress
Twelve
[ 2010 ] Jessica's Mother
The Chameleon
[ 2010 ] Kimberly Miller
Letters to Juliet
[ 2010 ] producer
Another Happy Day
[ 2011 ] Lynn
Very Good Girls
[ 2013 ] Norma
The Cobbler
[ 2014 ] Elaine Greenawalt
Hands of Stone
[ 2016 ] Stephanie Arcel
Active Adults
[ 2017 ] Lucy
Breaking News in Yuba County
[ 2021 ] Debbie
The Man from Toronto
[ 2022 ] The Handler
The Out-Laws
[ 2023 ] Lilly McDermott

TV Shows

Animal Kingdom
Janine 'Smurf' Cody
The New Normal
Jane Forrest

Awards and Nominations


winner
Theatre World Awards - 2011 - Performance

Ellen Barkin, The Normal Heart


winner
Tony Awards - 2011 - Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play

Ellen Barkin, The Normal Heart

Videos

News


Cynthia Erivo Joins Peacock's POKER FACE Season 2

Cynthia Erivo, the Tony Award winner and star of the upcoming Wicked movie, will guest star in the second season of Peacock's Poker Face. Other guest stars for the upcoming season include Margo Martindale, BJ Novak, Giancarlo Esposito, and Katie Holmes.
Wake Up With BroadwayWorld April 16, 2024

Rise and shine, BroadwayWorld! It is April 16, 2024 and it's time to catch up on all of the theatrical happenings you may have missed in the last 24 hours.
Meet the Cast of MOTHER PLAY, Beginning Previews Tonight on Broadway

Second Stage Theater's Mother Play will begin previews on Broadway tonight, April 3. Meet the cast of Mother Play here!
Photos: Hugh Jackman and More Attend ALAN CUMMING IS NOT ACTING HIS AGE

The second and final performance of Alan Cumming is Not Acting His Age took place on March 25. Special guests at the performance included Hugh Jackman, Darren Criss, Julianna Margulies, and more. BroadwayWorld was there and you can check out photos here!
Kevin Hart & Woody Harrelson Star in THE MAN FROM TORONTO Released on Blu-ray, DVD & Digital

Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson star in the explosive comedy with wall-to-wall action THE MAN FROM TORONTO, available now on Blu-ray™, DVD and Digital from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. THE MAN FROM TORONTO is an explosive comedy with wall-to-wall action.
Video: Watch THE OUT-LAWS Trailer Starring Adam Devine, Ellen Barkin, Pierce Brosnan & More

The cast includes Adam Devine, Nina Dobrev, Michael Rooker, Poorna Jagannathan, Julie Hagerty, Richard Kind, Lil Rel Howery, Blake Anderson, Lauren Lapkus, Laci Mosley, with Ellen Barkin and Pierce Brosnan. Watch the video trailer for the new film now!
Peacock Renews POKER FACE For Season Two

POKER FACE has been renewed for a second season. POKER FACE is T-Street's two-time Academy Award nominee Rian Johnson and Ram Bergman’s first television series and is produced by MRC Television, along with multiple Emmy nominated executive producer and star Natasha Lyonne, under her production banner Animal Pictures.
Peacock Launches POKER FACE 1-866-NOBLSHT Hotline

Now until February 19, Peacock's BS Hotline is now available! Charlie Cale is so good at calling out BS, Peacock created a hotline meant to showcase her talents. Call 1-866-NOBLSHT. Users can call or text the hotline to hear the instantly recognizable voice of Natasha Lyonne providing advise as Charlie Cale.
VIDEO: Natasha Lyonne Stars In Rian Johnson's POKER FACE Series Trailer

The 10-episode mystery-of-the-week series marks the television debut for the brilliant Rian Johnson (Glass Onion, Knives Out, Star Wars) and is executive produced by and stars Natasha Lyonne (Russian Doll, Orange Is The New Black). Watch the new video trailer for the upcoming series now!
Photos: On the Red Carpet for Opening Night of WALKING WITH GHOSTS

Gabriel Byrne officially opened in his acclaimed solo show, Walking with Ghosts, on Broadway. This adaptation from his best-selling memoir of the same name is directed by Lonny Price and is currently playing at the Music Box Theatre for 75 performances only. Check out photos from the red carpet here!
VIDEO: First Look at Peacock's POKER FACE from Rian Johnson Starring Natasha Lyonne

Poker Face is a 10-episode mystery-of-the-week series following Natasha Lyonne’s Charlie, who has an extraordinary ability to determine when someone is lying. She hits the road with her Plymouth Barracuda and with every stop encounters a new cast of characters and strange crimes she can’t help but solve. Watch the video trailer now!
BroadwayWorld Celebrates Pride: Top 10 LGBTQ+ Plays!

June marks the official start of Pride Month! This year, BroadwayWorld is celebrating pride with a series focused on some of our favorite LGBTQ-themed musicals, plays, characters, and songs! This week, check out our top 10 favorite plays featuring LGBTQ+ characters or themes!
VIDEO: On This Day, April 27- Larry Kramer's THE NORMAL HEART Opens on Broadway

On this day in 2011, the star-studded Broadway premiere of Larry Kramer's landmark play The Normal Heart opened on Broadway at the Golden Theater.
Theater Stories: ECLIPSED, SLAVE PLAY, HANGMEN and More About the John Golden Theatre

Today's Theater Stories features the John Golden Theatre! Learn about the shows to have graced the stage of the theatre including, The Normal Heart, A Doll's House, Part 2, Eclipsed, Slave Play, and many more!
The Creative Coalition Awards $220,000 in Grants to Filmmakers

Jenrette will share the story of a young Black girl who goes on a journey to combat obesity and free herself from her family’s “big boned” label. Kessler will explore obesity in comedy and speak to some of today’s biggest comedians about the weight of being overweight.
TV: Watch Larry Kramer Talk About His Masterpiece, THE NORMAL HEART, on Opening Night

As BroadwayWorld sadly reported yesterday, legendary playwright, author, and activist, Larry Kramer passed away this morning. With his passing, Kramer leaves behind a legacy of important, eye-opening, controversial art, including his masterpiece, The Normal Heart.
Wynn Handman, Producer and Acting Teacher, Has Passed Away at 97

Wynn Handman, the famed New York acting teacher and Artistic Director of The American Place Theatre, died at home April 11, 2020 of Covid-19 related pneumonia. He was 97.
INSIDE THE ACTORS STUDIO's James Lipton Has Died at 93

BroadwayWorld is saddened to report that James Lipton, executive producer, writer, and host of the Bravo cable television series Inside the Actors Studio, has died at age 93.
Photo Flash: Remembering Buck Henry

As BroadwayWorld reported earlier this month, Buck Henry passed away at the age of 89. Henry was an American actor, screenwriter, and director. He was twice nominated for an Academy Award, for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Graduate (1967) and for Best Director for Heaven Can Wait (1978) alongside Warren Beatty.
VIDEO: TNT Shares Clip From ANIMAL KINGDOM

Watch new episodes of Animal Kingdom Tuesdays 9/8c, only on TNT.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How many Broadway shows has Ellen Barkin been in?

Ellen Barkin has appeared on Broadway in 2 shows.

How many West End shows has Ellen Barkin been in?

Ellen Barkin has not appeared in the West End.

What awards has Ellen Barkin been nominated for?

Performance (Theatre World Awards) for The Normal Heart and Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for The Normal Heart.

What awards has Ellen Barkin won?

Ellen Barkin has won the Theatre World Award for Performance for The Normal Heart and the Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play, also for The Normal Heart.

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