BWW Profile: Christine Baranski Emmy-Nominated Star of Stage and Screen

In anticipation of the live 66th Annual Emmy Award broadcast on NBC on Monday, August 25th, BWW will be spotlighting the Emmy nominated TV performances of some of Broadway's biggest stars. If you want to follow along and interact with all of BroadwayWorld's Emmy coverage, check out #BWWEmmys on Twitter.

Today we take a look back at the incredible career of stage and screen star Christine Baranski; from Broadway shows like THE REAL THING, RUMORS, BOEING-BOEING, to films THE BIRDCAGE, CHICAGO, MAMMA MIA, and the upcoming INTO THE WOODS, to TV shows CYBILL, THE BIG BANG THEORY, and THE GOOD WIFE, for which she was nominated this year.

Christine became a major player on the television landscape with her role as Maryanne Thorpe on the 1990's sitcom CYBILL. Maryanne was the hard-drinking best friend of Cybill Shepherd's character. For the role, Christine was nominated for four Emmys, including a win in 1995 for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy. The year after CYBILL ended its run on TV, Christine was nominated for another Emmy for guest-starring on FRASIER as Dr. Nora Fairchild. Ten years later, in 2009, she was nominated for the same award for playing Beverly Hofstadter on THE BIG BANG THEORY. She was again nominated for the role the following year, which overlapped the beginning of her current five-year run of nominations for Supporting Actress in a Drama for playing Diane Lockhart on THE GOOD WIFE. In total, Christine has 12 Emmy nominations, and one win.

Despite her exceptional television career, Christine has been a regular on the New York stage for the past three decades. After making her Broadway debut in 1980's short-lived HIDE AND SEEK, Christine won her first Tony Award as part of the star-studded cast of Tom Stoppard's THE REAL THING. Directed by the legendary Mike Nichols, the cast included Cynthia Nixon, Peter Gallagher, Jeremy Irons, and Glenn Close. Stoppard, Nichols, Irons, Close, and Baranski all took home Tonys for the show. After replacing in the original productions of HURLYBURLY and THE HOUSE OF Blue LEAVES, Christine earned her second Tony as a member of the original cast of Neil Simon's RUMORS. After being a part of legendary flop NICK & NORA in 1991, it was over 16 years before Christine returned to the Broadway stage. In 2008 she starred in the Tony-winning revival of BOEING-BOEING. Additionally, Christine won Drama Desk Awards for THE REAL THING and LIPS TOGETHER, TEETH APART. She has also been a regular Off-Broadway, in concert performances, and in Washington D.C.

Despite staying busy on stage and TV, Christine has appeard in over 40 films, including adaptations of some beloved plays and musicals. Christine appeared alongside Robin Williams and Nathan Lane in THE BIRDCAGE, as Mary Sunshine in the Academy Award-winning CHICAGO, and alongside Meryl Streep in the adaptation of MAMMA MIA. Christine will again join Streep in a movie-musical this Christmas when she appears as Cinderella's Stepmother in the film version of INTO THE WOODS.

I have put together five videos that chronicle Christine's impressive career. First, a look at her character Diane Lockhart on THE GOOD WIFE. The second is a very funny scene from THE BIG BANG THEORY, and the third is of Christine singing "Does You Mother Know" from the MAMMA MIA film. The fourth video is from The Kennedy Center Honors ceremony honoring Jerry Herman; Baranski and fellow Tony-winner Christine Ebersole sing "Bosom Buddies" from Herman's musical MAME. The final video is of Christine and Martin Short singing the song "A Fact Can Be a Beautiful Thing" from Encore's production of PROMISES, PROMISES.

Will you be cheering on Christine during Monday's Emmy telecast? Check back with BWW TV on Friday when we will give you the chance to predict whether or not she will win her second TV trophy. Let me know your thoughts on Christine's nomination and the Emmys in general in the comments below, or on Twitter @BWWMatt and #BWWEmmys.

The 66th Primetime Emmy Awards telecast will air live coast-to-coast on Monday, August 25th (8 PM ET/5 PM PT) on NBC from the NOKIA Theater L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles. And be sure to visit BWW TV for live coverage of the 2014 Primetime EMMY AWARDS.