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Cynthia Nixon

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BIO

Cynthia Nixon - Emmy, Tony and Grammy Award-winner, made her film debut at 12 in Little Darlings, and her Broadway debut at 14 in The Philadelphia Story, for which she won a Theatre World Award.



Most recently, she appears on the small screen co-starring in both And Just Like That, and on the Gilded Age.

She was earlier seen starring in the film adaptation of Bill O’Reilly’s book Killing Reagan for National Geographic Channel, which premiered in October 2016. Nixon plays First Lady Nancy Reagan opposite Tim Matheson as President Ronald Reagan. Nixon’s performance earned her a Critics’ Choice Award nomination.

In 2017, she was seen in Terence Davies’ Emily Dickinson biopic A Quiet Passion, where she stars as the legendary reclusive poet herself. The film had its world debut at the 2016 Berlin Film Festival, for which she garnered critical acclaim for her role. Richard Brody from The New Yorker stated that “while the entire cast moves and speaks with a sense of inner purpose, Nixon’s performance is special,” adding that he would “eat the pixels” if she is not nominated next awards season for this performance. The film had its North American premiere at The Toronto International Film Festival and its UK premiere at The London Film Festival.



Nixon appeared Stephen Moyer’s film The Parting Glass opposite Anna Paquin, Ed Asner, Rhys Ifans, Melissa Leo and Dennis O’Hare. The dark comedy follows a family reeling with their sister’s death. In embarking on a journey to collect the remnants of her life, the family members delve into past memories to piece together a portrait of the woman they lost.



On television, Nixon guest-starred on Showtime’s hit “The Affair” opposite Dominic West and Maura Tierney, as well as in the third season of Comedy Central’s hit show “Broad City,” alongside stars Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson, in the season’s most standout episode, as it also featured presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.



In November 2015, Nixon co-starred in Josh Mond's James White opposite Christopher Abbott, a film that won The Best of Next Audience Award at Sundance 2015 and earned Nixon an Independent Spirit Award nomination for her portrayal as a mother dying of cancer. In his review for The New York Times, Stephen Holden stated that, “Ms. Nixon gives one of the year’s most heart-rending screen performances.” Other recent film credits include Pamala Romanowsky’sThe Adderall Diaries, opposite James Franco, and Richard Loncraine’s 5 Flights Up, opposite Morgan Freeman and Diane Keaton.



Nixon also starred in Nikole Beckwith’s Stockholm, Pennsylvania, a drama bought by Lifetime out of Sundance in 2014. For this project, Cynthia received a Critics’ Choice Television Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Movie or Limited Series.

Last year, Nixon had a run of simultaneously directing two New York City plays. The first was New Group’s Steve, which made its world premiere in late November, starring Mario Cantone.Steve, follows Steven, a failed Broadway chorus boy turned stay-at-home dad. The other show was MotherStruck!, a one woman play starring Staceyann Chin at The Culture Project.MotherStruck! set forth Chin’s personal journey to motherhood as a single gay woman with limited resources who was herself abandoned at birth by both of her parents.

In Fall 2014 she appeared on Broadway in Sam Gold's production of The Real Thing playing the mother of the character she created on Broadway thirty years ago. In Winter 2014, Cynthia made her directorial debut at The New Group with Joel Johnson's Rasheeda Speaking at The New Group. Rasheeda Speaking received Lucille Lortel, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominations and cast member Tonya Pinkins won the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play and Musical. Rasheeda Speaking was chosen to be broadcast on Channel Thirteen as part of their Theatre Close Up series.

In 1984 she famously juggled two roles on Broadway - in the first act of David Rabe's Hurlyburlyand in the second act of Tom Stoppard's The Real Thing, both directed by Mike Nichols. Also around that time, she appeared as Mozart's terrified maid-turned-informant in the Oscar-winning film Amadeus.

Nixon has appeared in plays and films by such varied and distinguished directors as Sidney Lumet, Alan J Pakula, Milos Forman and Robert Altman. Beginning in 1998, Cynthia starred as Miranda Hobbes in HBO's celebrated series “Sex And The City,” a role that garnered her the first of her two Emmy Awards. She then went on to co-star in the two wildly successful “Sex And The City” films.

Nixon earned her first of her three Tony Award nominations for her work in Indiscretions in 1995. She has appeared in over 40 plays, 10 on Broadway. Roles include Harper in Tony Kushner'sAngels in America, Mary Haines in the Roundabout's revival of The Women (directed by Scott Elliott) and Becca in David Lindsay-Abaire's Rabbit Hole, for which she won a Tony Award. In 2012 she played John Donne scholar Vivian Bearing in Margaret Edson's Wit, for which she was again Tony-nominated. Cynthia was awarded the 2009 Best Spoken Word Grammy for her recording of Al Gore's “An Inconvenient Truth.”


Nixon currently resides in New York City, with her wife, Christine Marinoni. They have three children: Sam, Charlie and Max.

Photos

STAGE CREDITS

[Off-Broadway]
New Group Off-Broadway Premiere Production, 2024
Performer

[Broadway]
Manhattan Theatre Club Broadway Revival Production, 2017
Birdie (Alternate)

Regina (Alternate)

[Off-Broadway]
New York Premiere Production, 2016
Performer [Replacement]

[Broadway]
Roundabout Theatre Production, 2014
Charlotte

[Broadway]
Manhattan Theatre Club Production, 2012
Vivian Bearing

[Off-Broadway]
2009
Mama

[Off-Broadway]
2006
Jean Brodie

[Broadway]
Manhattan Theatre Club Production, 2006
Becca

[Broadway]
Stephen Sondheim Tribute Benefit, 2005
Performer

[Broadway]
Roundabout Revival, 2001
Mary

[Off-Broadway]
Original Off-Broadway Production, 1999
Performer [Replacement]

Performer [Replacement]

[Off-Broadway]
1999
Performer

[Off-Broadway]
1998
Performer

[Broadway]
1997
Lala Levy [Replacement]

[Off-Broadway]
1996
Performer

[Broadway]
1995
Madeleine

[Off-Broadway]
1994
Hester Prynne

[Off-Broadway]
1994
Melibea/Isabelle/Hippolyta

[Broadway]
Original Broadway Production, 1993
Harper Pitt [Replacement]

[Broadway]
Original Broadway Production, 1993
Martin Heller [Replacement]

Harper Pitt [Replacement]

[Off-Broadway]
1992
Eleanor James

[Off-Broadway]
1991
Karen

[Broadway]
1989
Denise

Clara

Becky

[Off-Broadway]
1988
Juliet

[Off-Broadway]
1987
Kathy

[Off-Broadway]
1987
Sharon (Tiny Mommy)/ Stephanie Eckert (Sparks)

[Off-Broadway]
1985
Performer

[Broadway]
1984
Donna

[Off-Broadway]
1984
Donna

[Broadway]
1984
Debbie

[Off-Broadway]
1982
Lydie Hickman

[Broadway]
1980
Dinah Lord

Productions

 
[Off-Broadway, 2015]
Director
 
[Off-Broadway, 2015]
Director

Movies

Little Darlings
[ 1980 ] Sunshine
Tattoo
[ 1981 ] Cindy
Prince of the City
[ 1981 ] Jeannie
I Am the Cheese
[ 1983 ] Amy Hertz
Amadeus
[ 1984 ] Lorl
O.C. and Stiggs
[ 1985 ] Michelle
The Manhattan Project
[ 1986 ] Jenny Anderman
Let It Ride
[ 1989 ] Evangeline
The Pelican Brief
[ 1993 ] Alice Stark
Addams Family Values
[ 1993 ] Heather
Baby's Day Out
[ 1994 ] Gilbertine
'M' Word
[ 1996 ] Cara
The Cottonwood
[ 1996 ] Donna
Marvin's Room
[ 1996 ] Retirement Home Director
Advice from a Caterpillar
[ 1999 ] Missy
The Out-of-Towners
[ 1999 ] Sheena
Igby Goes Down
[ 2002 ] Mrs. Piggee
One Last Thing...
[ 2005 ] Karen Jameison
Little Manhattan
[ 2005 ] Leslie
The Babysitters
[ 2007 ] Gail Beltran
Lymelife
[ 2008 ] Melissa Bragg
Sex and the City
[ 2008 ] Miranda Hobbes
An Englishman in New York
[ 2009 ] Penny Arcade
Sex and the City 2
[ 2010 ] Miranda Hobbes
Rampart
[ 2011 ] Barbara
Girl Most Likely
[ 2012 ] Cynthia Nixon
5 Flights Up
[ 2014 ] Lily Portman
James White
[ 2015 ] Gail White
The Adderall Diaries
[ 2015 ] Jen Davis
Stockholm, Pennsylvania
[ 2015 ] Marcy Dargon
A Quiet Passion
[ 2016 ] Emily Dickinson
The Only Living Boy in New York
[ 2017 ] Judith Webb
The Parting Glass
[ 2018 ] Mare
Guilty Not Guilty
[ 2018 ] Narrator
Maybe a Love Story
[ 2018 ] Toni
Stray Dolls
[ 2019 ] Una

TV Shows

Alpha House
Senator Carly Armiston
And Just Like That...
Miranda Hobbes
Sex and the City
Miranda Hobbes
The Big C
Rebecca

Awards and Nominations

Drama League Awards - 2024 - Distinguished Performance

Cynthia Nixon, The Seven Year Disappear


winner
BroadwayWorld Awards - 2017 - Best Featured Actress in a Play

Cynthia Nixon, The Little Foxes


winner
Drama Desk Awards - 2017 - Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play

Cynthia Nixon, The Little Foxes

Drama League Awards - 2017 - Distinguished Performance Award

Cynthia Nixon, The Little Foxes


winner
Outer Critics Circle Awards - 2017 - Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play

Cynthia Nixon, The Little Foxes


winner
Tony Awards - 2017 - Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play

Cynthia Nixon, Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes

Drama League Awards - 2012 - Distinguished Performance Award

Cynthia Nixon, Wit

Tony Awards - 2012 - Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play

Cynthia Nixon, Wit

Outer Critics Circle Awards - 2006 - Outstanding Actress in a Play

Cynthia Nixon, Rabbit Hole


winner
Tony Awards - 2006 - Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play

Cynthia Nixon, Rabbit Hole

Tony Awards - 1995 - Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play

Cynthia Nixon , Indiscretions


winner
Theatre World Awards - 1981 - Performance

Cynthia Nixon, The Philadelphia Story

Videos

News


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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How many Broadway shows has Cynthia Nixon been in?

Cynthia Nixon has appeared on Broadway in 14 shows.

How many West End shows has Cynthia Nixon been in?

Cynthia Nixon has not appeared in the West End.

What awards has Cynthia Nixon been nominated for?

Distinguished Performance (Drama League Awards) for The Seven Year Disappear, Best Featured Actress in a Play (BroadwayWorld Awards) for The Little Foxes, Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play (Drama Desk Awards) for The Little Foxes, Distinguished Performance Award (Drama League Awards) for The Little Foxes, Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for The Little Foxes, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes, Distinguished Performance Award (Drama League Awards) for Wit, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for Wit, Outstanding Actress in a Play (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Rabbit Hole, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for Rabbit Hole, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for Indiscretions and Performance (Theatre World Awards) for The Philadelphia Story.

What awards has Cynthia Nixon won?

Cynthia Nixon has won several prestigious awards, including: - Best Featured Actress in a Play (BroadwayWorld Awards) for The Little Foxes - Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play (Drama Desk Awards) for The Little Foxes - Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for The Little Foxes - Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes - Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for Rabbit Hole - Performance (Theatre World Awards) for The Philadelphia Story.

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