Cara Buono

Cara Buono was born on March 1, 1971, in the Bronx, New York City, and demonstrated an early interest in acting. With no prior connections in the industry, she pursued opportunities independently, eventually landing a role in Harvey Fierstein’s play “Spook House.” This initial experience served as a foundation for her career, which expanded to include both stage and film work. She pursued higher education, graduating from Columbia University with a double major in English and Political Science, completing her degree in three years.

Buono’s film career began with “Waterland” (1992), where she appeared alongside Ethan Hawke and Jeremy Irons. She then took on a number of roles in independent films such as “Chutney Popcorn” (1999), “Happy Accidents” (2000), “Next Stop Wonderland” (1998), and “Two Ninas” (1999), the latter of which she also co-produced. Her work has extended beyond acting to include writing and directing. She wrote the short film “Baggage” (1997), starring Liev Schreiber, and co-wrote the screenplay “When The Cat’s Away” (1999) with Brad Anderson. She also secured a deal with Miramax for a screenplay adaptation of an F. Scott Fitzgerald work. These roles indicate a career progression from acting to broader creative involvement in film production.

Her television work includes a starring role as Grace Foster in the final season of the NBC drama “Third Watch” (1999) and as Kelli Moltisanti in the sixth season of HBO’s “The Sopranos” (2006-2007). In 2010, she received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her portrayal of Dr. Faye Miller in the fourth season of AMC’s “Mad Men.” She is also widely known for her main role as Karen Wheeler in the Netflix horror sci-fi series “Stranger Things,” which premiered in 2016 and for which she received Screen Actors Guild Awards for outstanding ensemble performance.