Elizabeth Perkins

Elizabeth Ann Perkins was born on November 18, 1960, in Queens, New York, and grew up in Vermont. Her mother, Jo Williams, was a concert pianist and drug treatment counselor, and her father, James Perkins, worked as a businessman, farmer, and writer. She is of Greek and English descent and developed an early interest in acting. Perkins honed her craft at Chicago’s Goodman School of Drama at DePaul University for three years. After completing her studies, she began her professional career on stage, co-starring in Neil Simon’s touring company production of ‘Brighton Beach Memoirs’ in 1986. She then made her Broadway debut in the same play in the spring of 1984 as a replacement. Her early stage work included performances with Playwrights Horizon, the Ensemble Studio, and The New York Shakespeare Festival, as well as the Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago, establishing a strong foundation in theatrical performance.

Perkins transitioned to film with her debut in Edward Zwick’s ‘About Last Night…’ in 1986, starring alongside Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, and Jim Belushi. Her career received a significant boost when she co-starred with Tom Hanks in the widely acclaimed film ‘Big’ in 1988. She gained further critical recognition for her role in Barry Levinson’s ‘Avalon’ in 1990 and her performance as a terminal cancer patient opposite William Hurt in ‘The Doctor’ in 1991. Throughout the 1990s, Perkins continued to take on notable film roles, including ‘The Flintstones’ (1994) as Wilma Flintstone, ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ (1994) as Dorey Walker, and ’28 Days’ (2000) opposite Sandra Bullock. Her versatility was also showcased through voice work, such as her role as Coral in the animated film ‘Finding Nemo’ in 2003 and a psychiatrist in ‘The Ring Two’ in 2005.

From 2005 to 2009, Perkins starred as Celia Hodes in the Showtime series ‘Weeds,’ a role that earned her widespread acclaim, including two Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actress and three Emmy Award nominations in the same category. She considered this role her favorite throughout her career. Following her departure from ‘Weeds,’ Perkins continued to appear in various television projects. She played Birdie in the Netflix series ‘GLOW,’ starred as Marilyn Lovell in HBO’s ‘From The Earth to the Moon,’ and appeared alongside Amy Adams and Patricia Clarkson in HBO’s ‘Sharp Objects.’ Her recent television work includes roles in Apple TV+’s ‘Truth Be Told,’ HBO’s ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm,’ Fox’s ‘The Moodys,’ and portraying Mandy Moore’s mother in ‘This Is Us.’