Amy Landecker

Amy Lauren Landecker (born September 30, 1969) is an American actress. She is known for her role as Sarah Pfefferman on the Amazon comedy-drama series Transparent (2014–2019), as well as her supporting roles in the films Dan in Real Life, A Serious Man (2009), All Is Bright (2013), Project Almanac (2015), and Beatriz at Dinner (2017), and the TV series Your Honor (2020–2023).

Early life Landecker was born September 30, 1969, in Chicago, Illinois. She is the daughter of John Records Landecker, a Chicago radio personality. One of her maternal great-grandfathers was lawyer Joseph N. Welch. She attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, studying theater. Her paternal grandfather was a German Jewish refugee.

Career

Landecker earned her Screen Actors Guild card doing a voiceover for a Tampax commercial. In the commercial, Landecker echoes the voice of the on-camera actress, saying only the word "ballet", but made $10,000 in residuals from the commercial. Landecker recalls, "I never saw money like that in my life, and it didn't even matter what I looked like! I was hooked on [voiceover] from then on!"

Early in her career, Landecker primarily focused on stage work, including but not limited to Rajiv Joseph's All This Intimacy in 2006, and did not move to Los Angeles until she was 38. Since then, she has appeared in numerous films and television shows, including a supporting role as Mrs. Samsky in the Academy Award for Best Picture-nominated film A Serious Man, directed by the Coen brothers. That performance received praise from many film critics, including Roger Ebert, who wrote, "Amy Landecker, too, is perfect as Mrs. Samsky. She makes the character sexy in a strictly logical sense, but any prudent man would know on first sight to stay clear".

In 2011, Landecker was a regular cast member of The Paul Reiser Show on NBC, playing Paul Reiser's wife, Claire. On television, she has guest starred on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, NCIS, Curb Your Enthusiasm (where her character meets and starts to date Larry David), Revenge, and many more series. She has also appeared in a number of Off-Broadway theatrical productions, including Bug. In 2013, Landecker co-starred in the films All Is Bright, Clear History, and Enough Said. In 2014, she was cast alongside Jeffrey Tambor and Judith Light in the Amazon Studios comedy-drama series, Transparent. She co-starred in the Michael Bay-produced time travel thriller Project Almanac, which was released in January 2015.

Personal life Landecker divorced Jackson Lynch, with whom she has a daughter, in 2011. She began dating actor Bradley Whitford, whom she met on the set of Transparent, in 2015. They announced their engagement in March 2018 and married on July 17, 2019. 2021 Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans Barbara Lake Voice 2021 Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two Barbara Gordon, Carla Viti Voice; direct-to-video 2022 Three Months Edith 2022 I Love My Dad Diane 2023 Missing Heather 2024 Shell Detective Flores 2025 For Worse Lauren Also director and writer TBA Misty Green Filming

Television Year Title RoleNotes 1999–2000 Early Edition Susan Schwartz 2 episodes 2003 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Stephanie Grayson Episode: "Rotten" 2005 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Jamie Callahan Episode: "Goliath" 2006 Conviction Donna Thatcher Episode: "True Love" 2008 Law & Order Attorney Parrish Episode: "Misbegotten" 2008 Mad Men Petra Colson Episode: "A Night to Remember" 2010 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Agent Stahl 2 episodes 2010–2014 Louie Sandra/Louie's Mother 4 episodes 2011 NCIS Dr. Ellen Gracey Episode: "Out of the Frying Pan" 2011 The Paul Reiser Show Claire Series regular, 7 episodes 2011 House Darrien Episode: "After Hours" 2011 The Protector Arlene Duncan Episode: "Spoon" 2011 Happily Divorced Audrey Episode: "Someone Wants Me" 2011 Curb Your Enthusiasm Jane Cohen Episode: "The Bi-Sexual" 2011 Prime Suspect Alice Paget Episode: "The Great Wall of Silence" 2011–2014 Revenge Dr. Michelle Banks 3 episodes 2012 House of Lies Janelle Winter Episode: "Microphallus" 2012 Private Practice Melissa Episode: "Too Much" 2012 Retired at 35 Kat Episode: "The Proposal" 2013 Vegas Karen Schultz Episode: "From This Day Forward" 2013 Clear History Nathan's Wife Television film 2014–2019 Transparent Sarah Pfefferman Series regular; 38 episodes Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2015)Nominated—Gold Derby Award for Best Comedy Supporting Actress (2016) 2015 Married Harper's Mom Episode: "Koreatown" 2016 People of Earth Debbie Schultz Episode: "Acceptance" 2016–2018 Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia Barbara Lake (voice) 37 episodes 2017 Room 104 Joan Teakins Episode: "Phoenix" 2018 Grey's Anatomy Morgan Episode: "(Don’t Fear) the Reaper" 2018 Alone Together Camille Episode: "Dinner Party" 2018 LA to Vegas Patricia 3 episodes 2019 Sneaky Pete Lorraine Sheffield Recurring, 5 episodes 2019 The Twilight Zone Anne Storck Episode: "The Blue Scorpion" 2019–2022 The Handmaid's Tale Mrs. MacKenzie 3 episodes 2019 She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Octavia (voice) Episode: "Boys' Night Out" 2020 Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts Dr. Emilia (voice) 17 episodes 2020 Little Birds Vanessa Savage 3 episodes 2020–2023 Your Honor Nancy Costello Recurring role (season 1 & 2) 2021 Q-Force (voice) Episode: "Backache Mountain" 2021 The Premise Trish Episode: "Moment of Silence" 2021–2023 The Croods: Family Tree Ugga Crood (voice) 49 episodes 2022 Minx Bridget Westbury 3 episodes 2022 Chivalry Mia 2 episodes 2022 We Baby BearsGail (voice)Episode: "Tooth Fairy Tech" 2022 GaslitLurleen LandryEpisode: "Tuffy" 2022 Ramy Kendra Episode: "American Life Coach" 2024 In the KnowVarious voices4 episodes 2025 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Katharine Vernon Episode: "First Light" 2025 Number 1 Happy Family USA Donna (voice) Episode: "Egypt Is On the Phone!" 2026 The Testaments Tabitha MacKenzie Episode: "Perfect Teeth"