Ellen Adair

Ellen Adair (born 1988) is an American actor and writer, best known for playing Bess McTeer on season 2 of the USA anthology series The Sinner, and Janet Bayne on season 7 of the Showtime series Homeland. They have starred in multiple horror films, including Trick, Cryptid (2022), and Herd (2023). For the later film, Awards Radar included Adair's portrayal of Jamie Miler among their "Best Horror Performances of 2023."

A veteran stage performer, Adair has appeared in the cult hit Sleep No More at The McKittrick Hotel, as well as numerous productions with Shakespeare Theatre Company, American Shakespeare Center, and Commonwealth Shakespeare Company.

Early life and education Ellen Adair was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Kathleen A. Foster, an Art Historian, and Henry Glassie, a Folklorist and Ethnomusicologist. Growing up, their parents' fieldwork resulted in the family living many different places.

Adair earned a BA in English from Boston University, and spent an erasmus year at the University of Oxford. During their time in Boston they began to work professionally as an actor.

Career Adair made their professional stage debut in 2005 as Thomasina in Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia at The Publick Theatre in Boston, earning an IRNE Award nomination for Best Actress. Over the next four years, they would prove a fixture in Boston theatre, appearing in numerous productions with Huntington Theatre Company, Lyric Stage Boston, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, Actors' Shakespeare Project, SpeakEasy Stage Company, and New Repertory Theatre.

In 2006 Adair made their television debut as a guest star on the Showtime crime series Brotherhood. From 2009-2010 they appeared as Nurse Gretchen Taylor on the long-running CBS soap opera As the World Turns. Adair's breakthrough role came in 2015, when they were cast as ADA Bridget Saltire in the NBC miniseries The Slap. In 2017 Adair appeared in season 2 of the Showtime series Billions. Their character Graff was a portfolio manager at Axe Capital, and an employee of Damien Lewis's character Bobby Axelrod. The following year, Adair had a recurring arc as antagonist Janet Bayne on season 7 of the Showtime series Homeland. Later that same year Adair appeared as Bess McTeer on season 2 of the USA anthology series The Sinner.

Adair made their film debut as Jen in the 2013 horror film The Unwanted. In 2019 they starred opposite Omar Epps in the slasher film Trick. In 2022 Adair appeared the independent drama film Love and Communication, which explores parenting a young child on the autism spectrum. In 2023 they starred in the horror films Cryptid and Herd. For the later film, Awards Daily included Adair among their "Best Horror Performances of 2023." Their debut poetry collection Curtain Speech was published by Pen & Anvil Press in 2015.

Personal life In 2013 Adair married fellow actor Eric Gilde, with whom they co-founded Happy Few Theatre Company. They live together in Jackson Heights, Queens.

Adair is vocal fan of the Philadelphia Phillies, and regularly appears as a sports analyst on the MLB Network’s Off Base. They've also appeared on Hot Stove, MLB Now, and MLB Central.

Adair is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns.

Acting Credits Film

Television

Audio books Year Title Author PublisherRef.2023 Why We Love Baseball Joe Posnanski Penguin Random House 2024 Dirty Diana Jen Besser and Shana Feste Penguin Random House 2024 The History of Sound Ben Shattuck Penguin Random House 2024 Charlie Hustle Keith O'Brien Penguin Random House

Stage Year Title Role Playwright VenueRef.2005 Arcadia Thomasina Tom Stoppard The Publick Theatre 2005 The Comedy of Errors Luce William Shakespeare The Publick Theatre 2005 Carol Mulroney Carol Mulroney (u/s) Stephen Belber Huntington Theatre Company 2005 A Doll's House Nora Helmer Henrik Ibsen Devanaughn Theatre 2006 Five by Tenn Gladys/Girl Tennessee Williams SpeakEasy Stage Company 2006 All's Well That Ends Well Diana William Shakespeare Actors' Shakespeare Project 2006 The Beard of Avon Lady Lettice Amy Freed The Publick Theatre 2006 Rabbit Hole Izzy (u/s) David Lindsay-Abaire Huntington Theatre Company 2007 Arms and the Man Raina George Bernard Shaw Lyric Stage Boston 2007 The Diary of Anne FrankMargot Frank Frances Goodrich & Albert Hackett New Repertory Theatre 2007 MacbethLady Macbeth William Shakespeare New Repertory Theatre 2008 The Merchant of Venice Portia William Shakespeare American Shakespeare Center 2008 Henry V Katherine/Boy William Shakespeare American Shakespeare Center 2008 The Taming of the Shrew Bianca William Shakespeare American Shakespeare Center 2008 A Christmas Carol Mrs. Cratchit Charles Dickens American Shakespeare Center 2008 Henry IV, Part 1Lady Percy William Shakespeare Shakespeare Theatre Company 2009 'Tis Pity She's a Whore Philotis John Ford Baltimore Center Stage 2009 The Playboy of the Western World Sara Tansey John Millington Synge Pearl Theatre Company, Off-Broadway 2009 The Yellow Leaf Mary Shelley Charles Morley Pioneer Theatre Company 2010 Major Barbara Jenny Hill George Bernard Shaw Gingold Theatrical Group, Off-Broadway 2010 The Playboy of the Western World Margaret Flaherty John Millington Synge Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival 2010 Romeo and Hamlet Juliet R. Jonathan Chapman & Kevin Stefan Gayfest NYC, Off-Broadway 2010 All's Well that Ends Well Helena William Shakespeare Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey 2011 What the Public Wants Emily Vernon Arnold Bennett Mint Theater Company, Off-Broadway 2011 Light Falling Ismay Teresa Deevy Mint Theater Company, Off-Broadway 2011 Mary's Wedding Mary Stephen Massicotte Kitchen Theatre Company 2012 Red Light Winter Christina Adam Rapp Kitchen Theatre Company 2012 Marie Antoinette: The Color of Flesh Marie Antoinette Joel Gross Portland Stage Company 2012 Victor Frange Presents Gas! Smokey Georg Kaiser & Dan O’Neil Incubator Arts Project, Off-Broadway 2013 Ryan Landry's "M" The Woman Ryan Landry Huntington Theater Company 2013 The Two Gentlemen of Verona Silvia William Shakespeare Commonwealth Shakespeare Company 2013 The Mousetrap Mollie Ralston Agatha Christie The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis 2014 As You Like It Rosalind William Shakespeare TheaterLab, Off-off-Broadway 2014 Private Lives Amanda/Sybil (u/s) Noël Coward Shakespeare Theatre Company 2014 Sleep No More Special Guest Performer William Shakespeare Punchdrunk / The McKittrick Hotel, Off-Broadway 2014-2015 Cymbeline Imogen (u/s) William Shakespeare Theatre for a New Audience / Barrow Street Theatre, Off-Broadway 2015 The Importance of Being Earnest Gwendolyn Fairfax Oscar Wilde Queens Theatre, Off-Broadway 2016 the goodbye room Bex Eric Gilde Shetler Studios, Off-off-Broadway 2017 Constellations Marianne Nick Payne The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis 2017 The Suitcase Under the Bed Sara Meade/Doris Teresa Deevy Mint Theater Company, Off-Broadway 2025 Flawless Tess John J. Wooten Penguin Rep

Awards YearAssociation CategoryWorkResult Ref. 2006 IRNE Awards Best Actress Arcadia 2011 BroadwayWorld Regional Awards Best Actress in a Play Mary's Wedding2012 BroadwayWorld Regional Awards Best Actress in a Play Red Light Winter 2015 NYIT Awards Best Ensmeble As You Like It 2015 NYIT Awards Best Play As You Like It