Holland Taylor

Holland Taylor (born January 14, 1943) Her other notable Broadway credits include Butley, We Interrupt This Program... (1975), Moose Murders (1983), and The Front Page (2016).

Early life Taylor was born in Philadelphia on January 14, 1943, to Virginia (née Davis), a painter, and C. Tracy Taylor, an attorney. She attended high school at Westtown School, a Quaker boarding school in West Chester, Pennsylvania, graduating in 1960. She majored in Theatre at Bennington College, graduating in 1964, before moving to New York City to become an actress.

Taylor took the role of Denise Cavanaugh, who killed herself just to frame her husband, on the soap opera The Edge of Night. Then, encouraged by her acting coach, Stella Adler, Taylor took a role that would make her well known: Tom Hanks' sexy, demanding boss in the 1980s sitcom Bosom Buddies.

She proved herself to be equally adept at both comedy and drama. In 1985, she co-starred with Lisa Eilbacher in the ABC detective series Me and Mom. Two years later, she played opposite Alan Arkin in the short-lived ABC sitcom Harry, in which she received "starring" billing. In 1990, Taylor reunited with former Bosom Buddies executive producers Thomas L. Miller and Robert L. Boyett for a role on their ABC sitcom Going Places, playing grand dame television producer Dawn St. Claire for the show's first 13 episodes. From 1992 to 1993, she starred in Norman Lear's The Powers That Be with John Forsythe and David Hyde Pierce, playing the wife of Forsythe's character, a U.S. senator.

In early 1994, she joined the cast of Saved by the Bell: The College Years as Dean Susan McMann, just episodes before its cancellation. Following this was her role as high-powered newspaper editor Camilla Dane on the ABC/NBC sitcom The Naked Truth; Taylor was one of the few cast members to last through the show's entire run through 1998, despite several retoolings. It was later retitled Ann: An Affectionate Portrait of Ann Richards and opened in Chicago November 16, 2011, where it was billed as a "pre-Broadway" engagement. It played at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., from December 17, 2011, through January 15, 2012. The show next opened on Broadway at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre on March 7, 2013. For this role, Taylor was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Play. PBS Great Performances broadcast the premiere of the play, now titled simply Ann, on June 19, 2020. It had been recorded at the Zach Theater in Austin, Texas, following its national tour and Broadway run. Her partner was later reported to be actress Sarah Paulson. In March 2016, Paulson confirmed the relationship when she stated during an interview that they had been dating since early 2015, after the two had met at a dinner party approximately in 2006. In August 2020, Taylor told the LGBTQ&A podcast that she is gay.

Taylor has been a supporter of Aid for AIDS in Los Angeles, serving on their Honorary Board and as an ongoing participant in their largest annual fundraiser, Best in Drag Show, among other fundraising efforts.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1976 The Next Man TV Interviewer 1979 3 by Cheever: O Youth and Beauty! Beverly 1980 Fame Claudia Van Doren Uncredited 1983 Reuben, Reuben Uncredited 1984 Concealed Enemies Mrs. Marbury Romancing the Stone Gloria Horne 1985 Key Exchange Mrs. Fanshaw The Jewel of the Nile Gloria Horne 1987 Tales from the Hollywood Hills: Natica Jackson Ernestine King 1988 She's Having a Baby Sarah Briggs 1990 Alice Helen 1993 Cop and a Half Captain Rubio 1994 The Favor Maggie Sand 1995 To Die For Carol Stone How to Make an American Quilt Mrs. Rubens Last Summer in the Hamptons Davis Mora Axelrod Steal Big Steal Little Mona Rowland-Downey 1996 One Fine Day Rita 1997 George of the Jungle Beatrice Stanhope Just Write Emma Jeffreys Betty Crystal Ball 1998 The Unknown Cyclist Celia Uncredited The Truman Show Alanis Montclair/Angela Burbank Next Stop Wonderland Piper Castleton 1999 The Sex Monster Muriel 2000 Happy Accidents Maggie Ann "Meg" Ford Mail to the Chief Katherine Horner Keeping the Faith Bonnie Rose 2001 Town & Country Mistress of Ceremonies Legally Blonde Professor Elspeth Stromwell 2002 Fits and Starts Cinderella II: Dreams Come True Prudence Voice role Home Room Dr. Hollander Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams Grandma Helga Avellan 2003 Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over Cameo Intent Judge Cavallo 2004 D.E.B.S. Mrs. Petrie 2005 The Wedding Date Bunny Ellis 2007 Cinderella III: A Twist in Time Prudence Voice role 2008 Baby Mama Rose Holbrook 2010 The Chosen One Ruth 2017 Kepler's Dream Violet von Stern 2018 Gloria Bell Hillary Bell 2019 Bombshell Faye Uncredited 2020 To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You Edith "Stormy" McClaren-Sheehan Bill & Ted Face the Music The Great Leader The Stand In Barbara Cox 2023 Quiz Lady Francine 2025 Fantasy Life Dr. Greene

Television Year Title Role Notes 1969 J.T. Mrs. Arnold Television film 1971 Love Is a Many Splendored Thing Trish Wanamaker 1973 Somerset Sgt. Ruth Winter 1975 Beacon Hill Marilyn Gardiner 1977 Kojak Elizabeth 1 episode 1977–1980 The Edge of Night Denise Norwood Cavanaugh, R.N. 1980–1981 Bosom Buddies Ruth Dunbar 21 episodes 1981 ABC Afterschool Special Francine Martin Episode: "My Mother Was Never a Kid" 1981–1983 All My Children Jill Ollinger 1982 The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana Frances Shand Kydd Television film I Was a Mail Order Bride Dottie Birmington Television film 1983 The Love Boat Kathy Brighton 1 episode 1984 Kate & Allie Linda Cabot 1 episode 1985 Me and Mom Zena Hunnicutt Perry Mason Returns Paula Gordon Television film 1987 Harry Ina Duckett, R.N. 7 episodes Perfect Strangers Olivia Crawford 1 episode 1987–1989 CBS Summer Playhouse Fran Grogan 2 episodes 1989 Murder, She Wrote Winifred Thayer 1 episode 1990 Wiseguy Allison Royce 1 episode People Like Us Dolly Television film Big Deals Mrs. Bluett Television film 1990–1991 Going Places Dawn St. Clare 3 episodes 1991 The Rape of Doctor Willis Dr. Greenway Television film 1992–1993 The Powers That Be Margaret Powers 20 episodes 1993 With Hostile Intent Lois Baxter Television film 1993–1994 Saved by the Bell: The College Years Dean Susan McMann 7 episodes 1994 Betrayal of Trust Mary Shelton Television film In the Best of Families: Marriage, Pride & Madness Florence Newsom Television film The Counterfeit Contessa Wallace Everett Television film 1994–1995 Diagnosis: Murder Agent Gretchen McCord 2 episodes 1995 A Walton Wedding Aunt Flo Television film Awake to Danger Dr. Joyce Lindley Television film 1995–1998 The Naked Truth Camilla Dane 23 episodes 1996 Something So Right Abigail 1 episode 1998–2003 The Practice Judge Roberta Kittleson 29 episodes 1998 Veronica's Closet Millicent 2 episodes Buddy Faro Olivia Vandermeer 1 episode 1999 ER Phyllis Farr 1 episode The Lot Letitia DeVine My Last Love Marnie Morton Television film 1999–2000 Ally McBeal 2nd Woman in Face Bra Infomercial /Judge Roberta Kittleson 2 episodes 2000 Strong Medicine Lillian Pynchon 1 episode DAG Katherine Twigg 1 episode The Living Edens Narrator 1 episode The Spiral Staircase Emma Warren Television film The Deadly Look of Love Evelyn McGinnis Television film 2001 Strange Frequency Marge Crowley Television film; segment: "Room Service" The Fighting Fitzgeralds Rose 1 episode The Day Reagan Was Shot Nancy Reagan Television film 2002 Fillmore! Mrs. Cornwall (voice) 1 episode 2003–2015 Two and a Half Men Evelyn Harper 101 episodes 2004–2008 The L Word Peggy Peabody 8 episodes 2005–2007 Monk Peggy Davenport 2 episodes 2007 American Dad! Cassandra Dawson (voice) Episode: "Big Trouble in Little Langley" 2012 Electric City Ruth Orwell (voice) 20 episodes McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade Grand Marshal Television special 2017–2019 Mr. Mercedes Ida Silver 29 episodes 2017 The Orville Jeannie Mercer Episode: "Command Performance" Speechless Andrea Episode: "B-R-I-- BRITISH I-N-V-- INVASION" Good Behavior Alice 2 episodes 2019 Spirit Riding Free Madame Gummery (voice) Episode: "Lucky and the New Frontier: Part 1" Dollface Guest speaker Episode: "Feminist" Better Things HerselfEpisode: "The Unknown" 2020 Hollywood Ellen Kincaid 7 episodes 2021 The Chair Professor Joan Hambling 6 episodes 2021–present The Morning Show Cybil Richards 10 episodes 2022 The Great North Goldie (voice) Episode: "As Goldie as It Gets Adventure" 2023 Billions Dr. Eleanor Mayer 3 episodes 2026 Brothers Ma Mac Main role, upcoming series

Theater Broadway

Off-Broadway

Awards and nominations Organizations Year Category Nominated work Result Primetime Emmy Awards 1999 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series The Practice 2000 Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series The Lot 2005 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Two and a Half Men 2007 2008 2010 2020 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Hollywood 2024 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series The Morning Show Tony Awards 2013 Best Actress in a Play Ann