Hope Davis

Hope Davis (born March 23, 1964) is an American actress. Her accolades include nominations for three Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Tony Award.

She made her film debut in Joel Schumacher's Flatliners in 1990. She has gone on to star in the critically acclaimed films The Daytrippers (1996), About Schmidt (2002), Infamous (2006), and Asteroid City (2023). She received a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture nomination for her role in American Splendor (2003). She received an Independent Spirit Award with the cast of Synecdoche, New York (2008). In 2016, she joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe portraying Tony Stark's mother Maria Stark in Captain America: Civil War (2016).

In 1992, she made her Broadway theatre debut in Two Shakespearean Actors. In 1997 she starred as Sasha in Ivanov opposite Kevin Kline and Marian Seldes. She earned acclaim for her role in Yasmina Reza's God of Carnage in 2009 acting alongside Jeff Daniels, Marcia Gay Harden, and James Gandolfini. For her performance she received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play.

Hope's early television roles include the Dick Wolf NBC series Deadline (2000–2001) and the ABC drama Six Degrees (2006–2007). She later earned Primetime Emmy Award nominations for her performances in the HBO projects In Treatment (2009), The Special Relationship (2010), and Succession (2021–2023). Her other notable roles include in Mildred Pierce (2011), The Newsroom (2012–2013), and Your Honor (2020–2023).

Early life and education Davis, second of three children, was born in Englewood, New Jersey, the daughter of Joan, a librarian, and William Davis, an engineer. Davis has described her mother as a "great storyteller" who would take Davis and her siblings to museums or to "something cultural" every Sunday after church. Davis was raised in Tenafly, New Jersey, and graduated in 1982 from Tenafly High School.

She was a childhood friend of Mira Sorvino, who lived almost directly across the street, and with whom she wrote and acted in backyard plays. Davis has a degree in cognitive science from Vassar College. She studied acting at HB Studio in New York City.

Career 1990–1999: Early work and theatre debut Davis made her debut as a dramatic actress in the Joel Schumacher directed psychological horror film Flatliners (1990), appearing as William Baldwin's fiancée. That same year she appeared in the hit family film Home Alone (1990) in a small role as a Parisian airport receptionist. Her major stage debut came after she starred in the Wisdom Bridge/Remains Theater co-production of David Mamet's play Speed-the-Plow for Joel Schumacher with William Petersen in Chicago in 1992. That same year she made her Broadway debut in Two Shakespearean Actors (1992) at the Cort Theatre. In 1995 she had her first starring role as Eliza Malone D'Amico in the Greg Mottola directed independent comedy-drama The Daytrippers acting opposite Liev Schreiber, Parker Posey, Anne Meara and Stanley Tucci. Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote, "Ms. Meara, who plays her role like an old pro, and Ms. Davis, who has the makings of a young one, are part of a cast that easily makes the film worth seeing". In 1997 she returned to Broadway debut playing Sasha in the Anton Chekov play Ivanov at the Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center. Davis acted alongside Kevin Kline, Jayne Atkinson, Tom McGowan, and Marian Seldes.

The following year she starred in independent romantic comedy film Next Stop Wonderland (1998) directed by Brad Anderson. Stephen Holden of The New York Times wrote of the film, "[It] isn't really much more than a beautifully acted, finely edited sitcom, but it creates and sustains an intelligent, seriocomic mood better than any recent film about the urban single life. If the movie at moments recalls As Good as It Gets, its characters are subtler and its vision of humanity more truthful." That same year she had a supporting role in the comedy The Impostors (1998) starring Oliver Platt and Stanley Tucci. These led her to roles in Hollywood films such as the thriller Arlington Road (1999).

2000–2008: Established actress Davis also appeared in an NBC short-lived drama series called Deadline with Oliver Platt in 2001. She played the ex-wife to Platt's character at a newspaper giant. She acted in the Alexander Payne directed comedy-drama About Schmidt playing the daughter of Warren R. Schmidt played Jack Nicholson. She was nominated for the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance. The following year she starred opposite Paul Giamatti in the movie adaptation of the Harvey Pekar comic American Splendor as the comic book version of Pekar's real-life wife, Joyce Brabner. For this role, Davis won the New York Film Critics Circle Award and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Later, she had lead roles in the New York premiere of Rebecca Gilman's Spinning into Butter in 2000, and in the 2005 audio play Hope Leaves the Theater, written and directed by Charlie Kaufman. This was a segment of the sound-only production Theater of the New Ear, which debuted at St. Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn, NY. The title actually refers to Davis's character "leaving the theater". In 2005 she took supporting roles in the black comedy The Matador, the John Madden directed drama Proof, and the Gore Verbinski comedy-drama The Weather Man. She portrayed socialite Slim Keith in the Truman Capote biopic Infamous starring Toby Jones. The following year she acted in the science fiction thriller The Nines (2007) and the coming-of-age film Charlie Bartlett (2007). She acted in Charlie Kaufman's directorial debut Synecdoche, New York (2008) playing Madeleine Gravis.

2009–2019: Return to Broadway and other roles Davis co-starred as the bitter and self-deprecating Mia with Golden Globe winner Gabriel Byrne in the second season (2009) of HBO's In Treatment, a dramatic series that tracks the backstory and progress of five patients during their series of psychological therapeutic sessions. Mia is a successful, unmarried malpractice attorney who returns to therapy with Dr. Paul Weston after a 20-year absence because of a lack of stability in her personal life. Also in 2009 Davis returned to Broadway starring in Yasmina Reza's play God of Carnage with Marcia Gay Harden, James Gandolfini and Jeff Daniels. The play surrounds two parents who come together to discuss a fight between their children. Davis played a Annette a wealth manager. The role earned her a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Play. The following year she portrayed Hillary Clinton in the BBC / HBO film The Special Relationship released in 2010. The film was written by Peter Morgan and also starred Michael Sheen and Dennis Quaid. She has received a nomination for Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie.

Davis took recurring roles playing Mrs. Forrester in the HBO limited series Mildred Pierce (2011) starring Kate Winslet and a fictional gossip columnist Nina Howard in The Newsroom (2012–2013) starring Jeff Daniels. Davis also starred in the short-lived NBC television drama, Allegiance (2015), where she plays Katya O'Connor, an ex-KGB agent. Her son works for the FBI/CIA, and Katya's family is brought back into action by the SVR in hopes that Alex, her son, can be swayed to join the SVR. In 2015, she was approached by Marvel to play Maria Stark, mother of Tony Stark in Captain America: Civil War. She also appeared in a reoccurring capacity on Wayward Pines (2015–2016) and American Crime (2016).

2020–present In 2020, Davis narrated The Truth About Fat episode of the PBS television series Nova. From 2020 to 2023 she took a main role as Gina Baxter in the Showtime series Your Honor starring Bryan Cranston. She took a recurring role as Sandi Furness in the HBO drama series Succession from 2021 to 2023. She was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her performance in 2022. She acted in the Wes Anderson comedy film Asteroid City (2023).

Personal life Davis is married to actor Jon Patrick Walker. They have two daughters.

Acting credits

Film

Television Year Title Role Notes 2000–2001 Deadline Brooke Benton Main role, 13 episodes 2006–2007 Six Degrees Laura Morgan Main role, 13 episodes 2009 In Treatment Mia Nesky Main role, 7 episodes 2010 The Special Relationship Hillary Clinton Television film 2011 Mildred Pierce Mrs. Forrester Miniseries, 3 episodes Spring//Fall Eden Television film 2012–2013 The Newsroom Nina Howard Recurring role, 5 episodes 2013–2021 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Viola Mesner 2 episodes 2013 The Ordained Packy Television film 2015 Allegiance Katya O'Connor Main role, 13 episodes Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Herself 1 episode 2015–2016 Wayward Pines Megan Fisher Main role, 14 episodes 2016 American Crime Steph Sullivan Recurring role, 7 episodes 2018–2019 For the People Jill Carlan Main role, 20 episodes Strange Angel Ruth Parsons Recurring role, 7 episodes 2020 Nova Narrator (voice) 1 episode Love Life Claudia Recurring role, 6 episodes 2020–2023 Your Honor Gina Baxter Main role, 20 episodes 2021–2023 Succession Sandi Furness Recurring role, 7 episodes 2022 Minx Victoria Hartnett 1 episode 2023Perry Mason Camilla Nygaard Recurring role, 6 episodes 2024Before Dr. Jane Miniseries 2025 The American RevolutionElizabeth Drinker (voice)1 episode 2026 CIA Stephanie Harris 1 episode 2026 Furious Emma Easton 5 episodes

Theater

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominated work Result 1994 Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play 2002 New York Film Critics Circle Awards Best Supporting Actress 2003 Village Voice Film Poll Best Supporting Performance Seattle Film Critics Society Best Actress New York Film Critics Circle Awards Best ActressAmerican Splendor&The Secret Lives of Dentists 2004 National Society of Film Critics Awards Best Actress Chicago Film Critics Association Awards Best Actress Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards Best Supporting Actress Central Ohio Film Critics Association Chlotrudis Awards Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Satellite Awards Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Independent Spirit Awards Best Supporting Female 2008 Gotham Independent Film Awards Best Ensemble CastSynecdoche, New York 2009 Independent Spirit Awards Robert Altman Award Tony Awards Best Actress in a Play Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series 2010 Satellite Awards Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie 2011 Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film 2021 Satellite Awards Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film 2022 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series