Mary McDonnell

Mary Eileen McDonnell (born April 28, 1952) is an American film, stage, and television actress. She received Academy Award nominations for her roles as Stands With A Fist in Dances With Wolves and May-Alice Culhane in Passion Fish. McDonnell is well known for her performances as President Laura Roslin in Battlestar Galactica, First Lady Marilyn Whitmore in Independence Day, and Rose in Donnie Darko. She was featured as Captain Sharon Raydor during seasons 5–7 of the TNT series The Closer and starred as Commander Sharon Raydor in the spin-off series Major Crimes on the same network. In 2023, she played Madeleine Usher in the miniseries The Fall of the House of Usher on Netflix.

Early life and education Mary Eileen McDonnell was born April 28, 1952, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, one of six children born to Eileen (née Mundy) and John "Jack" McDonnell, a computer consultant. She is of Irish descent and was raised Roman Catholic. As a child, McDonnell relocated with her family to Ithaca, New York, where she spent the remainder of her upbringing.

McDonnell's father died when she was 21 years old.

Career McDonnell appeared off-Broadway in two separate productions of Buried Child in 1978 and 1979, both times in the role of "Shelly". She won an Obie Award for Best Actress in 1981 for her work in the play Still Life. On Broadway, she has performed in productions of Execution of Justice, The Heidi Chronicles, and Summer and Smoke.

After more than 21 years of theater and television work, McDonnell made her film breakthrough in 1990 in Kevin Costner's Dances With Wolves as Stands With A Fist, the daughter of American settlers raised by Sioux Indians. Portraying the adopted daughter of Graham Greene's character Kicking Bird, McDonnell, then 37, was actually two months older than Greene and less than two years younger than Tantoo Cardinal, who played Black Shawl, her adoptive mother. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the role.

McDonnell's role in Passion Fish (1992) brought her another Academy Award nomination, this time for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Her other notable films include Grand Canyon (1991), Sneakers (1992), Independence Day (1996), and Donnie Darko (2001). McDonnell also starred with Patrick Swayze in the 1988 movie, Tiger Warsaw. In 1997, she played the judge in the film 12 Angry Men.

On television, McDonnell had her first regular part in 1980 on the soap opera As the World Turns. She starred in the 1984 short-lived CBS medical comedy E/R. Coincidentally, she guest-starred in 2001 on the NBC medical series of the same name ER. She was nominated for an Emmy Award for her role as Eleanor Carter on the show. She played Dr. Virginia Dixon, a surgeon with Asperger syndrome for three episodes of Grey's Anatomy in 2008 and 2009.

In 2003, McDonnell starred in the miniseries Battlestar Galactica as Laura Roslin. The miniseries led to the weekly series, with McDonnell reprising her Laura Roslin role. The series ended in March 2009. McDonnell received worldwide recognition for her performance in the show, part of which was shown when she was invited to the United Nations for a retrospective and discussion with Edward James Olmos (Admiral Adama).

McDonnell took part in a special session titled Battlestar Galactica at the 2009 World Science Festival. The session also included Michael Hogan, as well as scientists Hod Lipson and Kevin Warwick.

In 2011, she appeared in the role of Kate Roberts, the mother of Emma Roberts's character in Scream 4.

From 2009 to 2012, McDonnell had a recurring role in The Closer as Capt. Sharon Raydor, a police captain in the Force Investigation Division, who often butts heads with Kyra Sedgwick's Golden Globe and Emmy award-winning character. McDonnell received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series in 2011 for the role.

After The Closer wrapped up its final season 2012, McDonnell's character continued as the lead in the spin-off, Major Crimes, which debuted August 13, 2012 and ended in January 2018.

On May 29, 2026, it was announced that McDonnell has joined the cast of Baywatch in a recurring role as Gayle Buchannon, the mother of Hobie Buchannon (Stephen Amell) and the grandmother of Charlie Vale (Jessica Belkin).

Personal life McDonnell married actor Randle Mell in 1984. They have two children, Michael and Olivia. The couple separated in December 2021.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1984 Garbo Talks Lady Capulet 1987 Matewan Elma Radnor 1988 Tiger Warsaw Paula Warsaw 1990 Dances With Wolves Stands With A Fist 1991 Grand Canyon Claire 1992 Passion Fish May-Alice Culhane Sneakers Liz 1994 Blue Chips Jenny Bell 1996 Independence Day First Lady Marilyn Whitmore Mariette in Ecstasy Prioress 1997 Woman Undone Terri Hansen 1998 You Can Thank Me Later Diane 1999 Mumford Althea Brockett 2001 Donnie Darko Rose Darko 2003 Nola Margaret Langworthy 2004 Crazy Like a Fox Amy Banks 2011 Scream 4 Kate Roberts Margin Call Mary Rogers 2021 The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf Lady Zerbst Voice role 2025 Broke Kathy Brandywine Jen Matherson Post-production

Television Year Title Role Notes 1980 As the World Turns Claudia Colfax Unknown episodes 1982 Money on the Side Terri Television film 1984–1985 E/R Dr. Eve Sheridan Main role; 20 episodes 1995–1996 High Society Dorothy "Dott" Emerson Main role; 13 episodes 1997 12 Angry Men Judge Cynthia Nance Television film 1998 Evidence of Blood Dora Overton 1999 Replacing Dad Linda Marsh Ryan Caulfield: Year One Rachel Caulfield 2 episodes 2000 A Father's Choice Susan Shaw Television film For All Time Laura Brown 2001–2002 ER Eleanor Carter 5 episodes 2002 Touched by an Angel Sister Theodore Episode: "Minute by Minute" Helen Staples Television film 2003 Battlestar Galactica President Laura Roslin Television miniseries 2004–2009 Battlestar Galactica President Laura Roslin Main role; 71 episodes 2005 Mrs. Harris Vivian Schulte Television film 2008–2009 Grey's Anatomy Dr. Virginia Dixon 3 episodes 2009 Killer Hair Rose Television film Hostile Makeover Rose Smithsonian 2009–2012 Captain Sharon Raydor Recurring role (seasons 5–6); main cast (season 7); 23 episodes 2012–2018 Major Crimes Captain (later Commander) Sharon Raydor Main role 2017 Fargo Ruby Goldfarb 4 episodes 2019 Veronica Mars Jane Episode: "Years, Continents, Bloodshed" 2021 Rebel Helen Peterson 7 episodes 2023 The Fall of the House of Usher Madeline Usher Main role, miniseries 2026 The Boroughs The Duchess 1 episode Post-production; miniseries

Awards and nominations In 1992 McDonnell received an Outstanding Achievement Award from Fredonia's alumni association.

Year Association Category Nominated work Result 1991 Academy Awards Best Supporting Actress Dances With Wolves Chicago Film Critics Association Awards Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture 1993 Academy Awards Best Actress Passion Fish Golden Globe Awards Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama 2002 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series ER 2009 Saturn Awards Best Actress on Television Battlestar Galactica 2011 Gotham Awards Best Ensemble Cast Margin Call Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards Best Cast Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series The Closer 2024 Astra TV Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Television Movie The Fall of the House of Usher Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Miniseries Critics' Choice Super Awards Best Villain in a Series