Patricia Wettig

Patricia Anne Wettig (born December 4, 1951) is an American actress and playwright. She is best known for her role as Nancy Weston in the television series Thirtysomething (1987–1991), for which she received a Golden Globe Award and three Primetime Emmy Awards.

After her breakthrough role in Thirtysomething, Wettig has appeared in a number of films, including Guilty by Suspicion (1991), City Slickers (1991), City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold (1994), and The Langoliers (1995). She returned to television playing a leading role in the 1995 short-lived drama Courthouse and later played Caroline Reynolds in the Fox drama Prison Break (2005–2007) and Holly Harper in the ABC family drama Brothers & Sisters (2006–2011).

Early life Wettig was born in Milford, Ohio, to Florence (née Morlock) and Clifford Neal Wettig, a high school basketball coach. She has three sisters: Pam, Phyllis, and Peggy. She was raised in Grove City, Pennsylvania, and graduated in 1970. She attended Ohio Wesleyan University and graduated from Temple University in 1975. She returned to her studies later in life and received a Master of Fine Arts in playwriting from Smith College in 2001.

Career Wettig began her career on stage and worked as a personal dresser for Shirley MacLaine. On television, she appeared in episodes of 1980s dramas Remington Steele, Hill Street Blues and L.A. Law, before taking a recurring role as Joanne McFadden in the NBC medical drama series St. Elsewhere from 1986 to 1987. Later in 1987, Wettig was cast as Nancy Weston in the ABC drama series thirtysomething.

For her role in Thirtysomething, Wettig received critical acclaim. Her portrayal of Nancy's cancer struggle attracted considerable acclaim and attention. She won three Primetime Emmy Awards: for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 1988, and for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1990 and 1991. In 1991, she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama. The series ended in 1991 after four seasons. Later that year, she made her big screen debut in the drama film Guilty by Suspicion starring opposite Robert De Niro and Annette Bening. She played Billy Crystal's wife in the comedy films City Slickers (1991) and City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold (1994). In 1993, she had a leading role in the comedy-drama film Me and Veronica .

Wettig has starred in a number of made-for-television movies, include Taking Back My Life: The Nancy Ziegenmeyer Story (1992) and Parallel Lives (1994). She played the role of Laurel Stevenson in the 1995 Stephen King's miniseries The Langoliers. Later in 1995, she returned to television with a leading role of tough female judge in the CBS drama series Courthouse. Wettig intended to leave the show due to "creative differences", with sources saying that she wanted the show to be more of a star vehicle for her, rather than an ensemble cast, but the show was cancelled before her character could be written out.

In 2002, Wettig was a regular cast member in the short-lived Bravo drama series Breaking News. From 2002 to 2004, she played the recurring role of CIA psychotherapist Dr. Judy Barnett on Alias (on which her husband was an executive producer and director). From 2005 to 2007, Wettig appeared in 18 episodes of Fox television drama, Prison Break, playing fictional Vice President Caroline Reynolds. She turned down Fox's offer of becoming a series regular on Prison Break in order to pursue the ABC comedy-drama series Brothers & Sisters, which debuted in September 2006. Wettig starred in the series as the Walker family patriarch's mistress, Holly Harper. She left the show midway through the show's fifth and final season after her character Holly followed fiancé David (played by Wettig's husband Ken Olin and daughter Rebecca to New York.

In 2012, Wettig joined the national tour for Larry Kramer's production, The Normal Heart. In 2014, she starred in the unsold the CW drama pilot Identity opposite Ahna O'Reilly In 2019, she played a leading role in the episode of Netflix anthology series Heartstrings. In 2020, ABC ordered a sequel for Thirtysomething and Wettig was set to return alongside Olin, Timothy Busfield and Mel Harris.

Personal life Wettig is married to actor and producer Ken Olin; they have a son Clifford (born 1983) and a daughter Roxy (born 1985).

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1991 Guilty by Suspicion Dorothy Nolan 1991 City Slickers Barbara Robbins 1993 Me and Veronica Veronica 1994 City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold Barbara Robbins 1997 Bongwater Mom 1998 Dancer, Texas Pop. 81 Mrs. Lusk 1999 Nightmare in Big Sky Country Judge 2005The Naked Brothers Band: The MoviePatricia WettigCameo appearance

Television films Year Title Role Notes 1982 Parole Maureen 1988 Police Story: Cop Killer Dede Mandell 1991 Silent Motive Laura Bardell 1992 Taking Back My Life: The Nancy Ziegenmeyer Story Nancy Ziegenmeyer 1994 Parallel Lives Rebecca Ferguson Stone 1995 The Langoliers Laurel Stevenson Miniseries 1995 Nothing But the Truth Jill Ross 1995 Kansas Virginia 'Giny' Mae Farley Also producer 2005 Lackawanna Blues Laura's Mother 2010 The 19th Wife BeckyLyn

Television series Year Title Role Notes 1984 Remington Steele Barbara Frick Episode: "Blood Is Thicker Than Steele" 1985 Hill Street Blues Mrs. Florio Episode: "The Life and Time of Dominic Florio Jr." 1986 Stingray Annie Murray Episode: "Below the Line" 1986–1987 St. Elsewhere Joanne 6 episodes 1987 L.A. Law Carolyn Glasband Episode: "Beef Jerky" 1987–1991 thirtysomething Nancy Krieger Weston 64 episodes 1995 Courthouse Judge Justine Parkes 11 episodes 1997 Frasier Stephanie Episode: "To Kill a Talking Bird" 1998–1999 L.A. Doctors Eleanor Riggs-Cattan 8 episodes 2001 The Practice Allison Tucker Episode: "Vanished: Part 2" 2002 Breaking News Alison Dunne 5 episodes 2002 Boomtown Nora Jean Flannery Episode: "Reelin' in the Years" 2002–2004 Alias Dr. Judy Barnett 11 episodes 2005–2007 Prison Break Caroline Reynolds 13 episodes 2006–2011 Brothers & Sisters Holly Harper 85 episodes 2014 Identity Liana Grant Unsold TV pilot 2015 Major Crimes Judge Virginia Ryan Episode: "Fifth Dynasty" 2019 Heartstrings Harper Cantrell Episode: "Sugar Hill"

Awards and nominations