Swoosie Kurtz

Swoosie Kurtz ( ; born September 6, 1944) She got her first name "Swoosie" (which rhymes with Lucy, rather than woozy) from her father. It is derived from the B-17D Flying Fortress bomber which her father piloted during World War II, which was named "The Swoose" (half swan, half goose).

Career

Kurtz's first television appearance at age 17 was on The Donna Reed Show 4th-season episode "The Golden Trap" (February, 1962). She also appeared on To Tell the Truth at eighteen, identifying her father from two impostors. She made her debut as a series regular on the daytime drama As The World Turns in 1971. Kurtz began her career in theater, making her Broadway debut in the 1975 revival of Ah, Wilderness! She first gained wide recognition in 1978 for two theatrical productions, Uncommon Women and Others, the breakthrough play by Wendy Wasserstein in which she appeared in a 1977 workshop at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center and then Off-Broadway, and the musical A History of the American Film for which she won a Drama Desk Award. Kurtz was soon awarded Broadway's "triple crown" (the Tony Award, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle awards) for her portrayal of Gwen in Lanford Wilson's Fifth of July. She won a second Tony for her performance as Bananas in a 1986 revival of The House of Blue Leaves by John Guare. She starred as playwright Lillian Hellman in the 2002 Nora Ephron play Imaginary Friends.

In 1978, Kurtz was part of the ensemble cast of Mary Tyler Moore's short-lived variety series Mary, that also included David Letterman and Michael Keaton. In 1981, Kurtz began two seasons alongside Tony Randall in the sitcom Love, Sidney, in a role that earned her the first of her 10 Emmy Award nominations. In 1990, she won her first Emmy for a guest-starring role on Carol Burnett's comedy series Carol & Company.

From 1991 to 1996, Kurtz had her longest-running television role, starring as wealthy divorcee Alex Reed Halsey on the NBC drama Sisters, a role that earned her two more Emmy Award nominations. She also starred in the ABC television series Pushing Daisies as Lily Charles.

In recent years, Kurtz has guest-starred on the hit series ER and Lost and Desperate Housewives and has also had recurring roles as Valerie on the drama That's Life, as Judy's mother Helen on the sitcom Still Standing, as Madeleine Sullivan on the Showtime drama series Huff, and most recently as part of a lesbian married couple with Blythe Danner on the drama series Nurse Jackie. In 2010, Kurtz began starring on the CBS sitcom Mike & Molly as Joyce Flynn. Kurtz has also appeared in a recurring part as Matt LeBlanc's mother in the comedy series Man with a Plan. In 2021, she began appearing as Mayim Bialik's mother in the comedy series Call Me Kat.

Although her main focus has been television, Kurtz has starred in several major Hollywood films including the Agatha Christie drama Caribbean Mystery (1983), Dangerous Liaisons (1988), its remake Cruel Intentions (1999), as a lesbian activist in the acclaimed indie film Citizen Ruth (1996), and alongside Jim Carrey in Liar Liar (1997).

Personal life From 1964 to 1970, Kurtz was romantically involved with Joshua White of The Joshua Light Show.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1977 Slap Shot Shirley Upton First Love Marsha 1978 Oliver's Story Gwen Simpson 1982 The World According to Garp The Hooker 1983 A Caribbean Mystery Ruth Walter 1984 Against All Odds Edie 1986 Wildcats Verna McGrath True Stories Miss Rollings 1988 Vice Versa Lillian Brookmeyer / Turk Bright Lights, Big City Megan Dangerous Liaisons Madame de Volanges 1990 Stanley & Iris Sharon A Shock to the System Leslie Marshall 1991 Walking the Dog Short film 1994 Reality Bites Charlane McGregor 1996 Citizen Ruth Diane Siegler Storybook Queen Evilia 1997 Liar Liar Dana Appleton 1998 Outside Ozona Rosalee 1999 Cruel Intentions Dr. Regina Greenbaum The White River Kid Mummy Weed 2001 Get Over It Beverly Landers Bubble Boy Mrs. Livingston 2002 The Rules of Attraction Mrs. Jared 2003 Duplex Jean aka Our House 2004 Sleep Easy, Hutch Rimes Binny Redwine 2007 Superman: Doomsday Martha KentVoice 2009 An Englishman in New York Connie Clausen 2018 Overboard Grace

Television

Theatre credits Year Show Role Notes 1968 The Firebugs Ann Martinique Theatre July 1, 1968 – July 7, 1968 1970 The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds Janice Vickery Mercer Arts Center April 7, 1970 – May 14, 1972 1975 Ah, Wilderness! Muriel McComber Circle in the Square Theatre September 18, 1975 – November 23, 1975 1976 Children Jane Stage 73 October 20, 1976 1977 Uncommon Women and Others Rita Altabel Marymount Manhattan Theatre November 17, 1977 – December 4, 1977 Tartuffe Mariane Circle in the Square Theatre September 25, 1977 – November 20, 1977 1978 A History of the American Film Bette ANTA Playhouse March 30, 1978 – April 16, 1978 1979 Wine Untouched Unknown Harold Clurman Theater June 18, 1979 – June 28, 1979 1980 Fifth of July Gwen Landis New Apollo Theatre November 5, 1980 – January 24, 1982 1985 The Beach House Annie Circle Repertory Company December 19, 1985 – February 2, 1986 1986 The House of Blue Leaves Bananas Shaughnessy Vivian Beaumont Theater April 29, 1986 – March 15, 1987 1989 Love Letters Melissa Gardner (replacement) Edison Theatre November 14, 1989 – November 19, 1989 1991 Lips Together, Teeth Apart Sally Truman New York City Center May 28, 1991 – January 5, 1992 1999 The Mineola Twins Myrna/Myra Laura Pels Theatre February 18, 1999 – May 30, 1999 The Vagina Monologues Unknown Westside Theatre October 3, 1999 – January 26, 2003 2002 The Guys The Flea Theater January 17, 2002 – December 20, 2002 Imaginary Friends Lillian Hellman Ethel Barrymore Theatre December 12, 2002 – February 16, 2003 2003 Intrigue with Faye Woman Acorn Theater June 11, 2003 – July 16, 2003 2004 Frozen Nancy Circle in the Square Theatre May 4, 2004 – August 22, 2004 2006 Heartbreak House Hesione Hushabye American Airlines Theatre October 11, 2006 – December 17, 2006

Awards and nominations Year Awards Category WorkResult 1978 Tony Awards Best Featured Actress in a Play Tartuffe Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Uncommon Women and Others Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical A History of the American Film 1981 Tony Awards Best Featured Actress in a Play Fifth of July Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Outer Critics Circle Awards Outstanding Actress in a Play 1982 Emmy Awards (Primetime) Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Love, Sidney 1983 1986 Tony Awards Best Featured Actress in a Play The House of Blue Leaves Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Actress in a Play 1990Emmy Awards (Primetime)Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy SeriesCarol and Company 1993 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Sisters 1994 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Television Movie And the Band Played On 1998 Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series ER 1999 Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Actress in a Play The Mineola Twins Drama League Awards Distinguished Performance Outer Critics Circle Awards Outstanding Actress in a Play 2004 Tony Awards Best Leading Actress in a Play Frozen Outer Critics Circle Awards Outstanding Actress in a Play 2005 Emmy Awards (Primetime) Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series Huff 2006 2007 Tony Awards Best Leading Actress in a Play Heartbreak House