
Ellen Burstyn
Biography
Ellen Burstyn (born Edna Rae Gillooly; December 7, 1932) is an American actress. Known for her portrayals of complex women in dramas, she has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards, making her one of the few performers to achieve the "Triple Crown of Acting". She has also received a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award.
Burstyn made her acting debut on Broadway in Fair Game in 1957 before winning the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for Same Time, Next Year (1975). She earned the Academy Award for Best Actress as the widow Alice Hyatt in Martin Scorsese's romantic drama Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974). Her other Oscar-nominated roles were in The Last Picture Show (1971), The Exorcist (1973), Same Time, Next Year (1978), Resurrection (1980), and Requiem for a Dream (2000). Her other notable films include Harry and Tonto (1974), How to Make an American Quilt (1995), Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002), W. (2008), Interstellar (2014), The Age of Adaline (2015), and Pieces of a Woman (2020).
She won Primetime Emmy Awards for her guest role in the NBC legal drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2009) and supporting role in the USA Network political miniseries Political Animals (2013). Her other Emmy-nominated roles include Pack of Lies (1988), Mrs. Harris (2005), Big Love (2008), Draft Day, Flowers in the Attic (both 2014), and House of Cards (2016). Since 2000, she has been co-president of the Actors Studio, a drama school in New York City. In 2013, she was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame for her work onstage.
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Known For
Acting History
2025
Breakdown: 1975 as Self
2025This Ordinary Thing as Voice
2025Legacy of Screams: The Evolution of Horror Movies as Self - (archive footage)
2025Duse, the Greatest
2024E. Jean Carroll v. Donald J. Trump as E. Jean Carroll
2024Mother, Couch as Mother
2024Fear and Love: The Story of The Exorcist as Self
2023Martin Scorsese, l'Italo-Américain as Self
2023The Exorcist: Believer as Chris MacNeil
2022The First Lady as Sara Delano Roosevelt
2022Three Months as Valerie
2022Reframed: Marilyn Monroe as Self
2021Paul Newman, Behind Blue Eyes as Herself
2021Queen Bees as Helen Wilson
2021Watch on the Rhine as Fanny
2021Law & Order: Organized Crime as Bernadette 'Bernie' Stabler
2020Pieces of a Woman as Elizabeth Weiss
2020Delphine and Carole as Self (archive footage)
2019Lucy in the Sky as Nana Holbrook
2019American Woman as Miss Dolly
2019Steven Arnold: Heavenly Bodies as Self
2019The House of Tomorrow as Josephine Prendergast
2018Friedkin Uncut as Self
2018Nostalgia as Helen Greer
2018All I Wish as Celia Berges
2018The Tale as Nettie
2017Marilyn Monroe: Auction of a Lifetime as Self
2016Wiener-Dog as Nana
2016Custody as Beatrice Fisher
2015Unity as Narrator (voice)
2015About Scout as Gram
2015The Age of Adaline as Flemming
2014Interstellar as Murph (older)
2014The Calling as Emily Micallef
2014Petals on the Wind as Olivia Foxworth
2014Two Men in Town as Mère Garnett
2014Draft Day as Barb Weaver
2014River of Fundament as Hathfertiti
2014And the Oscar Goes To... as Self - Interviewee
2014Flowers in the Attic as Grandmother
2013Wish You Well as Louisa Mae Cardinal
2013Mom as Shirley
2013Love, Marilyn as Self
2013House of Cards as Elizabeth Hale
2012Coma as Mrs. Emerson
2012Political Animals as Margaret Barrish
2012Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You as Nanette
2011Another Happy Day as Doris Baker
2011The Mighty Macs as Mother St. John
2010BBStory: An American Film Renaissance as Self
2010America Lost and Found: The BBS Story as Self
2010Reflections of a Philosopher King as Self
2010Main Street as Georgiana Carr
2009According to Greta as Katherine
2009Lovely, Still as Mary
2009PoliWood as Self
2009The Velveteen Rabbit as Swan (voice)
2008W. as Barbara Bush
2008The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond as Miss Addie
2007Mitch Albom's For One More Day as Pauline "Posey" Benetto
2007The Stone Angel as Hagar
2006The Fountain as Dr. Lillian Guzetti
200630 Days as Maura
2006The Wicker Man as Sister Summersisle
2006Hubert Selby Jr: It/ll Be Better Tomorrow as Self
2006Stardust: The Bette Davis Story as Self
2006The Elephant King as Diana Hunt
2006Big Love as Nancy Davis Dutton
2006Mrs. Harris as Former Tarnower Steady
2006The Book of Daniel as Bishop Beatrice Congreve
2005Our Fathers as Mary Ryan
2004The Five People You Meet In Heaven as Ruby
2004The Madam's Family: The Truth About the Canal Street Brothel as Tommie
2004Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore: Second Chances as Self
2003A Decade Under the Influence as Self
2003Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex 'n' Drugs 'n' Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood as Self
2003Brush with Fate as Rika
2002Red Dragon as Grandma Dolarhyde (voice) (uncredited)
2002Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood as Vivi Abbott Walker
2001Within These Walls as Joan Thomas
2001The Making of Requiem for a Dream as Self
2001Memories, Dreams & Addictions as Self
2000Requiem for a Dream as Sara Goldfarb
2000That's Life as Dolly DeLucca
2000Mermaid as Trish
2000The Yards as Val Handler
1999Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Bernie Stabler
1999Die letzte Vorstellung: Ein Rückblick as Self
1999Night Ride Home as Maggie
1999Walking Across Egypt as Mattie Rigsbee
1998Playing by Heart as Mildred
1998A Will of their Own as Veronica Steward
1998Marilyn in Manhattan as Self
1998You Can Thank Me Later as Shirley Cooperberg
1998The Fear of God: 25 Years of The Exorcist as Self - Chris MacNeil
1998The Patron Saint of Liars as June Clatterbuck
1997Flash as Laura Strong
1997Deceiver as Mook
1997The View as Self
1997A Deadly Vision as Yvette Watson
1996Timepiece as Maud Gannon
1996The Spitfire Grill as Hannah Ferguson
1996The Rosie O'Donnell Show as Self - Guest
1995How to Make an American Quilt as Hy Dodd
1995The Baby-Sitters Club as Mrs. Haberman
1995Follow The River as Gretel
1995My Brother's Keeper as Helen
1995Roommates as Judith
1994Trick of the Eye as Frances Griffin
1994Inside the Actors Studio as Self
1994Getting Gotti as Jo Giacalone
1994When a Man Loves a Woman as Emily
1994Getting Out as Arlie's Mother
1993Roots of Roe as Narrator (voice)
1993Shattered Trust: The Shari Karney Story as Joan Delvecchio
1993The Cemetery Club as Esther Moskowitz
1992Earth and the American Dream as Reader (voice)
1992When It Was a Game 2 as Passage Narrator (voice)
1992Taking Back My Life: The Nancy Ziegenmeyer Story as Wilma
1991Picture This: The Times of Peter Bogdanovich in Archer City, Texas as Self
1991Grand Isle as Mademoiselle Reisz
1991Dying Young as Mrs. O'Neil
1991Mrs. Lambert Remembers Love as Lillian "Lil" Lambert
1990When You Remember Me as Nurse Cooder
1990The Color of Evening as Kate O'Rielly
1989Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre as Self
1988Hello Actors Studio as Self
1988American Experience as Narrator (voice)
1988Hanna's War as Katalin
1987Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam as Mrs. Stocks (voice)
1987Pack of Lies as Barbara Jackson
1986Something in Common as Lynn Hollander
1986The Ellen Burstyn Show as Ellen Brewer
1986Act of Vengeance as Margaret Yablonski
1985Into Thin Air as Joan Walker
1985Twice in a Lifetime as Kate MacKenzie
1985Night of 100 Stars II as Self
1985Surviving as Tina Brogan
1985The Ambassador as Alex Hacker
1982I Love Liberty as Self
1982Night of 100 Stars as Self
1981Silence of the North as Olive Frederickson
1981People vs. Jean Harris as Jean Harris
1981Be Pretty and Shut Up! as Self
1980Resurrection as Edna
1978A Dream of Passion as Brenda Collins
1978Same Time, Next Year as Doris
1977Providence as Sonia Langham
1975Saturday Night Live as Self - Host
1975Les Rendez-vous du dimanche as Self
1974Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore as Alice Hyatt
1974Dinah! as Self
1974Harry and Tonto as Shirley Mallard
1974Thursday's Game as Lynne Evers
1974The Horror Hall of Fame: A Monster Salute as Self (archive footage)
1973The Exorcist as Chris MacNeil
1972The King of Marvin Gardens as Sally
1971The Last Picture Show as Lois Farrow
1970Alex in Wonderland as Beth Morrison
1970Tropic of Cancer as Mona (uncredited)
1969Pit Stop as Ellen McCleod
1966The Time Tunnel as Eve Holland
1965The Big Valley as Sister Sarah Jacob
1964Goodbye Charlie as Franny Salzman
1964For Those Who Think Young as Dr. Pauline Swenson
1963Kraft Suspense Theatre as Barbara Sherwood / Lucille Benton
1963The Greatest Show on Earth as Susan Mason
1963Vacation Playhouse as Ellen
1962Going My Way as Louise
1962The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as Self
1962I'm Dickens, He's Fenster as Joan
1962The Virginian as Kate Burden
1961Ricochet as Rose Maxon
1961Ben Casey as Dr. Leslie Fraser
1961Ben Casey as Connie
1961Bus Stop as Phyllis Dunning
1961Dr. Kildare as Anne Garner
1961The Defenders as Hilda Wesley
1960Surfside 6 as Wandra Drake
1960Checkmate as Margo as Ellen McRae
1959The Detectives as Nora
1959The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis as Donna Whittaker
1958The Christmas Tree as Elizabeth
195877 Sunset Strip as Betty Benson
195877 Sunset Strip as Sandra Keene
1957Perry Mason as Mona Winthrope White
1956Tony Awards as Self - Host/Presenter
1956Tony Awards as Self - Winner
1956Tony Awards as Self - Presenter
1956Tony Awards as Self - Host
1956Tony Awards as Self - Audience Member
1955Cheyenne as Emmy Mae
1955Gunsmoke as Polly
1955Gunsmoke as Amy Waters
1953Letter to Loretta as Ann Walters
1953The Oscars as Self
1951Hallmark Hall of Fame as Elizabeth
1951Hallmark Hall of Fame as Barbara Jackson
1951Hallmark Hall of Fame as Maggie
1951Hallmark Hall of Fame as Rika
1948Easy Out? as Mary
1944Golden Globe Awards as Self - Presenter
1944Golden Globe Awards as Self - Nominee
—Place To Be as Brooke
—Bathing Flo








