Mary-Louise Parker Biography

A native of Fort Jackson, South Carolina, Mary-Louise Parker made her acting debut with a regular role on the daytime soap opera Ryan's Hope, but she was first noticed for her role as the ill-treated wife who opens her own cafe in Fried Green Tomatoes (1991). Parker says about her career, "If there are rules, I'm flunking every single one of them. They tell me I should live in L.A., take small parts in blockbusters, or do certain kinds of press."

Despite that, Mary-Louise has worked steadily over the years and earned herself some notice again when she landed a regular role on the hit drama series The west Wing, earning herself an Emmy nomination. In 2004, she won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for her performance in the mini-series Angels in America (2003).

After dating actor Billy Crudup for seven years, Mary-Louise gave birth to his son, William Atticus, on January 7, 2004, just two months after the relationship ended.

Since then, Mary-Louise landed a starring role on the Showtime's crime comedy Weeds and won a second Golden Globe in 2006 for her work on the show. She was nominated three more times for her work on the series — in 2007, 2008 and 2009. She played Brad Pitts' sister in the major motion picture The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2006) and starred opposite Michael Douglas in Solitary Man (2010). She played Sarah Ross in RED(2010) and RED 2 (2013) and Stephanie Boucher in the spy thriller Red Sparrow (2018), opposite Jennifer Lawrence.

She has made appearances in the ensemble drama The Same Storm (2021) and the biographical film Seneca (2023), playing Empress Agrippina opposite John Malkovich in the title role. On television she starred opposite Steve Carell in FX’s psychological drama The Patient (2022), where her performance as a therapist added a quiet intensity to the series' central dynamic.

She went on to play Eliza Van Lew in Prime Video’s Civil War limited series The Gray House (2026). Also in 2026, she played Mary Washington in the feature film Young Washington.

On stage, Mary-Louise has maintained a strong presence in theatre, winning two Tony Awards — her first in 2001 for Best Actress in Proof, and her second in 2020 for The Sound Inside. Just two years later she achieved widespread acclaim for her work in the Broadway revival of How I Learned to Drive, which earned her a Tony nomination in 2022. She continues to balance film, television and stage projects, favoring character-driven material and performances that highlight her understated, nuanced style.

Filmography:

Happy Hours (2026)
Young Washington (2026)
Omni Loop (2024)
Woody Woodpecker Goes to Camp (2024)
Seneca (2023)
The Same Storm (2023)
Red Sparrow (2018)
Golden Exits (2017)
Jamesy Boy (2014)
Behaving Badly (2014)
R.I.P.D. (2013)
RED 2 (2013)
RED (2010)
Howl (2010)
Solitary Man (2010)
The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
Romance & Cigarettes (2005)
Saved! (2004)
The Best Thief in the World (2004)
Red Dragon / Dragon rouge (2002)
Pipe Dream (2002)