Mary Steenburgen

Mary Steenburgen is an acclaimed actress known for her roles in The Help (2011), Elf (2003), Philadelphia (1993) and more.

The actress attended Hendrix College in Arkansas, where a professor encouraged her to pursue acting full-time, prompting her to move to New York.

Steenburgen’s career took off after she was discovered by Jack Nicholson, who cast her in the western Goin’ South (1978). She gained further recognition for her role in Time After Time (1979) and achieved widespread acclaim as Lynda Dummar in Melvin and Howard (1980), a performance that earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress. She followed this success with a critically praised role in Ragtime (1981).

In 1980, Steenburgen married British actor Malcolm McDowell, whom she met on the set of Time After Time. The couple, who divorced in 1990, have two children: Lily (born in 1981) and Charlie (born in 1983). Their son married Emily in Paris star Lily Collins in 2021.

In 1995, Steenburgen married Ted Danson after meeting during an audition and collaborating on the film Pontiac Moon (1994). Together, they created a blended family, raising children from their previous marriages.