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Anna Gunn
Anna Gunn by Gage Skidmore 3.jpg
Gunn at San Diego Comic-Con in 2018
Born
Anna Kathryn Gunn

(1968-08-11) August 11, 1968 (age 56)
Occupation Actress
Years active 1992–present
Spouse(s)
Alastair Duncan
(m. 1990; div. 2009)
Children 2

Anna Kathryn Gunn (born August 11, 1968) is an American actress. She is known for playing Martha Bullock on the HBO Western series Deadwood (2004–2006) and Skyler White on the AMC crime drama series Breaking Bad (2008–2013). Her accolades include two Primetime Emmy Awards and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Gunn has starred on the ABC series The Practice (1997–2002) and the Fox series Gracepoint (2014). Her film roles include the action thriller Enemy of the State (1998), the independent thriller Red State (2011), the docudrama Little Red Wagon (2012), the financial thriller Equity (2016), the biographical drama Sully (2016), the comedy drama Being Frank (2018), and the Deadwood sequel film Deadwood: The Movie (2019). She also voiced Ariel in the Legacy of Kain video game series (1996–2003).

Early life and education

Born on August 11, 1968, Gunn grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She is descended from William Rufus Day, who was an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. She is of Polish, Slovak, English, German and distant Irish and Dutch descent. She graduated from Santa Fe Preparatory School in 1986, then attended Northwestern University, where she majored in theater and graduated in 1990. In the fall of 1988, she spent a semester abroad to study at the British American Drama Academy. She moved to Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles, where she shared a house with Pamela Adlon.

Career

Gunn's first screen credit was the Quantum Leap episode "The Play's the Thing". She had a recurring role as Assistant District Attorney Jean Ward on the ABC series The Practice from 1997 to 2002, and was series regular as Martha Bullock on HBO's Deadwood from 2005 to 2006. She appeared on Seinfeld in the episode "The Glasses", in the Six Feet Under episode "Parallel Play", and on the first season of Murder One. She also provided the voice of Ariel in the Legacy of Kain series of video games.

The cast and crew of Breaking Bad at the 68th Annual Peabody Awards
The cast and crew of Breaking Bad at the Peabody Awards in 2009

Gunn starred as Skyler White in the AMC drama series Breaking Bad, for which she was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2012, 2013 and 2014, winning in 2013 and 2014. In August 2013, she wrote an op-ed piece for The New York Times examining the public dislike directed toward her character.

In 2011, Gunn had a lead role in the Lifetime film Secrets of Eden, opposite John Stamos. Her other film credits include Without Evidence, Enemy of the State, Treading Water, and Red State.

In February 2013, cable network Bravo announced that Gunn would star in a pilot for a one-hour TV drama, Rita, based on a Danish TV series about a private-school teacher and mother. The Fox TV Studios pilot was to be written by Krista Vernoff and directed by Miguel Arteta.

Gunn starred in the 2016 film Equity. Billed as the first female-driven Wall Street film, it premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. That same year, she starred in Clint Eastwood's biographical drama film Sully.

In 2019, Gunn starred as Maxine Faulk in the Noël Coward Theater limited-time production of Tennessee Williams' The Night of the Iguana.

Personal life

Gunn married Scottish actor and real estate broker Alastair Duncan in 1990. They divorced in 2009. They have two daughters, Eila Rose and Emma.

Filmography

Anna Gunn by Gage Skidmore 2
Gunn at San Diego Comic-Con in 2013

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1994 French Intensive Rachel Short film
Junior Casitas Madres Receptionist
1995 Without Evidence Liz Godlove
Star Power Denise Short film
1997 Santa Fe Jane
1998 Enemy of the State Emily Reynolds
2000 Lost Souls Sally Prescott
2001 Nobody's Baby Stormy
2002 Treading Water The Actress
2011 Red State Travis' Mother
2012 Little Red Wagon Laurie Bonner
Sassy Pants June Pruitt
2016 Equity Naomi Bishop
Sully Dr. Elizabeth Davis
2018 Being Frank Laura Hansen
2021 Land of Dreams Nancy
2022 The Apology Darlene Hagen

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1992 Quantum Leap Liz Episode: "The Play's the Thing"
Indecency Celeste Television film
1992–1993 Down the Shore Arden Main role
1993 Seinfeld Amy Episode: "The Glasses"
1994 Missing Persons Ellie Keogh Episode: "My Beautiful Son Is O.K..."
NYPD Blue Kimmy 2 episodes
Moment of Truth: Caught in the Crossfire Agt. Alex King Television film
1995 If Someone Had Known Officer Linda Reed Television film
1995–1996 Murder One Melissa Griotte 3 episodes
1996 Chicago Hope Megan Stanard 1 episode
The Lazarus Man The Journal Episode: "The Journal"
Men Behaving Badly Michelle Episode: "Babies Having Babies"
The Big Easy Evie Episode: "Snake Dance"
1997 Sleepwalkers Angie Gilpin Episode: "Night Terrors"
1997–2002 The Practice Jean Ward Recurring role; 10 episodes
1999 ER Ekabo's Lawyer Episode: "Point of Origin"
The Drew Carey Show Kelly Walker Episode: "Drew's Reunion"
Judging Amy Emily Noble Episode: "Presumed Innocent"
2000 Bull Miss Coyle Episode: "A Beautiful Lie"
2001 The Guardian Meghan Barstow 2 episodes
2002 Yes, Dear Jessica Episode: "Kim's New Nanny"
2003 Twelve Mile Road Leah Television film
Dragnet Dr. Louise Nottingham 2 episodes
The O'Keefes Phyllis Episode: "Pilot"
L.A. Confidential Renata Unsold pilot
Wild Card Janell Morgan Episode: "The Cheese Stands Alone"
The Lyon's Den Elizabeth Hopper Episode: "Blood"
Miss Match Maureen Weston Episode: "Kate in Ex-tasy"
Miracles Rebecca Webb Episode: "You Are My Sunshine"
2004 NYPD 2069 Natalie Franco Unsold pilot
The D.A. Shelly Ward Episode: "The People vs. Sergius Kovinsky"
Six Feet Under Madeline Episode: "Parallel Play"
2005–2006 Deadwood Martha Bullock Main role
2007 Boston Legal Attorney Susan Bixby Episode: "Nuts"
2008–2013 Breaking Bad Skyler White Lead role
2010 Law & Order Marielle Di Napoli Episode: "Love Eternal"
Lie to Me Jenkins Episode: "Dirty Loyal"
2012 Secrets of Eden Detective Catherine Benincasa Television film
2014 The Mindy Project Sheila Hamilton Episode: "Girl Crush"
Gracepoint Detective Ellie Miller Main role
2015 Criminal Minds Special Agent Lily Lambert Episode: "Beyond Borders"
Portlandia Glynis Brooks Episode: "House for Sale"
2016 Robot Chicken Mother / Skyler White (voice) Episode: "Food"
Shades of Blue Julia Ayres Recurring role; 10 episodes
2019 Deadwood: The Movie Martha Bullock Television film
2021 Prodigal Son Sheriff Fern Cooley Episode: "The Last Weekend"
2022–2023 Physical Marika 3 episodes
2023 Most Dangerous Game Chairwoman 4 episodes
2024 Sugar Margit Recurring role; 6 episodes

Video games

Year Title Role Notes
1996 Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain Ariel, Azimuth, DeJoule Voice role
1999 Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver Ariel Voice role
2001 Soul Reaver 2 Ariel Voice role
2003 Legacy of Kain: Defiance Ariel Voice role

Awards and nominations

Awards and nominations received by Anna Gunn
Award Year Category Nominated work Result
Critics' Choice Television Awards 2012 Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Breaking Bad Nominated
2013 Nominated
2014 Nominated
Golden Nymph Awards 2013 Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series Nominated
Online Film & Television Association Awards 2012 Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Nominated
2013 Nominated
2019 Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture or Limited Series Deadwood: The Movie Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards 2012 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Breaking Bad Nominated
2013 Won
2014 Won
Satellite Awards 2014 Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Nominated
Saturn Awards 2010 Best Actress on Television Nominated
2013 Best Supporting Actress on Television Nominated
2014 Best Actress on Television Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards 2007 Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Deadwood Nominated
2012 Breaking Bad Nominated
2013 Nominated
2014 Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series Nominated
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Won
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