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Christine Lahti
Christine Lahti MFF 2016, cropped.png
Lahti in 2016
Born
Christine Ann Lahti

(1950-04-04) April 4, 1950 (age 74)
Alma mater University of Michigan
Occupation Actress
Years active 1973–present
Spouse(s)
Thomas Schlamme
(m. 1983)
Children 3

Christine Ann Lahti (born April 4, 1950) is an American actress and filmmaker. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the 1984 film Swing Shift. Her other film roles include ...And Justice for All (1979), Housekeeping (1987), Running on Empty (1988), Leaving Normal (1992), and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019). For her directorial debut with the 1995 short film Lieberman in Love, she won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.

Lahti made her Broadway debut in 1980 as a replacement in Loose Ends, and went on to star in the Broadway productions of Present Laughter (1982) and The Heidi Chronicles (1989). An eight-time Golden Globe nominee and six-time Emmy Award nominee, she won a Golden Globe for the 1989 TV movie No Place Like Home, and won a Golden Globe and an Emmy in 1998 for her role as Kate Austin in the CBS series Chicago Hope (1995–99). She returned to Broadway in 2009 to star in God of Carnage. She has had a number of recurring roles: as Sonya Paxton in the NBC series Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (2009–11), as Doris McGarrett in the CBS series Hawaii Five-0 (2012–19), and as Laurel Hitchin in NBC's The Blacklist (2015–17). She currently appears as Sheryl Luria in the CBS/Paramount+ series Evil.

Early life

Lahti was born in Birmingham, Michigan, the daughter of Elizabeth Margaret (née Tabar), a painter, homemaker, and nurse, and Paul Theodore Lahti, a surgeon. She has three sisters, Carol, Catherine, and Linda, and two brothers, Paul Jr. and James Lahti. Her paternal grandparents were Finnish immigrants and her maternal grandparents were from Austria-Hungary. Lahti was raised in the Lutheran Church.

Lahti studied Fine Arts at Florida State University and received her bachelor's degree in Drama from the University of Michigan, where she joined Delta Gamma sorority. She studied acting at HB Studio in New York City, as well as completing a two-year professional actor training program at the William Esper Studio for the performing arts in Manhattan.

Career

After college, Lahti headed to New York City in 1973, where she worked as a waitress and did commercials. Her breakthrough movie was ...And Justice for All (1979) with Al Pacino. In the film Whose Life Is It Anyway? (1981), starring Richard Dreyfuss and John Cassavetes, she was cast as a physician who grows attached to a paralyzed patient seeking the right to leave the hospital. Later, she was cast in an important role in Running on Empty, a 1988 movie in which she and Judd Hirsch played the parents of a musically promising son; the family went underground to avoid the FBI after the parents had damaged a napalm factory, and they all must periodically move on short notice and assume new identities. She has also focused on television, beginning with her role in the made-for-TV adaptation of The Executioner's Song (1982). She appeared on Broadway in Wendy Wasserstein's seriocomic play, The Heidi Chronicles.

Lahti received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for Swing Shift (1984), and won an Academy Award for Best Short Film, Live Action for Lieberman in Love (1995), in which she starred and also directed. It was adapted from Lieberman in Love, a short story by W. P. Kinsella. Lahti won a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award in 1998 for her role in Chicago Hope. Lahti was in the bathroom when she won the third award and finally came to the stage following an attempt by show producer John Tinker to accept on her behalf and an interruptive riff by Robin Williams. In 1999, she presented with a piece of toilet paper attached to her shoe as an "inside joke" about her previous appearance.

Christine Lahti1
At the Governor's Ball held after the 49th Annual Emmy Awards, 1997

In 2001, her first directorial feature-length film, My First Mister, was released. Starring Leelee Sobieski and Albert Brooks, the movie debuted with good reviews. In DVD commentary she applauds the work of her cast and crew, remarking "[I] was very lucky to have such a wonderful crew..." She said she felt regret that the film was rated R, for language, despairing that the movie might not be viewed by teens who would relate with the characters. Also, Lahti mentioned that she would have liked to have had more time to shoot different perspectives in order to facilitate story arc.

Lahti starred in the executive ADA role on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Sonya Paxton while the character Alexandra Cabot (Stephanie March) was in appeals. She was in the first four episodes of the 11th season and returned for the show's eighth episode, where she clashed with Alexandra Cabot (Stephanie March). Lahti later guest starred in the ninth and 17th episodes of the 12th season, where she reprised her role as Paxton. Her character was murdered in the 17th episode.

She returned to Broadway upon joining the cast of the Tony Award–winning play God of Carnage on November 17, 2009, replacing Marcia Gay Harden. Both actresses had a few special appearances on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. In September 2011, Lahti starred with Morgan Freeman in the Broadway debut of Dustin Lance Black's play, 8—a reenactment of the federal trial that overturned California's Prop 8 ban on same-sex marriage—as Kris Perry. In March 2012, she was featured with Jamie Lee Curtis and Jansen Panettiere at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre. The production was broadcast on YouTube to raise money for the American Foundation for Equal Rights.

Her book of autobiographical essays, titled True Stories From an Unreliable Eyewitness, was published in 2018 by Harper Wave.

In 2020, Lahti appeared as a guest on the Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip marathon fundraiser episode of The George Lucas Talk Show.

Personal life

Lahti has been married to television director Thomas Schlamme since September 4, 1983. They have three children. Lahti resides in Los Angeles, California, with her family. She also owns an apartment in Greenwich Village.

In 2004, Lahti took part in a protest against the murders of women in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.

Since May 2005, Lahti has been a contributor at HuffPost.

Filmography

Film

List of film appearances, with year, title, and role shown
Year Film Role Notes
1979 ...And Justice for All Gail Packer
1981 Whose Life Is It Anyway? Dr. Clare Scott
1981 Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains Aunt Linda
1984 Swing Shift Hazel Zanussi New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
1986 Desert Bloom Rose Chismore Uncredited
1986 Just Between Friends Sandy Dunlap
1987 Stacking Kathleen Morgan aka Season of Dreams
1987 Housekeeping Sylvie
1988 Running on Empty Annie Pope/Cynthia Manfield Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress
Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama
1989 Miss Firecracker Clara Archer
1989 Gross Anatomy Dr. Rachel Woodruff
1990 Funny About Love Meg Lloyd Bergman
1991 The Doctor Anne MacKee
1992 Leaving Normal Darly Peters
1995 Lieberman in Love Shaleen Also director
Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film
1995 The Four Diamonds Doctor and Queen Raptenahad
1995 Hideaway Lindsey
1996 Pie in the Sky Ruby
2001 My First Mister Mall Patron Also director
2003 Out of the Ashes Gisella Perl
2008 Smart People Nancy
2008 Yonkers Joe Janice
2009 Obsessed Reese
2010 Flying Lessons Carolyn Conway
2012 Petunia Felicia Petunia
2012 Touchback Thelma
2013 Hateship, Loveship Eileen
2015 The Steps Sherry
2015 Touched with Fire Sara
2016 Operator Beth Larsen
2017 Becks Ann
2019 A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Ellen

Television

List of television appearances, with year, title, and role shown
Year Title Role Notes
1978 The Harvey Korman Show Maggie Kavanaugh Recurring role, 5 episodes
1978 The Last Tenant Carol Television film
1978 Dr. Scorpion Tania Reston Television film
1980 The Henderson Monster Dr. Louise Casimir Television film
1981 Wolcott Melinda

Marin

4 Part

British

Mini-Series

1981 "Wolcott" Investigative Reporter British TV Drama
1982 The Executioner's Song Brenda Television film
1984 Single Bars, Single Women Elsie Television film
1985 Love Lives On Marylin Television film
1987 Amerika Alethea Milford Television miniseries
Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film
Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
1989 No Place Like Home Zan Cooper Television film
Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film
Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
1991 Crazy from the Heart Charlotte Bain Television film
1992 The Fear Inside Meredith Cole Television film
Nominated—CableACE Award for Best Actress in a Movie or Miniseries
1995–1999 Chicago Hope Dr. Kathryn Austin Main role
Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Satellite Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama
Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama
Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (1996–97, 1999)
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series (1996–99)
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (1996–98)
Nominated—Viewers for Quality Television Award for Best Actress in a Quality Drama Series
1994 Frasier Laura Episode: "Author, Author"
1997 Hope Emma Percy Television film
1999 Judgment Day:The Ellie Nesler Story Ellie Nesler Television film
2000 An American Daughter Lyssa Dent Hughes Television film
Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film
2001 Ally McBeal Sydney Gale Episode: "Queen Bee"
2002 Women vs. Men Dana Television film
2002 The Pilot's Wife Kathryn Lyons Television film
2003 Out of the Ashes Gisella Perl Television film
2004 Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman Rose Television film
2004–2005 Jack & Bobby Grace McCallister Main role
Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
2006 Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip Martha O'Dell 3 episodes
2009 Operating Instructions H. Keller Television film
2009–2011 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Sonya Paxton Recurring role, 7 episodes
2011 The Doctor Emily Campbell Unsold television pilot
2012–2019 Hawaii Five-0 Doris McGarrett Recurring role, 10 episodes
2015 Grace and Frankie Lydia Foster Episode: "The Funeral"
2015–2017 The Blacklist Laurel Hitchin Recurring role, 10 episodes
2015–2016 The Good Wife Andrea Stevens 2 episodes
2017–2018 The Good Fight Andrea Stevens 2 episodes
2019–present Evil Sheryl Luria Main role
Nominated—Critics' Choice Super Award for Best Actress in a Horror Series
Nominated—Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
2020 Curb Your Enthusiasm Herself Episode: "Artificial Fruit"

Theater

List of stage appearances, with year, title, and role shown
Year Title Role Director(s) Venue
1980 Loose Ends Susan Alan Schneider Circle in the Square Theatre
1980 Division Street Dianah Tom Moore Ambassador Theatre
1981 Scenes and Revelations Helena Sheldon Epps Circle in the Square Theatre
1982–83 Present Laughter Joanna Lyppiatt George C. Scott Circle in the Square Theatre
1989–90 The Heidi Chronicles Heidi Holland Daniel Sullivan Plymouth Theatre
2009–10 God of Carnage Veronica Matthew Warchus Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre
2018 Gloria: A Life Gloria Steinem Diane Paulus Daryl Roth Theatre
2023 The Smile of Her Herself Robert H. Egan Berkshire Theatre Festival

Published works

  • Lahti, Christine. True Stories from an Unreliable Eyewitness (2018)

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Christine Lahti para niños

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