Felicity Huffman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Felicity Huffman
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Huffman on March 7, 2012 receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
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Born |
Felicity Kendall Huffman
December 9, 1962 Bedford, New York, U.S.
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Alma mater |
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Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1978–present |
Spouse(s) | |
Children | 2 |
Awards | Full list |
Felicity Kendall Huffman (born December 9, 1962) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Lynette Scavo in the ABC comedy-drama Desperate Housewives and her role as a transgender woman in the film Transamerica (2005). Over her career she has received numerous accolades including a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award as well as a nomination for an Academy Award.
Huffman began her acting career in theatre, and in the 1990s also had many supporting roles in film and television. She starred as Dana Whitaker in the ABC comedy-drama Sports Night from 1998 to 2000, which earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination. She is best known for her role as Lynette Scavo in the ABC comedy-drama Desperate Housewives (2004–2012), for which she earned a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and three Screen Actors Guild Awards as well as nominations for three Golden Globe Award.
Huffman drew critical praise for her performance in Transamerica. The role earned her a Golden Globe Award, Independent Spirit Award, National Board of Review, and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. Huffman has also starred in such films as Reversal of Fortune (1990), The Spanish Prisoner (1997), Magnolia (1999), Path to War (2002), Georgia Rule (2007), Phoebe in Wonderland (2008), Rudderless (2014), and Cake (2014). From 2015 to 2017, she starred in a third ABC series, the anthology crime drama American Crime, for which she received nominations for three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie.
Huffman was arrested for her involvement with a 2019 nationwide college entrance exam cheating scandal. Charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud she was sentenced to 14 days in prison, a $30,000 fine, and 250 hours of community service.
Contents
Early life and education
Huffman was born in Bedford, New York, into a wealthy family, the daughter of Grace Valle (née Ewing) and Moore Peters Huffman, a banker and partner at Morgan Stanley. Her parents divorced a year after her birth, and she was raised by both of them. When Huffman was a young teenager, she discovered that her biological father was Roger Tallman Maher, who was a family friend. She has six sisters and a brother. In the 1970s, Huffman's mother left New York and bought property in Snowmass, Colorado, where Felicity and her siblings spent their youth. Her great-grandfather was Gershom Moore Peters, founder of the Peters Cartridge Company and prominent Baptist minister, author of The Master. Another great-grandfather, Frederick Berthold Ewing, graduated from Yale University and became a prominent St. Louis businessman. Huffman's great-great-grandfather was Joseph Warren King, founder of the King Mills Powder Company. She has German, English, Scots-Irish, Scottish, French-Canadian, and Irish ancestry.
Huffman attended The Putney School, a private boarding high school in Putney, Vermont, and graduated from Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan in 1981. She attended New York University, Circle in the Square Theatre School and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England.
Career
Early career
Huffman made her debut on stage in 1982 and in the 1980s and 1990s worked as a rule on stage productions. In 1988, she debuted on Broadway in the role as Karen in David Mamet's play Speed the Plow. In 1995, Huffman won Obie Award for her performance in the play The Cryptogram by David Mamet. In 1999 she starred in the premiere of David Mamet's play Boston Marriage, about the daringly intimate relationship between two turn-of-the-century women, as well as in several other major theatrical productions.
1991–2003: Earliest television and film roles
Huffman debuted on the big screen in 1988 with a small role in Mamet's film Things Change. Two years later, she appeared as Minnie, a Harvard law school student in the courtroom drama Reversal of Fortune. Her other credits include 1992 thriller Quicksand: No Escape with Donald Sutherland and Tim Matheson, The Water Engine opposite William H. Macy, and supporting roles on The Heart of Justice (1992), Hackers (1995), Harrison: Cry of the City (1996) and The Underworld (1997).
Huffman starred on the television mini-series Golden Years, based on the novel by Stephen King in 1991. In 1994, she starred in the ABC pilot Thunder Alley as Ed Asner's daughter, but was replaced in subsequent episodes by Diane Venora when the series began. During the 1990s, she appeared mostly in guest roles on such shows as The X-Files, Early Edition, Chicago Hope and Law & Order. In 1997, she starred in Mamet's film The Spanish Prisoner.
From 1998 to 2000, she portrayed Dana Whitaker in the series Sports Night, for which she received several awards and nominations, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy. After the completion of Sports Night, she gave birth to her first child and soon returned to work. In 2001, she starred on the not picked up CBS pilot Heart Department In 2003, she starred in Showtime's miniseries Out of Order.
In 1999, she appeared in Paul Thomas Anderson's ensemble drama Magnolia and television adaptation of 1938 movie A Slight Case of Murder along with William H. Macy. In 2002 she played Lady Bird Johnson in the HBO award-winning movie Path to War and made a cameo appearance in Door to Door, which starred, and was written by, her husband. She also starred in Snap Decision (2001) with Mare Winningham, Raising Helen (2004) as Kate Hudson's character's older sister, and Christmas with the Kranks (2004), as the best friend of Jamie Lee Curtis's character.
2004–2012: Desperate Housewives and Transamerica
After a recurring role on the NBC sitcom Frasier, Huffman landed a leading role in an ABC comedy series Desperate Housewives, co-starring with Marcia Cross, Teri Hatcher, and Eva Longoria. Huffman won an Emmy Award for her work on Desperate Housewives (Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series) in 2005, as well as two 2006 Screen Actors Guild Awards (Best Actress - Comedy Series and part of Best Ensemble - Comedy Series) in 2006 and received several other awards. A report in November 2010 suggested that Huffman, along with co-star Teri Hatcher, would be quitting Desperate Housewives, but ABC denied the claim. The series ended in May 2012, after eight seasons.
..... Huffman's performance in Transamerica was praised by many critics and garnered her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, as well as nominations for Best Actress (Screen Actors Guild) and Best Actress (Academy Awards), and several other awards and nominations. Huffman is now a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
In 2007, Huffman starred in Garry Marshall's Georgia Rule with Jane Fonda and Lindsay Lohan, and 2008 on independent drama Phoebe in Wonderland. She made a film, Lesster, as a writer, director and actress in 2010.
Personal life
Huffman dated actor William H. Macy on and off for 15 years before they married on September 6, 1997. They have two daughters, Sophia and Georgia. She has appeared on television, in movies and on stage many times with her husband. The couple each received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on March 7, 2012.
In 2005, Huffman revealed that she had suffered from both anorexia and bulimia in her late teens and twenties.
Huffman is the co-author of the self-help book A Practical Handbook for the Boyfriend. On March 1, 2012, Huffman launched What The Flicka, a website dedicated to women and mothers where she was a regular contributor. In March 2019, the website was reportedly deactivated.
Huffman is a supporter of the Democratic Party. In 2016, Huffman voiced support for Hillary Rodham Clinton in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. In 2019, Huffman donated $400 to Kamala Harris's campaign in the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
Felicity Huffman has been a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the Actors Branch since 2006.
Acting credits
Film
Year | Film | Role | Notes |
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1988 | Things Change | Wheel of Fortune Girl | |
1990 | Reversal of Fortune | Minnie | |
1992 | Quicksand: No Escape | Julianna Reinhardt | |
1995 | Hackers | Attorney | |
1997 | The Spanish Prisoner | Pat McCune | |
1999 | Magnolia | Cynthia | |
2002 | Door to Door | Joey's Mom | Cameo |
2003 | House Hunting | Sheila | |
2004 | Raising Helen | Lindsay Davis | |
Christmas with the Kranks | Mary | ||
2005 | Transamerica | Sabrina "Bree" Osbourne | |
2006 | Choose Your Own Adventure: The Abominable Snowman | Pilot Nima | Voice |
2007 | Darius Goes West | Herself | |
Georgia Rule | Lilly | ||
2008 | Phoebe in Wonderland | Hillary Lichten | |
2010 | Lesster | Mrs. Geary | Also writer and director |
2013 | Trust Me | Agnes | |
2014 | Rudderless | Emily | |
Big Game | CIA Director | ||
Cake | Annette | ||
2015 | Stealing Cars | Kimberly Wyatt | |
2017 | Krystal | Poppy | |
2019 | Otherhood | Helen Halston | |
Tammy's Always Dying | Tammy MacDonald |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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1978 | ABC Afterschool Special | Sara Greene | Episode: "A Home Run for Love" |
1988 | Lip Service | Woman P.A. | Television film |
1991 | Golden Years | Terry Spann | TV miniseries |
1992 | Raven | Sharon Prior | Episode: "And Everything Nice" |
The Water Engine | Dance Hall Girl | Television film | |
The Heart of Justice | Annie | ||
1992, 1997 | Law & Order | Hillary Colson / Diane Perkins | Episodes: "Helpless" and "Working Mom" |
1993 | The X-Files | Dr. Nancy Da Silva | Episode: "Ice" |
1996 | Early Edition | Det. Tagliatti | Episode: "Pilot" |
Bedtime | Donna | TV miniseries | |
Harrison: Cry of the City | Peggy Macklin | Television film | |
1997 | Chicago Hope | Ellie Stockton | Episode: "Take My Wife, Please" |
1998–2000 | Sports Night | Dana Whitaker | Series regular, 45 episodes |
1999 | A Slight Case of Murder | Kit Wannamaker | Television film |
2001 | The West Wing | Ann Stark | Episode: "The Leadership Breakfast" |
Snap Decision | Carrie Dixon | Television film | |
2002 | Path to War | Lady Bird Johnson | |
Girls Club | Marcia Holden | Episode: "Pilot" | |
2003 | Out of Order | Lorna Colm | TV miniseries |
2002, 2003 | Kim Possible | Dr. Betty Director | Voice, 2 episodes |
2003 | Frasier | Julia Wilcox | Recurring role, 8 episodes |
2004 | The D.A. | Charlotte Ellis | Recurring role, 3 episodes |
Reversible Errors | Gillian Sullivan | Television film | |
2004–2012 | Desperate Housewives | Lynette Scavo | Series regular, 180 episodes |
2006 | Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip | Herself | Episode: "Pilot" |
2015–2017 | American Crime | Barb Hanlon Leslie Graham Jeanette Hesby |
Season 1 (11 episodes) Season 2 (10 episodes) Season 3 (8 episodes) |
2017 | BoJack Horseman | Herself | Voice, 2 episodes |
2018 | Get Shorty | Special Agent Clara Dillard | 10 episodes |
2019 | When They See Us | Linda Fairstein | Miniseries |
2023 | The Good Doctor | Janet Stewart | Episode: "The Good Lawyer" (serves as a backdoor pilot) |
2024 | Criminal Minds: Evolution | Dr. Jill Gideon | |
Accused | Lorraine Howell | Season 2 Episode 1 "Lorraine's Story" |
Theatre
Year | Title | Notes |
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1982 | A Taste of Honey as Jo | Stage Theatre, New York City |
1986 | Been Taken as Jill | 18th Street Playhouse, New York City |
1988 | Speed-the-Plow as Karen | Royale Theatre |
1988 | Boys' Life as Maggie | Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, New York City |
1989 | Bobby Gould in Hell | Lincoln Center Theater |
1990 | Grotesque Love Songs | New York City |
1994 | Shaker Heights | New York City |
1995 | Dangerous Corner | Off-Broadway production |
1995–1996 | The Cryptogram as Donny | American Repertory Theatre, Cambridge, Massachusetts off-Broadway production |
1997 | The Joy of Going Somewhere Definite as Marie | Atlantic Theater Company, New York City |
1999 | Boston Marriage as Anna | American Repertory Theatre, Hasty Pudding Theatre, Cambridge, Massachusetts |
1999 | Oh, Hell! as Glenna | Lincoln Center, New York City |
2000 | The Loop | New York City |
2000 | Jake's Women | Old Globe Theatre |
2000 | Three Sisters | Philadelphia Festival Theatre |
2012 | November | Mark Taper Forum |
2015 | The Anarchist | Theater Asylum |
2024 | Hir | Park Theatre (London) |
Awards and honors
- 1998: Honored with the Grand Jury Award – Comedy (Performance) by the US Comedy Arts Festival.
- 2005: Best Actress Award - San Diego Film Festival
- 2012: Inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame receiving a star for her contribution to Television — received the 2,463rd star located at 7072 Hollywood, Blvd.
See also
In Spanish: Felicity Huffman para niños