Mary Steenburgen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mary Steenburgen
Steenburgen in 2009 at the ceremony for her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Born	Mary Nell Steenburgen (1953-02-08) February 8, 1953 (age 72) Newport, Arkansas, U.S.
Education	Hendrix College Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre
Occupation	Actress comedian singer songwriter
Years active	1978–present
Known for	Melvin and Howard Ragtime Back to the Future Part III
Spouse(s)	Malcolm McDowell ​ ​ (m. 1980; div. 1990)​ Ted Danson ​ (m. 1995)​
Children	2, including Charlie McDowell
Relatives	Lily Collins (daughter-in-law)
Awards	Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture

Mary Nell Steenburgen (born February 8, 1953) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and songwriter. She is famous for her roles in many popular movies and TV shows. She won an Academy Award for her role in the 1980 film Melvin and Howard.

Many people know Steenburgen from her roles in comedy films. She played Clara Clayton in Back to the Future Part III (1990). She also played the mother in movies like Parenthood (1989), Elf (2003), and Step Brothers (2008).

Besides acting, Steenburgen is also a talented songwriter. She has written songs for several movies. She even won a Critics' Choice Award for a song she wrote for the film Wild Rose (2018).

Early Life and Education

Mary Steenburgen was born in Newport, Arkansas. Her mother, Nellie Mae, was a school-board secretary. Her father, Maurice Hoffman Steenburgen, was a freight-train conductor. She has one sister, Nancy, who is a teacher.

In 1971, Mary went to Hendrix College to study drama. Her teacher encouraged her to go to Dallas, Texas, for an audition. She was successful and got a spot at the famous Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City.

Acting Career

Steenburgen moved to Manhattan in 1972 to study acting. To support herself, she worked as a waitress and at a publishing company.

Getting Started in Movies

Her big break came when actor Jack Nicholson discovered her. He cast her in his movie, the Western comedy Goin' South (1978). Soon after, she starred in Time After Time (1979). For this role, she won a Saturn Award.

In 1980, she starred in the movie Melvin and Howard. Her performance was so good that she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. This is one of the highest honors an actor can receive.

Famous Film Roles

Steenburgen at the Toronto Film Festival in 2001

Steenburgen is well-known for playing Doc Brown's love interest, the schoolteacher Clara Clayton, in Back to the Future Part III (1990). Her own children were fans of the series and convinced her to take the part. She later voiced the same character in Back to the Future: The Animated Series.

She has appeared in many other famous films. She played a caring mother in Parenthood (1989) and the mother of Ralphie Parker in My Summer Story (1994), the sequel to A Christmas Story. She also played Will Ferrell's stepmom in the comedy Elf (2003).

Some of her other popular comedy movies include:

• Step Brothers (2008)
• The Proposal (2009)
• Last Vegas (2013)
• Book Club (2018)

She also appeared in the award-winning drama The Help (2011).

Television Work

Steenburgen has also had a successful career in television. From 2003 to 2005, she played Helen Girardi, the mother of the main character in the show Joan of Arcadia.

From 2015 to 2018, she starred as Gail Klosterman in the comedy series The Last Man on Earth. More recently, she played Maggie Clarke in the musical TV show Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist from 2020 to 2021.

Music Career

In 2007, Steenburgen had a minor surgery on her arm. After the surgery, she said she started hearing music in her head all the time. She decided to take music lessons to learn how to write down the songs she was hearing.

She became a professional songwriter and signed with Universal Music Group. She has written nearly 50 songs. One of her songs, "Glasgow (No Place Like Home)," was featured in the 2018 movie Wild Rose. The song was a big success and won several awards.

Personal Life

In 1980, Steenburgen married actor Malcolm McDowell, her co-star from Time After Time. They had two children, including a son named Charlie McDowell. The couple divorced in 1990.

In 1995, she married actor Ted Danson. They met on the set of the movie Pontiac Moon. She became a stepmother to Danson's two daughters. The family lives in the Los Angeles area.

Steenburgen is a friend of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. She and Danson supported Clinton's presidential campaign in 2008. She is also involved in many groups that work on human rights and protecting the environment.

Selected Filmography

Here are some of Mary Steenburgen's most well-known movies and TV shows.

Film

Television

Major Awards

On December 16, 2009, Steenburgen received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contributions to movies.

See also

In Spanish: Mary Steenburgen para niños