Molly Parker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Molly Parker
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Parker at the 2018 WonderCon
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| Born |
Molly Parker
June 30, 1972 Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada
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| Years active | 1991–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Matt Bissonnette
(m. 2002; div. 2016)Sam McCurdy |
| Children | 1 |
Molly Parker (born June 30, 1972) is a Canadian actress, writer, and director. She became well-known for her role in the drama Kissed (1996). She then starred in the TV thriller Intensity (1997). Her first big American movie role was in Waking the Dead (2000). She also gained attention for her role in the drama The Center of the World (2001). For this role, she was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead.
In the early 2000s, Parker played lead roles in several films. These included Max (2002), Pure (2002), and Nine Lives (2005). Starting in 2004, she starred as Alma Garret in the HBO Western series Deadwood. She appeared in all three seasons of the show. Later, she was in the post-apocalyptic thriller The Road (2009). She also starred in the independent drama Trigger (2010).
In 2011, she was a guest star in the sixth season of Dexter. In 2014, she was cast as politician Jacqueline Sharp in the Netflix series House of Cards. This role earned Parker a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. Her later film roles include American Pastoral (2016). She also appeared in two Netflix movies: Small Crimes and 1922 (both 2017). She starred in Errol Morris's miniseries Wormwood. From 2018 to 2021, she played Maureen Robinson in Lost in Space. This was a Netflix remake of the 1965 TV series. In January 2025, she began her main role as Dr. Amy Larsen in the Fox medical drama Doc.
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Early Life and Training
Parker was born on June 30, 1972, in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada. She grew up on a farm in Pitt Meadows. She has a younger brother named Henry. Parker's parents ran a seafood store. Parker trained in ballet from age 3 to 17. She performed for three years with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet Company.
She started acting in local plays at age 14. An agent helped her early in her career. She had parts in Canadian TV shows. Later, she studied acting at Vancouver's Gastown Actors' Studio.
Acting Career Highlights
Early Roles and First Big Success
In 1993, Molly Parker had a supporting role in the teen comedy Just One of the Girls. She also appeared in the TV thriller The Substitute. In 1995, she played Alice Ramsey in an episode of Highlander: The Series. She was also in the TV movie Serving in Silence (1995). In this film, she played the daughter of a military officer.
Parker also had a small role as a nurse in the Western Last of the Dogmen (1995). She was in the holiday TV movie Ebbie (1995). This film was a modern version of A Christmas Carol. She was nominated for a Gemini Award for her role in the Canadian TV film Paris or Somewhere. The next year, Parker had a big success in the film Kissed (1996). For this movie, Parker won the Genie Award for Best Actress.
In 1996, Parker also appeared in the horror series Poltergeist: The Legacy. She was in the independent film Hard Core Logo. In 1997, Parker starred as Chyna Shepard in the TV thriller Intensity. This movie was based on a Dean Koontz novel.
Starting in 1998, she was in the Canadian comedy show Twitch City. It aired for two seasons. She then appeared in Wonderland (1999). She was also in the historical drama Sunshine (1999). This film was about a Hungarian Jewish family during World War II. She co-starred in the thriller The Intruder.
Parker's first major American film was Waking the Dead (2000). She played the girlfriend of a political candidate. The same year, Parker worked again with Lynne Stopkewich on the drama Suspicious River (2000). She was nominated for a Leo-Award for Best Actress for this role. She also starred in The War Bride (2001). This earned her a Genie Award nomination. In 2001, Parker appeared in the independent film The Center of the World. She gained good reviews for this film. She earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Female Lead.
Mainstream Success in the 2000s
In 2002, Parker appeared with Keira Knightley in the drama film Pure. She played a mother facing challenges. The same year, she had a supporting role in the thriller Max. She also guest-starred in two episodes of the HBO series Six Feet Under. In 2002, Parker married her first husband, Matthew Bissonette. She was also an executive producer for his first film Looking for Leonard.
Parker starred with Christian Slater in the drama The Good Shepherd (2004). Critics praised their performances. The same year, she starred in the historical drama Iron Jawed Angels. This film showed the lives of women who fought for voting rights.
Also in 2004, she was cast as Alma Garret in the HBO Western series Deadwood. She played a widow in 1870s South Dakota. Parker was in the show for all three seasons. The cast received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Best Ensemble in 2007. In October 2006, Parker had her first child, a son named William. While working on Deadwood, Parker also made films. She appeared in Nine Lives (2005). This film had several short stories.
The next year, she appeared in Neil LaBute's remake of The Wicker Man (2006). She also had a supporting role in the drama Hollywoodland. She was in the comedy-drama Who Loves the Sun (2006). This film was directed by her husband at the time, Matthew Bissonnette.
In 2008, Parker starred in the CBS show Swingtown. This show was about relationships in the 1970s. It aired for one season. The next year, she guest-starred in Party Down. She also had a supporting role in the post-apocalyptic thriller The Road. She played a woman trying to survive after a big event.
Television and Recent Projects
In 2010, Parker starred in the Canadian police show Shattered. It also aired for one season. She had a main role in the independent drama Trigger. The next year, she was a guest star on several episodes of Dexter. Parker then did more TV work. She starred as Abby McDeere in the thriller series The Firm (2012). This show was based on the John Grisham novel. Parker also played Pauline Pfeiffer in the HBO TV film Hemingway & Gellhorn (2012).
In 2014, she appeared as Congresswoman Jacqueline Sharp in the second season of the Netflix series House of Cards. Parker continued this role in seasons 3 and 4. For her performance in the fourth season, Parker was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. In early 2015, Parker was in a stage play in Toronto called Harper Regan. Parker was later cast in the thriller The 9th Life of Louis Drax (2016).
Also in 2016, Parker co-starred in the Amazon Studios legal series Goliath. She was also in the independent drama film Weirdos. For this film, she won the Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also had a supporting role in American Pastoral. This film was based on a novel.
In 2017, Parker appeared in three shows for Netflix. First, she starred in the crime film Small Crimes (2017). She played a nurse in this movie. She also starred in the horror film 1922. This film was based on a Stephen King story. After that, she had a main role in Errol Morris's miniseries Wormwood. The same year, Parker directed and wrote her first short film, Birds. It was shown at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival.
Parker co-starred in Josephine Decker's 2018 film Madeline's Madeline. Starting in 2018, Parker played Maureen Robinson in Lost in Space. This was a Netflix remake of the 1965 TV series. Parker returned to her role as Alma Garret for the HBO TV film Deadwood: The Movie, which came out in May 2019. In March 2021, it was announced that she would play Mrs. Darling in Disney+'s Peter Pan & Wendy. In January 2025, she began her main role as Dr. Amy Larsen in the Fox medical drama Doc.
Film and TV Roles
Awards and Nominations
See also
In Spanish: Molly Parker para niños
