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Patricia Arquette
PatriciaArquette.jpg
Patricia Arquette in 2023
Born (1968-04-08) April 8, 1968 (age 57)
Occupation Actress
Years active 1981–present
Spouse(s)
Children 2
Parent(s)
  • Lewis Arquette (father)
Relatives

Patricia Arquette (born April 8, 1968) is a talented American actress. She has won many important awards, including an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards.

Patricia Arquette first appeared in a movie called A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors in 1987. She then starred in many popular films like True Romance (1993), Ed Wood (1994), and Holes (2003). From 2005 to 2011, she played a character who could talk to spirits in the TV show Medium. For this role, she won an Emmy Award in 2005.

In 2014, she won an Academy Award for her role as a single mom in the movie Boyhood. This movie was filmed over 12 years! Later, she won more awards for her roles in the TV miniseries Escape at Dannemora (2018) and The Act (2019). She also stars in the exciting Apple TV+ show Severance (2022–present).

Early Life and Family Background

Patricia Arquette was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1968. Her father, Lewis Arquette, was an actor. Her mother, Brenda Olivia "Mardi" Nowak, was involved in the arts and worked as a therapist. Patricia is related to the famous explorer Meriwether Lewis through her father's side.

Her father's family name was originally "Arcouet" and came from French-Canadian ancestors. Her grandfather was the comedian Cliff Arquette. Patricia has four siblings who also became actors: Rosanna, Richmond, Alexis, and David. When she was a child, her parents offered her braces, but she said no. She felt that having small flaws would help her play different characters better as an actress.

For a while, her family lived in a commune in rural Bentonville, Virginia. Patricia has shared that living there made her family poorer. She believes this experience helped her understand and care more about other people. When she was seven, her family moved to Chicago, and later they settled in Los Angeles, California. Patricia went to Catholic school and even thought about becoming a nun when she was a teenager.

At 14, Patricia ran away from home and lived with her sister Rosanna in Los Angeles. Before becoming an actress, she wanted to be a midwife, which is someone who helps mothers give birth. However, she decided to try acting and found great success.

Patricia Arquette's Acting Career

Early Roles and Big Breaks (1987–1996)

In 1987, Patricia Arquette got her first main roles. She played a pregnant teenager in the TV movie Daddy. She also appeared as Zero in Pretty Smart and Kristen Parker in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors. She even appeared in the music video for the song "Dream Warriors" by Dokken. She was asked to be in the next Nightmare on Elm Street movie but chose to work on other projects instead.

In the early 1990s, Patricia starred in many independent films. These included Prayer of the Rollerboys (1990) and The Indian Runner (1991), which was directed by Sean Penn. In 1992, she won an award for her role in Wildflower. In this film, she played a deaf girl with epilepsy, and it was directed by Diane Keaton.

Patricia became widely known for her role as Alabama Whitman in True Romance (1993). Critics really loved her performance. One critic from The New York Times said she played her role with "surprising sweetness." Another from Rolling Stone called her performance "sensational." The movie was a success and is still remembered today.

She then appeared in the TV movie Betrayed by Love (1994). She also starred in Ed Wood, a movie directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp. In 1995, she was in Beyond Rangoon. Even though the movie had mixed reviews, Patricia's acting was praised. A critic from The New Yorker said she gave a "mighty physical performance."

In 1996, Patricia appeared in three films. One was the comedy Flirting with Disaster. Critics liked the movie, and one from Variety praised Patricia's "very believably distracted and infuriated" acting. She also starred in The Secret Agent and Infinity.

Independent Films and Critical Success (1997–2003)

In 1997, Patricia Arquette starred in David Lynch's thriller Lost Highway. She played two different characters, Renee Madison and Alice Wakefield. Her performance was highly praised. A critic from the San Francisco Gate called it the "strongest, most memorable performance" in the film. That same year, she was in the horror-thriller Nightwatch.

In 1998, she appeared in two films: Goodbye Lover and the Western movie The Hi-Lo Country. The Hi-Lo Country was seen as a "classic Western." In 1999, Patricia returned to the horror genre with Stigmata. This movie was a big success at the box office. She then starred in Martin Scorsese's Bringing Out the Dead with her then-husband Nicolas Cage. Critics liked her "quietly credible performance."

Her next role was in the comedy Little Nicky (2000) with Adam Sandler. In 2001, she starred in the comedy-drama Human Nature. The following year, she was in the mystery film The Badge. In 2003, she played the famous film star Linda Lovelace in Deeper than Deep. She also starred in the Disney movie Holes as Kissin' Kate Barlow. This family-friendly film was a financial success.

Success with Medium and Boyhood (2004–2014)

In 2005, Patricia Arquette started her first big TV role in NBC's Medium. She played Allison DuBois, a psychic medium who helps solve crimes. For this role, she won an Emmy Award in 2005 for Outstanding Lead Actress. She also received nominations for Golden Globe and SAG Awards. The show was very popular and ran for seven seasons.

In 2014, the movie Boyhood was released. This was a very special project because it was filmed over 12 years, starting in 2002. Patricia played Olivia Evans, a single mother raising her two children. The movie showed her character's journey as her son grew from age 8 to 18. Critics praised the film as a "landmark" and Patricia's performance as "stunning."

For her role in Boyhood, Patricia won many major awards. These included the Academy Award, the BAFTA, the Critics' Choice, the Golden Globe, and the SAG Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Recent Roles and Continued Success (2015–Present)

In 2015, Patricia Arquette began starring in the CBS series CSI: Cyber. In this show, she played an FBI agent who fights internet-based crimes. The series ran for two seasons.

In 2018, she played Tilly Mitchell in the Showtime miniseries Escape at Dannemora. For this role, she changed her appearance by gaining weight and wearing special teeth and contact lenses. Her performance was highly praised, and she won a SAG Award, a Critics' Choice Television Award, and a Golden Globe Award.

In 2019, Patricia starred in the Hulu series The Act. Her acting in this series was also highly praised, and she won a Primetime Emmy Award. Since 2022, she has been a co-star in the Apple TV+ thriller series Severance, which has also received excellent reviews.

Personal Life and Family

Patricia Arquette has two children. Her son, Enzo Rossi, was born in 1989. In 1995, she married actor Nicolas Cage. They later divorced in 2001.

In 2002, Patricia got engaged to actor Thomas Jane. Their daughter, Harlow Olivia Calliope Jane, was born in 2003. Patricia and Thomas married in 2006. They later divorced in 2011 but agreed to share custody of their daughter.

Advocacy and Charity Work

After a big earthquake hit Haiti in 2010, Patricia Arquette and her childhood friend Rosetta Millington-Getty started a non-profit organization called GiveLove. This group helps with important projects in Haiti, like building homes and supporting clean ways to manage waste.

After her mother passed away from breast cancer in 1997, Patricia started working to raise awareness about the disease. She has participated in the yearly Race for the Cure to support breast cancer research. In 1999, she was the spokesperson for Lee National Denim Day, which has raised millions of dollars for breast cancer research and education.

In 2010, she worked with welding students in Miami, Florida. Together, they built shelters in Haiti using old shipping containers. This helped provide homes for people who lost theirs in the earthquake.

Patricia Arquette also took part in the 2017 Women's March, which was a protest against President Donald Trump.

Film and Television Roles

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1987 A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors Kristen Parker
Pretty Smart Zero
1988 Time Out Lucy
Far North Jilly
1989 Uncle Buck Additional Voices
1990 Prayer of the Rollerboys Casey
1991 The Indian Runner Dorothy
1992 Inside Monkey Zetterland Grace
1993 Trouble Bound Kit Califano
Ethan Frome Mattie Silver
True Romance Alabama Whitman
1994 Holy Matrimony Havana
Ed Wood Kathy O'Hara
1995 Beyond Rangoon Laura Bowman
1996 Flirting with Disaster Nancy Coplin
Infinity Arline Greenbaum
The Secret Agent Winnie
1997 Lost Highway Renee Madison / Alice Wakefield
Nightwatch Katherine
1998 Goodbye Lover Sandra Dunmore
The Hi-Lo Country Mona Birk
1999 Stigmata Frankie Paige
Bringing Out the Dead Mary Burke
2000 Little Nicky Valerie Veran
2001 Human Nature Lila Jute
Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure Beaver (voice) Direct-to-video
2002 Searching for Debra Winger Herself Documentary
The Badge Scarlett
2003 Deeper Than Deep Linda Lovelace
Holes Miss Katherine "Kissin' Kate" Barlow
Tiptoes Lucy
2006 Fast Food Nation Cindy
2008 A Single Woman Storyteller
2012 Girl in Progress Ms. Armstrong
A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III Izzy
2013 Vijay and I Julia
Electric Slide Tina
2014 Boyhood Olivia Evans
2015 The Wannabe Rose
2016 Equal Means Equal None Executive producer
2017 Permanent Jeanne Dixon
Waves for Water Herself Documentary
2019 Toy Story 4 Harmony's Mom (voice)
Otherhood Gillian Liberman Also executive producer
2020 You Cannot Kill David Arquette Herself Documentary
2023 Gonzo Girl Claudia Also director and producer
TBA The Last Disturbance of Madeline Hynde Filming

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1987 Daddy Stacy Television film
1989 The Edge
1990 CBS Schoolbreak Special Dana MacCallister Episode: "The Girl with the Crazy Brother"
Thirtysomething Stephanie 1 episode
The Outsiders Rhonda Sue Episode: "The Stork Club"
Tales from the Crypt Mary Jo Episode: "Four-Sided Triangle"
1991 Dillinger Polly Hamilton Television film
Wildflower Alice Guthrie
1994 Betrayed by Love Deanna
2005–2011 Medium Allison DuBois 130 episodes
Directed episodes: "A Person of Interest" & "The First Bite is the Deepest"
2012 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Jeannie Kerns Episode: "Dreams Deferred"
2013–2014 Boardwalk Empire Sally Wheet 10 episodes
2014 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Special Agent / Deputy Director Avery Ryan 2 episodes
2015–2016 CSI: Cyber 31 episodes
2015 Inside Amy Schumer Herself 1 episode
2018 Escape at Dannemora Joyce "Tilly" Mitchell 7 episodes
2019 The Act Dee Dee Blanchard 8 episodes
2022–present Severance Harmony Cobel / Mrs. Selvig 9 episodes
2023 High Desert Peggy Newman 8 episodes

Music Videos

Year Title Artist Role Ref.
1987 "Dream Warriors" Dokken Kristen Parker
1995 "Rammstein" Rammstein Performer
1995 "Like a Rolling Stone" The Rolling Stones Woman
2014 "Imagine" (UNICEF: World Version) Various Herself
2022 "Taste so Good (The Cann Song)" Vincint, Hayley Kiyoko, MNEK & Kesha

Awards and Recognitions

Year Award Category Title Result
1993 CableACE Awards Actress in a Movie or Miniseries Wildflower Won
1994 Saturn Awards Best Actress True Romance Nominated
MTV Movie Awards Best Kiss
1999 Western Heritage Awards Theatrical Motion Picture The Hi-Lo Country Won
2000 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards Favorite Actress – Horror Stigmata Nominated
2001 Golden Raspberry Awards Worst Supporting Actress Little Nicky
2005 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Medium Won
Satellite Awards Best Actress – Television Series Drama Nominated
2006 Saturn Awards Best Actress on Television
Golden Globe Awards Best Actress – Television Series Drama
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
2007 Saturn Award Best Actress on Television
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Eyegore Awards N/A Herself Won
Golden Globe Awards Best Actress – Television Series Drama Medium Nominated
2008 TV Land Awards Favorite Character from the "Other Side"
Golden Globe Awards Best Actress – Television Series Drama
2010 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
2014 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Boardwalk Empire
2015 Independent Spirit Awards Best Supporting Female Boyhood Won
Critics' Choice Movie Awards Best Supporting Actress
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Nominated
Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Won
British Academy Film Awards Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Academy Awards Best Supporting Actress
2019 Golden Globe Awards Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film Escape at Dannemora
Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Actress in a Movie/Miniseries
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie
TCA Awards Individual Achievement in Drama Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie The Act Won
2020 Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actress – Series, Limited Series, or Television Film
Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Television Movie Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie
Satellite Awards Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film
2022 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Drama Series (as producer) Severance
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Saturn Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Streaming Television Series
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

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See Also

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