Felicity Huffman
| Felicity Huffman | |
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| Born | Felicity Kendall Huffman December 9, 1962 Bedford, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Spouse | William H. Macy (1997–present) |
Felicity Kendall Huffman (born December 9, 1962) is an American actress. She is known for her role as hectic supermom Lynette Scavo on the ABC show Desperate Housewives, which earned her an Emmy Award. A year later, her critically-acclaimed role as a trans woman in the independent film Transamerica earned her a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination.
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Early life
Huffman was born in Bedford, New York, the daughter of Grace Valle (née Ewing), an actress, and Moore Peters Huffman, a banker.[1] Her parents divorced a year after her birth, and she was raised mostly by her mother. She has six sisters (Mariah, Betsy, Jane, Grace, Isabel, Jessie) and a brother, (Moore Jr.). She attended The Putney School, a boarding middle school in Putney, Vermont and graduated from Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. After high school she went on to New York University where she graduated in 1984 from Circle In The Square, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama.
Career
Huffman is known for her roles in Desperate Housewives and Transamerica. On television, she starred as Dana Whitaker in the dramedy Sports Night, and has had guest starring roles on Frasier, The X-Files, The West Wing, Early Edition, and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. In 2001 she appeared in the made for TV movie Snap Decision with Mare Winningham. Huffman has appeared in films such as Raising Helen and Christmas with the Kranks. In 2003 she starred in Showtime's dramedy Out of Order.
Huffman won an Emmy for her work on Desperate Housewives (Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series), as well as two 2006 Screen Actors Guild Awards (Best Actress - Comedy Series and part of Best Ensemble - Comedy Series). Huffman's performance in the film Transamerica was praised by many critics and garnered her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress as well as nominations for the Best Actress (Screen Actors Guild) and Best Actress (Academy Awards). Huffman is now a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[2]
Huffman is also the co-author of the self-help book, A Practical Handbook for the Boyfriend.
She is the only actress (other than actor Timothy Davis-Reed) who has appeared in all three television shows created by Aaron Sorkin (Sports Night, The West Wing, and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip).
On June 23, 2008, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced Huffman and her husband William H. Macy will each receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the upcoming year.[3][4]
Felicity Huffman is planning to return to New York City and to Broadway again.[5]
Personal life
Huffman is married to actor William H. Macy, with whom she has two daughters, Sofia Grace (born August 1, 2000) and Georgia Grace (born March 14, 2002). They married on September 6, 1997. She has appeared on television, in movies, and on stage many times with her husband, such as on the TV show Sports Night and in the movie Magnolia. The couple have become the subject of a running gag on the satirical news show The Colbert Report, in which the couple (who live a quiet life outside the media spotlight) are regularly referenced as representing the greatest of today's celebrity couples in a culture obsessed with celebs. Stephen Colbert refers to the couple as "Filliam H. Muffman", a play on the current trend by media types to combine the names of major celebrity couples, in the mold of "Bennifer", "Brangelina", "Speidi", and "TomKat."
In 2005, Huffman revealed that she had suffered from both anorexia and bulimia in her late teens and twenties.[6] At the height of her bulimia she would purge up to six times a day. Her weight dropped to 98 lbs, her periods stopped, and she was too weak to go jogging. With therapy and upon meeting Macy she managed to overcome those conditions. She is still known for her self-deprecating humor and her belief that she is "not pretty."
She is a huge fan of Tina Turner and her dream was to be a back-up singer, so when Huffman was on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Oprah surprised her with a visit from Tina Turner where the two got to sing together. Huffman also sang back-up vocals for her friend Rebecca Pidgeon's cover version of Auld Lang Syne/Bring It On Home To Me in 1995.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | ABC Afterschool Specials | Sara Greene | Episode: A Home Run for Love |
| 1988 | Things Change | The Wheel of Fortune Girl | |
| Lip Service | Woman P.A. | TV Movie | |
| 1990 | Reversal of Fortune | Minnie, Dershowitz's Student Staff | |
| 1991 | Golden Years | Terry Spann | 7 Episodes |
| 1992 | Quicksand: No Escape | Julianna Reinhardt | TV Movie |
| Raven | Sharon Prior | Episode: ...And Everything Nice | |
| The Water Engine | Dance Hall Girl | TV Movie | |
| The Heart of Justice | Annie | TV Movie | |
| 1992, 1997 | Law & Order | Diane Perkins | 2 Episodes |
| 1993 | The X-Files | Dr. Nancy Da Silva | Episode: "Ice" |
| 1995 | Hackers | Prosecuting Attorney | |
| 1996 | Harrison: Cry of the City | Peggy Macklin | TV Movie |
| Early Edition | Det. Tagliatti | Episode: Pilot | |
| 1997 | Chicago Hope | Ellie Stockton | Episode: Take My Wife, Please |
| The Spanish Prisoner | Pat McCune | ||
| 1998-2000 | Sports Night | Dana Whitaker | TV Series; Series Regular Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy (2000) Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2000) Nominated — Q Award for Best Actress in a Quality Comedy Series (2000) |
| 1999 | A Slight Case of Murder | Kit Wannamaker | |
| Magnolia | Cynthia | ||
| 2001 | The Heart Department | Dr. Liza Peck | |
| The West Wing | Ann Stark | Episode: "The Leadership Breakfast" | |
| Snap Decision | Carrie Dixon | ||
| 2002 | Path to War | Lady Bird Johnson | |
| Door to Door | Joey’s Mom | Uncredited | |
| Girls Club | Marcia Holden | Episode: Pilot | |
| 2002-2003 | Kim Possible | Dr. Betty Director | 2 Episodes |
| 2003 | Out of Order | Lorna Colm | Mini-series Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film |
| Frasier | Julia Wilcox | 8 episodes | |
| House Hunting | Sheila | ||
| 2004 | The D.A. | Charlotte Ellis | 3 Episodes |
| Raising Helen | Lindsay Davis | ||
| Reversible Errors | Judge Gillian Sullivan | Nominated — Prism Award for Best Performance in a TV Movie or Miniseries | |
| Christmas with the Kranks | Merry | ||
| 2004-present | Desperate Housewives | Lynette Scavo | Series regular Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Won 2005, Nominated 2007) Satellite Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy (Won 2005, Nominated 2006-2007) Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series (Won 2006, Nominated 2007) Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (Won 2005-2006, Nominated 2007-2009) Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy (2005-2007) Nominated — Prism Award for Best Performance in a Comedy Series |
| 2005 | Transamerica | Sabrina 'Bree' Osbourne | Bangkok International Film Festival Award for Best Actress Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Jury Award for Best Actress at the Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival Independent Spirit Award for Best Lead Female National Board of Review Award for Best Actress Palm Springs International Film Festival Award for Best Breakthrough Performance Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress San Diego Film Festival Award for Best Actress Satellite Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Tribeca Film Festival Award for Best Actress Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress Nominated — Academy Award for Best Actress Nominated — Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Nominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Nominated — Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress Nominated — Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Nominated — Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress |
| 2006 | Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip | Herself | Episode: Pilot |
| Choose Your Own Adventure: The Abominable Snowman | Pilot Nima | Straight-to-video; voice | |
| 2007 | Georgia Rule | Lilly Wilcox | |
| 2008 | Phoebe in Wonderland | Hillary Lichten |
Other awards and nominations
OBIE Award
- 1994-95: Won for her performance as Donny in David Mamet's "Cryptogram"
Other honors
- 2009: In June 2008 it was announced that Felicity Huffman would receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Although announced in June 2008, she is among the list of 2009 recipients. The date and time for the unveiling of her star and ceremony has not yet been announced but was expected to be sometime in 2009.
References
- ↑ Felicity Huffman Biography (1962-)
- ↑ Academy Invites 120 to Membership
- ↑ "25 chosen for Hollywood's "star" treatment". CNN.com/entertainment. http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/06/20/hollywood.walk.ap/index.html. Retrieved 2008-06-20.
- ↑ "Felicity Huffman is Getting a Hollywood Walk of Fame Star!!". Desperate Blog. http://www.desperateblog.com/felicity-huffman-is-getting-a-hollywood-walk-of-fame-star/. Retrieved 2008-06-23.
- ↑ Felicity Huffman Desperate for Broadway Return, NewKerala.com, March 4, 2009
- ↑ Keck, William (November 21, 2005). "Felicity Huffman is sitting pretty". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2005-11-21-huffman_x.htm. Retrieved May 2, 2010.
External links
- Felicity Huffman at the Internet Movie Database
- Felicity Huffman at TV.com
- Huffman interview, 2005, Miami Herald
- Huffman interview, 2005, PlanetOut
- Huffman interview, 2005, Asbury Park Press
- Huffman interview, 2006, AOL Living
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