Laurie Metcalf is a popular American actress who frequently appears on several movies and TV shows. She achieved her first big shot at fame with the ABC series Roseanne. She followed it up with appearances in Desperate Housewives, The McCarthys and more recently as Sheldon Cooper’s mother Mary Cooper in The Big Bang Theory. She has won three Emmys for her roles on TV.
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Metcalf has appeared in movies such as JFK, Making Mr. Right, and as the voice of Mrs. Davis in the Toy Story films. She has also acted on Broadway, on plays such as Domesticated with Jeff Goldblum.
Early Life and Beginning of Career
Laurie Metcalf was born as Laura Elizabeth Metcalf in Carbondale in Illinois. Her birthday is June 16, 1955. However, she spent most of her childhood in Edwardsville. Her mother Libby was a librarian while her father James was a budget director. She is also the great grand neice of Zoe Atkins, a Pulitzer Prize winner. She is an alumna of the Illinois State University where she received her graduation in arts and theater. Her fellow alumni include John Malkovich and Joan Allen.
The first role that came her way was at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company that she had recently joined. This is where she honed her acting talents. On the big screen, she appeared for the fiorst time in A Wedding, a Robert Altman movie that released in 1978. Roseanne happened ten years later, in 1988, and that role made her career a successful one.
As an Actress in Films
Metcalf has appeared in dozens of big and small budget movies in roles of various sizes and importance. She calls herself a character actress. Some of the big hits that she has appeared in include Runaway Bride, Meet the Robinsons, Internal Affairs, Desperately Seeking Susan, Treasure Planet, Georgia Rule, Fun with Dick and Jane, and Leaving Las Vegas. In all these movies, she has appeared in roles with various complexities and depth, often playing the complete opposite of a role that she might have played in some other movie. This is only an indication of her multitalented skills as an actor.
As an Actress on Television
She has appeared on numerous television shows as well. After her big start with Roseanne, she continued playing the role of Jackie Harris for the show’s entire nine-year run. She also made brief appearances on Saturday Night Live and The Norm Show. She was seen in other shows such as Malcolm in the Middle, Frasier, Without a Trace, Dharma & Greg, Nashville, 3rd Rock from the Sun, and in The Big Bang Theory. She received Emmys for 3rd Rock from the Sun and Monk. She has also appeared in one episode of Grey’s Anatomy. Since 2013, she has begun appearing in the HBO show Getting On.
Personal Life
Laurie Metcalf married the co-founder of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in 1983. They married nine years later, in 1992. They have a daughter together. Her second husband was Matt Roth, her co-actor in Roseanne. They married in 1993. They have two children – a son who was born before marriage and a daughter who was born later via surrogacy. They divorced in 2014 citing irreconcilable differences.
Currently, her net worth is estimated to be $8 million. She donates a part as charity to organizations she believes in. She is known for her collaboration with UNICEF.
Last Modified: Apr 7, 2020
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