Jayne Atkinson

Jayne Atkinson
Atkinson at the 73rd Peabody Awards in 2014
Born (1959-02-18) 18 February 1959 (age 65)
Bournemouth, England
Citizenship
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
Education
OccupationActress
Years active1985–present
Spouse
​
(m. 1998)​
Children1
WebsiteOfficial Blog

Jayne Atkinson (born 18 February 1959) is a British-American actress. She is best known for the role of Karen Hayes on 24, as well as her Tony Award–nominated roles in The Rainmaker and Enchanted April. She has also appeared in Criminal Minds as BAU Section Chief Erin Strauss, Madam Secretary as United States Vice President Teresa Hurst, and House of Cards as U.S. Secretary of State Catherine Durant.[1][2][3][4]

Early life

Atkinson was born on 18 February 1959 in Bournemouth, England. Her family moved to the United States in 1968 when she was 9 years old. She grew up in North Miami Beach, Florida, and graduated from Pine Crest School, where she was elected Homecoming Queen in 1977. She attended Northwestern University (BS Communications, 1981), where she was initiated as a member of Alpha Chi Omega and a sorority sister of Laura Innes; and graduated with an MFA from the Yale Drama School in 1985.[1]

Career

After working in regional theatres, Atkinson appeared off-Broadway in the Manhattan Theatre Club's production of Bloody Poetry in 1987. She made her Broadway debut the same year in a revival of Arthur Miller's All My Sons.

Subsequently, she landed title roles in more stage productions, which include Henry VIII, Tru, and The Art of Success. She earned a Drama Desk Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performance in The Skriker in 1996. Atkinson's work in the Roundabout Theatre Company's 1999 production of The Rainmaker earned her a Tony Award nomination, and her performance in the 2003 play Enchanted April earned her an Outer Critics Circle Award, another Tony Award nomination and a Drama Desk nomination.

In 2009, she starred as Ruth Condomine in a Broadway revival of Noël Coward's Blithe Spirit,[1] which co-starred Rupert Everett, Christine Ebersole, and Angela Lansbury.

She has appeared in such films as Free Willy, Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home, 12 and Holding, Blank Check, The Village and Syriana. Her television acting credits include A Year in the Life, Parenthood, The X-Files, Law & Order, The Practice, Criminal Minds, 24, Gossip Girl and House of Cards, opposite Kevin Spacey and husband Michel Gill. Her performance in the made-for-TV movie Our Town garnered her a Satellite Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Personal life

Atkinson is a dual citizen of the United Kingdom and the United States.[5] She is married to actor Michel Gill, with whom she has one son. Atkinson and Gill met when they appeared together in a 1989 production of The Heiress at the Long Wharf Theater in New Haven, Connecticut. They both appeared in House of Cards, though not as a couple: Gill played President Garrett Walker and Atkinson played Secretary of State Catherine Durant.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1992 In the Best Interest of the Children Wanda Birney Television movie
1993 Free Willy Annie Greenwood
1994 Blank Check Sandra Waters
1995 Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home Annie Greenwood
2003 Our Town Mrs. Gibbs Television movie
Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film
2004 The Village Tabitha Walker
2005 Syriana Division Chief
2006 12 and Holding Ashley Carges
2008 Recount Theresa LePore Television movie
2009 Handsome Harry Kelly's wife
2010 The Getaway Myrtle Sommers Short film
2012 Revenge for Jolly! Receptionist
2016 The Congressman Casey Winship
2022 Baby Ruby Doris

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1986 A Year in the Life Lindley Gardner Eisenberg 3 episodes
1987–1988 A Year in the Life Lindley Gardner Eisenberg 22 episodes
1989 Moonlighting Robin Fuller Episode: "Shirts and Skins"
1990–1991 Parenthood Karen Buckman 12 episodes
1995 The X-Files Willa Ambrose Episode: "Fearful Symmetry"
1997 The Practice Ruth Gibson Episode: "Part 1"
2001–2002 The Education of Max Bickford Lyla Ortiz 7 episodes
2002 Law & Order Dr. Claire Snyder Episode: "Dazzled"
2004 Joan of Arcadia Fran Montgomery Episode: "Friday Night"
2006–2007 24 Karen Hayes 30 episodes
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
2007–2014, 2020 Criminal Minds Erin Strauss 24 episodes
2008 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Marion Springer Episode: "Savant"
2008 Law & Order Senator Melanie Carver Episode: "Political Animal"
2010 Gossip Girl Dean Reuther 4 episodes
2011 White Collar Helen Anderson Episode: "Deadline"
2012 Blue Bloods Sharon Harris Episode: "Reagan V. Reagan"
2012 Perception Helen Paulson 2 episodes
2013 The Following Jacob's mother 2 episodes
2013–2018 House of Cards Secretary of State Catherine Durant 35 episodes
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
2015 Zoo Amelia Sage 2 episodes
2016 The Good Wife Nora Valentine Episode: "Landing"[6]
2016 Chicago Med Laura Clay Episode: "Disorder"[6]
2018 Madam Secretary Vice President Teresa Hurst 5 episodes; Seasons 4–5
2018 The Walking Dead Georgie Episode: "The Key"
2018 Castle Rock Daria Reese 2 episodes
2019 Bluff City Law Della Bedford Series Regular
2021 Clarice Ruth Martin 4 episodes
2024 Death and Other Details Katherine Collier Recurring

Stage

Year Title Role Notes
1987 All My Sons Sue Bayliss
1989–1990 Tru Jan
1997–1998 Ivanov Anna Petrovna
1999–2000 The Rainmaker Lizzie Curry Nominated—Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play
2002–2003 Our Town Mrs. Gibbs
2003 Enchanted April Lotty Wilton Nominated—Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play
Nominated—Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play
2009 Blithe Spirit Ruth
2019 Ann[7] Ann Richards Arena Stage, Washington D.C.

References

  1. ^ a b c "Jayne Atkinson". tv.com. Archived from the original on 24 February 2011. Retrieved 14 August 2010.
  2. ^ "Noel Coward's 'BLITHE SPIRIT' Goes on Sale 12/20/08". broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 14 August 2010.
  3. ^ "'I became obsessed with Beethoven's obsession'". The San Diego Union-Tribune. signonsandiego.com. Retrieved 14 August 2010.
  4. ^ "A getaway that takes us nowhere near their souls – The Record (Bergen County, NJ)". Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2010 – via HighBeam Research.
  5. ^ Kurtz, Jody (10 July 2019). "Political actress Jayne Atkinson doesn't rule out real-life campaign bid". The Hill. Retrieved 30 January 2024. Atkinson, a British American dual citizen...
  6. ^ a b "Jayne Atkinson". IMDb.
  7. ^ "Ann".