Mary McDonnell - wikipedia Mary McDonnell This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. ( March 2014 ) Mary McDonnell McDonnell at the Phoenix Comicon, May 2015 Mary Eileen McDonnell ( 1952 - 04 - 28 ) April 28, 1952 ( age 65 ) Wilkes - Barre, Pennsylvania, United States Years active 1977 -- present Spouse ( s ) Randle Mell ( m. 1984 ) Children Mary Eileen McDonnell ( born April 28, 1952 ) is an American film, stage, and television actress. She received Academy Award nominations for her roles as Stands With A Fist in Dances with Wolves and May - Alice Culhane in Passion Fish. McDonnell is well known for her performances as President Laura Roslin in Battlestar Galactica, the First Lady in Independence Day, and Rose in Donnie Darko. She was featured as Captain Sharon Raydor during seasons 5 - 7 of the TNT series The Closer and currently stars as Commander Sharon Raydor in the spin - off series Major Crimes on the same network. Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Personal life 4 Filmography 4.1 Film 4.2 Television 5 Awards and nominations 6 References 7 External links Early Life McDonnell was born in Wilkes - Barre, Pennsylvania, and was raised in Ithaca, New York. She is the daughter of Eileen ( née Mundy ; 1921 -- 1990 ) and John `` Jack '' McDonnell ( 1923 -- 1973 ), a computer consultant. Her siblings are Jane ( 1950 -- 2005 ), Sally, Judith, Jackie, and John. She is of Irish descent. After graduating from the State University of New York at Fredonia, she attended drama school and joined the prestigious Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut, with which she worked for over 20 years. Career McDonnell won an Obie Award for Best Actress in 1981 for her work in the play Still Life. On Broadway, she has performed in productions of Execution of Justice, The Heidi Chronicles, and Summer and Smoke. After more than 21 years of theater and television work, McDonnell made her film breakthrough in 1990 as Stands With A Fist, the daughter of American settlers raised by Sioux Indians, in Kevin Costner 's Dances with Wolves. Portraying the adopted daughter of Graham Greene 's character Kicking Bird, McDonnell, then 37, was only ten months younger than Greene and less than two years younger than Tantoo Cardinal, who played Black Shawl, her adoptive mother. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the role. McDonnell 's role in Passion Fish ( 1992 ) brought her another Academy Award nomination, this time for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Her other notable films include Grand Canyon ( 1991 ), Sneakers ( 1992 ), Independence Day ( 1996 ), and Donnie Darko ( 2001 ). McDonnell also starred with Patrick Swayze in the 1988 movie, Tiger Warsaw. In 1997 she played the judge in the film 12 Angry Men. The film also featured future Battlestar Galactica castmate Edward James Olmos. On television, McDonnell had her first regular part in 1980 on the soap opera As the World Turns. She starred in 1984 on the short - lived medical comedy E / R, alongside Elliott Gould and George Clooney. Coincidentally, she guest - starred in 2001 on the NBC medical series of the same name, ER, which also featured Clooney. She was nominated for an Emmy Award for her role on the show as Eleanor Carter, the mother of Dr. John Carter played by Noah Wyle, who also had a role in Donnie Darko. She played Dr. Virginia Dixon, a surgeon with Asperger syndrome for three episodes of Grey 's Anatomy in 2008 and 2009. McDonnell at the 2007 San Diego Comic Con International In 2003, McDonnell starred in the miniseries Battlestar Galactica as Laura Roslin. The miniseries led to the subsequent weekly series, with McDonnell reprising her Laura Roslin role. The series ended in March 2009. McDonnell received worldwide recognition for her performance in the show, part of which was shown when she was invited to the United Nations for a retrospective and discussion with Edward James Olmos ( Admiral Adama ). McDonnell took part in a special session entitled Battlestar Galactica at the 2009 World Science Festival. The session also included Michael Hogan, as well as scientists Nick Bostrom and Kevin Warwick. In 2011, she appeared in the role of Kate Roberts, the mother of Emma Roberts 's character in Scream 4. From 2009 to 2012, McDonnell had a recurring role in The Closer as Capt. Sharon Raydor, a police captain in the Force Investigation Division, who often butts heads with Kyra Sedgwick 's Golden Globe and Emmy award - winning character. McDonnell received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series in 2011 for the role. McDonnell 's character is the lead in the spin - off, Major Crimes, which debuted August 13, 2012, after The Closer wrapped up its final season in the summer of 2012. Personal Life McDonnell is married to actor Randle Mell, and currently resides in Pacific Palisades, California. McDonnell and Mell have two children together, Michael Mell and Olivia Mell. Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1984 Garbo Talks Lady Capulet Matewan Elma Radnor Tiger Warsaw Paula Warsaw Dances with Wolves Stands With A Fist Nominated -- Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated -- Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated -- Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress -- Motion Picture 1991 Grand Canyon Claire 1992 Passion Fish May - Alice Culhane Nominated -- Academy Award for Best Actress Nominated -- Golden Globe Award for Best Actress -- Motion Picture Drama 1992 Sneakers Liz Blue Chips Jenny Bell Independence Day First Lady Marilyn Whitmore Mariette in Ecstasy Prioress 1997 Woman Undone Terri Hansen 1998 You Can Thank Me Later Diane 1999 Mumford Althea Brockett Donnie Darko Rose Darko 2003 Nola Margaret Langworthy Crazy Like a Fox Amy Banks 2011 Scream 4 Kate Roberts 2011 Margin Call Mary Rogers Nominated -- Gotham Award for Best Ensemble Cast Nominated -- Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast Television Year Title Role Notes 1980 As the World Turns Claudia Colfax Unknown episodes 1984 -- 85 E / R Dr. Eve Sheridan 20 episodes 1995 -- 96 High Society Dorothy `` Dott '' Emerson 13 episodes 1997 12 Angry Men Judge Cynthia Nance Television film 1998 Evidence of Blood Dora Overton Television film 1999 Replacing Dad Linda Marsh Television film 1999 Ryan Caulfield : Year One Rachel Caulfield 2 episodes 2000 A Father 's Choice Susan Shaw Television film 2000 For All Time Laura Brown Television film 2001 -- 02 ER Eleanor Carter 5 episodes Nominated -- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series 2002 Touched by an Angel Sister Theodore Episode : `` Minute by Minute '' 2002 Locket, The The Locket Helen Staples Television film 2003 Battlestar Galactica President Laura Roslin Television miniseries 2004 -- 09 Battlestar Galactica President Laura Roslin 71 episodes Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television 2005 Mrs. Harris Vivian Schulte Television film 2008 -- 09 Grey 's Anatomy Dr. Virginia Dixon 3 episodes 2009 Killer Hair Rose Television film 2009 Hostile Makeover Rose Smithsonian Television film 2009 -- 12 Closer, The The Closer Captain Sharon Raydor 23 episodes Nominated -- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series 2012 -- present Major Crimes Commander Sharon Raydor 92 episodes 2017 Fargo Ruby Goldfarb 4 episodes Awards and nominations Year Association Nominated work Result 1991 Academy Awards Best Supporting Actress Dances with Wolves Nominated Chicago Film Critics Association Awards Best Supporting Actress Nominated Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actress -- Motion Picture Nominated Academy Awards Best Actress Passion Fish Nominated Golden Globe Awards Best Actress -- Motion Picture Drama Nominated 2002 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series ER Nominated 2009 Saturn Awards Best Actress on Television Battlestar Galactica Won 2011 Gotham Awards Best Ensemble Cast Margin Call Nominated Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards Best Cast Nominated Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series The Closer Nominated References Jump up ^ Butkiewicz, Joe ( February 18, 1993 ). `` Mary McDonnell Nominated for Best Actress ''. The Times Leader. Wilkes - Barre. pp. 1 & 2B. Retrieved 2017 - 04 - 06. Jump up ^ https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/J2MP-N3V accessed 8 / 16 / 2014 Jump up ^ http://www.ew.com/article/2007/03/23/spotlight-mary-mcdonnell Jump up ^ `` Zap2it Interview ''. MSNBC. Retrieved November 13, 2008. Jump up ^ Battlestar Galactica World Science Festival, June 10 -- 14, 2009, New York City Jump up ^ Creepy, Uncle ( July 2, 2010 ). `` And the Body Count Continues -- More Scream 4 Casting : Mary McDonnell and Alison Brie ''. Dreadcentral.com. Retrieved July 18, 2011. Jump up ^ Ausiello, Michael ( March 22, 2009 ). `` ' The Closer ' exclusive : It 's McDonnell vs. Sedgwick ! ''. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on March 24, 2009. Retrieved March 2, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Primetime Emmy Awards nominations for 2011 -- Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series ''. Emmys.com. Retrieved July 18, 2011. Jump up ^ Fienberg, Daniel ( May 18, 2011 ). `` TNT orders ' Closer ' spinoff ' Major Crimes ' starring Mary McDonnell ''. HitFix. Retrieved May 31, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Mary Mcdonnell Biography ''. TV Guide. External links Mary McDonnell on IMDb Mary McDonnell at the Internet Broadway Database Mary McDonnell at the Internet Off - Broadway Database Mary McDonnell at TVGuide.com Mary McDonnell at Battlestar Wiki `` The OBIES ''. Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television Gillian Anderson ( 1996 ) Kate Mulgrew ( 1997 ) Sarah Michelle Gellar ( 1998 ) Margaret Colin ( 1999 ) Jessica Alba ( 2000 ) Yancy Butler ( 2001 ) Jennifer Garner ( 2002 ) Amber Tamblyn ( 2003 ) Claudia Black ( 2004 ) Kristen Bell ( 2005 ) Jennifer Love Hewitt ( 2006 ) Jennifer Love Hewitt ( 2007 ) Mary McDonnell ( 2008 ) Anna Torv ( 2009 ) Anna Torv ( 2010 ) Anna Torv ( 2011 ) Anna Torv ( 2012 ) Vera Farmiga ( 2013 ) Caitriona Balfe ( 2014 ) Caitriona Balfe ( 2015 ) Melissa Benoist ( 2016 ) VIAF : 85611985 LCCN : no96021166 ISNI : 0000 0001 1450 6510 GND : 129577324 SUDOC : 076931366 BNF : cb14012653n ( data ) BIBSYS : 98015118 BNE : XX1107258 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mary_McDonnell&oldid=804219199 '' Categories : 1952 births Living people American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses Actresses from New York ( state ) People from Ithaca, New York Actors from Wilkes - Barre, Pennsylvania State University of New York at Fredonia alumni 20th - century American actresses 21st - century American actresses Actresses from Pennsylvania American people of Irish descent Hidden categories : BLP articles lacking sources from March 2014 All BLP articles lacking sources Use mdy dates from February 2012 Articles with hCards Articles with IBDb links All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from August 2016 Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with ISNI identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Wikipedia articles with BNF identifiers Wikipedia articles with BIBSYS identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Български Català Dansk Deutsch Español Esperanto فارسی Français 한국어 Հայերեն Bahasa Indonesia Íslenska Italiano עברית Lietuvių Magyar Bahasa Melayu Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Română Русский Simple English Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Tagalog Türkçe Edit links This page was last edited on 7 October 2017, at 15 : 15. 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Question: who was the actress in dancing with wolves
Answer: Mary Eileen McDonnell