# Debra Mooney

Debra Mooney (born August 28, 1947) is an American character actress, best known for her role as Edna Harper on The WB drama series Everwood (2002–06). Mooney is also known for her recurring roles in Scandal, Grey's Anatomy and The Originals.

## Life and career

Mooney was born Debra Vick in Aberdeen, South Dakota, and grew up in Ellendale, North Dakota, the daughter of Isabel (née Smith) and Henry M. Vick. She was married to stage manager, producer, and director Porter Van Zandt until his death in 2012.
Mooney is best known for her role as Edna Harper on The WB drama series Everwood. The series aired from 2002 to 2006. She has appeared in many stage productions and played roles of over 80 films and TV shows. Her notable film credits include Chapter Two opposite Marsha Mason, and Tootsie, Dead Poets Society and Domestic Disturbance.
On television she also starred of short-lived series Dream Street, Davis Rules and Kirk. Mooney guest-starred as the oblivious plutocrat Meg Wellman on Roseanne. She also appeared in Seinfeld, ER, Everybody Loves Raymond, Grey's Anatomy, Bones and Weeds. From 2012 to 2013, she played the role of Supreme Court Justice Verna Thornton in the second season of ABC drama series Scandal created by Shonda Rhimes.
In 2014, she had a recurring role in the Netflix comedy series, Arrested Development. That same year, she joined the cast of The CW series, The Originals in a recurring role as Werewolf Matriarch. In 2016, she starred in the ABC drama pilot The Death of Eva Sofia Valdez, starring Gina Torres in a title role, with Eric Close, Melora Hardin, and Christina Pickles.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1979 | Chapter Two | Marilyn | |
| 1982 | Tootsie | Mrs. Mallory | |
| 1982 | Supervisors | Ms. Barnes | Short |
| 1986 | Agent on Ice | Mrs. Kirkpatrick | |
| 1989 | Dead Poets Society | Mrs. Anderson | |
| 1994 | Schemes | Ruby | Video |
| 1995 | Napoleon | Cat | Voice (U.S. Dub) |
| 1997 | Anastasia | Actress | Voice |
| 2001 | Domestic Disturbance | Theresa | |
| 2010 | The Last Godfather | Sister Theresa | |
| 2016 | Those Left Behind | | |
| 2017 | We Don't Belong Here | Grandma | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1976 | Delvecchio | Dr. Petrie | Episodes: "The Silent Prey", "APB: Santa Claus" |
| 1983 | The Cradle Will Fall | Vangie Lewis | TV film |
| 1985 | ABC Afterschool Special | Mrs. Anderson | Episode: "Don't Touch" |
| 1989 | Dream Street | Lillian DeBeau | Main role |
| 1990 | Roseanne | Mrs. Wellman | Episodes: "Hair", "I'm Hungry", "Fender Bender", "Happy Birthday" |
| 1990 | Empty Nest | Mrs. Bierman | Episode: "The Tortoise & the Harry" |
| 1991 | L.A. Law | Marsha Henderson | Episode: "The Gods Must Be Lawyers" |
| 1991 | Tales from the Crypt | Ellen | Episode: "Easel Kill Ya" |
| 1991–92 | Davis Rules | Mrs. Rush | Main role |
| 1992 | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Nurse Petty | Episode: "Ill Will" |
| 1993 | Flying Blind | Joan | Episode: "The Long Goodbye" |
| 1993 | Seinfeld | Mrs. Sweedler | Episode: "The Bris" |
| 1993 | Grace Under Fire | Peg | Episode: "Grace in the Middle" |
| 1993–94 | Murphy Brown | Lee Larkin | Episodes: "Trickster, We Hardly Knew Ye", "Anything But Cured" |
| 1994 | Breathing Lessons | Mrs. Stuckey | TV film |
| 1994 | Herman's Head | Herman's Mother | Episode: "Bedtime for Hermo" |
| 1994 | The George Carlin Show | Rosemarie | Episode: "George Destroys a Way of Life" |
| 1994 | One West Waikiki | Sarah Gaines | Episode: "Along Came a Spider" |
| 1994–95 | Something Wilder | Mrs. Thornton | Episodes: "Holy Water", "Hanging with Mr. Cooper" |
| 1995 | Northern Exposure | Jane Stowe O'Connell | Episode: "The Mommy's Curse" |
| 1995 | Step by Step | Nurse Deckers | Episode: "One Truck, Al Dente" |
| 1995 | Pig Sty | Kasha | Episode: "Mr. Nice Guy" |
| 1995 | Party of Five | Gloria Metzler | Episode: "Brother's Keeper" |
| 1995 | Mad About You | Sister Dorothea | Episode: "Mad Without You" |
| 1995–96 | Kirk | Sally | Main role |
| 1996 | Sisters | Paulette Brown | Episode: "Taking a Gamble" |
| 1996 | Touched by an Angel | Mrs. Shaw | Episode: "Flesh and Blood" |
| 1996 | Champs | Prof. Carnovsky | Episode: "To Be There or Not to Be There" |
| 1996 | Ellen | Barbara | Episode: "Not So Great Expectations" |
| 1996 | Boston Common | Mrs. Taggert | Episode: "Coming Clean" |
| 1997 | The Naked Truth | Eleanor | Episode: "He Ain't Famous, He's My Brother" |
| 1997 | Caroline in the City | Eleanor Cassidy | Episode: "Caroline and the Decanter" |
| 1998 | House Rules | Mother Superior | Episode: "Twisted Sister" |
| 1998 | Maggie Winters | Idah | Episode: "Suburban Myth" |
| 1999 | Silk Hope | Violet | TV film |
| 1999, 2009 | ER | Leila Morgan, Barbara Feingold | Episodes: "Rites of Spring", "Getting to Know You", "Love Is a Battlefield" |
| 2000 | Will & Grace | Sister Robert | Episode: "Sweet (and Sour) Charity" |
| 2000 | Just Shoot Me! | Ellen Gelman | Episode: "Blinded by the Right" |
| 2001 | Judging Amy | Marjorie Landsdown | Episode: "Adoption Day" |
| 2000–2003 | The Practice | Judge P. Spindle | Guest role (seasons 4–6, 8) |
| 2002 | Philly | Brenda Pagano | Episode: "Lies of Minelli" |
| 2002–03 | Everybody Loves Raymond | Lee | Episodes: "The Skit", "Thank You Notes", "Home from School" |
| 2002–2006 | Everwood | Edna Harper | Main role |
| 2004 | Joan of Arcadia | Ruth Washington | Episode: "Silence" |
| 2006 | The Mermaid Chair | Kat | TV film |
| 2006 | The Closer | Elaine Donahue | Episodes: "Serving the King: Parts 1 & 2" |
| 2007 | Psych | Mrs. Lassiter | Episode: "Poker? I Barely Know Her" |
| 2007 | Private Practice | Sylvie | Episode: "In Which Addison Has a Very Casual Get Together" |
| 2007–08 | Boston Legal | Judge Patrice Webb | Episodes: "Nuts", "The Good Lawyer", "The Bride Wore Blood", "Rescue Me" |
| 2008 | Pushing Daisies | Callista Cod | Episode: "Frescorts" |
| 2008 | Cold Case | Betty Sue Baker | Episode: "Pin Up Girl" |
| 2009 | Eleventh Hour | Pete Hammer | Episode: "Pinocchio" |
| 2009–10, 2015–2021 | Grey's Anatomy | Evelyn Hunt | Guest role (seasons 5, 7, 11–12, 14–18) |
| 2010 | Den Brother | Allie Jacklitz | TV film |
| 2010 | Hawthorne | Maureen | Episode: "No Exit" |
| 2011 | Bones | Allison Rose | Episode: "The Change in the Game" |
| 2011 | Weeds | Shelby Keene | Episodes: "Game-Played", "Synthetics" |
| 2011 | The Mentalist | Lydia Bibb | Episode: "Blood and Sand" |
| 2012–13 | The Neighbors | Theresa Weaver | Episodes: "Thanksgiving Is for the Bird-Kersees", "Thanksgiving Is No Schmuck Bait" |
| 2012–13, 2017 | Scandal | Verna Thornton | Recurring role (season 2), guest (season 6) |
| 2013 | Save Me | Ruby | Episode: "WWJD" |
| 2013 | Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret | Caroline | TV film |
| 2013, 2018 | Arrested Development | Joan Bark | Guest role (seasons 4–5) |
| 2014 | Parks and Recreation | Rosie Demarco | Episode: "Anniversaries" |
| 2014 | Intelligence | Mary Vaughn | Episode: "Being Human" |
| 2014 | Rake | Dorothy Copely | Episode: "Mammophile" |
| 2015, 2017 | The Originals | Mary Dumas | Recurring role (seasons 2 & 4), guest (season 3) |
| 2016 | Chance | Dr. Myra Cohen | Episodes: "Camera Obscura", "Fluid Management" |
| 2016 | The Death of Sofia Valdez | Clara | TV film |
| 2017 | This Is Us | Mrs. Peabody | Episode: "Moonshadow" |
| 2020 | Batwoman | Mabel Cartwright | Episode: "Off With Her Head" |
| 2021 | Grace and Frankie | Judge Mcavoy | Episode: "The Arraignment" |
| 2022 | Inventing Anna | Judge | Episodes: "Life of a VIP", “Cash on Delivery”, “Dangerously Close” |

## Theater

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1972 | Fiddler on the Roof | | |
| 1972 | A Streetcar Named Desire | Blanche DuBois | |
| 1975 | The Farm | | |
| 1977 | Chapter Two | Faye Medwick / Jennie Malone | Replacement Broadway debut |
| 1980 | Talley's Folly | Sally Talley | Replacement |
| 1984 | Death of a Salesman | Linda | Understudy |
| 1985 | The Odd Couple | Mickey | Replacement |
| 1986 | The Perfect Party | Sally | |
| 1989 | The Sum of Us | Joyce | |
| 1992 | The Price | Esther Franz | |
| 1998 | Getting and Spending | Mary Phillips | |