# Kathy Baker

Katherine Whitton Baker (born June 8, 1950) is an American actress. Baker began her career in theater and made her screen debut in the 1983 drama film The Right Stuff. She received the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress and an Independent Spirit Award nomination for her performance in Street Smart (1987). Baker also has appeared in over 50 films, including Jacknife (1989), Edward Scissorhands (1990), The Cider House Rules (1999), Cold Mountain (2003), Nine Lives (2005), The Jane Austen Book Club (2007), Last Chance Harvey (2008), Take Shelter (2011), Saving Mr. Banks (2013), and The Age of Adaline (2015).
On television, Baker starred as Dr. Jill Brock in the CBS drama series Picket Fences (1992–1996), for which she received three Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards. She later received three additional nominations and a Primetime Emmy Award for her performances in Touched by an Angel, Boston Public, and Door to Door.

## Early life

Baker was born in Midland, Texas, and raised a Quaker. She attended high school at Mills High School in Millbrae, California. She graduated in 1968. Her drama instructor, Allen Knight, was a major influence in her desire to become a professional actress. She attended the Boston University School of Fine Arts Acting program and studied acting at the California Institute of the Arts in the early 1970s. She later earned a B.A. degree in French in 1977 from UC Berkeley.

## Career

Baker began her acting career at San Francisco's Magic Theatre, performing in several of Sam Shepard's plays before getting her break in an off-Broadway production of Fool for Love (1983) opposite Ed Harris. She won an Obie Award for this role. In the same year she was cast as Louise Shepard, Alan Shepard's wife, in the drama film The Right Stuff. She later had dramatic performances as a prostitute in Street Smart (1987) and a recovering alcoholic and victim of domestic abuse in Clean and Sober (1988). For her performance in Street Smart, Baker has won National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress and Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress as well as an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female nomination. She later starred in films Dad, Jacknife and Edward Scissorhands.
From 1992 to 1996, Baker starred as Jill Brock, a small-town doctor, in the CBS critically acclaimed drama series Picket Fences created by David E. Kelley. For her performance in the series she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series three times: in 1993, 1995 and 1996, Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama in 1994, and Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series in 1995. She later appeared in David E. Kelley's dramas Ally McBeal, The Practice and had the recurring role as Meredith Peters in Boston Public, for which she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series in 2001. Baker also received Emmy Award nominations for her guest performance in Touched by an Angel and in the category Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for Door to Door.
Baker has appeared in over 50 theatrical films in supporting and leading roles. She starred in two movies directed by Rodrigo García: Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her (2000) and Nine Lives (2005). Her other major credits include The Cider House Rules (1999), Cold Mountain (2003), 13 Going on 30 (2004), The Jane Austen Book Club (2007), Last Chance Harvey (2008), Take Shelter (2011) and Saving Mr. Banks (2013). She starred opposite Tom Selleck in the Jesse Stone made-for-TV film series in the 2000s. Also on television she guest-starred on Nip/Tuck, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Grey's Anatomy, and Medium. She also starred in the short-lived Lifetime drama series Against the Wall in 2011.
In 2014, it was announced that she was cast in Randall Miller's Midnight Rider, a biopic of Gregg Allman of the Allman Brothers Band. Baker also appears in the Netflix series The Ranch along with Ashton Kutcher and Elisha Cuthbert.

## Personal life

She lives in Southern California with her second husband, director and producer Steven Robman, whom she married in 2003. She has a son and daughter with her first husband, Donald Camillieri.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role |
| 1983 | The Right Stuff | Louise Shepard |
| 1986 | A Killing Affair | Maggie Gresham |
| 1987 | Street Smart | Punchy |
| 1988 | Permanent Record | Martha Sinclair |
| 1988 | Clean and Sober | Charlie Standers |
| 1989 | Dad | Annie |
| 1989 | Jacknife | Martha Flannigan |
| 1990 | The Image | Marcie Guilford |
| 1990 | Edward Scissorhands | Joyce |
| 1990 | Mister Frost | Dr. Sarah Day |
| 1992 | Article 99 | Dr. Diana Walton |
| 1992 | Jennifer 8 | Margie Ross |
| 1993 | Mad Dog and Glory | Lee |
| 1996 | To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday | Esther Wheeler |
| 1997 | Inventing the Abbotts | Helen Holt |
| 1997 | Weapons of Mass Distraction | Margo Powers |
| 1999 | The Cider House Rules | Nurse Angela |
| 1999 | A Little Inside | Nancy |
| 2000 | Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her | Rose |
| 2001 | The Glass House | Nancy Ryan |
| 2001 | Ten Tiny Love Stories | Ten |
| 2002 | Assassination Tango | Maggie |
| 2003 | Cold Mountain | Sally Swanger |
| 2004 | 13 Going on 30 | Bev Rink |
| 2005 | Nine Lives | Camille |
| 2006 | All the King's Men | Mrs. Burden |
| 2007 | The Jane Austen Book Club | Bernadette |
| 2008 | Last Chance Harvey | Jean |
| 2008 | Shades of Ray | Janet Rehman |
| 2010 | Miss Nobody | Claire McKinney |
| 2011 | Take Shelter | Sarah |
| 2011 | Good Day for It | Rose Carter |
| 2011 | Seven Days in Utopia | Mabel |
| 2011 | Machine Gun Preacher | Daisy |
| 2012 | Big Miracle | Ruth McGraw |
| 2013 | Saving Mr. Banks | Tommie |
| 2013 | The Trials of Cate McCall | Therapist |
| 2014 | Return to Zero | Kathleen Callaghan |
| 2014 | Boulevard | Joy Mack |
| 2014 | Model Home | Brenda |
| 2015 | The Age of Adaline | Kathy Jones |
| 2015 | The Party Is Over | Appoline |
| 2017 | The Ballad of Lefty Brown | Laura Johnson |
| 2019 | The Art of Racing in the Rain | Trish |
| 2020 | Love Is Love Is Love | Diana |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1986 | Nobody's Child | Lucy Stavros | Television film (CBS) |
| 1987 | Amazing Stories | Charlene 'Charlie' Benton | Episode: "Lane Change" |
| 1987 | Mariah | Ariel Serra | Episode: "Prey" |
| 1990 | The Image | Marcie Guilford | Television film (HBO) |
| 1991 | One Special Victory | Ellen | Television film (NBC) |
| 1992–1996 | Picket Fences | Dr. Jill Brock | 87 episodes |
| 1993 | Lush Life | Janice Oliver | Television film (Showtime) |
| 1997 | Ally McBeal | Katherine Dawson | Episode: "The Affair" |
| 1997 | Not in This Town | Tammy Schnitzer | Television film (USA Network) |
| 1998 | The Practice | Evelyn Mayfield | 2 episodes |
| 1998 | Oklahoma City: A Survivor's Story | Priscilla Salyers | Television film (Lifetime Network) |
| 1999 | Hey Arnold! | Dr. Bliss (voice) | Episode: "Helga on the Couch" |
| 1999 | A Season for Miracles | Ruth Doyle | Television film (Hallmark Hall of Fame) |
| 1999 | Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story | Janice Danner | Television film (CBS) |
| 2000 | Touched by an Angel | Ellen Sawyer | Episode: "Buy Me a Rose" |
| 2000 | Chicago Hope | Mary Wyzinski | Episode: "Everybody's Special at Chicago Hope" |
| 2000 | Ratz | Doris Trowbridge | Television film (Showtime) |
| 2001–2002 | Boston Public | Meredith Peters | 14 episodes |
| 2002 | Door to Door | Gladys Sullivan | Television film (TNT) |
| 2004 | Monk | Sylvia Fairbourn | Episode: "Mr. Monk Goes to Jail" |
| 2005 | Nip/Tuck | Gail Pollack | 2 episodes |
| 2005 | Spring Break Shark Attack | Mary Jones | Television film (CBS) |
| 2005–2010 | Medium | Marjorie Dubois | 5 episodes |
| 2007 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Hannah Curtis | Episode: "Sin" |
| 2007 | Gilmore Girls | Mia | Episode: "Gilmore Girls Only" |
| 2007 | Jesse Stone: Sea Change | Rose Gammon | Television film (CBS) |
| 2008 | Grey's Anatomy | Anna Loomis | 2 episodes |
| 2009 | Unstable | Betty Walker | Television film (Lifetime) |
| 2009 | Jesse Stone: Thin Ice | Rose Gammon | Television film (CBS) |
| 2009 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Camille Hayes-Fitzgerald | Episode: "Playing Dead" |
| 2010 | Law & Order | Camille Peterson | Episode: "Crashers" |
| 2010 | Jesse Stone: No Remorse | Rose Gammon | Television film (CBS) |
| 2011 | Against the Wall | Sheila Kowalski | 12 episodes |
| 2011 | Criminal Minds | Linda Collins | Episode: "A Family Affair" |
| 2011 | Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost | Rose Gammon | Television film (CBS) |
| 2011 | Too Big to Fail | Wendy Paulson | Television film (HBO) |
| 2012 | Private Practice | Dianne | Episode: "I'm Fine" |
| 2012 | Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt | Rose Gammon | Television film (CBS) |
| 2014 | Those Who Kill | Marie Burgess | 5 episodes |
| 2015 | Big Time in Hollywood, FL | Diana | 8 episodes |
| 2016 | Colony | Phyllis | Recurring role, 3 episodes |
| 2016 | Sister Cities | Janis | Television film (Lifetime) |
| 2016–2020 | The Ranch | Joanne | Recurring role, 46 episodes |
| 2017 | I'm Sorry | Sharon | 6 episodes |
| 2018 | Love | Vicki | 2 episodes |
| 2018 | Paterno | Sue Paterno | Television film (HBO) |
| 2019 | Chicago Med | Nancy Geddes | Episode: "Never Going Back to Normal" |
| 2024 | Teacup | Ellen Chenoweth | |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
| 1984 | Obie Award | Best Performance by an Actress | Fool for Love | Won |
| 1984 | Theatre World Award | Theatre World Award | Fool for Love | Won |
| 1988 | Boston Society of Film Critics Award | Best Supporting Actress | Street Smart | Won |
| 1988 | Independent Spirit Award | Best Supporting Female | Street Smart | Nominated |
| 1988 | National Society of Film Critics Award | Best Supporting Actress | Street Smart | Won |
| 1993 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | Picket Fences | Won |
| 1994 | Golden Globe Award | Best Actress – Television Series Drama | Picket Fences | Won |
| 1994 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | Picket Fences | Nominated |
| 1994 | Viewers for Quality Television | Best Actress in a Quality Drama Series | Picket Fences | Won |
| 1995 | Golden Globe Award | Best Actress – Television Series Drama | Picket Fences | Nominated |
| 1995 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | Picket Fences | Won |
| 1995 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series | Picket Fences | Won |
| 1995 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Picket Fences | Nominated |
| 1995 | Viewers for Quality Television | Best Actress in a Quality Drama Series | Picket Fences | Won |
| 1996 | Golden Globe Award | Best Actress – Television Series Drama | Picket Fences | Nominated |
| 1996 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | Picket Fences | Won |
| 1996 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Picket Fences | Nominated |
| 2000 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series | Touched by an Angel | Nominated |
| 2000 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | The Cider House Rules | Nominated |
| 2001 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series | Boston Public | Nominated |
| 2003 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie | Door to Door | Nominated |
| 2005 | Gotham Awards | Best Ensemble Cast | Nine Lives | Nominated |
| 2005 | Locarno International Film Festival | Best Actress | Nine Lives | Won |
| 2011 | Gotham Awards | Best Ensemble Cast | Take Shelter | Nominated |
| 2013 | Phoenix Film Critics Society Award | Best Cast | Saving Mr. Banks | Nominated |