# Ellen Parker (actress)

Ellen Parker (born September 30, 1949) is an American actress, best known for her role as Maureen Bauer in Guiding Light (1986-1993).

## Stage work

Parker is primarily a New York stage actress. Among her credits was the original production of The Heidi Chronicles, as well as Equus, David Hare's Plenty, and the play "Strangers". She also had a role in the film Kramer vs. Kramer.

## Television credits

Parker's first television appearance was in the PBS adaptation of another one of Wasserstein's works, Uncommon Women and Others. Her first major television role was as Ethel Kennedy in the miniseries Kennedy in 1983. Among her other television credits are appearances on Law & Order and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, as well as The Education of Max Bickford and Ed.

### Guiding Light

Parker is perhaps best known for her role as Maureen Reardon Bauer on Guiding Light, which she played from 1986 to 1993. She replaced Ellen Dolan in the role of Maureen in 1986, and played the role for seven years. During that time, the show's tentpole character, Bert Bauer, died when actress Charita Bauer, who played Bert, died. Maureen then became the show's matriarchal figure. In 1993, then-executive producer Jill Farren Phelps made a surprising decision to kill the character of Maureen, based on lackluster responses to the character during a focus group session. Parker's performance during her character's death (Maureen died in a car accident after discovered her husband Ed had been unfaithful) earned her a Daytime Emmy Award in 1993. She subsequently returned to the show in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2004 and 2005 for flashback scenes and moments where Maureen appeared as a spirit. The character's death, and Parker's departure from the show, proved controversial and unpopular.

## Personal life

Parker is New York City based and tends to take mostly New York-based roles. Ms. Parker is a graduate of Bard College. She and her ex- husband Dr. Mack Lipkin, a physician, have one child, a daughter, whom they adopted from China.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1979 | Kramer vs. Kramer | Teacher | Feature film |
| 1980 | Night of the Juggler | Gladys | Feature film |
| 1982 | Supervisors | Fran | Short film |
| 1986 | Dream Lover | Nurse Jennifer | Feature film |
| 1990 | Desperate Hours | Kate | Feature film |
| 1997 | Ties to Rachel | Millie | Feature film |
| 2018 | The Clinic | Dr. Richards | Short film |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1979 | Great Performances | Muffett DiNicola | Episode: "Uncommon Women... and Others" |
| 1982 | CBS Library | Hanna | Episode: "Robbers, Rooftops and Witches" |
| 1983 | Kennedy | Ethel Kennedy | TV miniseries (3-part) |
| 1984 | Bay City Blues | Andrea Stern | Episode: "Look Homeward, Hayward" |
| 1985 | Another World | Le Soleil (voice only) | Episode: #5359 |
| 1986–1993, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2005 | Guiding Light | Maureen Reardon Bauer #2 | Daytime serial (contract 1986-1993; guest 1997, 1998, 1999, 2004 & 2005) For Daytime Emmy info, see Awards and nominations section below for details |
| 1990 | ABC Afterschool Special | Mrs. Noonan | Episode: "Stood Up!" |
| 1994 | Law & Order | Gwen Savitt | Episode: "Breeder" |
| 1996 | Lifestories: Families in Crisis | Mary Dobson | Episode: "Someone Had to Be Benny" |
| 1997 | Disney's Doug | Voice | Episode: "Doug's Secret of Success" Episode: "Doug's Friend's Friend" Episode: "Doug's Chubby Buddy" Episode: "Doug: Quailman VI - The Dark Quail Saga" Episode: "Judy, Judy, Judy" Episode: "Doug's Dougapaloooza" Episode: "Doug's Thanksgiving" Episode: "Doug Gets It All" |
| 2001 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Erin Blake | Episode: "Stolen" |
| 2001 | The Education of Max Bickford | Noleen Bettis | Episode: "It's Not the Wrapping, It's the Candy" |
| 2002 | Ed | Linda Fletcher | Episode: "Ends and Means" |
| 2008 | Law & Order | Judge Henrietta Lee | Episode: "Lost Boys" |
| 2012 | Blue Bloods | Mrs. Polanski | Episode: "Reagan vs. Reagan" |
| 2014 | Black Box | Lucy Dacy | Episode: "Kiss the Sky" |
| 2014 | The Leftovers | A-F Check-in Aide | Episode: "Guest" |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Work | Result | Ref |
| 1993 | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Guiding Light | Won | |