# Rusty Schwimmer

Rusty Schwimmer (born August 25, 1962) is an American character actress and singer. She has appeared in films such as A Little Princess (1995), Twister (1996), The Perfect Storm (2000), Runaway Jury (2003), North Country (2005), The Informant! (2009), and The Sessions (2012).

## Early life

Schwimmer was raised in Chicago. She attended New Trier High School in suburban Winnetka, with her best friend, actress Virginia Madsen.

## Career

Schwimmer made her film debut in 1988, appearing in Memories of Me. She had small parts in Highlander II: The Quickening, Sleepwalkers and Candyman, before playing Joey B in Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993). In 1995, she starred as Amelia Minchin in A Little Princess directed by Alfonso Cuarón. She went on to appear as Mrs. Thornton (Jo Harding's mother) in Twister (1996), Mrs Pendleton in Amistad (1997), Gridlock'd (1997), Alice in EDtv (1999), Irene "Big Red" Johnson in The Perfect Storm (2000), Millie Dupree in Runaway Jury (2003), Big Betty in North Country (2005), and as office worker Peggy Displasia in The Belko Experiment in 2016.
On television, Schwimmer had a starring role in the 2006 Western miniseries Broken Trail playing "Big Rump" Kate Becker. From 2001 to 2003, she had a recurring role as Barbara Ludzinski on the CBS legal drama The Guardian. Schwimmer has also appeared in guest starring roles in several television series, including Parker Lewis Can't Lose, In the Heat of the Night, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Tales from the Crypt, Married... with Children, ER, Chicago Hope, Ally McBeal, Judging Amy, The X-Files, Gilmore Girls, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Criminal Minds, Heroes, Desperate Housewives, Boston Legal, Private Practice, Six Feet Under, Drop Dead Diva, Louie, Lucifer, Grey's Anatomy, Bones and Better Call Saul. She also appeared in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special .
Schwimmer also appeared in Paul Thomas Anderson’s teenage short film The Dirk Diggler Story, an early version of Boogie Nights.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1988 | Memories of Me | Strawberry | |
| 1988 | The Dirk Diggler Story | Candy Kane | Short |
| 1989 | Angels of the City | Bookworm | |
| 1991 | Highlander II: The Quickening | Drunk | |
| 1992 | Sleepwalkers | Housewife | |
| 1992 | Candyman | Policewoman | |
| 1993 | Reckless Kelly | Entertainment Reporter | |
| 1993 | Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday | Joey B. | |
| 1994 | The Crazysitter | German Nanny | |
| 1995 | A Little Princess | Amelia Minchin | |
| 1995 | Lone Justice 2 | Emma | |
| 1996 | Twister | Mrs. Thornton | |
| 1997 | Gridlock'd | Nurse | |
| 1997 | Amistad | Mrs. Pendleton | |
| 1997 | Los Locos | Sister Drexel | |
| 1998 | Almost Heroes | Execution Witness | Uncredited |
| 1998 | The Thin Pink Line | Nora Finkelheimer | |
| 1999 | EDtv | Alice | |
| 1999 | Ballad of the Nightingale | Distributor | |
| 2000 | The Perfect Storm | Irene 'Big Red' Johnson | |
| 2000 | I'll Wave Back | Zeola | |
| 2003 | Runaway Jury | Millie Dupree | |
| 2003 | Harold Buttleman, Daredevil Stuntman | Ronette | |
| 2005 | Mozart and the Whale | Gracie | |
| 2005 | North Country | Big Betty | |
| 2006 | The Hawk Is Dying | Precious | |
| 2006 | Beautiful Dreamer | Jeannie | |
| 2008 | Fly Like Mercury | Dr. Sims | |
| 2008 | Pants on Fire | Peggy | |
| 2009 | The Informant! | Liz Taylor | |
| 2012 | The Sessions | Jan | |
| 2012 | Scrooge & Marley | Freda | |
| 2012 | Melvin Smarty | Margie | |
| 2014 | Perfect Sisters | Aunt Martha | |
| 2014 | Sunken City | Wanda | |
| 2015 | The Life and Death of an Unhappily Married Man | Kim | |
| 2016 | American Fable | Ethel | |
| 2016 | Blood Stripe | Dot | |
| 2016 | The Belko Experiment | Peggy Displasia | |
| 2017 | Wild Honey | Gabby | |
| 2018 | 30 Miles from Nowhere | Officer Marsh | |
| 2019 | The Short History of the Long Road | Marcie | |
| 2020 | Killing Eleanor | Pam | |
| 2021 | Rushed | Joan | |
| 2022 | North of the 10 | Jackie | |
| TBA | You Can't Win | Salt Chunk Mary | |
| TBA | Penitentia | Shelly Wolf | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1988 | Addicted to His Love | Woman at Video Dating Service | Television film |
| 1990 | Running Against Time | Sales Rep | Television film |
| 1991 | Parker Lewis Can't Lose | Lady | Episode: "Teens from a Mall" |
| 1991 | Life Goes On | Teacher | Episode: "Armageddon" |
| 1992 | Stand by Your Man | Gloria | Television film |
| 1992 | Getting Up and Going Home | Julia Stevenson | Television film |
| 1992 | T Bone N Weasel | Verna Mae | Television film |
| 1992–1995 | Picket Fences | Julia Boles / Sheila | 3 episodes |
| 1993 | Darkness Before Dawn | Evelyn | Television film |
| 1993 | In the Heat of the Night | Betty Simms | 2 episodes |
| 1993 | Ned Blessing: The True Story of My Life | Big Emma | 5 episodes |
| 1994 | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Big Bertha | Episode: "Fresh Prince: The Movie" |
| 1994 | Tales from the Crypt | Carla | Episode: "In the Groove" |
| 1995 | Married... with Children | Babs | Episode: "And Bingo Was Her Game-O" |
| 1995 | ER | Grollman | Episode: "Men Plan, God Laughs" |
| 1995 | 18 Minutes in Albuquerque | Bus Driver | Television film |
| 1995 | Down, Out & Dangerous | Bartender | Television film |
| 1996 | The Louie Show | Nurse | Episode: "Louie's Little Trip" |
| 1996 | Chicago Hope | Veronica Sarison | Episode: "Quiet Riot" |
| 1996 | If These Walls Could Talk | Prayer Group | Television film |
| 1996 | The Man Who Captured Eichmann | Rosa | Television film |
| 1997 | North Shore Fish | Nurse | Television film |
| 1997 | Prison of Secrets | Carla | Television film |
| 1997 | Ally McBeal | Angela Tharpe | Episode: "The Promise" |
| 1997 | Heartless | Connie | Television film |
| 1999 | Providence | Ms. Polly Maravich | Episode: "All Good Dogs Go to Heaven" |
| 1999 | Tracey Takes On... | Protester | Episode: "Erotica" |
| 1999 | Ally | Angela Tharpe | Episode: "The Promise" |
| 2000 | Judging Amy | Alice Benedict | Episode: "Culture Clash" |
| 2000 | The X-Files | Driver | Episode: "Roadrunners" |
| 2000–2001 | Ladies Man | Mel | 4 episodes |
| 2001, 2002 | Arliss | Inkeeper / Rusty Schwimmer | 2 episodes |
| 2001–2003 | The Guardian | Barbara Ludzinski | 9 episodes |
| 2002 | Six Feet Under | Marilyn Johnson | Episode: "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" |
| 2003 | My Big Fat Greek Life | Permit Office Clerk | Episode: "The Free Lunch" |
| 2003 | Gilmore Girls | Bruce | 2 episodes |
| 2003 | Clifford's Puppy Days | Voice | Episode: "Clifford's Field Trip/Helping Paws" |
| 2004 | Boston Public | Billy's Mom | Episode: "Chapter Eighty" |
| 2004 | LAX | Pam | Episode: "The Longest Morning" |
| 2004 | Boston Legal | Helen Binder | Episode: "An Eye for an Eye" |
| 2004 | Dragnet | Lorraine Watson | Episode: "Killing Fields" |
| 2004 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Lorna Tenney | Episode: "No Humans Involved" |
| 2006 | Broken Trail | Big Rump Kate | 2 episodes |
| 2006 | Without a Trace | Sharon Zenowich | Episode: "Watch Over Me" |
| 2006 | Shark | Wendy Dunmiller | Episode: "Sins of the Mother" |
| 2006 | American Dad! | Mama Squirrel | Episode: "Irregarding Steve" |
| 2006–2007 | Holly Hobbie & Friends | Aunt Jessie Beech | 3 episodes |
| 2007 | Criminal Minds | Lila May | Episode: "No Way Out" |
| 2007 | Heroes | Dale Smither | Episode: "Unexpected" |
| 2007 | Desperate Housewives | Toni | Episode: "Into the Woods" |
| 2007 | State of Mind | Conchata Gluck / Diner Operator | 3 episodes |
| 2007 | Private Practice | Ashley Minahan | Episode: "In Which Sam Gets Taken for a Ride" |
| 2009 | Numbers | Deanne Drake | Episode: "Arrow of Time" |
| 2009 | The Secret Life of the American Teenager | — | Episode: "Summertime" |
| 2009 | Days of Our Lives | Sister Claire | 5 episodes |
| 2010 | Bones | Erica Turner | Episode: "The Devil in the Details" |
| 2010 | Drop Dead Diva | Sandra | Episode: "Will & Grayson" |
| 2010 | Donna's Revenge | Dr. Skinner | 2 episodes |
| 2011 | Louie | Gretchen | Episode: "Pregnant" |
| 2012 | Longmire | Darla Lamebull | Episode: "Dogs, Horses and Indians" |
| 2012 | Georgia | Sunshine | Episode: "Hello, I'm Sunshine" |
| 2013 | Film Pigs | Trudy / Self | Episode: "A Little Rusty" |
| 2014 | Greetings! From Prison | Mom | Episode: "Mother Knows Nothing" |
| 2015 | Backstrom | Analeigh Kee | Episode: "Corkscrewed" |
| 2016 | Heartbeat | Dr. Risa Bennett | Episode: "Sanctuary" |
| 2016 | Lucifer | Roberta Beliard | Episode: "Everything's Coming Up Lucifer" |
| 2016 | Grey's Anatomy | Patricia Phillips | Episode: "Catastrophe and the Cure" |
| 2017 | Doubt | ADA Courtney Carmody | Episode: "Faith" |
| 2018 | Chicago Fire | Jill | Episode: "The One That Matters Most" |
| 2018 | Mr. Mercedes | Wanda | Episode: "Walk Like a Man" |
| 2020 | Paradise Lost | Virgie Perkins | Episode: "Danger to Yourself" |
| 2022 | The Righteous Gemstones | Sheriff Brenda | 3 episodes |
| 2022 | Chicago Med | Celeste Belkin | Episode: "End of the Day, Anything Can Happen" |
| 2022 | Better Call Saul | Legal Aid Lawyer | Episode: "Saul Gone" |
| 2022 | The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special | Sara | Television special |
| 2024 | 9-1-1 | | Episode: "Abandon Ships" |