# Christine Ebersole

Christine Ebersole is an American actress, singer and comedian. She has appeared in film, television, and on stage. She has received two Tony Awards, and a Drama Desk Award as well as a nomination for a Daytime Emmy Award.
Ebersole made her Broadway debut in the play Angel Street (1975). She won two Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Musical for playing a prima donna in the musical revival 42nd Street (2001) and for her dual roles as Edith Bouvier Beale and Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale in the original musical Grey Gardens (2006). She was Tony-nominated for playing a society matron in Dinner at Eight (2003), and Elizabeth Arden in War Paint (2017).
On film, she made her film debut with a minor role as an actress the romantic comedy Tootsie (1982) before portraying Caterina Cavalieri in Academy Award-winning period biographical drama film Amadeus (1984). She has also acted in films such as Mac and Me (1988), Dead Again (1991), Black Sheep (1996), True Crime (1999), The Big Wedding (2013), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), and Licorice Pizza (2021).
On television, she got her start on the soap opera Ryan's Hope (1977–1980) and as a cast member of Saturday Night Live (1981–1982). She earned an Emmy Award nomination for her work in One Life to Live. She has co-starred on the TBS sitcom Sullivan & Son (2012–2014), the comedy-drama Royal Pains, the animated series Steven Universe (2018–2019), and the CBS sitcom Bob Hearts Abishola (2019–2024)

## Early life, family and education

Ebersole was born outside of Chicago in Winnetka, Illinois, the daughter of Marian Esther (née Goodley) and Robert "Bob" Ebersole. Her father was the president of a steel company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She has Swiss-German and Irish ancestry.
Ebersole graduated from New Trier High School in 1971. She attended MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Illinois, class of 1975, and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

## Career

She met Marc Shaiman when he was 19 and the musical director of her first club act. She appeared in two different parts on Ryan's Hope in 1977 (as a nurse) and 1980 (as Lily Darnell).
Ebersole was a cast member of Saturday Night Live during 1981–82, the first full season under new producer Dick Ebersol (their similar surnames being a coincidence), acting as "Weekend Update" co-anchor with Brian Doyle-Murray. Among her impersonations were Mary Travers, Cheryl Tiegs, Barbara Mandrell, Diana, Princess of Wales, and Rona Barrett.
Following SNL, she appeared in One Life to Live as daffy Maxie McDermott (receiving an Emmy nomination) and Valerie. She co-starred with Barnard Hughes on the sitcom The Cavanaughs, played the title role in the short-lived sitcom Rachel Gunn, R.N., and guest-starred on Will & Grace, Dolly!, Just Shoot Me, Murphy Brown, Ally McBeal, Samantha Who, Boston Legal, The Colbert Report, and Royal Pains. In 1991, she appeared as the titular Miss Jones in a pilot for an ABC series about a single mother, but the series was not taken up.
She appeared in the 1993 television film adaptation of Gypsy starring Bette Midler, and in the 2000 ABC-TV film Mary and Rhoda starring Mary Tyler Moore and Valerie Harper.
In 2011, she had a recurring role on the TV Land sitcom Retired at 35. In 2014, she played Carol Walsh on the TBS sitcom Sullivan & Son. She has a recurring role on the USA Network television show Royal Pains as Ms. Newberg.
Ebersole's films have included Tootsie (1982), Amadeus (1984), Three Men and a Baby (1987), Mac and Me (1988), My Girl 2 (1994), Richie Rich (1994), Black Sheep (1996), and My Favorite Martian (1999).

### Stage career

Ebersole has found considerable success on stage. She appeared in Going Hollywood, a musical by David Zippel and Jeremy Shaeffer. She was in the chorus in 1983 with Jerry Mitchell. They were both excited about the possibility of going to Broadway but never made it. She was featured in Paper Moon by Larry Grossman and Ellen Fitzhugh and Carol Hall, which ran at the Paper Mill Playhouse (Millburn, New Jersey) in September 1993. Off-Broadway, she has appeared in Three Sisters and Talking Heads, and her Broadway credits include On the Twentieth Century, the 1979 revival of Oklahoma! (as Ado Annie), the 1980 revival of Camelot and the 2000 revival of Gore Vidal's The Best Man.
In 2001, she appeared in the Broadway revival of 42nd Street as Dorothy Brock, for which she won her first Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical, She next appeared in the 2002 Broadway revival of Dinner at Eight as Millicent Jordan for which she was nominated for the Tony Award, Featured Actress in a Play. In 2005, she played M'Lynn in the Broadway production of Steel Magnolias.
In 2006, Ebersole took the dual roles of Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale ("Big Edie") and Edith Bouvier Beale ("Little Edie") in Grey Gardens, a musical based upon the film of the same name. After a sold-out off-Broadway run, Ebersole remained with the roles when the production moved to Broadway in November 2006, and remained with the show through its closing in July 2007. For this role, she won her second Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical. She appeared as Elvira in the 2009 Broadway revival of the Noël Coward comedy Blithe Spirit.
She appeared in the musical War Paint, which premiered at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago on June 28, 2016, for a run through August 2016. The show began previews at the Nederlander Theatre on Broadway on March 7, 2017, and opened on April 6, 2017. It closed on November 5, 2017. She played the role of Elizabeth Arden, opposite Patti LuPone as Helena Rubinstein. The musical had a book by Doug Wright with the music composed by Scott Frankel (music) and Michael Korie (lyrics).

### Concerts

Ebersole appears in concerts and cabaret engagements at venues such as the Cinegrill and Cafe Carlyle. She won the 2010 Nightlife Award for Outstanding Cabaret Vocalist in a Major Engagement for her 2009 Café Carlyle cabaret. In 2009 she performed with Michael Feinstein at his club, Feinstein's at Loews Regency, (New York City) in a cabaret titled "Good Friends". She was one of the performers on the Playbill Cruise in September 2011. In November 2011, she performed for two sold-out nights at Birdland in New York City with jazz violinist Aaron Weinstein and his trio.
In 2015, Ebersole toured her show Big Noise from Winnetka, which included the 1938 jazz song Big Noise from Winnetka and a stop in Illinois.

### Recording

She also has appeared on several albums. She was featured on the Bright Lights, Big City concept album. She also released an album of Noël Coward songs after browsing through them for scene change music for Blithe Spirit. She also voiced White Diamond in Steven Universe.

## Personal life

Ebersole has been married twice, to actor Peter Bergman from 1976 through 1981, and since 1988 to Bill Moloney, with whom she has adopted three children. She lives in Maplewood, New Jersey, with her family.
Ebersole claims to have experienced psychic phenomena. In 2012, Ebersole appeared on InfoWars' radio program The Alex Jones Show, expressing her misgivings about the Federal Reserve System and the Council on Foreign Relations. She has professed belief in the conspiracy theory that the September 11 attacks were carried out by the United States government.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1982 | Tootsie | Linda | |
| 1984 | Amadeus | Caterina Cavalieri | |
| 1984 | Thief of Hearts | Janie Pointer | |
| 1988 | Mac and Me | Janet Cruise | |
| 1990 | Ghost Dad | Carol | |
| 1991 | Dead Again | Lydia Larsen | |
| 1992 | Folks! | Arlene Aldrich | |
| 1992 | The Lounge People | Cynthia Lewis | |
| 1994 | My Girl 2 | Rose Zsigmond | |
| 1994 | Richie Rich | Regina Rich | |
| 1996 | Black Sheep | Governor Evelyn Tracy | |
| 1996 | Pie in the Sky | Mom Dunlap | |
| 1997 | 'Til There Was You | Beebee Moss | |
| 1999 | My Favorite Martian | Mrs. Brown | |
| 1999 | True Crime | Bridget Rossiter | |
| 2009 | Confessions of a Shopaholic | TV show host | |
| 2010 | The Drawn Together Movie: The Movie! | Bossom Buddies Singer | |
| 2013 | The Big Wedding | Muffin | |
| 2013 | The Wolf of Wall Street | Leah Belfort | |
| 2019 | Steven Universe: The Movie | White Diamond | Voice role |
| 2019 | Driveways | Linda | |
| 2021 | Licorice Pizza | Lucille Doolittle | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1977–80 | Ryan's Hope | Lily Darnell | 12 episodes |
| 1981–82 | Saturday Night Live | Various | 20 episodes |
| 1982 | Love, Sidney | Nurse Loring | Episode: "The Accident" |
| 1983–85 | One Life to Live | Maxie McDermott | Unknown episodes |
| 1984 | The Dollmaker | Miss Vashinski | Television film |
| 1986 | Valerie | Barbara Goodwin | 6 episodes |
| 1986 | Acceptable Risks | Lee Snyder | Television film |
| 1986-89 | The Cavanaughs | Kit Cavanaugh | 26 episodes |
| 1990 | American Dreamer | Kathleen | 2 episodes |
| 1990 | Murphy Brown | Maddy | Episode: "The Bummer of 42" |
| 1991 | Empty Nest | Laura | Episode: "All About Harry" |
| 1992 | Rachel Gunn, R.N. | Rachel Gunn | 13 episodes |
| 1993 | Dying to Love You | Cheryl New | Television film |
| 1993 | Gypsy | Tessie Tura | Television film |
| 1996 | Hey Arnold! | Lana Vail | Voice, episode: "Heat/Snow" |
| 1998 | Ally McBeal | Marie Stokes | Episode: "Just Looking" |
| 1996 | An Unexpected Family | Ruth Whitney | Television film |
| 1998 | Just Shoot Me! | Margo Langhorne | Episode: "How Nina Got Her Groove Back" |
| 1999 | Double Platinum | Peggy | Television film |
| 2000 | Mary and Rhoda | Cecile Andrews | Television film |
| 2001 | Will & Grace | Candy Pruitt | Episode: "Poker? I Don't Even Like Her" |
| 2003 | The Electric Piper | Pat Dixon | Voice, television film |
| 2003 | An Unexpected Love | Sandy | Television film |
| 2004 | Crossing Jordan | Mrs. Maguire | Episode: "Fire in the Sky" |
| 2005–06 | Related | Renee | 10 episodes |
| 2008 | Cashmere Mafia | Lily Parrish | 2 episodes |
| 2008 | Boston Legal | Sunny Fields | Episode: "Indecent Proposals" |
| 2008 | Lipstick Jungle | Maureen | Chapter Fifteen: "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Prada" |
| 2008 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Hilary Regnier | Episode: "Smut" |
| 2009 | Samantha Who? | Amy | Episode: "The Sister" |
| 2009–16 | Royal Pains | Ms. Newberg | 14 episodes |
| 2010 | Ugly Betty | Frances | Episode: "The Passion of the Betty" |
| 2011 | Retired at 35 | Susan | 4 episodes |
| 2012–14 | Sullivan & Son | Carol Walsh | 33 episodes |
| 2013 | American Horror Story: Coven | Anna-Lee Leighton | 2 episodes |
| 2015 | Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt | Helene | Episode "Kimmy's in a Love Triangle!" |
| 2015-2018 | Madam Secretary | First Lady Lydia Dalton | 4 episodes |
| 2016 | Crisis in Six Scenes | Eve | Episode: "Episode 6" |
| 2016 | Search Party | Mariel | 2 episodes |
| 2018 | Pose | Bobbi | Episode: "Giving and Receiving" |
| 2018–2019 | Steven Universe | White Diamond | Voice, 3 episodes |
| 2018–2019 | Blue Bloods | Lena Janko | 3 episodes |
| 2019–2024 | Bob Hearts Abishola | Dorothy "Dottie" Wheeler | Main role |
| 2020 | Steven Universe Future | White Diamond | Voice, 2 episodes |
| 2021 | The Kominsky Method | Estelle | 2 episodes, Season 3 |
| 2024 | Accused | Debra | Episode: "Margot's Story" |

### Theatre

| Year | Title | Role(s) | Venue |
| 1975–76 | Angel Street | Nancy (Replacement) | Lyceum Theatre |
| 1978–79 | On the 20th Century | Agnes (Understudy) | St. James Theatre |
| 1979–80 | Oklahoma! | Ado Annie | National Tour Palace Theatre |
| 1980-81 | Camelot | Guenevere | National Tour New York State Theatre |
| 1985 | Harrigan 'N Hart | Greta Granville | Longacre Theatre |
| 1993 | Paper Moon | Trixie Delight | Paper Mill Playhouse |
| 1994 | Allegro | Emily | New York City Center |
| 1994 | Lady in the Dark | Liza Elliott | New York City Center |
| 1996 | Getting Away with Murder | Dossie Lustig | Broadhurst Theatre |
| 1999 | Ziegfeld Follies of 1936 | performer | New York City Center |
| 1999 | Mame | Mame Dennis | Paper Mill Playhouse |
| 2000 | Current Events | Diana | Manhattan Theatre Club |
| 2000 | Gore Vidal's The Best Man | Mabel Cantwell | Virginia Theatre |
| 2000 | A Connecticut Yankee | Morgan LeFay | New York City Center |
| 2001–02 | 42nd Street | Dorothy Brock | Ford Center for the Performing Arts |
| 2002–03 | Dinner at Eight | Millicent Jordan | Vivian Beaumont Theatre |
| 2003 | Talking Heads | Irene Ruddock | Minetta Lane Theatre |
| 2005 | Steel Magnolias | M'Lynn | Lyceum Theatre |
| 2006–07 | Grey Gardens | Edith Bouvier Beale Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale | Playwrights Horizons Walter Kerr Theatre |
| 2008 | Applause | Margo Channing | New York City Center |
| 2009 | Blithe Spirit | Elvira | Shubert Theatre |
| 2014 | Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike | Masha | Mark Taper Forum |
| 2015 | Ever After | Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent | Paper Mill Playhouse |
| 2016 | War Paint | Elizabeth Arden | Goodman Theatre |
| 2017 | War Paint | Elizabeth Arden | Nederlander Theatre |

## Awards and nominations

| Award | Year | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| Daytime Emmy Award | 1984 | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | One Life to Live | Nominated |
| Tony Awards | 2001 | Best Actress in a Musical | 42nd Street | Won |
| Tony Awards | 2003 | Best Featured Actress in a Play | Dinner at Eight | Nominated |
| Tony Awards | 2007 | Best Actress in a Musical | Grey Gardens | Won |
| Tony Awards | 2017 | Best Actress in a Musical | War Paint | Nominated |
| Drama Desk Awards | 2001 | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | 42nd Street | Nominated |
| Drama Desk Awards | 2003 | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play | Talking Heads | Nominated |
| Drama Desk Awards | 2006 | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Grey Gardens | Won |
| Drama Desk Awards | 2017 | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | War Paint | Nominated |
| Drama League Award | 2006 | Outstanding Distinguished Performance | Grey Gardens | Won |
| New York Drama Critics' Circle | 2006 | Special Citation | Grey Gardens | Honored |
| Outer Critics Circle | 2001 | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | 42nd Street | Won |
| Outer Critics Circle | 2003 | Outstanding Actress in a Play | Dinner at Eight | Nominated |
| Outer Critics Circle | 2006 | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Grey Gardens | Won |
| Outer Critics Circle | 2017 | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | War Paint | Nominated |