# Piper Laurie

Piper Laurie (born Rosetta Jacobs; January 22, 1932 – October 14, 2023) was an American actress. She is known for her roles in the films The Hustler (1961), Carrie (1976), and Children of a Lesser God (1986), and the miniseries The Thorn Birds (1983). She is also known for her performances as Kirsten Arnesen in the original TV production of Days of Wine and Roses, and as Catherine Martell in the television series Twin Peaks.
She received various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Awards and a BAFTA Award.

## Early life

Piper Laurie was born Rosetta Jacobs in Detroit, Michigan, on January 22, 1932. Laurie was the younger of two children (both girls) of Alfred Jacobs, a furniture dealer, and his wife, Charlotte Sadie (née Alperin) Jacobs. Her paternal grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Poland and her maternal grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Russia.
Laurie was delivered, according to her 2011 autobiography Learning to Live Out Loud, in a one-bedroom walk-up on Tyler Street in Detroit, where the family lived. To combat her shyness, her parents provided her with weekly elocution lessons.
Laurie's mother and grandmother placed Laurie's older sister in a sanitarium for her asthma. Laurie was sent along to keep her company.

## Career

In 1949, Jacobs signed a contract with Universal Studios, and changed her screen name to Piper Laurie, which she used thereafter. Her breakout role was in Louisa (1950) with Ronald Reagan, whom she dated briefly before his marriage to Nancy Davis. In her autobiography, she claimed that she lost her virginity to him. Several other roles followed: Francis Goes to the Races (1951, co-starring Donald O'Connor); Son of Ali Baba (1951, co-starring Tony Curtis); and Ain't Misbehavin' (1955, co-starring Rory Calhoun).
To polish her image, Universal Studios told gossip columnists that Laurie bathed in milk and ate flower petals to protect her luminous skin. Discouraged by the lack of substantial film roles, she moved to New York City to study acting and to seek work on the stage and in television. She appeared in Twelfth Night, produced by Hallmark Hall of Fame, in "Days of Wine and Roses" with Cliff Robertson, presented by Playhouse 90 on October 2, 1958 (in the film their roles were played by Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick), and in Winterset, presented by Playhouse 90 in 1959.
Laurie was lured back to Hollywood by the offer to co-star with Paul Newman in The Hustler, released in 1961. She played Newman's girlfriend, Sarah Packard, and for her performance, she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. Substantial movie roles did not come her way after The Hustler, so she and her husband moved to New York. In 1964, she appeared in two medical dramas—as Alicia Carter in The Eleventh Hour episode "My Door Is Locked and Bolted", and as Alice Marin in the Breaking Point episode "The Summer House". In 1965, she starred in a Broadway revival of Tennessee Williams's The Glass Menagerie, opposite Maureen Stapleton, Pat Hingle, and George Grizzard.
Laurie did not appear in another feature film until she accepted the role of religious fanatic Margaret White in the horror film Carrie (1976). She received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her performance. The commercial success of the film, and recognition for her performance, relaunched her career. Her co-star Sissy Spacek praised her acting skill: "She is a remarkable actress. She never does what you expect her to do—she always surprises you with her approach to a scene."
In 1979, Laurie appeared as Mary Horton in the Australian movie Tim opposite Mel Gibson. After her 1981 divorce, Laurie moved to California. She received a third Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Mrs. Norman in Children of a Lesser God (1986). The same year, she was awarded an Emmy for her performance in Promise, a television movie, co-starring James Garner and James Woods. She had a featured role in the Off-Broadway production of The Destiny of Me in 1992, and returned to Broadway for Lincoln Center's acclaimed 2002 revival of Paul Osborn's Morning's at Seven, with Julie Hagerty, Buck Henry, Frances Sternhagen, and Estelle Parsons.
In 1990–1991, Laurie starred as the devious Catherine Martell in David Lynch's television series Twin Peaks. She also appeared in Other People's Money with Gregory Peck (1991), and in horror maestro Dario Argento's first American film Trauma (1993). She played George Clooney's character's mother on ER. In 1997, she appeared in the film A Christmas Memory with Patty Duke, and in 1998, she appeared in the sci-fi thriller The Faculty.
Laurie made guest appearances on television shows such as Frasier, Matlock, State of Grace, and Will & Grace. Laurie also appeared in Cold Case and in a 2001 episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit titled "Care", in which she played an adoptive mother and foster grandmother who killed one of the foster granddaughters in her daughter's charge and who abused her adoptive son and foster grandchildren.
She returned to the big screen for independent films, such as Eulogy (2004) and The Dead Girl (2006), opposite actress Toni Collette. In 2010, she played Rainn Wilson's mother in Hesher, and in 2018, she had a supporting role in White Boy Rick as the grandmother of the title character.

## Personal life

Laurie was married to New York Herald Tribune entertainment writer and Wall Street Journal movie critic Joe Morgenstern. (She had previously dated actor and future U.S. president Ronald Reagan.) They met shortly after the release of The Hustler in 1961 when Morgenstern interviewed her during the film's promotion. They soon began dating, and nine months after the interview, they were married on January 21, 1962. When no substantial roles came her way after The Hustler, she and Morgenstern moved to Woodstock, New York. In 1971, they adopted a daughter, Anne Grace Morgenstern. In 1982, the couple divorced, after which she moved to the Hollywood area and continued working in films and television.
In 1962, she was Harvard's Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year. In 2000, she received the Spirit of Hope Award in Korea for her service during the Korean War. She appeared at the September 2014 Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention in Hunt Valley, Maryland.
Laurie was also a sculptor who worked in marble and clay.

### Death

Having been unwell for some time, Laurie died in Los Angeles on October 14, 2023, at age 91.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1950 | Louisa | Cathy Norton | Film debut |
| 1950 | The Milkman | Chris Abbott | |
| 1951 | Francis Goes to the Races | Frances Travers | |
| 1951 | The Prince Who Was a Thief | Tina | |
| 1952 | No Room for the Groom | Lee Kingshead | |
| 1952 | Has Anybody Seen My Gal? | Millicent Blaisdell | |
| 1952 | Son of Ali Baba | Princess Azura of Fez / Kiki | |
| 1953 | The Mississippi Gambler | Angelique "Leia" Dureau | |
| 1953 | The Golden Blade | Khairuzan | |
| 1954 | Dangerous Mission | Louise Graham | |
| 1954 | Johnny Dark | Liz Fielding | |
| 1954 | Dawn at Socorro | Rannah Hayes | |
| 1955 | Smoke Signal | Laura Evans | |
| 1955 | Ain't Misbehavin' | Sarah Bernhardt Hatfield | |
| 1957 | Kelly and Me | Mina Van Runkel | |
| 1957 | Until They Sail | Delia Leslie Friskett | |
| 1961 | The Hustler | Sarah Packard | Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actress Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actress Nominated—Golden Laurel Award for Top Female Dramatic Performance (2nd Place) Nominated—New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress (3rd Place) |
| 1976 | Carrie | Margaret White | Nominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture |
| 1976 | The Woman Rebel | Margaret Sanger | |
| 1977 | Ruby | Ruby Claire | |
| 1979 | Tim | Mary Horton | |
| 1981 | The Bunker | Magda Goebbels | |
| 1985 | Return to Oz | Aunt Em | |
| 1986 | Children of a Lesser God | Mrs. Willa Norman | Nominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 1988 | Appointment with Death | Emily Boynton | |
| 1988 | Tiger Warsaw | Frances Warsaw | |
| 1989 | Dream a Little Dream | Gena Ettinger | |
| 1991 | Other People's Money | Bea Sullivan | |
| 1992 | Storyville | Constance Fowler | |
| 1992 | Rich in Love | Vera Delmage | |
| 1993 | Trauma | Adriana Petrescu | Nominated—Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 1993 | Wrestling Ernest Hemingway | Georgia | |
| 1995 | The Grass Harp | Dolly Talbo | Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 1995 | The Crossing Guard | Helen Booth | |
| 1998 | The Faculty | Mrs. Olson | |
| 2004 | Eulogy | Charlotte Collins | |
| 2006 | The Dead Girl | Arden's mother | |
| 2007 | Hounddog | Grammie | |
| 2009 | Saving Grace B. Jones | Marta Shank | |
| 2010 | Hesher | Madeleine Forney, T.J.'s grandmother | |
| 2010 | Another Harvest Moon | June | |
| 2012 | Bad Blood | Milly Lathtrop | |
| 2018 | Snapshots | Rose Muller | |
| 2018 | White Boy Rick | Vera Wershe | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1955 | The Best of Broadway | Billie Moore | Episode: "Broadway" |
| 1955 | Robert Montgomery Presents | Stacey Spender | Episode: "Quality Town" |
| 1956 | Front Row Center | Judy Jones | Episode: "Winter Dreams" |
| 1956–1961 | General Electric Theater | Various | 3 episodes |
| 1957 | Studio One | Ruth Cornelius | Episode: "The Deaf Heart" Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Actress – Best Single Performance – Lead or Support |
| 1957 | Playhouse 90 | Ruth McAdam | Episode: "The Ninth Day" |
| 1958 | Playhouse 90 | Kirsten Arnesen Clay | Episode: "Days of Wine and Roses" Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Best Single Performance by an Actress |
| 1959 | Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse | Eileen Gorman | Episode: "The Innocent Assassin" |
| 1960–1963 | The United States Steel Hour | Edna Cartey | 2 episodes |
| 1963 | Naked City | Mary Highmark | Episode: "Howard Running Bear Is a Turtle" |
| 1963 | Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre | Lee Wiley | Episode: "Something About Lee Wiley" |
| 1963 | Ben Casey | Kathleen Dooley | Episode: "Light Up the Dark Corners" |
| 1964 | The Eleventh Hour | Alicia Carter | Episode: "My Door Is Locked and Bolted" |
| 1964 | Breaking Point | Alice Marin | Episode: "The Summer House" |
| 1977 | In the Matter of Karen Ann Quinlan | Julie Quinlan | Television movie |
| 1978 | Rainbow | Ethel Gumm | Television movie |
| 1980 | Skag | Jo Skagska | 6 episodes |
| 1981 | The Bunker | Magda Goebbels | Television movie Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or a Special |
| 1982 | Mae West | Matilda West | Television movie |
| 1983 | The Thorn Birds | Anne Mueller | 3 episodes Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or a Special |
| 1983 | St. Elsewhere | Fran Singleton | 3 episodes Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series |
| 1985 | Hotel | Jessica | Episode: "Illusions" |
| 1985 | Murder, She Wrote | Peggy Shannon | Episode: "Murder at the Oasis" |
| 1985 | Tender Is the Night | Elsie Speers | Episode: "1925" |
| 1985 | Love, Mary | Christine Groda | Television movie |
| 1985 | Toughlove | Darlene Marsh | Television movie |
| 1985–1986 | The Twilight Zone | Aunt Neva | Segment: "The Burning Man" |
| 1985–1986 | The Twilight Zone | Gramma (voice) | Segment: "Gramma" (uncredited) |
| 1986 | Matlock | Claire Leigh | Episode: "The Judge" |
| 1986 | Promise | Annie Gilbert | Television movie Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Special Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film |
| 1988 | Go Toward the Light | Margo | Television movie |
| 1989 | Beauty and the Beast | Mrs. Davis | Episode: "A Gentle Rain" |
| 1990–1991 | Twin Peaks | Catherine Martell / Mr. Tojamura (credited as Fumio Yamaguchi) | 27 episodes Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film (1990) Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (1990) Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (1991) Nominated—Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Actress – Prime Time (1991–1992) |
| 1993 | Lies and Lullabies | Margaret Kinsey | Television movie |
| 1994 | Traps | Cora Trapchek | 5 episodes |
| 1994 | Frasier | Marianne (voice) | Episode: "Guess Who's Coming to Breakfast" |
| 1994 | Shadows of Desire | Ellis Snow | Television movie |
| 1995 | Fighting For My Daughter | Judge Edna Burton | Television movie |
| 1995–1996 | ER | Sarah Ross | 2 episodes |
| 1996 | Diagnosis: Murder | A.D.A. Susan Turner | Episode: "The ABC's of Murder" |
| 1997 | Intensity | Miriam Braynard | Television movie |
| 1997 | Touched by an Angel | Annie Doyle | Episode: "Venice" |
| 1997 | A Christmas Memory | Jennie | Television movie |
| 1999 | Brother's Keeper | Jane Waide | Episode: "Everybody Says I Love You" |
| 1999 | Frasier | Mrs. Mulhern | Episode: "Dr. Nora" Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series |
| 1999 | Inherit the Wind | Sarah Brady | Television movie |
| 2000 | Will & Grace | Sharon | Episode: "There But for the Grace of Grace" |
| 2000 | Possessed | Aunt Hanna | Television movie |
| 2001 | Midwives | Cheryl Visco | Television movie |
| 2001 | The Last Brickmaker in America | Ruth Anne | Television movie |
| 2001 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Dorothy Rudd | Episode: "Care" |
| 2002 | State of Grace | Aunt Sophie | Episode: "Where the Boys Are" |
| 2004 | Dead Like Me | Nina Rommey | Episode: "Forget Me Not" |
| 2005 | Cold Case | Rose 2005 | Episode: "Best Friends" |
| 2018 | MacGyver | Edith | Episode: "Skyscraper – Power" |

### Audio dramas

| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
| 2022–2023 | Around the Sun | Grandma / Alien Maude | 2 episodes | |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Results |
| 1961 | Academy Awards | Best Actress | The Hustler | Nominated |
| 1976 | Academy Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Carrie | Nominated |
| 1986 | Academy Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Children of a Lesser God | Nominated |
| 1961 | British Academy Film Awards | Best Foreign Actress | The Hustler | Nominated |
| 1994 | Fangoria Chainsaw Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Trauma | Nominated |
| 1976 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture | Carrie | Nominated |
| 1983 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | The Thorn Birds | Nominated |
| 1986 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | Promise | Nominated |
| 1990 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | Twin Peaks | Won |
| 1962 | Hasty Pudding Theatricals | Woman of the Year | — | Won |
| 2018 | Los Angeles IFS Film Festival | Best Actress | Snapshots | Won |
| 1961 | New York Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Actress | The Hustler | Nominated |
| 1958 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Actress – Best Single Performance – Lead or Support | Studio One (Episode: "The Deaf Heart") | Nominated |
| 1959 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Best Single Performance by an Actress | Playhouse 90 (Episode: "Days of Wine and Roses") | Nominated |
| 1981 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or a Special | The Bunker | Nominated |
| 1983 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or a Special | The Thorn Birds | Nominated |
| 1984 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | St. Elsewhere | Nominated |
| 1987 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Special | Promise | Won |
| 1990 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | Twin Peaks | Nominated |
| 1991 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Twin Peaks | Nominated |
| 1999 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series | Frasier (Episode: "Dr. Nora") | Nominated |
| 2018 | RiverRun International Film Festival | Master of Cinema Award | — | Won |
| 1999 | Seattle International Film Festival | Best Actress | The Mao Game | Won |
| 1996 | Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards | Best Supporting Actress | The Grass Harp | Won |

## Explanatory notes

* ↑ Tied with Joan Allen for The Crucible.