Diane Venora
Diane Venora | |
---|---|
Education | Boston Conservatory Juilliard School(BFA) |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1979–present |
Spouse | |
Children | 1 |
Diane Venorais an American stage, television and film actress. She graduated from theJuilliard Schoolin 1977 and made her film debut in 1981 oppositeAlbert FinneyinWolfen.She won theNew York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting ActressforBird(1988). Her other films includeThe Cotton Club(1984),Heat(1995),Romeo + Juliet(1996),The Jackal(1997),The Insider(1999) andHamlet(2000).
Early life[edit]
Venora is one of six children of Marie (née Brooks) and Robert P. Venora, who owned a dry cleaning business.[1]She graduated fromEast Hartford High School(class of 1970), where she was active in musicals and plays. She studied atBoston Conservatory of Musicand two years later won a scholarship toJuilliard Schoolin New York City, where she graduated in 1977.[2]At Juilliard she was a member of the drama department's Group 6 (1973–1977),[3]which includedKelsey Grammer,Harriet Sansom HarrisandRobin Williams.[4]
Career[edit]
After graduation, Venora performed extensively on the stage, particularly inShakespeareanplays.[5]She made her film debut alongsideAlbert FinneyandGregory HinesinWolfen(1981). In 1983, she starred inJoseph Papp's production ofHamletat theNew York Shakespeare Festivalin the lead role, the first woman to play the role at the prestigious showcase. She has a long history with Hamlet, having played the title role, as well asOpheliaoppositeKevin Kline,andGertrudeonscreen oppositeEthan Hawke.
In 1988, her critically acclaimed performance as Chan Parker inClint Eastwood'sBirdearned her aGolden Globe Awardnomination and theNew York Film Critics Circle Award.[citation needed]
In 1994, after taking five years off to care for her daughter, Venora landed a starring role in the TV seriesThunder Alley,followed by a recurring role as plastic surgeon Geri Infante in the TV seriesChicago Hope.
In 1995 she starred oppositeAl PacinoandRobert De NiroinHeat,earning high regard from critics and audiences for her portrayal of Justine Hanna, the Pacino character's troubled wife.[5]Her other performances include Gloria Capulet [Juliet Capulet’s mother] inRomeo + Juliet(1996),The Jackal(1997),The 13th Warrior(1999),The Insider(1999), andAll Good Things(2010).
Personal life[edit]
Venora married cinematographerAndrzej Bartkowiakin 1980; they divorced in 1989. That year, she took time off from show business to spend more time with her daughter Madzia, then eight. During her hiatus, Venora lived in New York City, teaching disadvantaged children and acting in an occasional play. In 1994, she and her daughter moved to Los Angeles.[2]
Stage credits[edit]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1981 | Penguin Touquet | Other (Same) Woman | |
Miss Julie | |||
1982 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Hippolyta | |
Hamlet[6] | Prince Hamlet | ||
1983 | Uncle Vanya | Yelyna | |
1984 | Peer Gynt | Green Woman | |
Messiah | Rachel | ||
1985 | Tomorrow's Monday | Dora Allen | |
1986 | Largo Desolato | Lucy | |
A Man for All Seasons | Lady Margaret More | ||
The School for Scandal | Lady Teazle | ||
1989 | The Winter's Tale | Hermione | |
1990 | Hamlet | Ophelia | |
1998 | Tongue of a Bird | Mother | |
1999-2000 | Hamlet | Gertrude | |
2000 | The Seagull | As director | |
Macbeth | Lady Macbeth | ||
2001 | Celebration | ||
The Room | |||
2001-02 | Necessary Targets | Zlata | |
2002 | God of Vengeance | Sara | |
2003 | The Burning Deck | ||
2012 | As You Like It | Jaques | |
2016 | 110 Stories |
Filmography[edit]
Film[edit]
Television[edit]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1981 | Nurse | Ellen Brill | Episode: "Rivals" |
1982 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Hippolyta | TV movie |
1983 | Cook & Peary: The Race to the Pole | Marie Fidele Hunt | |
1985 | A.D. | Corinna | TV movie |
1990 | Great Performances | Ophelia | Episode: "Hamlet" |
1993 | Law & Order | Mara Feder | Episode: "Night & Fog" |
1994 | Thunder Alley | Bobbi Turner | Recurring role |
1994–95 | Chicago Hope | Dr. Geri Infante | Recurring role |
1996 | Special Report: Journey to Mars | Lt. Tanya Sadavoy | TV movie |
2000 | Race Against Time | Dr. Helen Steele | |
The Practice | Margaret Wakefield | Episode: "Appeal and Denial" | |
2004 | Class Actions | Justine Harrison | TV movie |
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Marilyn Nesbit | Episode: "Home" | |
2005 | Threshold | Andrea Hatten / Angela Hatten | 4 episodes |
C.S. Lewis: Beyond Narnia | Joy Gresham | TV movie | |
2006 | Criminal Minds | Doris | Episode: "The Fisher King: Part 1" |
2007 | Medium | Sarah Jane Levitt | Episode: "Very Merry Maggie" |
2008 | Eleventh Hour | Lea Muller | Episode: "Resurrection" |
2009 | Private Practice | Sharon | Episode: "Second Chances" |
NCIS | Shada Shakarji | Episode: "Outlaws and In-Laws" | |
2010 | Grey's Anatomy | Audrey Taylor | Episode: "Push" |
The Wish List | Brenda | TV movie | |
2016 | The Victorians | Mary Rutherford |
References[edit]
- ^"Venora. Robert P. Venora, Sr".Hartford Courant.February 23, 1997. Archived fromthe originalon August 13, 2012.
- ^abLang, Steven (December 8, 1997)."Second Act: Having Once Left Acting to Care for Her Daughter, Diane Venora Takes a Run at Stardom inThe Jackal".People.
- ^"Alumni News".The Juilliard School. November 2007. Archived fromthe originalon November 11, 2011.
- ^"Alumni News".The Juilliard School. September 2007. Archived fromthe originalon November 11, 2011.
- ^abDiane Venora- Biography
- ^Rich, Frank (December 3, 1982)."Theater: Diane Venora Stars in Papp's 'Hamlet'".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedOctober 25,2019.