Ellen Burstyn
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Female
Birthday
1932-12-07 (92 years old)
Place of Birth
Detroit, Michigan, USA
Ellen Burstyn
Biography
Ellen Burstyn (born Edna Rae Gillooly; December 7, 1932) is an American actress. Known for her portrayals of complex women in dramas, she has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards, making her one of the few performers to achieve the "Triple Crown of Acting". She has also received a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award.
Burstyn made her acting debut on Broadway in Fair Game in 1957 before winning the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for Same Time, Next Year (1975). She earned the Academy Award for Best Actress as the widow Alice Hyatt in Martin Scorsese's romantic drama Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974). Her other Oscar-nominated roles were in The Last Picture Show (1971), The Exorcist (1973), Same Time, Next Year (1978), Resurrection (1980), and Requiem for a Dream (2000). Her other notable films include Harry and Tonto (1974), How to Make an American Quilt (1995), Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002), W. (2008), Interstellar (2014), The Age of Adaline (2015), and Pieces of a Woman (2020).
She won Primetime Emmy Awards for her guest role in the NBC legal drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2009) and supporting role in the USA Network political miniseries Political Animals (2013). Her other Emmy-nominated roles include Pack of Lies (1988), Mrs. Harris (2005), Big Love (2008), Draft Day, Flowers in the Attic (both 2014), and House of Cards (2016). Since 2000, she has been co-president of the Actors Studio, a drama school in New York City. In 2013, she was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame for her work onstage.
Known For
Acting
Place To Be
as Brooke
(2025)
(2024)
(2024)
E. Jean Carroll v. Donald J. Trump
as E. Jean Carroll
(2024)
Mother, Couch
as Mother
(2023)
The Exorcist: Believer
as Chris MacNeil
(2023)
(2022)
Three Months
as Valerie
(2021)
Queen Bees
as Helen Wilson
(2021)
Paul Newman, Behind Blue Eyes
as Herself
(2021)
Watch on the Rhine
as Fanny
(2020)
Pieces of a Woman
as Elizabeth Weiss
(2020)
Delphine and Carole
as Self (archive footage)
(2019)
Lucy in the Sky
as Nana Holbrook
(2019)
American Woman
as Miss Dolly
(2019)
The House of Tomorrow
as Josephine Prendergast
(2019)
(2018)
The Tale
as Nettie
(2018)
All I Wish
as Celia Berges
(2018)
Friedkin Uncut
as Self
(2018)
Nostalgia
as Helen Greer
(2017)
(2016)
Custody
as Beatrice Fisher
(2016)
Wiener-Dog
as Nana
(2015)
The Age of Adaline
as Flemming
(2015)
Unity
as Narrator (voice)
(2015)
About Scout
as Gram
(2014)
Interstellar
as Murph (older)
(2014)
Petals on the Wind
as Olivia Foxworth
(2014)
Two Men in Town
as Mère Garnett
(2014)
River of Fundament
as Hathfertiti
(2014)
Flowers in the Attic
as Grandmother
(2014)
And the Oscar Goes To...
as Self - Interviewee
(2014)
The Calling
as Emily Micallef
(2014)
Draft Day
as Barb Weaver
(2013)
Love, Marilyn
as Self
(2013)
Wish You Well
as Louisa Mae Cardinal
(2012)
Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You
as Nanette
(2011)
Another Happy Day
as Doris Baker
(2011)
The Mighty Macs
as Mother St. John
(2010)
(2010)
Main Street
as Georgiana Carr
(2010)
(2010)
(2009)
According to Greta
as Katherine
(2009)
PoliWood
as Self
(2009)
The Velveteen Rabbit
as Swan (voice)
(2009)
Lovely, Still
as Mary
(2008)
The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond
as Miss Addie
(2008)
W.
as Barbara Bush
(2007)
The Stone Angel
as Hagar
(2007)
Mitch Albom's For One More Day
as Pauline "Posey" Benetto
(2006)
The Wicker Man
as Sister Summersisle
(2006)
The Fountain
as Dr. Lillian Guzetti
(2006)
Mrs. Harris
as Former Tarnower Steady
(2006)
The Elephant King
as Diana Hunt
(2006)
(2006)
(2006)
30 Days
as Maura
(2005)
Our Fathers
as Mary Ryan
(2004)
(2004)
(2004)
(2004)
(2003)
A Decade Under the Influence
as Self
(2003)
Brush with Fate
as Rika
(2003)
(2002)
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
as Vivi Abbott Walker
(2002)
Red Dragon
as Grandma Dolarhyde (voice) (uncredited)
(2001)
Within These Walls
as Joan Thomas
(2001)
(2001)
(2000)
Requiem for a Dream
as Sara Goldfarb
(2000)
The Yards
as Val Handler
(2000)
Mermaid
as Trish
(1999)
(1999)
Walking Across Egypt
as Mattie Rigsbee
(1999)
Night Ride Home
as Maggie
(1998)
Playing by Heart
as Mildred
(1998)
The Patron Saint of Liars
as June Clatterbuck
(1998)
The Fear of God: 25 Years of The Exorcist
as Self - Chris MacNeil
(1998)
You Can Thank Me Later
as Shirley Cooperberg
(1998)
Marilyn in Manhattan
as Self
(1997)
A Deadly Vision
as Yvette Watson
(1997)
Deceiver
as Mook
(1997)
Flash
as Laura Strong
(1996)
Timepiece
as Maud Gannon
(1996)
The Spitfire Grill
as Hannah Ferguson
(1995)
How to Make an American Quilt
as Hy Dodd
(1995)
Follow The River
as Gretel
(1995)
My Brother's Keeper
as Helen
(1995)
Roommates
as Judith
(1995)
The Baby-Sitters Club
as Mrs. Haberman
(1994)
Getting Out
as Arlie's Mother
(1994)
Trick of the Eye
as Frances Griffin
(1994)
When a Man Loves a Woman
as Emily
(1994)
Getting Gotti
as Jo Giacalone
(1993)
The Cemetery Club
as Esther Moskowitz
(1993)
Shattered Trust: The Shari Karney Story
as Joan Delvecchio
(1992)
Earth and the American Dream
as Reader (voice)
(1992)
When It Was a Game 2
as Passage Narrator (voice)
(1992)
(1991)
Mrs. Lambert Remembers Love
as Lillian "Lil" Lambert
(1991)
Dying Young
as Mrs. O'Neil
(1991)
(1991)
Grand Isle
as Mademoiselle Reisz
(1990)
When You Remember Me
as Nurse Cooder
(1990)
The Color of Evening
as Kate O'Rielly
(1989)
(1989)
(1988)
Hanna's War
as Katalin
(1988)
Hello Actors Studio
as Self
(1987)
Pack of Lies
as Barbara Jackson
(1987)
Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam
as Mrs. Stocks (voice)
(1986)
Something in Common
as Lynn Hollander
(1986)
Act of Vengeance
as Margaret Yablonski
(1985)
Into Thin Air
as Joan Walker
(1985)
The Ambassador
as Alex Hacker
(1985)
Twice in a Lifetime
as Kate MacKenzie
(1985)
Surviving
as Tina Brogan
(1985)
Night of 100 Stars II
as Self
(1982)
I Love Liberty
as Self
(1982)
Night of 100 Stars
as Self
(1981)
People vs. Jean Harris
as Jean Harris
(1981)
Silence of the North
as Olive Frederickson
(1981)
Be Pretty and Shut Up!
as Self
(1980)
Resurrection
as Edna
(1978)
A Dream of Passion
as Brenda Collins
(1978)
Same Time, Next Year
as Doris
(1977)
Providence
as Sonia Langham
(1974)
The Horror Hall of Fame: A Monster Salute
as Self (archive footage)
(1974)
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
as Alice Hyatt
(1974)
Thursday's Game
as Lynne Evers
(1974)
Harry and Tonto
as Shirley Mallard
(1973)
The Exorcist
as Chris MacNeil
(1972)
The King of Marvin Gardens
as Sally
(1971)
The Last Picture Show
as Lois Farrow
(1970)
Alex in Wonderland
as Beth Morrison
(1970)
Tropic of Cancer
as Mona (uncredited)
(1969)
Pit Stop
as Ellen McCleod
(1964)
Goodbye Charlie
as Franny Salzman
(1964)
For Those Who Think Young
as Dr. Pauline Swenson
(1961)
Ricochet
as Rose Maxon
(1958)
The Christmas Tree
as Elizabeth
(1948)
Easy Out?
as Mary
Crew
Bathing Flo
Director
(2019)
The House of Tomorrow
Executive Producer
(2001)
Within These Walls
Executive Producer