Becky Ann Baker
Becky Ann Baker (née Gelke; born February 17, 1953) is an American actress who is known for her portrayal of Jean Weir on NBC's Emmy Award-winning Freaks and Geeks and for her role as Loreen Horvath on HBO's Emmy Award-winning Girls, for which she received a Primetime Emmy nomination.[1]
Becky Ann Baker | |
|---|---|
| Born | Becky Ann Gelke February 17, 1953 Fort Knox, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 1 |
Early life
Baker was born Becky Gelke in Fort Knox, Kentucky.[2]
Career
Baker's film credits include Blue Steel, Jacob's Ladder, Lorenzo's Oil, Unstrung Heroes, Sabrina, Ridley Scott's White Squall, Men in Black, In & Out, Woody Allen's Celebrity, Sam Raimi's A Simple Plan (for which she received a Blockbuster Entertainment Award nomination), Two Weeks Notice, Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds, Stay, The Night Listener, Death of a President, and Spider-Man 3.[3]
She got her role in Freaks and Geeks after series creator Paul Feig and Judd Apatow saw her performance in Sam Raimi's, A Simple Plan. "That really informed their decision to try to use me from having really no huge television experience," she said.[4] In addition to Freaks and Geeks, her television credits include Stephen King's Storm of the Century and guest spots on L.A. Law, Frasier, Star Trek: Voyager, Sex & the City, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Oz and All My Children.
An accomplished stage performer, Baker made her Broadway debut in the 1981 production of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and received a Drama-Logue Award in 1994 for her work in Night and Her Stars. She is a founding member of New York-based theatre company The Drama Dept.[5]
In 2009, she appeared in the NBC series Kings, playing the minor role of Jessie Shepherd, mother of protagonist David Shepherd. Her real-life husband, Dylan Baker, played antagonist William Cross in the series.[6]
Personal life
Baker used her birth name, Becky Gelke, as her professional name until she married actor Dylan Baker in 1990.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | The Protector | Samantha Alexander | |
| 1986 | Agent on Ice | Mrs. Donnelli | |
| 1988 | Full Moon in Blue Water | Dorothy | |
| 1989 | Blue Steel | Nurse #1 | |
| 1990 | Come See the Paradise | Marge McGurn | |
| 1990 | Jacob's Ladder | Nurse | |
| 1992 | That Night | Mrs. Bell | |
| 1992 | Lorenzo's Oil | Pellerman's Secretary | |
| 1995 | Unstrung Heroes | Mrs. Harris | |
| 1995 | Sabrina | Linda | |
| 1996 | White Squall | Ms. Boyde | |
| 1996 | I'm Not Rappaport | Nurse | |
| 1997 | Bad Bosses Go to Hell | Architect Boss | Short film |
| 1997 | Men in Black | Mrs. Redgick | |
| 1997 | In & Out | Darlene | |
| 1998 | Celebrity | Doris | |
| 1998 | A Simple Plan | Nancy Chambers | Nominated—Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Supporting Actress – Suspense |
| 1999 | The Confession | Nurse Jeannine Carrounbois | |
| 2002 | Two Weeks Notice | RV Woman | |
| 2005 | War of the Worlds | Disaster Relief Volunteer | |
| 2005 | Tracks | 'Frizzy' | Short film |
| 2005 | Stay | Paramedic #1 / Butch Cook | |
| 2006 | The Night Listener | Waitress | |
| 2006 | Gretchen | Lori Finkle | |
| 2006 | Death of a President | Eleanor Drake | |
| 2007 | Spider-Man 3 | Mrs. Stacy | |
| 2008 | Spinning Into Butter | Ruby | |
| 2008 | Nights in Rodanthe | Dot | |
| 2012 | Hope Springs | Cora | |
| 2012 | The Discoverers | Mary | |
| 2013 | 23 Blast | Patty Wheatley | |
| 2015 | The End of the Tour | Bookstore Manager | |
| 2017 | Table 19 | Carol Milner | |
| 2018 | The Chaperone | Lois | |
| 2019 | After Class | Mary | |
| 2020 | The Half of It | Mrs. Geselschap |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | In the Line of Duty: The F.B.I. Murders | Carol Ann | TV movie |
| 1990 | She Said No | Gail | TV movie |
| 1992 | L.A. Law | Melinda Garrett | Episode: "Beauty and the Breast" |
| 1995 | Frasier | Marge | Episode: "Frasier Grinch" |
| 1996 | The Siege at Ruby Ridge | Elizabeth | TV movie |
| 1996 | Star Trek: Voyager | Ritual Guide | Episode: "Sacred Ground" |
| 1998 | Soul Man | Margo | Episode: "Little Black Dress" |
| 1999 | Storm of the Century | Ursula Godsoe | TV miniseries |
| 1999–2000 | Freaks and Geeks | Jean Weir | 18 episodes |
| 2000 | Wonderland | Dr. Reeples | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2001 | Sex and the City | Betsy | Episode: "My Motherboard, My Self" |
| 2002 | The Education of Max Bickford | Kathryn | Episode: "Money Changes Everything" |
| 2002 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Mrs. Brice | Episode: "Juvenile" |
| 2002 | Law & Order | Susan Simels | Episode: "Oxymoron" |
| 2003 | Oz | Greta | Episode: "Exeunt Omnes" |
| 2004–2005 | Life As We Know It | Amanda Conner | 4 episodes |
| 2005 | The Exonerated | Defense Attorney | TV movie |
| 2005 | Law & Order | Defense Attorney Carolyn Walters | Episode: "House of Cards" |
| 2006 | Conviction | Deborah Cole | Episode: "Downhill" |
| 2007 | All My Children | Marj Luper | 3 episodes |
| 2009 | Important Things with Demetri Martin | Revenger's Mom | Episode: "Power" |
| 2009 | Kings | Jessie Shepherd | 7 episodes |
| 2010 | The Electric Company | Natalie McNally | Episode: "Bananas" |
| 2010 | Mercy | Gianna | Episode: "There Is No Superwoman" |
| 2010 | Nurse Jackie | Elaine | Episode: "What the Day Brings" |
| 2012 | A Gifted Man | Mary Polanco | Episode: "In Case of a Bolt from the Blue" |
| 2012 | Smash | Mrs. Cartwright | Episode: "Pilot" Episode: "Enter Mr. DiMaggio" |
| 2012–2017 | Girls | Loreen Horvath | 20 episodes Nominated—Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series (2012, 2015) Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series (2017) |
| 2012–2016 | The Good Wife | Alma Hoff | 3 episodes |
| 2013 | Person of Interest | Deputy Erica Schmidt | Episode: "Proteus" |
| 2013 | Elementary | Pam | Episode: "Snow Angels" |
| 2014 | Mind Games | Cathy Steward | Episode: "Asymmetric Dominance" |
| 2014 | Black Box | Eileen Giordano | Episode: "Emotion" |
| 2014 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Vivienne Patton | Episode: "Forgiving Rollins" |
| 2015 | Gotham | Marge | Episode: "Everyone Has a Cobblepot" |
| 2015 | Madam Secretary | Chancellor Frieda Schulz | Episode: "Spartan Figures" |
| 2015 | Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | Deborah | Episode: "Bail" |
| 2016 | Crisis in Six Scenes | Lee | 2 episodes |
| 2017 | Doubt | Eloise Kirk | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2017–2018 | The Good Fight | Alma Hoff | 2 episodes |
| 2017 | Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt | Stacey | Episode: "Kimmy Googles the Internet!" |
| 2017 | The Night Shift | Lily Alister | Episode: "Turbulence" |
| 2017 | NCIS: New Orleans | Special Agent Paula Boyd | Episode: "Rogue Nation" |
| 2018–2019 | Brockmire | Jean Brockmire Glasscock | 4 episodes |
| 2019 | The Blacklist | Judge Roberta Wilkins | 6 episodes |
| 2019 | Younger | Bronwyn Madigan | 2 episodes |
| 2019 | Big Little Lies | Judge Marylin Cipriani | 3 episodes |
| 2020 | Little America | Mrs. Wren | Episode: "The Manager" |
| 2020 | Manhunt | Patricia Rudolph | 2 episodes |
| 2020 | Katy Keene | June Kelly | Episode: "Chapter Two: You Can't Hurry Love" |
| 2020 | Hunters | Juanita Kreps | 4 episodes |
| 2020 | Council of Dads | Grandma | 2 episodes |
| 2020 | Little Voice | Elaine | 2 episodes |
Theatre credits
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978–1982 | The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas | Various | Jun 1978 – Mar 1982 |
| 1982 | The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas | Doatsey Mae | May 1982 – Jul 1982 |
| 1988 | A Streetcar Named Desire | Eunice Hubbell | Mar 1988 – May 1988 |
| 1990 | The Colorado Catechism | Donna | Oct 1990 – Nov 1990 |
| 1994 | Durang/Durang | Ma / Wanda | Nov 1994 |
| 1995 | Laura Dennis | Lena Abernathy | Mar 1995 – Apr 1995 |
| 1997–1999 | Titanic | Charlotte Cardoza | Apr 1997 – Mar 1999 |
| 1998 | June Moon | Lucille | Jan 1998 – Mar 1998 |
| 1998–1999 | The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told | Jane | Dec 1998 – May 1999 |
| 2001 | The Vagina Monologues | N/A | Feb 2001 – Apr 2001 |
| 2001 | Othello | Emilia | Dec 2001 |
| 2003 | Shanghai Moon | Mrs. Carroll/Sir Geoffrey | Jan 2003 – Mar 2003 |
| 2004 | Assassins | Sara Jane Moore | Apr 2004 – Jul 2004 |
| 2006 | The House in Town | Jean Eliot | Jun 2006 – Jul 2006 |
| 2006–2007 | Suddenly Last Summer | Mrs. Holly | Nov 2006 – Jan 2007 |
| 2008–2009 | All My Sons | Sue Bayliss | Oct 2008 – Jan 2009 |
| 2009 | The Torch-Bearers | Mrs. Ritter | Aug 2009 |
| 2011 | Good People | Jean | Mar 2011 – May 2011 |
| 2012 | Merrily We Roll Along | Mary Flynn | Mar 2012 |
| 2012–2013 | The Great God Pan | Cathy | Dec 2012 – Jan 2013 |
| 2013 | The Comedy of Errors | Abbess | May 2013 – June 2013 |
| 2015 | Barbecue | Lillie Anne | Oct 2015 – Nov 2015 |
| 2015 | Dear Elizabeth | Elizabeth | Oct 2015 – Dec 2015 |
| 2016 | Peer Gynt | The Mother | May 2016 – Jun 2016 |
| 2017 | The Hairy Ape | Mildred's Aunt | Mar 2017 – Apr 2017 |
| 2018 | Cardinal | Nancy Prenchel | Jan 2018 – Feb 2018 |
References
- Davidson, Denton (2017-07-27). "Emmy episode analysis: Becky Ann Baker ('Girls') is high as a kite in 'Gummies'". GoldDerby. Retrieved 2017-10-25.
- "Becky Ann Baker Biography". FilmReference.com. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
- "Becky Ann Baker". IMDb. Retrieved 2017-10-25.
- "Interview: Becky Ann Baker on Her Career, Audition Tips and the New Short, 'Nightfire'". Daily Actor. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
- Drama Dept. dramadept.org
- "How Dylan Baker and Becky Ann Baker Became Mr. and Mrs. Character Actor". Retrieved 2017-10-25.
External links
Authority control  |
|---|