Laurie Metcalf is an American actress known for her performances on stage and screen. She started her career on the stage at the Steppenwolf Theater Company in Chicago acting in several productions in the late 1970s. She made her screen debut in an uncredited role in the Robert Altman film A Wedding (1978). She served as a cast member on the NBC sketch series Saturday Night Live for one episode in 1981. Her early film roles include in the comedy drama Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), the comedy Uncle Buck (1989), and the political thriller epic JFK (1991). She gained her breakout role playing Jackie Harris in the ABC sitcom Roseanne (1988–1997, 2018) earning three consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Metcalf returned to the role in the continuation series The Conners (2018–2025).
She took supporting roles in the romantic drama Leaving Las Vegas (1995), political satire Bulworth (1998), and romantic comedy Runaway Bride (1999). She has voiced roles in the Toy Story trilogy (1995–2010), Treasure Planet (2002), and Meet the Robinsons (2007). She gained critical attention for playing a dysfunctional mother in the Greta Gerwig directed coming-of-age comedy film Lady Bird (2017) for which she earned Best Supporting Actress nominations for the Academy Award, Actor Award, BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award, and Critics' Choice Movie Award.
Metcalf made her Broadway debut in 1995, and later won Tony Awards for playing Nora Helmer in the Lucas Hnath play A Doll's House, Part 2 (2017) and a middle aged caretaker attending to the elderly in the Edward Albee play Three Tall Women (2018). She was Tony-nominated for playing a political speechwriter in the David Mamet play November (2008), a neurologist whose life begins to unravel in the Sharr White play The Other Place (2013), Annie Wilkes in the Stephen King adaptation Misery (2016), and Hillary Clinton in the Lucas Hnath play Hillary and Clinton (2019).
On television, she had leading roles in the ABC sitcom The Norm Show (1999–2001), the CBS sitcom The McCarthys (2014–2015), and the HBO comedy series Getting On (2013–2015). She took recurring roles playing Carolyn Bigsby in the ABC mystery-dramedy series Desperate Housewives (2006) and Mary Cooper in the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory (2007–2018). She also guest starred in 3rd Rock from the Sun, Frasier, Malcolm in the Middle, Horace and Pete, and Hacks. She played Phyllis Gardner in the Hulu limited series The Dropout (2022).
Film Year Title Role Notes Ref. 1978 A Wedding Maid Uncredited George Wendt in 1985 Desperately Seeking Susan Leslie Glass 1987 Making Mr. Right Sandy McCleary 1988 Candy Mountain Alice Stars and Bars Melissa The Appointments of Dennis Jennings Emma Short film Miles from Home Exotic Dancer 1989 Uncle Buck Marcie Dahlgren-Frost 1990 Internal Affairs Amy Wallace Pacific Heights Stephanie MacDonald 1991 JFK Susie Cox 1992 Mistress Rachel Landisman 1993 Anita Bell 1994 The Secret Life of Houses Ann Blink Candice 1995 Leaving Las Vegas Mrs. Van Houten Toy Story Jennifer Davis Voice role A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. 1996 Dear God Rebecca Frazen 1997 U Turn Bus Station Clerk Chicago Cab Female Ad Exec Scream 2 Debbie Salt / Nancy Loomis 1998 Bulworth Mimi 1999 Runaway Bride Betty Trout Uncredited Toy Story 2 Jennifer Davis Voice role 2000 Timecode Dava Adair Rehearsal shoot (included in the DVD release) 2002 Treasure Planet Sarah Hawkins Voice role 2005 Fun with Dick and Jane Phyllis Uncredited role 2006 Steel City Marianne Karn Beer League Mrs. DeVanzo 2007 Meet the RobinsonsGrandma Lucille and Dr.Krunklehorn-Robinson Voice role Georgia Rule Paula Richards 2008 Stop-Loss Mrs. Colson 2010 Toy Story 3 Jennifer Davis Voice role 2011Still Screaming: The Ultimate Scary Movie RetrospectiveHerselfDocumentary film 2017 Lady Bird Marion McPherson 2019 Toy Story 4 Jennifer Davis Voice cameo 2022 Somewhere in Queens Angela Russo 2026 Everybody Digs Bill Evans Mary Evans Scream 7 Nancy Loomis Cameo
Television Year Title Role Notes Ref. 1981 Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Reporter Episode: "Jr. Walker & the All-Stars" 1985 Carol Graham Television film 1986 Theresa Episode: "No Conscience" 1988–1997, 2018 Roseanne Jackie Harris Main cast (230 episodes) 1988 Saturday Night Live "Laurie Has A Story" Episode: "Matthew Broderick/The Sugarcubes" 1995–1996 Duckman Various voices Episodes: "Research and Destroy" and "Forbidden Fruit" 1997 King of the Hill Cissy Cobb (voice) Episode: "Peggy the Boggle Champ" Special Agent Hicks Episode: "Decimals – The Fake Money Caper" Life with Louie Miss Kinney (voice) Episode: "The Kiss Is the Thing" Dharma & Greg Spyder Episode: "Instant Dharma" 1998 Always Outnumbered Halley Grimes Television film The Long Island Incident Carolyn McCarthy 3rd Rock from the Sun Jennifer Ravelli 3 episodes 1999 Balloon Farm Casey Johnson Television film 1999–2001 Laurie Freeman Main cast (54 episodes) 2000–2011 God, the Devil and Bob Donna Allman (voice) 13 episodes 2002 Two Families Unsold pilot Phil at the Gate Teddy Duffy Unsold pilot Charlie Lawrence Sarah Dolecek Main cast (7 episodes) 2004 Malcolm in the Middle Susan Episode: "Lois's Sister" Frasier Nanny G Episode: "Caught in the Act" Absolutely Fabulous Crystalline Episode: "White Box" 2005 Without a Trace Susan Hopkins Episode: "A Day in the Life" 2006 Monk Cora Episode: "Mr. Monk Bumps His Head" Grey's Anatomy Beatrice Carver Episode: "The Name of the Game" Desperate Housewives Carolyn Bigsby 4 episodes My Boys Aunt Phyllis Episode: "When Heroes Fall from Grace" 2007 Lydia Pilot episode Raines Alice Brody Episode: "Reconstructing Alice" 2007–2018 Mary Cooper Recurring role (14 episodes) 2008–2009 Easy Money Bobette Buffkin Main cast (8 episodes) 2009 Warden Margaret Elder Unsold pilot 2013 Dr. Richland 2 episodes 2013–2015 Getting On Jenna James Main cast (18 episodes) 2014 Tim & Eric's Bedtime Stories Gabrielle Episode: "Baby" 2014–2015 The McCarthys Marjorie McCarthy Main cast (15 episodes) 2016 Horace and Pete Sarah Episode #1.3 2017 Portlandia Jill Episode: "Friend Replacement" Playing House Leslie Rollins Episode: "You Wanna Roll with This" 2018–2023 American Dad! Elizabeth Hadley (voice) 3 episodes 2018 Supergirl Mary McGowan Episode: "Schott Through the Heart" 2018–2025 The Conners Jackie Harris Main cast (112 episodes) 2020–2022 The Accidental Wolf Ram 3 episodes 2021 Q-Force V (voice) 10 episodes Chicago Party Aunt Peg Dunbrowski (voice) Episode: "Tailgate Jailgate" 2022 The Dropout Phyllis Gardner 4 episodes 2022, 2026 Hacks Weed 3 episodes 2023 Carol & the End of the World HR Lady (voice) 3 episodes 2024 Elsbeth Regina Coburn / Felicity Watts Episode: "Toil and Trouble" 2025 Monster: The Ed Gein Story Augusta Gein Main role 2026-present Big Mistakes Linda Main role
Theater Year Title Role Playwright Venue Ref. 1979 The Glass Menagerie Laura Wingfield Tennessee Williams Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago 1980 Balm in Gilead Darlene Lanford Wilson 1981 Apollo Theater Center, Chicago 1984–85 Circle Repertory Theatre 1985 Coyote Ugly Scarlet Lynn Siefert Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago 1985–86 You Can't Take It with You Gay Wellington George S. KaufmanMoss Hart 1986–87 Bodies, Rest and Motion Beth Roger Hedden Mitzi E. Newhouse Theatre, Off-Broadway 1987Educating Rita Susan "Rita" White Willy Russell Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago Westside Theatre, Off-Broadway 1992 My Thing of Love Elly Alexandra G. Vassilaros Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago 1994 Libra Margeurite Oswald / David Ferrie Don DeLilloJohn Malkovich 1995 My Thing of Love Elly Alexandra G. Vassilaros Martin Beck Theatre, Broadway 1999 The Beauty Queen of Leenane Maureen Folan Martin McDonagh Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago 2001 All My Sons Kate Keller Arthur Miller Lyttelton Theatre, West End 2004 Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune Frankie Terrence McNally Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune Steppenwolf 2006 All My Sons Kate Keller Arthur Miller Geffen Playhouse, Los Angeles 2007 The Quality of Life Jeannette Jane Anderson 2008 November Clarice Bernstein David Mamet Ethel Barrymore Theatre, Broadway The Quality of Life Jeannette Jane Anderson American Conservatory Theater 2009 Brighton Beach Memoirs Kate Jerome Neil Simon Nederlander Theatre, Broadway Voice Lessons Ginny Justin Tanner Zephyr Theatre, Los Angeles 2010 Studio Theatre, Washington D.C. A Lie of the Mind Meg Sam Shepard Acorn Theatre, Off-Broadway Detroit Mary Lisa D'Amour Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago 2011 The Other Place Juliana Sharr White Lucille Lortel Theatre, Off-Broadway2012Long Day's Journey into NightMary Tyrone Eugene O'Neill Apollo Theatre, West End Theatre Royal, Glasgow 2013 The Other Place Juliana Sharr White Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, Broadway 2013–2014 Domesticated Judy Pulvar Bruce Norris Mitzi E. Newhouse Theatre, Off-Broadway 2015 Trevor Sandra Morris Nick Jones Atwater Village Theatre, Los Angeles 2015 All My Sons Kate Keller Arthur Miller John Drew Theatre 2015–2016 Misery Annie Wilkes William Goldman Broadhurst Theatre, Broadway 2016 Voice Lessons Ginny Justin Tanner Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago 2017 A Doll's House, Part 2 Nora Helmer Lucas Hnath John Golden Theatre, Broadway 2018 Three Tall Women B Edward Albee 2019 Hillary and Clinton Hillary Clinton Lucas Hnath 2020 Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Martha Edward Albee Booth Theatre, Broadway 2023 Grey House Raleigh Levi Holloway Lyceum Theatre, Broadway Gutenberg! The Musical! Producer (one night only) Scott BrownAnthony King James Earl Jones Theatre, Broadway 2024Little Bear Ridge Road Sarah Samuel D. Hunter Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago 2025 Booth Theater, Broadway 2026 Death of a Salesman Linda Loman Arthur Miller Winter Garden Theatre, Broadway Playbill.com Laurie Metcalf Death of a Salesmanaccessed 02/16/2026
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