Blythe Danner

Often Works With…

A genteel blonde with a throaty voice who made her mark on the stage before concentrating on raising a family, Blythe Danner has often been called one of America's most underrated and underused actresses. After an upbringing on Philadelphia's Main Line, Danner spent part of 1961 as a foreign exchange student in Germany and was present when the Berlin Wall was erected. When she returned to the USA, she attended Bard College and spent a summer singing with a jazz group in Vermont. Following her graduation, Danner landed a job with the Theatre Company of Boston, where she made her professional debut as Laura in "The Glass Menagerie". Her NYC debut came with the troupe's 1966 revue "The Infantry" which was staged off-Broadway. Danner first gained prominence with the Lincoln Center productions "Summertime" (1968) and "The Miser" (1969), and her winsome performances led to her first Broadway play. As Jill Tanner, the free-spirited divorcee who intrigues a blind neighbor in "Butterflies Are Free" (also 1969), the actress ascended to stardom and won a Tony Award in the process.

Although she had begun working in television (i.e., "George M", NBC 1970; "Doctor Cook's Garden", ABC 1971), Danner was not considered enough of a name to reprise her stage role when it came time to film "Butterflies Are Free" (the part went to Goldie Hawn). Instead, she acted opposite Alan Alda in the thriller "To Kill a Clown" and cut a buoyant figure—and displayed a lovely singing voice—as Martha Jefferson opposite Ken Howard's Thomas Jefferson in the film of the hit musical "1776" (both 1972). She and Howard shared chemistry and they rejoined in the Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy roles in a short-lived sitcom adaptation of "Adam's Rib" (ABC, 1973).

Danner got to display her formidable talents as a woman torn between two friends in "Lovin' Molly" (1974), an underrated adaptation of Larry McMurtry's novel "Leaving Cheyenne". On the small screen, the actress was perfectly cast as Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald in the ABC drama "F. Scott Fitzgerald and 'The Last of the Belles'" (1974). That same year, Danner also began a long-running association with the Williamstown Theatre Festival, starring as Nina in "The Seagull" which was filmed and aired on public television.

As a script girl who falls for a cowboy hero (Jeff Bridges), Danner enlivened "Hearts of the West" (1975) but she was wasted in the sci-fi tinged "Futureworld" (1976). Except for her expert portrayal of Robert Duvall's long-suffering wife in "The Great Santini" (1979), her best work in the second half of the 70s was on the small screen. She was terrific as the baseball player's spouse in "A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story" (NBC, 1978), opposite Edward Herrmann, and as Michael Moriarty's WASPish wife in the superior "Too Far To Go" (NBC, 1979), adapted from John Updike's short stories.

As the 80s progressed and her children grew, Danner became more active, earning a 1980 Tony nod for her adulterous wife in Harold Pinter's "Betrayal" before headlining a revival of "The Philadelphia Story". She also delivered excellent performances as Annie Sullivan in "Helen Keller -- The Miracle Continues" (syndicated, 1984) and as the wife of a lawyer (Anthony Hopkins) who is targeted for murder in "Guilty Conscience" (CBS, 1985). Danner and Judith Ivey were both too WASPish, however, to convincingly play Jewish sisters in the 1986 film adaptation of Neil Simon's semi-autobiographical "Brighton Beach Memoirs". On the other hand, she and Ivey worked well as the two spouses of Richard Chamberlain's writer in a 1987 Broadway revival of Noel Coward's "Blithe Spirit". The following year, Danner picked up another Tony nomination as Blanche Du Bois in "A Streetcar Named Desire". Continuing her stage career, she was excellent as Beatrice to Kevin Kline's Benedick in a Central Park staging of "Much Ado About Nothing".

The 1990s saw Danner work frequently with her daughter Gwyneth Paltrow, including on stage at Williamstown in "Picnic" in 1991 and "The Seagull" in 1994. Paltrow also played Danner’s daughter in the 1992 NBC miniseries "Cruel Doubts". Danner had one of her best screen roles as Nick Nolte's estranged wife in "The Prince of Tides" (1991). She later co-starred with Roy Scheider in "The Myth of Fingerprints" (1997) and was one of the hostages taken by John Travolta in "Mad City" (also 1997). Danner was bizarrely cast as Kate Capshaw's mother in the romantic comedy "The Love Letter" (1999) but was better suited to the low-key comedy as Robert De Niro's WASPish wife in "Meet the Parents" (2000). In 2001, she was cast as the mother of Cameron Diaz and Jordana Brewster in "The Invisible Circus" before she tackled her first Broadway musical role as Phyllis in the revival of Stephen Sondheim & James Goldman's "Follies".

In 2002, Danner received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Movie for her role as Corinne Mulvaney in the Lifetime drama "We Were The Mulvaneys." Danner began the fall of 2002 with what looked to be a positive note, returning to series television with the CBS hospital drama "Presidio Med," but tragedy struck in her personal life when husband Bruce Paltrow died of complications from pneumonia and a recurrence of throat cancer while vacationing in Rome to celebrate their daughter's 30th birthday. Mother and daughter bounced back to work together in "Sylvia" (2003), with Danner playing Aurelia Plath, mother of the noted poet Sylvia Plath. On television, Danner struck a lighter note with a recurring role on the hit sit-com "Will & Grace" (NBC, 1998- ), playing Marilyn Truman, Will's brittle blueblood mother whose life goes into a tailspin when her husband (Sydney Pollack) leaves her for his mistress. Danner then reprised her role as Dina Byrnes in the sequel, “Meet the Fockers” (2004). As with its predecessor, wild hype trumped mediocre reviews, as this tepid comedy attracted audiences in droves and became a box office hit. Danner had a banner year in 2005, scoring three Emmy nominations: for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series on "Will & Grace;" Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for " Back When We Were Grownups" (2004) as a 53-year-old single mother and grandmother with a colorful family; and the trophy she took home, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series with her delightful turn as Izzy Huffstodt, off-kilter mother of psychiatrist Craig 'Huff' Huffstodt (Hank Azaria) on the acclaimed Showtime series "Huff" (2004-).

Also Credited As:
Blythe Katharine Danner
Born:
February 3, 1943 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Job Titles:
Actor

Family

Brother: Harry B Danner.
Daughter: Gwyneth Paltrow. born on September 27, 1972; began acting as a teenager alongside mother at Williamstown Theatre Festival; won Oscar for lead in Shakespeare in Love
Father: Harry Earl Danner. born on March 31, 1907; died on June 10, 1981 at the age of 74
Half-brother: William H Moennig. older
Mother: Katherine Danner.
Niece: Hillary Danner.
Niece: Katherine Moennig. born on December 19, 1976
Son: Jake Paltrow. born on September 26, 1975

Significant Others

Husband: Bruce Paltrow. married on December 14, 1969; died of throat cancer on October 2, 2002 in Rome, Italy
Husband: Bruce Paltrow. married on December 14, 1969; died October 2, 2002 in Rome, Italy

Education

The George School, Bucks County, Pennsylvania

Milestones

1961 Traveled to Berlin as a foreign exchange music student; was present when the Berlin Wall was erected
1965 Spent one season as a member of the Theatre Company of Boston
1965 Professional stage debut as Laura in The Glass Menagerie
1966 NYC debut in the Off-Broadway play The Infantry
1967 Spent part of the theater season acting with Trinity Square Repertory Company in Providence, Rhode Island
1967 Was cast in first Broadway show, the musical Mata Hari ; had featured role; show closed during out-of-town tryout
1968 TV debut in Day Tripper episode of N.Y.P.D (ABC)
1970 Had supporting role in NBC production of the Broadway musical George M!
1971 Played featured role in the ABC movie Dr. Cook s Garden , starring Bing Crosby
1972 Appeared on Columbo (NBC)
1972 Film acting debut, To Kill a Clown , co-starring Alan Alda
1972 Made feature singing debut as Martha Jefferson in 1776 , opposite Ken Howard
1973 Starred as Amanda in the short-lived ABC sitcom, Adam s Rib , opposite Ken Howard
1974 Began on-going association with the Williamstown Theatre Festival; appeared as Nina in Chekhov s The Seagull ; production filmed and aired on public television s Theater in America series; co-stared with Frank Langella
1974 Had leading role of a woman who comes betweeen two friends in Lovin Molly
1974 Portrayed Zelda to Richard Chamberlain s F Scott Fitzgerald in the ABC drama F. Scott Fitzgerald and The Last of the Belles
1975 Again paired with Langella in the Williamstown production of Tennessee Williams Eccentricities of a Nightingale ; production filmed and aired on Theater in America
1975 Was leading lady to Jeff Bridges in the amiable comedy Hearts of the West
1976 Co-starred in the sequel Futureworld
1976 Reteamed with Alan Alda in a memorable episode of M*A*S*H* (CBS)
1977 Had lead in The New York Idea , staged at the Brooklyn Academy of Music
1977 Portrayed Elizabeth Custer, the general s wife, in The Court-Martial of General George Armstrong Custer (ABC), a fictionalized speculation of what might have happened had Custer not died at Little Big Horn
1978 Earned critical praise as Eleanor Gehrig in the NBC biographical drama, A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story
1979 Delivered a strong turn as the devoted wife of a military officer in The Great Santini
1979 With Michael Moriarty, starred in Too Far to Go , adapted from short stories by John Updike; originally aired on NBC; briefly released theatrically
1980 Returned to Broadway appearing alongside Raul Julia and Roy Scheider in Harold Pinter s Betrayal ; earned Tony nomination
1982 Portrayed the wife of German architect Albert Speer in the ABC miniseries Inside the Third Reich
1984 Cast as Annie Sullivan in the syndicated Helen Keller -- The Miracle Continues
1984 Made guest appearance in an episode of St. Elsewhere (NBC)
1985 Offered nice turn as the wife of a philandering attorney (Anthony Hopkins) who was plotting to kill her in the three-character drama Guilty Conscience (CBS)
1986 Played the matriarch of a Jewish family in the film version of Neil Simon s semi-autobiographical Brighton Beach Memoirs ; Judith Ivey co-starred as her sister
1987 Co-starred with Richard Chamberlain and Judith Ivey in a revival of Noel Coward s Blithe Spirit ; played Elvira
1988 Appeared in Woody Allen s Another Woman
1988 Appeared opposite Kevin Kline in the New York Shakespeare Festival s summer production of Much Ado About Nothing in NYC s Central Park
1988 Earned Tony nomination as Blanche Du Bois in a stage revival of A Streetcar Named Desire
1988 Played the co-owner of a NYC restaurant in the NBC drama Tattinger s ; series was cancelled after a brief run and retooled as a sitcom called Nick & Hillary (NBC, 1989) which lasted only a handful of episodes
1990 Cast as the mother of a child molested by a priest in the HBO drama Judgment
1990 Second film with Woody Allen, Alice
1990 Supported Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward in the Merchant Ivory production Mr. & Mrs. Bridge
1991 Acted alongside Gwyneth Paltrow in Picnic at Williamstown Theatre Festival
1991 Gave a fine performance as Nick Nolte s wife in The Prince of Tides
1992 Played Juliette Lewis mother in Woody Allen s Husbands and Wives
1992 Played the victim of a an attempted murder who begins to suspect her son of the crime in the NBC miniseries Cruel Doubt ; daughter Gwyneth Paltrow played her onscreen daughter
1994 Had featured role in the CBS miniseries Oldest Confederate Widow Tells All
1994 Portrayed Arkadina in Williamstown production of The Seagull with daughter Gwyneth Paltrow as Nina
1995 Appeared Off-Broadway in A R Gurney s stage comedy Sylvia
1997 Cast as a Holocaust survivor in A Call to Remember , aired on Starz! and Encore
1997 Portrayed the matriarch of a troubled family in The Myth of Fingerprints ; screened at Sundance; Roy Scheider co-starred as the family patriarch
1997 Voiced Martha Jefferson in the PBS documentary Thomas Jefferson , directed by Ken Burns
1997 Was one of the museum employees taken hostage by a disgruntled former security guard (John Travolta) in Mad City
1998 Co-starred in Anne Tyler s Saint Maybe (CBS), a Hallmark Hall of Fame production
1998 Had lead role in ill-fated revival of The Deep Blue Sea
1998 Hosted Sophisticated Ladies: Charleston and Savannah With Blythe Danner (PBS)
1998 Played a Janet Reno-like character in a cameo in The X-Files
1998 Provided the voice of the title character, a crime-solving tiger cat in Murder She Purred: A Mrs. Murphy Mystery (ABC)
1998 Starred as a woman who accidentally killed her daughter in the taut drama The Farmhouse ; screened at Gen Art Film Festival; aired on Sundance Channel in 1999
1999 Co-starred with Edward Herrmann in a staged reading of A R Gurney s Ancestral Voices
1999 Played Kate Capshaw s mother in The Love Letter
2000 Appeared as Robert De Niro s wife in Meet the Parents
2001 Cast as Phyllis in the all-star Broadway revival of Follies , featuring Judith Ivey, Treat Williams and Gregory Harrison; received Tony nomination
2001 Cast in the recurring role as Will s mother on the NBC comedy Will & Grace ; earned an Emmy nomination for Best Guest Actress in 2005
2001 Played the mother of Cameron Diaz and Jordana Brewster in The Invisible Circus
2002 Cast as Corinne Mulvaney in the Lifetime drama We Were The Mulvaney s
2002 Cast as Dr. Harriet Lanning in the short-lived CBS medical drama Presidio Med
2003 Portrayed Sylvia Plath s mother opposite her real life daughter Gwyneth Paltrow in Sylvia
2004 Reprised her role as Dina Byrnes for the comedy sequel Meet the Fockers
2004 Starred as Hank Azaria s mother in the Showtime drama Huff
2004 Starred in the TV movie Back When We Were Grownups (CBS); received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Mini Series or TV movie
2006 Co-starred in The Last Kiss directed by Tony Goldwyn and scripted by Paul Haggis
2006 Earned an Emmy nomination for Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for Will & Grace
Breakthrough stage role as the kooky, sexually liberated teenage divorcee Jill Tanner, who befriends her blind male neighbor, in Butterflies Are Free ; received Tony Award
Garnered attention for her performance in the Lincoln Center productions of Summertree (1968) and The Miser (1969)
Raised in a community on Philadelphia s Main Line
Sang soprano with a jazz group at Baggy Pants in Stowe, Vermont
Starred in the Lincoln Center revival of The Philadelphia Story
Starred opposite Jason Robards in Pinter s Moonlight