Perky, lightweight ingenue of frothy 1950s romances and comedies, including four opposite Tony Curtis, the likes of which ("The Prince Who Was a Thief" 1951, "No Room for the Groom" 1952) hardly made her a critic's darling. Laurie's first substantial screen role, however--as the lame, self-destructive alcoholic involved with Paul Newman in Robert Rossen's gritty drama, "The Hustler" (1961)--earned her an Oscar nomination. She had previously won acclaim for her moving portrayal of an alcoholic in J.P. Miller's Golden Age of Television gem, "The Days of Wine and Roses" (1958) opposite Cliff Robertson on "Playhouse 90".
Laurie took a break from film to marry critic Joseph Morgenstern in 1962. She has latterly re-emerged as a rather more flamboyant character player, co-starring with Sissy Spacek as the title character's deranged religious-fanatic mother in "Carrie" (1976), Marlee Matlin's cold mother in "Children of a Lesser God" (1986) and the scheming mill owner Catherine Martell on David Lynch's cult TV soap opera "Twin Peaks" (ABC, 1990-91). In 1995, she reteamed with Spacek, this time playing her sister, in Charlie Matthau's feature adaptation of Truman Capote's "The Grass Harp".
Family
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Daughter: Anne Grace Morgenstern. born in 1971; had daughter Grace Anne born in 1993
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Father: Alfred Jacobs. Polish immigrant
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Mother: Charlotte Sadie Jacobs. Russian-American
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Sister: Sherrye Arlene Jacobs. older; suffered with asthma
Education
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Los Angeles High School, Los Angeles, California, 1950
Milestones
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1949 Signed contract with Univeral-International at age 17
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1950 Feature acting debut, Louisa ; played Ronald Reagan s daughter
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1951 First of four films in which she played opposite Tony Curtis, The Prince Who Was a Thief
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1955 Broke studio contract; abandoned Hollywood for New York
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1955 TV acting debut on Best of Broadway series
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1957 Moved back to Hollywood; returned to acting in films with Until They Sail
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1958 Earned first Emmy nomination for performance in The Deaf Heart (CBS)
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1959 Cast as an alcoholic opposite Cliff Robertson in The Days of Wine and Roses
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1961 Earned Best Actress Oscar nomination for performance as Fast Eddie Felsen s girlfriend in The Hustler ; last film for 15 years
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1967 Took hiatus from acting; moved to Woodstock, New York and baked, worked on pottery, paintings and sculptures
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1967 Starred as Laura on Broadway in the 20th anniversary production of The Glass Menagerie
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1973 Returned to stage in John Guare s Marco Polo Sings a Solo
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1976 Returned to films in Carrie , playing the title character s devoutly religious mother; received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination
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1979 Cast as a widow who hires a mentally challenged handyman (Mel Gibson) in Tim
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1981 Offered strong turn as Magda Goebbels in The Bunker (CBS); received third Emmy nomination
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1983 Garnered fourth Emmy nomination for supporting role of Anne Mueller in The Thorn Birds (ABC)
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1984 Received fifth career Emmy nomination for guest appearance on the NBC drama St. Elsewhere
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1985 Portrayed Auntie Em in the sequel Return to Oz
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1986 Co-starred with James Garner and James Woods in the acclaimed CBS TV-movie Promise ; won Emmy award for role
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1986 Garnered third Best Supporting Actress Academy Award nomination for Children of a Lesser God
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1990 Starred as Catherine Martell in David Lynch s eerie, quirky drama series Twin Peaks (ABC); received two Emmy nominations for work in show; for the 1989-1990 season as Best Actress in a Drama Series and as Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for the 1990-1991 season
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1991 Cast in featured role in Other People s Money
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1993 Co-starred in Off-Broadway production of Larry Kramer s The Destiny of Me
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1994 Had regular role on the short-lived CBS series Traps
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1996 Reteamed with Sissy Spacek, this time playing sisters in The Grass Harp
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1998 Had featured role in the horror film The Faculty
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1999 Picked up ninth career Emmy nod for guest appearance in an episode of the NBC sitcom Frasier
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2000 Co-starred in the based-on-fact Showtime drama Possessed
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2004 Starred in the black comedy Eulogy which follows three generations of a family, who come together for the funeral of the patriarch
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Acted in school plays during high school
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Began acting career on stage at age three
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Family moved to Los Angeles when Laurie was six; she was placed in a Los Angeles children s home by her parents to keep her asthmatic sister company
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Starred in New York stage productions (including Rosemary and The Alligators , two one-act plays by Molly Kazan) and on live TV
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Toured in one-woman stage show, The Last Flapper by William Luce, portraying Zelda Fitzgerald (date approximate)