Laila Robins- Biography

About Laila Robins

A graduate of the prestigious Yale School of Drama, she has appeared around the USA with various repertory theaters, including the American Repertory Theatre and the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Off-Broadway, Robins co-starred with Uta Hagen in "Mrs. Klein" (1995-96).

Robins broke into films as Peace Corps worker Marty Ellis in "A Walk on the Moon" and followed with "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" (both 1987), in which she appeared as Steve Martin's wife. Her other feature credits are as Tom Selleck's stalwart wife in Peter Yates' "An Innocent Man" (1989) and "Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael" (1990) as Winona Rider's guidance counselor. In 1995, she was Rachel, the slumber party attendee who is unhappily single, in "Live Nude Girls".

Robins has sporadically appeared on TV, starting with an episode of "The Equalizer" (CBS, 1988). In 1990, she was Victoria Heller, the lawyer who put James Earl Jones away and then hires him when he is released from prison on the short-lived "Gabriel's Fire" on ABC. Her TV-movies include "Dream Breakers" (CBS, 1989) and "Trial: The Price of Passion" (NBC, 1992) in which she was the calculating Charm Blackburn. In 1996, she made a memorable guest appearance on "Law and Order" (NBC) as the former assistant to and paramour of D.A. Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston).

Family

Father

Janis Robins. immigrant from Latvia

Mother

Brigita Suarcs Robins. immigrant from Latvia

Education

University of Wisconsin, Madison , Wisconsin

School of Drama, Yale University, New Haven , Connecticut

Career Milestones

2000

Cast opposite Richard Thomas in the stage revival of "Tiny Alice"

1997

Starred in the 50th Anniversary production of "A Streetcar Named Desire" at the Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago

1995

Co-starred with Uta Hagen in the Off-Broadway hit "Mrs. Klein"

1990

Series debut, Victoria Heller in "Gabriel's Fire" (ABC)

1989

TV-movie debut, "Dream Breakers"

1988

TV debut, episode of "The Equalizer"

1986

Film debut, "A Walk on the Moon"

1984

Broadway debut, succeeded Glenn Close as Annie in "The Real Thing" directed by Mike Nichols

1984

Stage debut in "Peer Gynt" at Williamstown Theatre Festival