Mary McCormack

Full Biography

Already an accomplished stage actress with credits in regional theater in her native New Jersey as well as in numerous Off-Broadway productions, attractive, blonde player Mary McCormack made her film debut with a small role in John Hughes' 1994 remake of "Miracle on 34th Street". A part opposite Robert Mitchum in 1995's little seen spoof "Back Fire!" followed, but her real breakthrough came on the ABC drama series "Murder One". A veteran of TV legal dramas, with guest appearances on the similarly themed "Law & Order" (NBC, 1994) and "The Wright Verdicts" (CBS, 1995), McCormack played the regular role of the high-minded and devoted junior attorney Justine Appleton. Her work attracted the attention of audiences and the casting agents for the much hyped film of radio personality Howard Stern's memoir "Private Parts" (1997). Given Stern's reputation, McCormack initially opted to pass on the part of his long-suffering wife Alison, but she was talked into reading the script by her agent. Excited by the dimensionality of the character, and the overriding love story theme of the script, she accepted the role. The film exposed her to a wider audience, and her heartfelt and humorous portrayal of Mrs. Stern not only changed minds about the self-proclaimed King of All Media, but opened eyes to the actress' abilities.
Featured roles in 1998's "The Alarmist", as Stanley Tucci's scheming assistant, and "Deep Impact", as a pilot, followed, and a busy filming schedule led to her near ubiquity on movie screens in 1999. She was an infertile woman married to a religious fanatic in "Getting to Know You" (which debuted at Sundance) before playing a DEA agent in "Harvest", a drama about farmers growing marijuana to financially preserve their land. McCormack was also featured as a romantic partner for director-star Clint Eastwood in the thriller "True Crime" and portrayed the wife of a small-time hockey player (Russell Crowe) who ends up in a game versus the New York Rangers in "Mystery, Alaska" (1999), a film produced and penned by David E Kelley. Additional projects featuring the actress included "The Big Tease", a comedy co-starring Frances Fisher and Craig Ferguson (who also scripted) about a small town Scottish hairdresser who enters the hairdressing world championships in Los Angeles; a supporting turn in "The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy"; and "Gun Shy" (all 2000), a Eric Blakeney action comedy film starring Liam Neeson and Sandra Bullock which bombed out of the gate. She also starred with Minnie Driver in the woefull crime comedy "High Heels and Low Lifes" (2001) as one of a pair of downtrodden regular gals caught up in a blackmail scheme, but the actress fared better in the ensemble of writer-director Bart Freundlich's film "World Traveler" (2001). She also had a fine but underutilized turn as Jeff Bridges' wife in the dramedy "K-PAX" (2001). McCormack was particularly excellent as the depressed, lovelorn masseuse in "Full Frontal" (2002), director Steven Soderbergh's arty,low-tech and chilly meditation on Los Angelenos. She next appeared as the adoptive mother of David Spade's full-grown ex-kiddie actor in "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star" (2003).

In addition to her numerous film appearances, in 1999 theatergoers saw McCormack return to the stage in a high-profile role utilizing her capable singing voice. She succeeded luminaries Natasha Richardson and Jennifer Jason Leigh as Sally Bowles in the popular Broadway revival of "Cabaret". A versatile performer, McCormack is convincing playing anything from a fresh-faced siren to a hard-nosed law enforcer. She returned to the stage, this time in London, as one of the stars of Neil LaBute's "bash, latter day plays", a collection of one-act plays.


Profession(s):
Actor, singer, intern at talent agency, cocktail waitress

Sometimes Credited As:
Mary C McCormack
Mary Catherine McCormack


Family
brother:Will McCormack (Born c. 1974; co-starred with sister in the independent comedy "Colin Fitz" (1997) and later appeared in "American Outlaws" (2001))
daughter:Margaret Morris (Born Sep. 3, 2004; father, Michael Morris)
daughter:Rose Morris (Father, Michael Morris)
father:William McCormack (Owned a car dealership and ice cream parlor; divorced from McCormack's mother in 1990)
husband:Michael Morris (Married in July 2003)
mother:Norah McCormack (Born c. 1942; divorced from McCormack's father in 1990)
sister:Bridget McCormack (Born c. 1967; taught at Yale Law School)


Companion(s)
Barnaby Harris , Companion , ```..Dated c. 1994


Education
William Esper Studios New York, NY acting
Wardlaw-Hartridge School Edison, NJ 1987
Trinity College Hartford, CT BA English, painting 1991