Jayne Atkinson Biography

Jayne Atkinson (born 18 February 1959) is a British-American actress who has worked in film, theatre, and television. She is perhaps best known for the role of Karen Hayes on 24, as well as her Tony Award-nominated roles in The Rainmaker and Enchanted April. She has also appeared in the CBS drama Criminal Minds as BAU Section Chief Erin Strauss and in the Netflix political drama House of Cards as U.S. Secretary of State Catherine Durant.

Early life

Jayne Atkinson was born in Bournemouth, Dorset, England, but her family moved to the United States in 1968 when she was 1 years old. She grew up in North Miami Beach Florida, and graduated from Pine Crest School, where she was elected Homecoming Queen in 1977. She attended Northwestern University (BS Communications, 1981), where she was initiated as a member of Alpha Chi Omega and a sorority sister of Laura Innes; and graduated with an MFA from the Yale Drama School in 1985.

Career

After working in regional theatres, Atkinson appeared off-Broadway in the Manhattan Theatre Club's production of Bloody Poetry in 1987. She made her Broadway debut the same year in a revival of Arthur Miller's All My Sons. Subsequently, she landed title roles in more stage productions, which include Henry VIII, Tru, and The Art of Success. She earned a Drama Desk Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performance in The Skriker in 1996. Atkinson's work in the Roundabout Theatre Company's 1999 production of The Rainmaker earned her a Tony Award nomination, and her performance in the 2003 play Enchanted April earned her an Outer Critics Circle Award, another Tony Award nomination and a Drama Desk nomination. In 2009, she starred as Ruth Condomine in a Broadway revival of Nol Coward's Blithe Spirit, which co-starred Rupert Everett, Christine Ebersole, and Angela Lansbury, who won her record-breaking 5th Tony Award for her role as Madame Arcati.

She has appeared in such films as Free Willy, Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home, 12 and Holding, Blank Check, The Village and Syriana.

Her television acting credits include A Year in the Life, Parenthood, The X-Files, Law & Order, The Practice, Criminal Minds, 24, Gossip Girl and House of Cards, opposite Kevin Spacey and husband Michel Gill. Her performance in the made-for-TV movie Our Town garnered her a Satellite Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Personal life

Atkinson is married to actor Michel Gill, with whom she has one son. Atkinson and Gill met when they appeared together in a 1989 production of The Heiress at the Long Wharf Theater in New Haven, Connecticut. They both appeared in House of Cards (though not as a couple: Gill played President Garrett Walker and Atkinson played Secretary of State Catherine Durant).

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1993	Free Willy	Annie Greenwood
1994	Blank Check	Sandra Waters
1995	Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home	Annie Greenwood
2003	Our Town	Mrs. Gibbs	Television movie Nominated"?Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress - Series, Miniseries or Television Film
2004	The Village	Tabitha Walker
2005	Syriana	Division Chief
2006	12 and Holding	Ashley Carges
2008	Recount	Theresa LePore	Television movie
2009	Handsome Harry	Kelly's wife

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1986	A Year in the Life	Lindley Gardner Eisenberg	3 episodes
1987-1988	A Year in the Life	Lindley Gardner Eisenberg	22 episodes
1989	Moonlighting	Robin Fuller	Episode: "Shirts and Skins"
1990-1991	Parenthood	Karen Buckman	12 episodes
1995	The X-Files	Willa Ambrose	Episode: "Fearful Symmetry"
1997	The Practice	Ruth Gibson	Episode: "Part 1"
2001-2002	The Education of Max Bickford	Lyla Ortiz	7 episodes
2002	Law & Order	Dr. Claire Snyder	Episode: "Dazzled"
2004	Joan of Arcadia	Fran Montgomery	Episode: "Friday Night"
2006-2007	24	Karen Hayes	30 episodes Nominated"?Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
2007-2014	Criminal Minds	Erin Strauss	23 episodes
2008	Law & Order: Special Victims Unit	Marion Springer	Episode: "Savant"
2008	Law & Order	Senator Melanie Carver	Episode: "Political Animal"
2010	Gossip Girl	Dean Reuther	4 episodes
2011	White Collar	Helen Anderson	Episode: "Deadline"
2012	Blue Bloods	Sharon Harris	Episode: "Reagan V. Reagan"
2012	Perception	Helen Paulson	2 episodes
2013	The Following	Jacob's mother	2 episodes
2013-2017	House of Cards	Secretary of State Catherine Durant	34 episodes Nominated"?Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
2015	Zoo	Amelia Sage	2 episodes
2016	The Good Wife	Nora Valentine	Episode: "Landing"
2016	Chicago Med	Laura Clay	Episode: "Disorder"
2018	Madam Secretary	Vice President Teresa Hurst	2 episodes

Stage

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1987	All My Sons	Sue Bayliss
1989-1990	Tru	Jan
1997-1998	Ivanov	Anna Petrovna
1999-2000	The Rainmaker	Lizzie Curry	Nominated"?Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play
2002-2003	Our Town	Mrs. Gibbs
2003	Enchanted April	Lotty Wilton	Nominated"?Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play Nominated"?Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play
2009	Blithe Spirit	Ruth