Mimi Kennedy Biography

Mary Claire "Mimi" Kennedy (born September 25, 1948) is an American actress, author, and activist, best known for her performances in television comedies. She co-starred in a number of short-lived sitcoms, before her role as Ruth Sloan on the ABC drama series, Homefront (1991"?93).

Kennedy is best known for her role as Abby O'Neil in the ABC sitcom, Dharma & Greg (1997"?2002). In film, Kennedy appeared in Pump Up the Volume (1990), Erin Brockovich (2000), In the Loop (2009), Due Date (2010), Midnight in Paris (2011), and The Five-Year Engagement (2012).

She is currently a series regular on the sitcom, Mom, for which she received a Critics' Choice Television Award nomination.

Early life

Kennedy was born in Rochester, New York, the daughter of Nancy Helen (ne Colgan) and Daniel Gerald Kennedy. She got her start in theater with the Rochester Community Players, appearing in Agatha Christie's Spider Web in October 1960 when she was 12 years old. She was raised in Rochester, where she graduated in 1966 from Our Lady of Mercy High School. In the 1970s she was in a musical production, Rhinegold, featuring songs by her friend Jim Steinman. She attended Smith College.

Career

Kennedy began her career appearing in the Broadway musical Grease, and in 1977 landed a part in the short-lived NBC variety series 3 Girls 3, with Debbie Allen and Ellen Foley. She later played the role of Stockard Channing's sister, character name Victoria, in the short-lived CBS sitcom, Stockard Channing in Just Friends (1979), and was a regular on The Big Show (1980). During the 1980s, she starred in a number of short-lived sitcoms, including The Two of Us (1981-82), Spencer (1984-85), and Family Man (1988). She also co-starred in the sitcom Joe's Life (1993).

After starring in several unsuccessful sitcoms, Kennedy made her dramatic turn with a supporting role in the critically acclaimed ABC drama series, Homefront. The series ran from 1991 to 1993. She later was a regular on The WB prime time soap opera, Savannah (1996"?97), playing the rich socialite mother of Shannon Sturges' character. After the series was canceled, she was cast in another Aaron Spelling-produced soap, Pacific Palisades. This series also was canceled after a single season. In 1997, Kennedy returned to comedy roles playing Dharma's mother, Abby O'Neil, on the ABC sitcom, Dharma & Greg (1997"?2002).

During the 2000s, Kennedy had many guest-starring roles on television, appearing on Grey's Anatomy, House, ER, Scandal, In Plain Sight, Drop Dead Diva, and Veep. She also had a number of supporting film roles, appearing in Man in the Chair, In the Loop, Due Date, Midnight in Paris and The Five-Year Engagement. In 2013, Kennedy joined the cast of the CBS sitcom Mom playing Marjorie, the twelve-step sponsor of the lead characters. She received Critics' Choice Television Award nomination for her performance on the show. She upped to series regular as of second season.

Personal life

Kennedy and her husband, Larry Dilg, were matched by the first known computer dating program "Operation Match" in 1966. They wed in 1978 and have two children.

Kennedy is involved in several progressive activist causes, including Progressive Democrats of America for which she serves as Chairperson of the Board. Her mid-life memoir, Taken To The Stage: The Education of an Actress, was published by Smith&Kraus in 1996 with praise from advice columnist Abigail "Dear Abby" Van Buren and playwright Wendy Wasserstein, who called it "one of the great theatrical memoirs."

Kennedy is a signatory to the 9/11 Truth Statement. She was a charter member of Artists United to Win Without War and a leading supporter of Dennis Kucinich"?s anti-war presidential campaign in 2004. Kennedy has worked on human rights, environmental and labour issues.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1978	Getting Married	Jenny	Television film
1981	Thin Ice	Arlene	Television film
1987	Baby Girl Scott	Jane
1989	Chances Are	Sally
1989	Immediate Family	Eli's Mom
1990	Pump Up the Volume	Marla Hunter
1990	A Promise to Keep	Annie	Television film
1990	Sins of the Mother	Karen Turner	Television film
1992	Death Becomes Her	Second Woman
1994	Flashfire	Kate Cantrell
1996	Once You Meet a Stranger	Connie	Television film
1997	Taken	Judy Gold	Short film
1997	Buddy	Mrs. Bunny Bowman
1998	Reasons of the Heart	Celia Barton
2000	Erin Brockovich	Laura Ambrosino
2007	Man in the Chair	Judy Kincaid	Method Fest Independent Film Festival Award for Best Ensemble Cast
2008	A Single Woman	Storyteller
2009	In the Loop	Karen Clark
2009	The Three Gifts	Rita Green	Television film
2010	Due Date	Sarah's Mom
2011	Life of Lemon	Louise Phillips
2011	Midnight in Paris	Helen	Nominated "? Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Ensemble Acting
2012	The Five-Year Engagement	Carol Solomon
2013	Expecting	Dr. Grayson
2013	In Sickness and in Health	Carol
2014	Squatters	Judge Janovich

Television

• 3 Girls 3 (1977) TV Series (unknown episodes)
• Getting Married (1978) (TV) .... Jenny
• Stockard Channing in Just Friends (1979) TV Series .... Victoria (unknown episodes)
• Family .... Karen (1 episode, 1979)
• The Big Show (1980) TV Series .... Herself (unknown episodes, 1980)
• Battle of the Network Stars XI (1981) (TV) .... Herself - CBS Team Contestant
• Thin Ice (1981) (TV) .... Arlene
• The Two of Us (1981) TV Series .... Nan Gallagher
• The Tonight Show .... Herself (1 episode, 1982)
• I've Had It Up to Here ... (1982)
• Popular Neurotics ... (1984)
• Spencer (1984) TV Series .... Doris Winger (unknown episodes)
• St. Elsewhere .... Lois Wegener (2 episodes, 1984)
• Robert Kennedy & His Times (1985) (mini) TV Series .... Pat Kennedy
• Night Court .... Patty Douglas (1 episode, 1985)
• Tall Tales and Legends .... Ben's Mom (1 episode, 1985)
• ABC Weekend Specials .... Mrs. Gridley (2 episodes, 1986-1990)
• Mr. Boogedy (1986) (TV) .... Eloise Davis
• The Twilight Zone .... Christie Copperfield (1 episode, 1986)
• Bride of Boogedy (1987) (TV) .... Eloise Davis
• Baby Girl Scott (1987) (TV) .... Jane
• Family Man (1988) TV Series .... Andrea Tobin
• Tales from the Crypt .... Distraught Woman (1 episode, 1989)
• Major Dad .... Cassandra Loomis (1 episode, 1990)
• A Promise to Keep (1990) (TV) .... Annie
• Sins of the Mother (1991) (TV film) ... Karen
• Knots Landing .... Doris (1 episode, 1991)
• Dinosaurs .... Glenda Molehill (1 episode, 1991)
• Homefront .... Ruth Sloan (41 episodes, 1991-1993)
• Joe's Life (1993) TV Series .... Barb (unknown episodes)
• Second Chances .... Real Estate Agent (1 episode, 1993)
• The George Carlin Show .... Judith (1 episode, 1994)
• Bless This House .... Mrs. Elkins (1 episode, 1995)
• ABC Afterschool Specials .... Elaine Marshall (1 episode, 1995)
• Baywatch Nights (1 episode, 1995)
• Partners .... Shana (1 episode, 1995)

• Savannah (1996) TV Series .... Eleanor Alexander Burton (22 episodes, 1996 - 1997)
• Dream On (1 episode, 1996)
• Homicide: Life on the Street .... Dr. Kate Wystan (1 episode, 1996)
• Once You Meet a Stranger (1996) (TV) .... Connie
• Cybill .... Gretchen (1 episode, 1997)
• Dharma & Greg .... Abby O'Neil (119 episodes, 1997-2002)
• Pacific Palisades .... Amy Nichols (3 episodes, 1997)
• Hollywood Squares .... Guest Appearance (2 episodes, 2001)
• Whammy! The All-New Press Your Luck .... Herself (1 episode, 2002)
• Politically Incorrect .... Herself (1 episode, 2002)
• Pyramid .... Herself (2 episodes, 2002-2003)
• Wild Card .... Mimi (1 episode, 2003)
• Come to Papa .... Barb (1 episode, 2004)
• Happy Birthday Oscar Wilde (2004) (TV) .... Herself
• Cold Case .... Elena - 1978, 2005 (1 episode, 2005)
• Grey's Anatomy .... Verna Bradley (1 episode, 2005)
• House .... Greta (1 episode, 2006)
• The Young and the Restless .... Feather (2 episodes, 2006)
• Man in the Chair (2007) .... Mom
• Medium .... Helen (1 episode, 2007)
• Outspoken: Los Angeles (2007) (post-production) .... Herself
• ER (2007) .... Chicago Police Officer (1 episode, 2007)
• Cane .... Mary (1 episode, 2007)
• Rita Rocks .... Aunt Mavis (1 episode, 2009)
• Private Practice .... Eleanor (1 episode, 2010)
• No Ordinary Family .... Susan Volson (1 episode, 2010)
• Retired at 35 .... Carol Fabricant (1 episode, 2011)
• Love Bites .... Gail Rouscher (1 episode, 2011)
• Scandal .... Sharon Marquette (1 episode, 2012)
• Best Friends Forever .... Marilyn (1 episode, 2012)
• In Plain Sight .... Joanne Stuber (3 episodes, 2012)
• Drop Dead Diva .... Judge Isabella Alexander (1 episode, 2012)
• Up All Night .... Sally (1 episode, 2012)
• Anger Management .... Elaine (1 episode, 2013)
• Veep .... Mary King (1 episode, 2013)
• Mistresses .... Dr. Susannah Ayers (1 episode, 2013)
• Mom .... Marjorie Armstrong, (regular season 2+; recurring season 1) 2013-present

• The Brink .... Susan Buckley, (4 episodes, 2015)

Awards and nominations

Year	Association	Category	Nominated work	Result
1993	American Television Awards	Best Supporting Actress in a Dramatic Series	Homefront
1993	Viewers for Quality Television Awards	Best Supporting Actress in a Quality Drama Series	Homefront
2007	Method Fest	Best Ensemble Cast	Man in the Chair
2011	Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards	Best Ensemble Cast	Midnight in Paris
2014	Critics' Choice Television Award	Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series	Mom