Deanna Dunagan
| Deanna Dunagan | |
|---|---|
| Born |
25 May 1940 Monahans, Texas, USA |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1979–present |
Deanna Dunagan (born May 25, 1940) is a Chicago-based American actress. Although Dunagan has appeared on television and in films, she is most admired for her work as a stage actress. She is best known for her Tony Award-winning portrayal of Violet Weston in Tracy Letts' August: Osage County and for her portrayal of Nana in M. Night Shyamalan's 2015 film The Visit.
Early life and education
Dunagan was born and raised in Monahans, Texas, the daughter of Kathlyn (Cosper) and John Conrad Dunagan.[1] The eldest of five children, her father was a Coca-Cola bottler and president of the Texas Historical Association; her mother was a stay-at-home parent with an active presence in the community. In an interview, Dunagan light-heartedly described her extended family, "My heritage is a long line of Southern Baptist and Methodist preachers—who were all just frustrated actors."[2]
Dunagan earned a degree in music education from the University of Texas, Austin.[3] She married her high school sweetheart and gave birth to a son; but the marriage ended a few years later. Following her divorce, Dunagan's parents agreed to fund graduate studies at Trinity University, Texas through the Dallas Theater Center. While writing her Master's thesis, Dunagan lived in Mexico. She was engaged to a bullfighter, but they never married, and she went on to pursue her acting career in the United States.[2]
Career
Dunagan began her acting career performing in regional theaters such as the Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota, Florida, and the Actors Theatre of Louisville before trying her luck in New York City. She made her Broadway debut in the 1979 production of George Bernard Shaw's Man and Superman at Circle in the Square as an understudy for Ann Sachs. Sachs became ill at one point during the show's run and Dunagan filled in for her with great success. This exposure led to her to being signed with International Creative Management and helped forward her career.[4]
In 1981, Dunagan performed in the first national tour of Children of a Lesser God. While on this tour, Dunagan visited Chicago for the first time and immediately fell in love with the city. After the end of the tour, Dunagan moved to Chicago and has lived there ever since, performing in more than 30 theaters in the Chicago area. Her work on the Chicago stage has garnered her three Joseph Jefferson Awards and three After Dark Awards.[5]
She has worked in films including, The Naked Face, Running Scared, Men Don't Leave, Losing Isaiah, and Dimension. She has also appeared in more than ten made for television movies, in the TV mini-series A Will of Their Own and Amerika, and as a guest star on the television shows Prison Break, What About Joan, and Missing Persons.[6]
In 2007-2008, Dunagan returned to Broadway in the Steppenwolf Theatre's transplant production of Tracy Letts' August: Osage County. For her performance, Dunagan won a Tony Award, Theatre World Award and a Drama Desk Award.[4] She went on to portray Violet Weston in productions in London's West End in 2009 and in Sydney, Australia in 2010.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Naked Face, TheThe Naked Face | Mrs. Hadley | |
| 1986 | Running Scared | Sister Rebecca | |
| 1990 | Men Don't Leave | Fay | |
| 1995 | Losing Isaiah | Dr. Goldstein | |
| 2002 | Janey Van Winkle | Mom Van Winkle | Short film |
| 2007 | Dimension | Annabelle | |
| 2011 | Mariachi Gringo | Monica | |
| 2013 | Cherokee Word for Water, TheThe Cherokee Word for Water | Irene Mankiller | |
| 2015 | The Visit | Grandma |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | American Playhouse | Emily Dickenson | Episode: "Any Friend of Nicholas Nickleby Is a Friend of Mine" |
| 1984 | American Playhouse | Various | Episodes: "The Roommate", "A Matter of Principle", "Under the Biltmore Clock" |
| 1987 | Amerika | Betty Milford | Episode: "Part VII" |
| 1994 | Two Fathers: Justice for the Innocent | Janice Bradley | TV film |
| 2000 | What About Joan? | Sandy | Episode: "Quid Pro Quo" |
| 2005 | Prison Break | Judy Pope | Episodes: "Cute Poison", "English, Fitz or Percy" |
| 2008 | Law & Order | Estelle Adams | Episode: "Zero" |
| 2009 | Big D, TheThe Big D | Donna Dupree | TV film |
| 2009 | Psych | Myrtle | Episode: "Let's Get Hairy" |
| 2009 | Cold Case | Iris Keening | Episode: "WASP" |
| 2010 | Ugly Betty | Lee | Episode: "Back in Her Place" |
| 2011 | Detroit 1-8-7 | Helen Lakeland | Episode: "Beaten/Cover Letter" |
| 2011 | Unforgettable | Alice | Recurring role (5 episodes) |
| 2011 | Have a Little Faith | Sarah | TV film |
| 2012 | Private Practice | Dr. Vivienne Carlsmith | Episode: "Apron Strings" |
| 2014 | House of Cards | Susan Marbury | Episode: "Chapter 18" |
Theatre
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Man and Superman | Understudy | Circle in the Square Theatre (Broadway) |
| 1980 | Sunset/Sunrise | Diane | Actors Theatre of Louisville (Louisville, KY) |
| 1981 | Children of a Lesser God | Performer | National Tour |
| 1988 | Stepping Out | Performer | Steppenwolf Theatre Company (Chicago, IL) |
| 1991 | Still Waters | Performer | Victory Gardens Theater (Chicago, IL) |
| 1991 | Cariolanus | Performer | Next Theatre Company (Chicago, IL) |
| 1992 | Private Passage | Performer | Odyssey Theatre (Chicago, IL) |
| 1992 | Song of Jacob Zulu, TheThe Song of Jacob Zulu | Performer | Steppenwolf Theatre Company (Chicago, IL) |
| 1992 | Inspecting Carol | Performer | Steppenwolf Theatre Company (Chicago, IL) |
| 1996 | Touch of the Poet, AA Touch of the Poet | Deborah Harford | Goodman Theatre (Chicago, IL) |
| 1996 | Washington-Sarajevo Talks, TheThe Washington-Sarajevo Talks | Rhonda | Victory Gardens Theatre (Chicago, IL) |
| 1996 | Slaughterhouse-Five | Performer | Steppenwolf Theatre Company (Chicago, IL) |
| 2001 | Cahoots | Gwendoline | Victory Gardens Theatre (Chicago, IL) |
| 2001 | Glamour House, TheThe Glamour House | Trudi Stein | Victory Gardens Theatre (Chicago, IL) |
| 2001 | Butley | Edna Shaft | Writer's Theatre (Chicago, IL) |
| 2002 | Cat on a Hot Tin Roof | Performer | Apple Tree Theatre (Chicago, IL) |
| 2002 | Lie of the Mind, AA Lie of the Mind | Performer | American Theatre Company (Chicago, IL) |
| 2003 | Wedding Band | Herman's Mother | Steppenwolf Theatre Company (Chicago, IL) |
| 2003 | James Joyce's The Dead | Aunt Julia Morkan | Court Theatre (Chicago, IL) |
| 2003 | Bounce | Ensemble | Goodman Theatre (Chicago, IL) |
| 2004 | Delicate Balance, AA Delicate Balance | Performer | Remy Bumppo (Chicago, IL) |
| 2006 | I Never Sang for My Father | Margaret | Steppenwolf Theatre Company (Chicago, IL) |
| 2006 | Best Man, TheThe Best Man | Performer | Remy Bumppo (Chicago, IL) |
| 2006 | Ten Little Indians | Emily Brent | Drury Lane Oakbrook (Chicago, IL) |
| 2007-2010 | August: Osage County | Violet Weston | Chicago, London, Sydney & Broadway |
| 2012 | A Little Night Music | Madame Armfeldt | Writers' Theatre (Chicago) |
| 2013 | Other Desert Cities | Polly Wyeth | Goodman Theatre (Chicago) |
| 2013 | The North China Lover | M | Lookingglass Theatre Company |
| 2015 | Marvin's Room | Aunt Ruth | Shattered Globe Theater, Chicago |
References
- ↑ http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/oaoa/obituary.aspx?pid=156349455
- 1 2 "Deanna Dunagan, Fresh Face Interview: Broadway.com Buzz". Broadway.com. 2012-08-01. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
- ↑ http://www.mrt.com/entertainment/top_stories/article_3900376d-0799-5bad-a902-6d914ceeb92d.html
- 1 2 "Deanna Dunagan, Star File: Broadway.com Buzz". Broadway.com. 2012-08-01. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
- ↑ Playbill Biography for Deanna Dunagan
- ↑ Deanna Dunagan profile at IMDb
External links
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