Laila Robins

Laila Robins
Born (1959-03-14) March 14, 1959
St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
Occupation Actress
Years active 1987present
Spouse(s) Robert Cuccioli

Laila Robins (born March 14, 1959) is an American stage, film and television actress.

Life and career

Robins was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, the daughter of Latvian American parents[1] Brigita (née Švarcs) and Jānis, whose surname was originally spelled Robiņš. Her father was a research chemist. Robins has three sisters.[2] She attended the Yale School of Drama, (MFA) and received her undergraduate degree at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, (BA). Robins has been in a relationship with the actor Robert Cuccioli since 2000. They co-starred in Macbeth at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey; he was Macbeth, and she was Lady Macbeth.[3][4]

Robins has won several awards for her work including the Actors' Equity Foundation Joe A. Callaway Award, the Helen Hayes Award nomination, the Jefferson Award, the Drama League Award and the Lucille Lortel Award nomination for Outstanding Featured Actress.

Theatre

Robins appeared as Lady Utterword in the Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of George Bernard Shaw's Heartbreak House (2006). Robins' other Broadway appearances were Frozen by Bryony Lavery (2004), The Herbal Bed by Peter Whelan (1998), and The Real Thing by Tom Stoppard (1985), directed by Mike Nichols. (Robins succeeded actress Glenn Close in the role).

Robins has appeared off-Broadway in Sore Throats by Howard Brenton, The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare, Mrs. Klein by Nicholas Wright (in which she also toured with Uta Hagen) (1995–1996), Burnt Piano by Justin Fleming and The Film Society by Jon Robin Baitz, among others.

In 1997 she starred in the Fiftieth Anniversary production of A Streetcar Named Desire at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago. Robins also appeared as Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis in 2002. In 2000, she was cast opposite Richard Thomas in the stage revival of Tiny Alice. Robins is also a frequent performer at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, where she has starred in Macbeth, Three Sisters and The Cherry Orchard.

Charles Isherwood, critic for The New York Times, assessed her stage work as Ariadne in George Bernard Shaw's Heartbreak House (2006). Robins played opposite Swoosie Kurtz, and Isherwood described both as such: "...this expert comic actress [Kurtz] may not fit the textbook definition of siren, as Hesione is called, but she may just be the most seductive woman on a New York stage right now...unless that nod goes to Ms. Robins, who locates the essence of her character's shallow allure in a languid, liquid strut and a smile both entrancing and devouring".[5]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1987 Planes, Trains and Automobiles Susan Page
1987 Walk on the Moon, AA Walk on the Moon Marty Ellis
1989 Innocent Man, AnAn Innocent Man Kate Rainwood
1990 Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael Elizabeth Zaks
1995 Live Nude Girls Rachel
1996 Female Perversions Emma
1997 Blood Oranges, TheThe Blood Oranges Catherine
1999 True Crime Patricia Findley
1999 Oxygen Frances Hannon
2000 Drop Back Ten Viv
2001 Loneliness of Animals, TheThe Loneliness of Animals Annabella Short film
2002 Searching for Paradise Barbara Mattei
2003 Happy End Irene
2004 Jailbait Mother
2006 Slippery Slope Michaela Stark
2006 Things That Hang from Trees Miss Millie
2006 Broken Sole, AA Broken Sole Passenger
2006 Good Shepherd, TheThe Good Shepherd Toddy Allen
2008 August Ottmar Peevo
2008 Loss of a Teardrop Diamond, TheThe Loss of a Teardrop Diamond Mrs. Fenstermaker
2009 Welcome to Academia Deborah
2010 Multiple Sarcasms Lauren
2012 Letter, TheThe Letter Dr. Tynan
2013 Blumenthal Cheryl
2014 She's Lost Control Irene
2015 Grey Lady The Duchess Completed
2015 Valeria Shirley Short film, post-production
2016 Woman, a Part, AA Woman, a Part Bernadette Post-production

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1988 Equalizer, TheThe Equalizer Cindy Claussen "The Last Campaign"
1989 Dream Breakers Phoebe TV film
1990-1991 Gabriel's Fire Victoria Heller Main role
1992 Trial: The Price of Passion Charm Blackburn TV film
1995 Wright Verdicts, TheThe Wright Verdicts Rachel "Unlucky Star"
1996 Law & Order Diana Hawthorne "Trophy"
1997 Nothing Sacred Jeanne Cole "House of Rage"
1998 Law & Order Liann Crosby "Venom"
1999 Spenser: Small Vices Rita Fiore TV film
1999 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Ellen Travis "A Single Life"
1999-2001 Sopranos, TheThe Sopranos Young Livia Soprano "Down Neck", "Fortunate Son"
2000 Third Watch Sharon Reiner "Journey to the Himalayas"
2001 Witchblade Dominique Boucher "Conundrum", "Diplopia"
2001 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Kit Sternman "Enemy Within"
2004 Sex and the City Audra Clark "The Cold War"
2006 Book of Daniel, TheThe Book of Daniel Nora Paxton 4
2009 30 Rock Gloria Baird "St. Valentine's Day"
2009 All My Children Claire Williams 3 episodes
2009 In Treatment Tammy Meswick Recurring role
2009-2010 Bored to Death Priscilla Antrem Recurring role
2010 God in America Anne Hutchinson "A New Adam/A New Eden"
2010 Good Wife, TheThe Good Wife Paige Burchfield "Bad Girls"
2011 Too Big to Fail Christine Lagarde TV film
2011 Blue Bloods Mrs. Lee "Friendly Fire"
2011 Person of Interest Anja Kohl "Foe"
2012 Dark Horse Miranda Teras TV film
2013 Onion News Empire Helena Zweibel TV film
2014 Money, TheThe Money Ruth Castman TV film
2014 That Hopey Changey Thing Marian Apple TV film
2014 Sweet and Sad Marian Apple TV miniseries
2014 Regular Singing Marian Apple TV miniseries
2014 Homeland Martha Boyd Regular role
2015 Murder in the First Jamie Nelson Main role

Stage appearances

References

  1. `Summer' star Robins has deep state roots, highbeam.com; accessed March 27, 2015.
  2. Laila Robins profile, filmreference.com; accessed March 27, 2015.
  3. Simonson, Robert. "Robins and Cuccioli Play Marrieds in Dietz Premiere, Fiction in NJ March 28". Playbill.com, March 28, 2003, accessed April 29, 2011
  4. Saltzman, Simon. Macbeth. CurtainUp, 2004, accessed April 29, 2011; see also Nash, Margo. "Jersey Footlights". The New York Times, March 30, 2003, accessed April 29, 2011.
  5. "THEATER REVIEW; British Gentry, Fiddling While the Abyss Looms" October 12, 2006, New York Times Theatre review
  6. Laila Robins, Star File: Broadway.com Buzz

External links


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