Megan Mullally

Megan Mullally

Mullally in June 2014
Born (1958-11-12) November 12, 1958
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation Actress, singer
Years active 1981–present
Spouse(s) Michael A. Katcher (m. 1992; div. 1996)
Nick Offerman (m. 2003)
Website www.meganmullally.net

Megan Mullally (born November 12, 1958) is an American actress and singer. After working in theatre in Chicago, Mullally moved to Los Angeles in 1985 and began to appear in supporting roles in film and television productions. She made her Broadway debut in Grease in 1994 and has since appeared in several Broadway musicals. She is best known for playing the wealthy, alcoholic socialite Karen Walker on the Emmy Award-winning TV sitcom Will & Grace from 1998–2006. From 2006 until early 2007, Mullally hosted the short-lived talk show The Megan Mullally Show. She has since appeared in guest-starring roles in television programs such as Parks and Recreation, Happy Endings, 30 Rock, Up All Night, Boston Legal, and a GLAAD Award-winning episode of The New Adventures of Old Christine. In 2010, Mullally starred as Lydia in the second season of Party Down. She also co-starred as Chief on Adult Swim's Emmy Award-winning Childrens Hospital, and has recurred as Tammy Swanson on NBC's Parks and Recreation (playing her real-life husband, Nick Offerman's, ex-wife), Dana Hartz on ABC's Happy Endings, and Aunt Gayle on the FOX animated comedy Bob's Burgers.

Mullally received seven consecutive Emmy Award nominations for "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series" for her role on Will & Grace, winning twice in 2000 and 2006, giving her more nominations and more wins than any other character on the show. She also received seven consecutive Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series, winning three times in 2001, 2002 and 2003, and was nominated for four Golden Globe awards for the same role.

Early life

Mullally was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Martha (née Palmer) and Carter Mullally, Jr., an actor who was a contract player with Paramount Pictures in the 1950s.[1] Mullally moved to her father's native Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, at the age of six.[2] She is of Irish ancestry on her father's side. She studied ballet from the age of six and performed at the Oklahoma City Ballet during high school, also studying at the School of American Ballet in New York City.

Following her graduation from Casady School, she attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, where she studied English Literature and Art History, and subsequently became active in Chicago theatre.

Career

Television

Mullally moved to Los Angeles in 1985. Two weeks later, she was signed by the William Morris Agency. One of her first acting spots was on a McDonald's commercial that also featured John Goodman.[3] She made her series debut in 1986 in The Ellen Burstyn Show. She subsequently guest starred on sitcoms such as Seinfeld, Frasier, Wings, Ned and Stacey, Mad About You, Caroline in the City and Just Shoot Me!. She played a central character in a season-five episode of Murder, She Wrote, "Coal Miner's Slaughter", recalling in 2012, "I hadn't gotten a job for so long, and I was in a complete panic because I didn't know how I was going to pay my rent. So I get a call one day from my agent that I'd gotten offered a guest role, and it paid $5,000. I literally fell down onto my knees and testified and wept. I played some former protégée of Jessica Fletcher. It's one of my favorite things I've ever shot."[4]

Mullally at the San Diego Comic-Con International in July 2011.

In 1989, Mullally tested for the co-starring role of Elaine Benes on Seinfeld.[4] Mullally in 1998 landed the role of Karen Walker, Grace Adler's sarcastic, pill-popping assistant, in the NBC sitcom Will & Grace. She won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in both 2000 and 2006, and was nominated in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005. She won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series three times, in 2002, 2003 and 2004, and with cast members Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, and Sean Hayes, she shared the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in 2001. She is the first of only two actresses to win a SAG Award three years in a row. She was nominated each year from 2000 until 2003 for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film.

In 2005, Mullally saw comedian and actor Bill Hader performing with his Second City class in Los Angeles, and shortly thereafter brought Hader to the attention of Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels. Also in 2005, Mullally was awarded the Women in Film Lucy Award "in recognition of her innovation in creative works that have enhanced the perception of women through the medium of television".[5]

Following Will & Grace, Mullally hosted her own talk show, The Megan Mullally Show from 2006 to 2007. She has hosted Saturday Night Live, guest-hosted the Late Show with David Letterman, hosted the 2006 TV Land Awards, and been a featured performer twice on the Tony Awards. She has been featured in advertisements for M&M's, Old Navy, and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter.

Mullally guest-starred on the Season Three premiere of NBC's hit show 30 Rock. Other appearances include Kathy Griffin: My Life on The D-List, Campus Ladies, director/actor David Wain's "Wainy Days", an episode of HBO's Funny or Die, and the Funny or Die web video "That's What She Said".

Mullally has guest-starred six times as Tammy Swanson on the NBC series Parks and Recreation, in the episodes "Ron and Tammy" "Ron & Tammy: Part Two", "Li'l Sebastian", "Ron and Tammys", "The Trial of Leslie Knope", and "Ron and Diane". Mullally plays the role of the second ex-wife of the character Ron Swanson, played by her real-life husband, Nick Offerman.[6] Offerman also had a part on one episode of Mullally's show Will & Grace where he played a plumber that came to Will's mother's house while Will, Karen, Grace, and Jack were visiting.

Mullally co-starred in 2010 as Lydia on the Starz ensemble series Party Down.[7] Mullally co-starred as "Chief" on the Adult Swim series Childrens Hospital. In 2011, Mullally began a recurring role as Dana Hartz, the mother of Penny (Casey Wilson), on the ABC sitcom Happy Endings. The following months, Fox announced Mullally would join the series Breaking In when the show returned for a second season on March 6, 2012.

Theater

Mullally made her Broadway debut as Marty in the 1994 revival of Grease, and subsequently appeared as Rosemary in the hit 1995 revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying opposite Matthew Broderick. In 2007, Mullally starred as Elizabeth in Mel Brooks' original Broadway musical, Young Frankenstein. She can be heard on the cast albums of all three productions.

In 1996, she starred in You Never Know at the Pasadena Playhouse. Mullally appeared in 2000 as Pamela in the multiple award-winning production of Chuck Mee's The Berlin Circle, for which she won both the LA Weekly Theatre Award and the Backstage West Garland Award. Mullally starred as Beverly in the acclaimed production of Adam Bock's The Receptionist at the Odyssey Theatre (notably, the longest sold-out run of a show in that theatre's history), for which she was awarded the 2010 Backstage West Garland Award for Best Performance by an Actress.

Mullally currently stars alongside her real-life husband, Nick Offerman, in Annapurna at the Acorn Theatre on New York's 42nd Street Theatre Row.

Music

Mullally is a member of the band Supreme Music Program.[8] SMP has released three albums to date, The Sweetheart Break-In, Big as a Berry and Free Again!.[8][9]

Mullally and Stephanie Hunt formed the band Nancy and Beth in 2012. They went on tour in March 2013, along with Mullally's husband, Nick Offerman.

Film

Mullally has appeared in Marc Forster's Sundance competition entry Everything Put Together, Anywhere But Here with Susan Sarandon and Natalie Portman, About Last Night with Demi Moore and Rob Lowe, Speaking of Sex with James Spader, and Stealing Harvard with Tom Green and Jason Lee. Mullally played a singing teacher in the 2009 film remake of Fame,[10] and can be heard on the soundtrack recording. Additionally, Mullally sang the song "Long John Blues" (performed on-screen by Kristen Bell) in 2010's Burlesque. She played one of the leads' mothers in the 2013 indie film The Kings of Summer and Mrs Van Camp in the movie G.B.F.

Personal life

Mullally's first marriage, in the mid-1990s, was to talent agent Michael Katcher.[11]

In 2000, Mullally met actor Nick Offerman while doing a play with him in Los Angeles. The two married in 2003. Offerman guest-starred on Will & Grace during its fourth season; Mullally then guest-starred on Parks and Recreation, in which Offerman played a lead role. Mullally played Tammy, the conniving former wife of Offerman's character Ron Swanson, in nine episodes between 2009 and 2015.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1983 Risky Business Call Girl
1985 Once Bitten Suzette
1986 Last Resort Jessica Lollar
1986 About Last Night... Pat
1991 Queens Logic Dolores
1999 Anywhere But Here Woman Buying Car
1999 Best Man in Grass Creek Co-Worker
2000 Everything Put Together Barbie
2001 Monkeybone Kimmy Miley
2001 Speaking of Sex Jennifer Klink
2002 Stealing Harvard Patty Plummer
2004 Teacher's Pet Adele Voice
2005 Rebound Principal Walsh
2007 Bee Movie Trudy Voice
2009 Fame Ms. Fran Rowan
2012 Smashed Principal Barnes
2013 The Kings of Summer Mrs. Keenan
2013 G.B.F. Mrs. Van Camp
2014 Ernest & Celestine Lucienne (voice) English dub
2014 Date and Switch Patricia
2014 Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Nina
2015 Hotel Transylvania 2 Linda Voice
2016 Why Him? Filming

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1981 The Children Nobody Wanted Sharon Television film
1985 First Steps Cathy Television film
1986 Tall Tales & Legends Posy Episode: "Pecos Bill"
1986 American Playhouse Lilah Episode: "Under the Biltmore Clock"
1986–1987 Ellen Burstyn Show, TheThe Ellen Burstyn Show Molly Brewer Ross 13 episodes
1988 Murder, She Wrote Molly Connors Episode: "Coal Miner's Slaughter"
1989 Almost Grown Bride Episode: "The Hat That Fell from Space"
1989 China Beach Cindy Episode: "The World: Part 2"
1990 Wings Cindy Episode: "There Once Was a Girl from Nantucket"
1990 Rainbow Drive Ava Zieff Television film
1991 Dear John Molly Episode: "Molly and Me"
1991 My Life and Times Susan 6 episodes
1991–1993 Herman's Head Yvonne (voice) 2 episodes
1992 The Steadfast Tin Soldier Ballerina (voice) Television film
1992 Fish Police Pearl (voice) 6 episodes
1992 Rachel Gunn, R.N. Becky Jo 13 episodes
1993 I Yabba-Dabba Do! Pebbles Flintstone (voice) Television film
1993 Seinfeld Betsy Episode: "The Implant"
1993 Hollyrock-a-Bye Baby Additional voices Television film
1993 A Flintstone Family Christmas Pebbles Flintstone (voice) Television film
1994 Batman: The Animated Series Cindy (voice) Episode: "House and Garden"
1994 Couples Beth Television film
1997 Ned and Stacey Wendy Episode: "Where My Third Nepal Is Sheriff"
1997 Frasier Beth Armstrong Episode: "Four for the Seesaw"
1997 Mad About You Jane Episode: "Guardianhood"
1997 The Naked Truth Vanessa Episode: "He Ain't Famous, He's My Brother"
1997 Caroline in the City Vanessa Episode: "Caroline and the Decanter"
1997 Extreme Ghostbusters Additional voices Episode: "The True Face of a Monster"
1998 Just Shoot Me! Stephanie Griffin-Cooper Episode: "Amblushed"
1998 Winchell June Winchell Television film
1998–2006 Will & Grace Karen Walker 194 episodes
2000 3rd Rock from the Sun Renata Albright Episode: "Les Liaisons Dickgereuses"
2002 King of the Hill Teresa (voice) Episode: "Beer and Loathing"
2002 The Pact Melanie Gold Television film
2006 Peep and the Big Wide World Pink Quack (voice) Episode: "Quack Quack/One Duck Two Many"
2006 How I Met Your Mother Barney's Mother (voice) Episode: "Single Stamina" (Uncredited)
2006 Campus Ladies Ms. Powell Episode: "The Dare"
2006–2007 Megan Mullally Show, TheThe Megan Mullally Show Herself (host) 71 episodes
2007 Boston Legal Renata Hill Episode: "The Bride Wore Blood"
2008 Bad Mother's Handbook Nan Television film
2008 New Adventures of Old Christine, TheThe New Adventures of Old Christine Margaret Episode: "Unidentified Funk"
2008–2013 30 Rock Bev 3 episodes
2008–2016 Childrens Hospital Chief 60 episodes
2009 In the Motherhood Rosemary 7 episodes
2009–2015 Parks and Recreation Tammy Swanson II 9 episodes
2010 Party Down Lydia Dunfree 10 episodes
2011–2015 Bob's Burgers Gayle / Various voices 10 episodes
2011–2013 Happy Endings Dana Hartz 3 episodes
2012 Up All Night Shayna Mund 2 episodes
2012 Breaking In Veronica Mann 13 episodes
2012–2015 Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja Mrs. Marilyn Driscoll (voice) 9 episodes
2013 Out There Rose Stevens (voice) 10 episodes
2013 Web Therapy Franny Marshall 3 episodes
2013–2015 Axe Cop Anita / Various voices 13 episodes
2013–2016 Sofia the First Miss Nettle (voice) 3 episodes
2014 Trophy Wife Cricket 2 episodes
2015 You, Me and the Apocalypse Leanne 7 episodes

Awards and nominations

References

  1. ↑ "Megan Mullally Biography (1958-)". FilmReference.com. Retrieved March 26, 2013.
  2. ↑ Stated in interview on Inside the Actors Studio
  3. ↑ "Megan Mullally and John Goodman 1980's McDonalds Breakfast Commercial". YouTube. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
  4. 1 2 "Megan Mullally on... Megan Mullally". Entertainment Weekly (1198). March 9, 2012. Retrieved March 16, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Past Recipients". Wif.org. Retrieved March 26, 2013.
  6. ↑ Bryant, Adam (October 2, 2009). "Exclusive: Megan Mullally Plays Ex on Parks and Recreation". TV Guide. Retrieved October 2, 2009.
  7. ↑ Holmes, Linda (April 23, 2010). "'Party Down': Proving It Is Possible To Soldier On Without Jane Lynch : Monkey See". NPR. Retrieved March 26, 2013.
  8. 1 2 "Megan Mullally and Supreme Music Program. NEW CD: Free Again! On iTunes, CDBaby.com, DigStation.com". Supremeprogram.com. Retrieved 2013-03-26.
  9. ↑ "Megan Mullally and Supreme Music Program: Big as a Berry CD Information". Supremeprogram.com. 2003-12-31. Retrieved 2013-03-26.
  10. ↑ "Allen, Mullally, Grammer, Dutton & Neuwirth Join FAME Film Remake". Broadwayworld.com. 2009-09-25. Retrieved 2013-03-26.
  11. ↑ "The Megan Mullally Picture Pages". Superiorpics.com. Retrieved March 26, 2013.
  • Megan Mullally, Biography Resource Center Online. Gale Group, 1999.
  • Jamie Painter Young, Clowning Glory. Back Stage. 19 Dec. 2003: B-38.

External links

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