Jump to content

Deborah Rush

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Deborah Rush
Rush interviewed in 2009
Born (1954-04-10) April 10, 1954 (age 70)[1]
Chatham Borough, New Jersey, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1975–present
Spouse
Chip Cronkite
​
​
(m. 1985)​
Children2

Deborah Rush (born April 10, 1954) is an American actress. She has worked in television, film and on Broadway. In 1984, she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play for Michael Frayn's comedy Noises Off.[1]

Life and career

[edit]
Rush and husband Walter "Chip" Cronkite III interviewed in 2009

Rush was born in Chatham Borough, New Jersey. She is the wife of Walter Cronkite III (born April 22, 1957) and daughter-in-law of the late television journalist Walter Cronkite. The couple has two sons, Walter Cronkite IV and the late Peter Cronkite.[2]

Rush made her Broadway debut performing in the 1975 musical Dance with Me.[1] She later appeared in films Oliver's Story (1978), 10 (1979) and Honky Tonk Freeway (1981), and made-for-television productions Alice at the Palace and A Midsummer Night's Dream in 1982. From 1983 to 1984 she starred as Brooke Ashton in Noises Off, a role gained her Drama Desk Award and a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play nomination.[1] Also in 1983, Rush starred in the satirical mockumentary comedy film, Zelig written and directed by Woody Allen. She later appeared in another Woody Allen's film, The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985). During the 1980s, Rush also appeared in films such as Compromising Positions (1985), Heat (1986), Big Business (1988), Parents (1989) and Family Business (1989).[3] On stage, Rush also acted in Hay Fever, The Sisters Rosensweig, and Stephen Adly Guirgis' The Last Days of Judas Iscariot.

In 1990s, Rush played number of supporting roles in films such as My Blue Heaven (1990), In & Out (1997), You've Got Mail (1998) and Three to Tango (1999). On television, she played Isabel Hazard in the 1994 miniseries, Heaven & Hell: North & South, Book III and had a recurring role in the ABC sitcom Spin City as Helen Winston, eventual ex-wife of mayor Randall Winston. From 1999 to 2000, Rush was a regular cast member of the Comedy Central comedy series, Strangers with Candy starring Amy Sedaris. She reprised her role in the 2005 prequel film, Strangers with Candy. In 2002 she co-starred opposite Jennifer Aniston in the comedy-drama film, The Good Girl and the following year appeared in the comedy film American Wedding, as Mary Flaherty, Michelle Flaherty's mom.[4][5] She played Ryan Gosling's mother in the 2006 drama film, Half Nelson, and starred as Avis DeVoto in the 2009 biographical comedy-drama film, Julie & Julia written and directed by Nora Ephron. In December 2008, she joined the cast of the Broadway revival of Blithe Spirit.[6]

In 2010, Rush was regular cast member in the short-lived Comedy Central sitcom, Big Lake.[7] She also made guest appearances in television series such as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Good Wife, Inside Amy Schumer and The Blacklist. From 2013 to 2019 she had a recurring role in the Netflix comedy-drama series, Orange Is the New Black, as Piper Chapman's mother, Carol Chapman.

Filmography

[edit]

Film

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1978 Oliver's Story 1st Girl in Bar
1979 10 Dental Assistant
1981 Honky Tonk Freeway Sister Mary Magdalene
1982 Split Image Judith
1983 Zelig Lita Fox
1983 A Night in Heaven Patsy
1985 The Purple Rose of Cairo Rita
1985 Compromising Positions Brenda Dunck
1986 Heat D.D.
1988 Big Business Binky Shelton
1989 Parents Mrs. Zellner
1989 She-Devil People reporter
1989 Family Business Michele Dempsey
1990 My Blue Heaven Linda
1992 Passed Away Denise Scanlan
1995 Reckless Trish
1997 In & Out Ava Blazer
1998 You've Got Mail Veronica Grant
1999 Three to Tango Lenore
2002 The Good Girl Gwen Jackson
2003 American Wedding Mary Flaherty
2005 Strangers with Candy Sara Blank
2006 Half Nelson Jo Dunne
2007 The Good Life Diane
2007 The Visitor Upper Eastside Woman
2008 Fling Katherine
2009 Julie & Julia Avis DeVoto
2009 The Box Clymene Steward
2012 Rhymes with Banana Jane
2015 Ava's Possessions Joanna
2016 Women Who Kill Grace
2018 Accommodations Victoria Maason
2020 Before/During/After Therapist #4
2024 The Next Big One: A Comedy with Three Potential Problems Aunt Mitty Post-production

Television

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1981 Kiss Me, Petruchio Bianca TV film
1982 Alice at the Palace Alice's Mother TV film
1982 A Midsummer Night's Dream Hermia TV film
1985 Spenser: For Hire Angela Episode: "No Room at the Inn"
1987 Crime Story Penelope Worth Episode: "The Pinnacle"
1987 Leg Work Judy Episode: "Things That Go Bump in the Night"
1987 Invisible Thread Dr. Norris TV film
1988 The Dictator Isabel Domino Episode: "1.1"
1990 Against the Law Louise Ciardi Episode: "Pilot"
1992 Unnatural Pursuits Stephanie Didcot Episode: "I Don't Do Cuddles"
1994 Heaven & Hell: North & South, Book III Isabel Hazard TV miniseries
1995 The Client Phoebe Halliwell Episode: "Pilot"
1996-1997 Spin City Helen Winston Recurring role (4 episodes)
1997 Law & Order Frances Houston Episode: "Blood"
1999 Earthly Possessions Heidi Anderson TV film
1999-2000 Strangers with Candy Sara Blank Main role (30 episodes)
2000 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Christina Harlin Episode: "Russian Love Poem"
2000 Madigan Men Mrs. Wolfe Episode: "Meet the Wolves"
2004 The Jury Ms. Davenport Episode: "The Honeymoon Suite"
2004 Tempting Adam Ruth Heller TV film
2010 The Electric Company Caroline Heffenbacher Episode: "Revolutionary Doughnuts"
2010 Big Lake Linda Franklin (10 episodes)
2012 The Good Wife Judge Sally Rigby Episode: "Gloves Come Off"
2013 Girls Thomas-John's Mother Episode: "It's a Shame About Ray"
2013-2019 Orange Is the New Black Carol Chapman (11 episodes)
2014 Inside Amy Schumer Amy's mother Episode: "Slow Your Roll"
2019 The Blacklist Realtor Episode: "Orion Relocation Services"
2021 Search Party Gertrude Wreck Episode: “The Thoughtless Woman”

Theater

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1975-1976 Dance with Me Goldie Pot
1983-1985 Noises Off Brooke Ashton
1985-1986 Hay Fever Jackie Coryton
1993-1994 The Sisters Rosensweig Gorgeous Teitelbaum Replacement
2005 Absurd Person Singular Marion
2009 Blithe Spirit Mrs. Bradman

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d "Deborah Rush – Broadway Cast & Staff | IBDB". www.ibdb.com.
  2. ^ "Peter Cronkite Obituary". Legacy.com.
  3. ^ "Deborah Rush | Movies and Filmography". AllMovie.
  4. ^ "The Good Girl | Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. August 7, 2002.
  5. ^ "American Wedding | Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. August 1, 2003.
  6. ^ Gans, Andrew (December 10, 2008). "Rush Joins Starry Cast of Blithe Spirit Revival". Playbill. Archived from the original on January 14, 2009. Retrieved January 24, 2009.
  7. ^ "Breaking News - Comedy Central's(R) 'Big Lake,' Starring Chris Gethard, Horatio Sanz and Chris Parnell, Debuts on Tuesday, August 17 at 10:00 P.M.* | TheFutonCritic.com". www.thefutoncritic.com.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Deborah_Rush&oldid=1250106526"