Sandy Martin (actress)

Sandy Martin
Martin at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con
Occupations	Actress playwright director producer
Years active	1965–present

Sandy Martin is an American actress, playwright, director, and producer. She is best known for her roles in the film Napoleon Dynamite and the TV series Big Love, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Ray Donovan.

Career

Martin started her acting career at 15 years old; she is a founding member of several successful theatrical companies in New York City and Los Angeles. She adapted the screenplays of several theatrical plays, and served as associate producer of several TNT productions including the 1993 film Gettysburg.

Martin's television roles include playing Mickey Donovan's sister-in-law Sandy Patrick in Ray Donovan, elderly nun Sister Laura Marie on Saving Grace, a policewoman in 48 Hrs., Mrs. Meredith in Real Genius, a dying burn victim in Nip/Tuck, Janice in Barfly, and Mrs. Mac in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. She appeared in the films Defenseless, China Moon, Speed, Napoleon Dynamite, Hot Tamale, and Marley & Me. Martin portrayed Grandma Dynamite in Napoleon Dynamite and in the animated TV adaptation of the film. In Marley & Me, Martin played the woman who sold Marley as "Clearance Puppy". Martin portrayed the mother of Sam Rockwell's character, Officer Dixon, in 2017's Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

Martin's recent roles include portraying Verna The Secretary in Dumbo. According to Martin, she met Dumbo director Tim Burton back in the Beetlejuice days because her friend, Glenn Shadix, played Otho in the film. The two reconnected after Ben Davis, director of photography for both Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and Dumbo, suggested Martin to Burton for the role of Verna. Martin also voiced Grandma Paguro in the Pixar film Luca.

In the HBO series Big Love, Martin's character, Selma Green, is the sibling of polygamous cult leader Roman Grant and first wife of Grant's rival polygamous cult leader, Hollis Green. The character of Green sparked much discussion on fan forums due to their masculine gender presentation and expression, and unusual relationship with their husband (who refers to Green as "Brother Selma").

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1977	Scalpel	Sandy	Film debut; Also known as: False Face
	2076 Olympiad	Shiela
1982	48 Hrs.	Policewoman
1985	Real Genius	Mrs. Meredith
1986	Extremities	Officer Sudow
	Vendetta	Kay Butler
1987	Daddy	Ultrasound Receptionist
	Barfly	Janice
1991	Defenseless	Judge
1994	China Moon	Gun Saleswoman
	Speed	Bartender
1995	Above Suspicion	Waitress
1996	Female Perversions	Trudy
1997	Sparkler	Ed
1998	Krippendorf's Tribe	Nurse
	They Come at Night	Hazel
1999	Jawbreaker	Nurse
2000	Marlene	Louella Parsons
2001	One Night at McCool's	Bingo Vendor Woman
2004	Napoleon Dynamite	Grandma Carlinda Dynamite
2005	Adam & Steve	Biker Chick
2006	Hot Tamale	Ed the Diner Cook
2008	The Great Buck Howard	Female Hotel Worker
	Lower Learning	Olympia Parpadelle
	Marley & Me	Lori
2009	Archie's Final Project	Mrs. Ellis
2010	Beneath the Dark	Colleen
	Pickin' & Grinnin'	Aunt Katie
2012	Sunset Stories	Stu
	Seven Psychopaths	Tommy's Mother	Uncredited
2013	Ass Backwards	Qwen
	Lovelace	Ticket Lady
2014	Some Kind of Beautiful	Susan Vale
2016	Stars Are Already Dead	Grandma
2017	Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri	Momma Dixon
2018	The Head Thieves	Judy Castillo
2019	Dumbo	Verna the Secretary
2021	Luca	Grandma Paguro	Voice role

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1977, 1981	Lou Grant	Gloria Lawder / Psych-Tech	2 episodes
1978	The Gift of Love	Jan's Mother	Television film
1981	Sizzle	Freda's Assistant
	The Patricia Neal Story	1st Woman
1982	Farrell for the People	Newswoman
	One Shoe Makes It Murder	Gloria
	St. Elsewhere	Mrs. Lawson	Episode: "Down's Syndrome"
	The Greatest American Hero	Woman	Episode: "The Resurrection of Carlini"
1982, 1984	Hill Street Blues	Bailiff / Abigail Mizell	3 episodes
1983	Carpool	Peggy Ryan	Television film
	Scarecrow and Mrs. King	Nurse Chapman	Episode: "If Thoughts Could Kill"
1984	Falcon Crest	Floor Nurse	Episode: "Sport of Kings"
	Matt Houston	Policewoman	Episode: "The Secret Admirer"
1984, 1988	Night Court	Sister Mo / Woman	2 episodes
1985	Hunter	Iris Balzer	Episode: "Sniper"
	Suburban Beat	Contata	Television film
	The Twilight Zone	Lindy	3 episodes
1986	If Tomorrow Comes	Gladys (guard)	Episode #1.1
	Fresno	Middle Aged Woman	Miniseries
1987	The Gambler III	Mrs. Dickey	Television film
	Designing Women	Hotel Manager	Episode: "Stranded"
1988	Santa Barbara	Betty Grayson	Episode #1.930
	Little Girl Lost	Violet Young	Television film
	Police Story: Cop Killer	Mona Ramsey
1989	Matlock	Manager	Episode: "The Black Widow"
1991	Equal Justice	Advocate No. 2	Episode: "Sleeping with the Enemy"
	Prison Stories: Women on the Inside	Counselor Pennell	Television film
1993	South of Sunset	Desk Sergeant	Episode: "Newspaper Boy"
1994	Models Inc.	Female Police Officer	Episode: "Nothing Is as It Seems"
1995	Indictment: The McMartin Trial	Deputy Phyllis	Television film
1996, 2001	ER	Sister Helen / Mrs. Zarian	2 episodes
1997	On the Line	Bartender #1	Television film
1999	Sliders	Shirley Montana	Episode: "Net Worth"
2000	Providence	Female Minister	Episode: "Do the Right Thing"
	Time of Your Life	Vinnie	Episode: "The Time They Found a Solution"
2001	Stranger Inside	Mrs. Johnny Cochran	Television film
	NYPD Blue	Annie	Episode: "In-Laws, Outlaws"
	Days of Our Lives	Aunt Elsie	2 episodes
2001, 2007	CSI: Crime Scene Investigation	Office Manager / Female Trucker
2003	Astro Boy	Abercrombie	English version; voice
	Strong Medicine	Iris Rawlings	Episode: "Jeaneology"
2004	The Division	Marriage Counselor	Episode: "As I Was Going to St. Ives..."
2005	Without a Trace	Iris Healy	Episode: "Transitions"
	Desperate Housewives	Woman #1	Episode: "Children Will Listen"
	CSI: NY	Mrs. Collins	Episode: "What You See Is What You See"
	Nip/Tuck	Helen Holden	Episode: "Sal Perri"
2006–present	It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia	Mrs. McDonald	13 episodes
2007	Cold Case	Karen Watson	Episode: "The Good-Bye Room"
	Jericho	Mrs. Herbert	Episode: "Coalition of the Willing"
	Saving Grace	Sister Laura Marie	Episode: "Is There a Scarlet Letter on My Breast?"
2007–2011	Big Love	Selma Greene	10 episodes
2008	Speed Freaks	Cop	Television film
2009	My Name Is Earl	Joy's Grandma	Episode: "Darnell Outed: Part 1"
	The Unit	Woman with Cane	Episode: "The Last Nazi"
	The Young and the Restless	Jimmy	5 episodes
	Hot Sluts	Jackie	5 episodes
	Weeds	Doctor	Episode: "Suck 'n' Spit"
2010	Warren the Ape	Agnes Osborn	Episode: "Black Lotus"
2010–2011	Svetlana	Liam	4 episodes
2011	Shameless	Doctor	Episode: "Three Boys"
2011–2013	Good Job, Thanks!	Barbara	5 episodes
2012	Napoleon Dynamite	Grandma	6 episodes
	Make It or Break It	Marge	Episode: "Smells Like Winner"
	The Closer	Mrs. Wallingham	Episode: "Last Rites"
	The New Normal	Miss Pepper	Episode: "Sofa's Choice"
	Parenthood	Dog Breeder	Episode: "Left Field"
	2 Broke Girls	Ms. Pyle	Episode: "And the Egg Special"
	Rizzoli & Isles	Kendra Dee	Episode: "Virtual Love"
2013	Quick Draw	Ma Bender	Episode: "Mail Order Bride"
	Dads	Ethel	Episode: "Dad Abuse"
2014	Murder in the First	Sue Leonard	Episode: "Pilot"
	Perception	Shirley (Homeless Woman)	Episode: "Shiver"
2014–2017	Hand of God	Randy	10 episodes
	Playing House	Mary Pat Caruso	6 episodes
2014–2019	The Haves and the Have Nots	Mama Rosa	3 episodes
2015	Blunt Talk	Motel Owner	Episode: "Meth or No Meth, You Still Gotta Floss"
	Transparent	Sandy	2 episodes
2016	Wander Over Yonder	Dorothy	Episode: "The Family Reunion/The Rival"
2017	OVER & OUT	Gert	Television film
	Comrade Detective	Nikita's Landlady	Episode: "The Invisible Hand"
2018	Shooter	Adele Poole	Episode: "Red Meat"
	Bravest Warriors	Dolores	Episode: "The Crowd I'm Seeing"
2018–2019	Ray Donovan	Sandy Patrick	13 episodes
2020	Big City Greens	Gertie	Episode: "Times Circle/Super Gramma!"
2021	Mom	Lillian	Episode: "Vinyl Flooring and a Cartoon Bear"
2022	Grey's Anatomy	Sally	2 episodes

External links

• Sandy Martin at IMDb
• Sandy Martin Official Website