Patricia Clarkson

Biography: A graduate of the prestigious Yale School of Drama, Patricia Clarkson first fell in love with acting as a teenager in her native New Orleans and honed her skills at Yale and later on the New York stage, where she appeared in acclaimed productions of Eastern Standard, The Maiden's Prayer and House of Blue Leaves. Hollywood called during the Blue Leaves run at Lincoln Center, and Clarkson left the show to make her film debut in Brian DePalma's 1987 gangster flick The Untouchables, as the dedicated wife of G-Man Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner). She followed that high-profile gig with memorable supporting roles in Rocket Gibraltar, Everybody's All-American and the final Dirty Harry film, The Dead Pool. But big-time success eluded her. During the early and mid 1990s, the actress continued to show her versatility, mostly on television with appearances in made-for-TV movies (The Old Man and the Sea, An American Story), series (Davis Rules, Murder One) and the popular Alex Haley miniseriesA graduate of the prestigious Yale School of Drama, Patricia Clarkson first fell in love with acting as a teenager in her native New Orleans and honed her skills at Yale and later on the New York stage, where she appeared in acclaimed productions of Eastern Standard, The Maiden's Prayer and House of Blue Leaves. Hollywood called during the Blue Leaves run at Lincoln Center, and Clarkson left the show to make her film debut in Brian DePalma's 1987 gangster flick The Untouchables, as the dedicated wife of G-Man Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner). She followed that high-profile gig with memorable supporting roles in Rocket Gibraltar, Everybody's All-American and the final Dirty Harry film, The Dead Pool. But big-time success eluded her. During the early and mid 1990s, the actress continued to show her versatility, mostly on television with appearances in made-for-TV movies (The Old Man and the Sea, An American Story), series (Davis Rules, Murder One) and the popular Alex Haley miniseries Queen. But Clarkson became the darling of the indie world with her stunning turn as a German lesbian drug addict in 1998's High Art. The critically lauded film ignited Clarkson's movie career on the festival circuit, if not in Hollywood, as she continued to amaze audiences with one breathless performance after another, including a judgmental '50s housewife in Far from Heaven, a grieving mother in The Station Agent, and a cancer-stricken parent in Pieces of April. Her spot-on performance in the latter earned the Louisiana native her first Golden Globe and Oscar nods. She also was nominated for---and won---a pair of Emmys for guest appearances on the HBO hit series Six Feet Under. Clarkson returned to the stage in 2004 as Blanche DuBois in a stellar Washington, D.C., production of A Streetcar Named Desire. She has continued to wow movie lovers with finely etched portraits in such diverse films as The Dying Gaul, with then-boyfriend Campbell Scott; Good Night, and Good Luck; Lars and the Real Girl; and Married Life. And A-list directors have taken notice of Clarkson's unique gifts. Woody Allen hired her for his back-to-back films Vicky Christina Barcelona and Whatever Works, and Martin Scorsese tapped her for a pivotal part in Shutter Island. Expand

Patricia Clarkson's Scores

  • Movies
  • TV
Average career score: 60
Highest Metascore: 84 Far From Heaven
Lowest Metascore: 27 Simply Irresistible
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 49
  2. Negative: 4 out of 49
49 movie reviews
Title: Year: Credit: User score:
80 Good Night, and Good Luck. Oct 7, 2005 Shirley Wershba 7.2
tbd The Woods Sep 16, 2005 Ms. Traverse 6.9
61 Dogville Mar 26, 2004 Vera 8.2
68 Miracle Feb 6, 2004 Patty Brooks 7.9
70 Pieces of April Oct 17, 2003 Joy Burns 8.0
81 The Station Agent Oct 3, 2003 Olivia Harris 8.5
58 The Safety of Objects Mar 7, 2003 Annette Jennings 7.3
71 All the Real Girls Feb 14, 2003 Elvira 6.8
84 Far From Heaven Nov 8, 2002 Eleanor Fine 7.9
61 Welcome to Collinwood Oct 4, 2002 Rosalind / Rosalind tbd
27 Heartbreak Hospital Sep 6, 2002 Lottie Ohrwasher tbd
63 Wendigo Feb 15, 2002 Kim / Kim tbd
71 The Pledge Jan 19, 2001 Margaret Larsen 6.8
74 Joe Gould's Secret Apr 7, 2000 Vivian Marquie / Vivian Marquie tbd
61 The Green Mile Dec 10, 1999 Melinda Moores 8.3
27 Simply Irresistible Feb 5, 1999 Lois McNally 7.7
55 Playing by Heart Jan 22, 1999 Allison tbd
73 High Art Jun 12, 1998 Greta / Greta 7.8
41 Jumanji Dec 15, 1995 Carol Parrish / Carol Parrish 7.8
46 The Dead Pool Jul 13, 1988 Samantha Walker / Samantha Walker tbd
79 The Untouchables Jun 3, 1987 Catherine Ness / Catherine Ness tbd