Dana Ivey (born August 12, 1941) See also: is an American retired actress. She is known for her work on Broadway, earning the 1997 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play for her work in both Sex and Longing and The Last Night of Ballyhoo. She originated the title role in Driving Miss Daisy and was nominated for a Drama Desk award for Best Actress in a Play. She received five Tony Award nominations for her roles in Sunday in the Park with George (1984), Heartbreak House (1984), The Last Night of Ballyhoo (1997), The Rivals (2005), and Butley (2007).
On film, she has acted in The Color Purple (1985), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988), The Addams Family (1991), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), Addams Family Values (1993), Two Weeks Notice (2002), Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde (2003), Rush Hour 3 (2007), and The Help (2011). On television, she has appeared on Frasier, Sex and the City, Boardwalk Empire and The Big C.
Early life and family Ivey was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Her mother, Mary Nell Ivey Santacroce (née McKoin), was a teacher, speech therapist, and actress who appeared in productions of Driving Miss Daisy and taught at Georgia State University; Mary Nell was considered by John Huston to be "one of the three or four greatest actresses in the world."NYT April 21, 1999 Her parents divorced. She has a younger brother, John, and a half-brother, Eric Santacroce, and one nephew, Evan Santacroce from her mother's remarriage to Dante Santacroce.
Dana Ivey earned her undergraduate degree at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. She was a member of Phi Mu women's fraternity, and earned a Fulbright grant to study drama at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Ivey received an honorary doctorate (humane letters) from Rollins College in February 2008.Orlando Sentinel article, February 15, 2008 She is an Episcopalian and is on the Advisory Board for the Episcopal Actors Guild.https://www.actorsguild.org/officers-and-council.html
Career 1974–1989: Early Broadway work Before making New York City her home in the late 1970s, Ivey appeared in numerous American and Canadian stage productions and served as director of DramaTech in Atlanta from 1974 to 1977, as had her mother before her from 1949 to 1966. In 1981, Ivey made her Broadway debut playing two small roles in a production of Macbeth; the following year, she was cast in a major supporting role in a revival of Noël Coward's Present Laughter, for which she received the Clarence Derwent Award as Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play. She was nominated for two Tony Awards in the same season (1984) – as Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Stephen Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George and Best Featured Actress in a Play for a revival of Heartbreak House – a feat repeated by only three other actresses, Amanda Plummer, Jan Maxwell, and Kate Burton."Twice Blessed" tonyawards.com, accessed April 17, 2011 Ivey's performances in Quartermaine's Terms and Driving Miss Daisy (creating the title role)Gussow, Mel, "The Stage: Driving Miss Daisy", The New York Times, April 16, 1987. Retrieved 2011-02-15. earned her Obie Awards,Dana Ivey, official website. Retrieved 2011-02-15. as did that in Mrs. Warren's Profession (2005).Staff."Winners of 51st Annual Village Voice Obie Awards Named", broadway.com, May 16, 2006 Ivey's first film appearance was in Joe Dante's 1985 science-fiction fantasy film Explorers with Ethan Hawke and River Phoenix. In 1978, Ivey made her television debut in the daytime soap opera Search for Tomorrow. Her television credits include a starring role in the sitcom Easy Street opposite Loni Anderson and guest appearances on Homicide: Life on the Street and Law & Order. Her first major screen appearance was in Steven Spielberg's adaptation of Alice Walker's The Color Purple later that same year. She took a bit part in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988).
1990–2009: Character actor roles Among her other film credits include the 1995 remake of Sabrina, Simon Birch, Postcards from the Edge, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, The Addams Family, Sleepless in Seattle, Addams Family Values, Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde, The Adventures of Huck Finn, Orange County, Rush Hour 3, The Leisure Seeker, The Importance of Being Earnest, and as Sandra Bullock's character's mother, Mrs. Kelson, in Two Weeks Notice.
Ivey performed in the New York premiere in 2009 of The Savannah Disputation by Evan Smith at Playwrights Horizons. The comedy co-starred Marylouise Burke, Reed Birney, and Kellie Overbey.Isherwood, Charles, "Dodging Hellfire, Armed With Quips and the Obliging Father Murphy", The New York Times, March 4, 2009. Retrieved 2011-02-15
2010–present: Later work In July 2010, she appeared as Winnie in Happy Days by Samuel Beckett at the Westport Playhouse.Hetrick, Adam."Dana Ivey and Jack Wetherall Face Happy Days at Westport Playhouse, Beginning July 6", Playbill, July 6, 2010 She appeared as Miss Prism in the Roundabout Theatre Company Broadway production of The Importance of Being Earnest in 2011.Isherwood, Charles."A Stylish Monster Conquers at a Glance" The New York Times, January 13, 2011 Ivey played Mrs Candour in the 2016 production of The School for Scandal at the Lucille Lortel Theatre."Dana Ivey on Loving Language, Social Media, and The School for Scandal" by David Gordon, TheaterMania.com, April 26, 2016
In 2011, she played the role of Grace Higginbotham in the critically acclaimed film, The Help, and starred in Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight. During this time she acted in Frasier, Oz, The Practice, Sex and the City, Ugly Betty, Boardwalk Empire, and Monk (episode "Mr. Monk and the Other Detective"). In December 2016, Ivey was invited by the Noël Coward Society to lay flowers on the statue of Sir Noël Coward at the Gershwin Theatre in Manhattan to celebrate the 117th birthday of "The Master".
Acting credits Film Year Title Role Notes 1985 Explorers Mrs. Müller The Color Purple Miss Millie 1986 Heartburn Wedding Speaker 1988 The Appointments of Dennis Jennings Newscaster Short film Another Woman Engagement Party Guest Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Mrs. Reed 1990 Postcards from the Edge Wardrobe Mistress 1991 The Addams Family Margaret Alford 1992 Home Alone 2: Lost in New York Hester Stone 1993 The Adventures of Huck Finn Widow Douglas Guilty as Sin Judge D. Tompkins Sleepless in Seattle Claire Addams Family Values Margaret Addams 1995 The Scarlet Letter Meredith Stonehall Sabrina Mack 1998 The Impostors Mrs. Essendine Simon Birch Grandmother Wenteworth 1999 Mumford Mrs. Crisp Walking Across Egypt Beatrice Vernon 2000 The Kid Dr. Alexander 2002 Orange County Vera Gantner Two Weeks Notice Ruth Kelson 2003 Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde Libby Hauser 2006 A Very Serious Person Betty 2007 Broken English Elinor Gregory Rush Hour 3 Sister Agnes 2008 Ghost Town Marjorie Pickthall Claire Barbara Short film 2009 Did You Hear About the Morgans? Trish Pinger 2011 The Help Gracie Higginbotham 2013 Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight Mrs. Paige 2014 We'll Never Have Paris Francoise 2017 Professional Cuddler Gloria Short film The Leisure Seeker Lillian 2018 Ocean's Eight Diana 2019 Georgica Dorothy Short film
Television Year Title Role Notes 1962 The Beachcomber Kahlana Episode: "Tribal Law" 1981 Another World Clinic Nurse Episode: "#1.4336" 1982 Little Gloria... Happy at Last TV mini-series, Episode: "Part I" Macbeth Witch Television Film 1986 American Playhouse Yvonne / Naomi Eisen Episode: "Sunday in the Park with George" 1986–1987 Easy Street Eleanor Standard 22 episodes 1989 B.L. Stryker Gabrielle Harwood Episode: "Die Laughing" 1985–1990 Great Performances Gertrude / Ariadne 2 episodes 1992 A Child Lost Forever Lois Jurgens Television film 1993 Class of '61 Mrs. Julia Peyton Mama's Back Maureen 1995 Homicide: Life on the Street Margie Bolander 3 episodes 1996 Law & Order Ms. Shore Episode: "Girlfriends" 1997 Frasier Ms. Langer Episode: "Three Days of the Condo" 1999 A Lesson Before Dying Edna Guidry Television film 2000 Oz Patricia Nathan 2 episodes 2001 100 Centre Street Dr. Camille Willoughby Episode: "Bottlecaps" 2003 The Practice Judge Natalie Brown Episode: "Cause of Action" 2004 Sex and the City Trudy Stork Episode: "Out of the Frying Pan" 2005 Monk Mrs. Eels Episode: "Mr. Monk and the Other Detective" 2008 The Return of Jezebel James Molly 2 episodes 2010 American Experience Quaker Woman Episode: "Dolley Madison" Ugly Betty Roberta Episode: "All the World's a Stage" Boardwalk Empire Mrs. McGarry 4 episodes 2011 The Importance of Being Earnest Miss Prism Television film 2013 The Big C Nan Episode: "Quality of Death" 2015 Odd Mom Out Mrs. Hardwick Episode: "Wheels Up" 2017 Madam Secretary Nelly Conlon Episode: "The Beautiful Game"
Theater Year Title Role Venue Ref. 1981 Macbeth Gentlewoman / Witch Vivian Beaumont Theater, Broadway 1983 Present Laughter Monica Reed Circle in the Square Theatre, Broadway 1984 Heartbreak House Lady Utterwood Sunday in the Park with George Naomi Eisen / Yvonne Booth Theatre, Broadway 1985 Pack of Lies Helen Kroger Royale Theater, Broadway The Marriage of Figaro Countess Circle in the Square Theatre, Broadway 1987 Driving Miss DaisyDaisy Werthan Playwrights Horizons, Off-Broadway 1988 Wenceslas SquareThe WomenThe Public Theater, Off-Broadway 1989 Love Letters Melissa Gardner Promenade Theater, Off-Broadway When I Was a Girl, I Used to Scream and Shout Morag South Coast Repertory, California 1990 Hamlet Gertrude The Public Theater, Off-Broadway 1991 The Subject Was Roses Nettie Cleary Roundabout Theater Company, Off-Broadway Beggars in the House of Plenty Ma New York City Center, Off-Broadway 1992 It's Only a Play Julia Budder Center Theatre Group, Los Angeles 1994 Kindertransport Evelyn New York City Center, Off-Broadway 1995 Indiscretions Leonie Ethel Barrymore Theatre, Broadway 1996 Sex and Longing Bridget McCrea Cort Theatre, Broadway 1997 The Last Night of Ballyhoo Boo Levy Helen Hayes Theatre, Broadway 1998 Li'l Abner Mammy Yokum New York City Center The Glass Menagerie Amanda Wingfield Williamstown Theatre Festival, Massachusetts The Rivals Mrs. Malaprop The Uneasy Chair Miss Amelia Pickett Playwrights Horizons, Off-Broadway 1999 The Death of Papa Mary Vaughn Hartford Stage, Connecticut Tartuffe Madame PernelleThe Public Theater, Off-Broadway Waiting in the Wings Sylvia Archibald Walter Kerr Theatre, Broadway 2001 Major Barbara Lady Britomart American Airlines Theater, Broadway 2002 Blithe Spirit Madame Arcati Bay Street Theater, New York 2003 A Day in the Death of Joe Egg Grace American Airlines Theater, Broadway Under Milk Wood Second Voice Williamstown Theatre Festival, Massachusetts Henry IV Lady Northumberland / Mistress Quickly Vivian Beaumont Theatre, Broadway 2004 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Big Mama Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C. 2005 The Rivals Mrs. Malaprop Vivian Beaumont Theatre, Broadway Mrs. Warren's Profession Mrs. Kitty Warren Irish Repertory Theatre, Off-Broadway 2006 Butley Edna Shaft Booth Theatre, Broadway 2008 Home Marjorie Williamstown Theatre Festival, Massachusetts 2009 The Savannah Disputation Mary O’Brian Playwrights Horizons, Off-Broadway 2010 Happy Days Winnie Westport Country Playhouse, Connecticut 2011 The Importance of Being Earnest Miss Prism American Airlines Theater, Broadway 2015 A Little Night Music Madame Armfeldt American Conservatory Theater, San Francisco 2016 The School for Scandal Mrs. Candour Lucille Lortel Theater, Off-Broadway
Awards and nominations