Ann Dowd (born January 30, 1956) is an American actress. She has appeared in numerous films, including Green Card (1990), Lorenzo's Oil (1992), Philadelphia (1993), Garden State (2004), The Manchurian Candidate (2004), Marley & Me (2008), Compliance (2012), Side Effects (2013), St. Vincent (2014), Captain Fantastic (2016), Hereditary (2018), and Mass (2021). For Compliance, she won the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress. For Mass, she earned nominations for a British Academy Film Award and a Critics' Choice Award.
Dowd was a series regular on the HBO series The Leftovers (2014–2017), for which she received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. She played Aunt Lydia Clements on the Hulu series The Handmaid's Tale (2017–2025), for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.
Early life and education Dowd was born on January 30, 1956, in Holyoke, Massachusetts. She is of Irish American descent. Her father, John, ran an insurance company, and her mother, Dolores, was a homemaker. She has two brothers and four sisters.
Dowd attended the Williston Northampton School, where she performed in school plays, graduating in 1974. She then attended the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology in 1978. As an undergraduate at Holy Cross, she initially intended to become a surgeon, but decided to pursue acting in her senior year at the encouragement of a professor.
After college, Dowd traveled to New York City to audition for the Goodman School of Drama at DePaul University in Chicago, where she earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in acting in 1982. While at DePaul, Dowd received a prestigious scholarship from the Sarah Siddons Society, an award that had also gone to Carrie Snodgress. Dowd was classmates with Elizabeth Perkins and also worked as a waitress during this time.
Career Film Dowd starred in Shiloh (1997) and its sequels, Shiloh 2: Shiloh Season (1999) and Saving Shiloh (2006) as Louise Preston. She appears in the 1997 cult film All Over Me and in the 1998 film Apt Pupil, in which she played the mother of Brad Renfro's character. Dowd has acted in two films directed by Jonathan Demme, as Jill Beckett, sister of Tom Hanks' character, Andrew Beckett, in Philadelphia (1993), and in The Manchurian Candidate (2004), starring Meryl Streep. Also in 2004, Dowd played the mother of Natalie Portman's character in Garden State and appeared in The Forgotten starring Julianne Moore. In 2005, she starred opposite Gretchen Mol in The Notorious Bettie Page, portraying Edna Page, Bettie Page's mother. She also played the role of Mrs. Strank in the 2006 Clint Eastwood film Flags of Our Fathers.
In 2008, Dowd appeared in Marley & Me starring Jennifer Aniston. She received rave reviews for her work in the 2012 movie Compliance, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. In the film, Dowd plays Sandra, a fast food restaurant manager caught in a mysterious ethical nightmare. For this role, Dowd was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actress and received the National Board of Review award. She has played supporting roles in two Steven Soderbergh films, The Informant! in 2009, and Side Effects in 2013, in which she played the mother of Channing Tatum's character. She played the supporting role of Joan in the 2018 horror film Hereditary.
Television Dowd's first appearance was in the 1985 television movie First Steps with fellow Chicago actor Megan Mullally. She has appeared in many popular television shows including House and Louie, on both of which she played a nun. Other shows include Chicago Hope, The X-Files, Third Watch, NYPD Blue, Judging Amy and Freaks and Geeks, in which she played the mother of Busy Philipps. Dowd has also appeared in many episodes of the Law & Order franchise. In 1995 she portrayed Rose Long, Louisiana's first female senator, in the television movie Kingfish, opposite John Goodman. In 2008 she appeared in the television movie Taking Chance starring Kevin Bacon. Dowd was a series regular on Nothing Sacred, which was filmed in Los Angeles and aired for one season (97/98), in which she played a nun. For this role she was nominated for a VQT award for Best Supporting Actress. Dowd also co-starred on The Leftovers as Patti Levin, leader of the group The Guilty Remnant. In 2017, Dowd began starring as Aunt Lydia Clements on the Hulu series The Handmaid's Tale, for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award.
In 2021, she was cast as Edna Garrett for the third installment of Live in Front of a Studio Audience on ABC, featuring both Diff'rent Strokes and the spin-off The Facts of Life.
Theatre Dowd has appeared on Broadway three times. In 1993 she received the Clarence Derwent Award for her Broadway debut performance in the play Candida starring Mary Steenburgen. She next appeared in Taking Sides (1996) with Elizabeth Marvel, and Vera Farmiga, who was Dowd's understudy. In 2008 she appeared in The Seagull starring Carey Mulligan and Kristin Scott Thomas. Dowd has also won three Jeff Awards for her work in Chicago theatre, including a 1987 Best Supporting Actress award for her role as Emma Brookner in The Normal Heart. In 2007, Dowd played the role of Sister Aloysius in Doubt at the George Street Playhouse. The New York Times described her performance as "chilling" and said she was "masterful in this role." In 2011, Dowd performed Off-Broadway in Blood from a Stone, playing the mother of Ethan Hawke. In 2015, Dowd starred in Naomi Wallace's play Night Is a Room at Signature Theater.
Personal life Dowd and her husband, Lawrence "Larry" Arancio, both coach acting and are frequent collaborators. Arancio, who is from New York City, is a writer and acting chair for the CAP21 program who has also taught at the HB Studio and Columbia College Chicago. Arancio has worked with Lady Gaga as her acting coach. Dowd and Arancio met while students in Chicago. They have three children, and reside in New York City. Dowd is a foster care advocate. Her alma mater College of the Holy Cross conferred an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree on her on May 27, 2016.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes 1990 Green Card Peggy 1992 Lorenzo's Oil Pediatrician 1993 Philadelphia Jill Beckett 1994 It Could Happen to You Carol 1995 Bushwhacked Mrs. Patterson 1996 Shiloh Louise Preston 1997 All Over Me Anne 1998 Apt Pupil Monica Bowden 1999 Shiloh 2: Shiloh Season Louise Preston 2004 Garden State Olivia The Manchurian Candidate Congresswoman Beckett The Forgotten Eileen the Accountant2005 The Thing About My Folks Linda The Notorious Bettie Page Edna Page 2006 Saving Shiloh Louise Preston Flags of Our Fathers Mrs. Strank2007 Gardener of Eden Ma Harris The Living Wake Librarian The Babysitters Tammy Lyner Alice Upside Down Aunt Sally 2008 Familiar Strangers Dottie Worthington Marley & Me Dr. Platt 2009 The Informant! FBI Special Agent Kate Medford Taking Chance Gretchen Phelps Mack2011 The Art of Getting By Mrs. Grimes Coming Up Roses Lynne2012 Compliance Sandra Bachelorette Victoria The Discoverers Patti2013 Side Effects Mrs. Taylor Gimme Shelter Kathy 2014 The Drop Dottie Stipler St. Vincent Shirley Wildlike Jeanie 2015 Our Brand Is Crisis Nell 2016 Captain Fantastic Abigail Bertrang The Great & the Small Detective Dupre Norman Carol Raskin Collateral Beauty Sally Price 2017 Hedgehog Joan2018 American Animals Betty Jean "BJ" Gooch Nancy Betty Freeman Tyrel Silvia Hereditary Joan A Kid Like Jake Catherine2020 Cowboys Detective Faith Erickson Rebecca Mrs. Van Hopper 2021 Mass Linda 2022 Family Squares Judith The Independent Patricia Turnbull 2023 The Exorcist: Believer Ann 2024 The Friend Marjorie
Television Year Title Role Notes 1985 First Steps Debby Television movie1990 The Baby-Sitters Club Mrs. Elizabeth Thomas-Brewer 2 episodes The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd Nurse Courtney Episode: "Here's a Rare Photo Opportunity"1991, 1994, 1996, 2003Law & Order Teresa Franz Episode: "Sonata for Solo Organ" Dorothy Baxter Episode: "Breeder" Patricia Smith Episode: "Pro Se" Dr. Beth Allison Episode: "Compassion"1994 Heaven & Hell: North & South, Book III Maureen 3 episodes The Cosby Mysteries Television movie1995 Chicago Hope Eleanor Robertson Episode: "Growth Pains" Kingfish: A Story of Huey P. Long Rose McConnell Long Television movie 1997–1998 Nothing Sacred Sister Maureen "Mo" Brody 20 episodes1999 Providence Mary Episode: "Home Again" The X-Files Mrs. Reed Episode: "Rush" 1999–2000 Judging Amy Mrs. Schleewee 2 episodes2000 NYPD Blue Ann Collins Episode: "Along Came Jones" Freaks and Geeks Cookie Kelly 2 episodes Family Law Episode: "Love and Money" Baby Ms. Minifred Television movie 100 Centre Street Episode: "Queenie's Running"2001 Amy & Isabelle Lenora Television movie The DivisionSarahEpisode: "Obsessions"2001, 2003, 2009Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Louise Durning Episode: "Victims" Sally Wilkens Episode: "Soulless" Lillian Siefeld Episode: "Lead" 2001–2002 The Education of Max Bickford Jean 3 episodes 2002–2003 Third Watch Sgt. Beth Markham 3 episodes 2003 Touched by an Angel Paula Episode: "Song for My Father"2004 The Jury Evelyn Berry Episode: "The Honeymoon Suite" Law & Order: Criminal Intent Laurie Manotti Episode: "Inert Dwarf" House Mother Superior Episode: "Damned If You Do" 2005 Law & Order: Trial by Jury Karen Ames Episode: "Truth or Consequences" 2009 Taking Chance Gretchen Television movie 2010 Louie Nun Episode: "God" 2011 Pan Am Marjorie Lowrey Episode: "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" 2013–2014 Masters of Sex Estabrook Masters 7 episodes2014 True Detective Betty Childress Episode: "Form and Void" Love's a Bitch Wes' Mom Episode: "Family Time" The Divide Ida Bankowski 2 episodes Olive Kitteridge Bonnie Newton 4 episodes Big Driver Ramona Norville Television movie 2014–2017 The Leftovers Patti Levin 14 episodes 2016 Quarry Naomi 4 episodes 2016–2017 Good Behavior FBI Agent Rhonda Lashever 10 episodes 2017 Girls Phaedra Episode: "Goodbye Tour" 2017–2025 The Handmaid's Tale Aunt Lydia Clements 42 episodes 2018 3Below: Tales of Arcadia Zeron Omega (voice) 6 episodes 2019 Lambs of God Sister Margarita 4 episodes2019–2020At Home with Amy Sedaris Teri Tucker Episode: "Hospital-tality" Janice Shanks Episode: "Signature Dishes" 2020 Helpsters Marching Band Marsha Episode: "Primmflandia Day/Marching Band Marsha"2021 Search Party Paula Jo 2 episodes Live in Front of a Studio Audience Edna Garrett Episode: "Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life"2023American Dad!Miss Macadoo (voice)Episode: "Fellow Traveler"Deborah (voice)Episode: "Stretched Thin" The Other Two Paula Davies Episode: "Cary Gets His Ass Handed to Him"Teenage Euthanasia Erica (voice) Episode: "Sexually Educated" Debt Announcer (voice) Episode: "A Very Fantasy Vacation"2024Terminator ZeroThe Prophet (voice)3 episodes2026 The Testaments Aunt Lydia Clements Main role Hacks Smoker Episode: "Number One Fan"
Theater