Catherine Curtin is an American actress. She is best known for her role as correctional officer Wanda Bell in the Netflix comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black (2013–2019). Other notable recurring roles include Insecure, Stranger Things, and Homeland.
Her film credits include Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011), The Bourne Legacy (2011), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), Catfight (2016), The Light of the Moon (2017), Beauty Mark (2017), Bad Education (2019), Worth (2020), The Half of It (2020), Chemical Hearts (2020), Werewolves Within (2020), Red Pill (2021), Bad Shabbos (2024), and Saturday Night (2024).
Life and career
Curtin made her Broadway debut in the original production of Six Degrees of Separation. The following years, she appeared in many Off-Broadway productions, including the title role of Janis Joplin in Love, Janis, for which she was nominated for a Joseph Jefferson Award.
On television, Curtin appeared in episodes of New York Undercover, Sex and the City, Law & Order, and 30 Rock. In 2013, she was cast in a recurring role as correctional officer Wanda Bell on the Netflix comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black. Along with cast, she won two Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in 2015 and 2016. She left the series in 2017 and returned for multiple episodes of the final season in 2019. From 2016 to 2018, she had a recurring role on the HBO comedy series Insecure. In 2017, she began a recurring role as Dustin's mother Claudia Henderson in the Netflix horror series Stranger Things. In 2018, she played Sandy Langmore on the seventh season of Showtime drama Homeland.
Curtin has played supporting roles in a number of films, including Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011), The Bourne Legacy (2011), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), Catfight (2016), The Light of the Moon (2017), Beauty Mark (2017), Bad Education (2019), Worth (2020), The Half of It (2020), Chemical Hearts (2020), Werewolves Within (2020), Red Pill (2021), Bad Shabbos (2024), Regarding Us (2024), and Saturday Night (2024).
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes1995SuspicionsBridgette1996Ed's Next MoveAnne1999Raising the StakesTheresa2001The Next Big Thing"Weltanschauung" Woman2002Unconditional LoveWoman Chosen for Show 2003DeniseHappy EndBeatrix2006The Limbo RoomBryce2007NoiseBarbara2008Revolutionary RoadWoman in Audience2011Extremely Loud & Incredibly CloseLeigh-Anne Black 2012HollyThe Bourne LegacyC-Team 2013Bert & Annie's Guide to FriendshipMelodyThe Wolf of Wall StreetFBI Agent2016CatfightCarl's Wife2017KirraCrazy FamousMrs. MarcusMaggie BlackDr. LeitmanCamera ObscuraDet. DawsonBeauty MarkRuth Ann SimmsCut Shoot KillMollyGold StarDeanne2018Breaking BrooklynPrincipal CarverLoveitisCindy2019BlushGailMAD?SimoneJoyce Bad Education Judy ShapiroThe Lost Weekend Aunt JaniceShort film Inside the Rain Nancy Glass2020WorthJoanColleen MunskyChemical HeartsSarahCynthia KostasThe SurrogateSarahTriple ThreatAudrey WilliamsonWhat Breaks the IceElaine 2021 Werewolves WithinJeanineRed PillMercy18½Lena2023Founders DayCommissioner Peterson2024Regarding UsBetsy Holand Bad Shabbos Beth The Easy Kind Meg Saturday NightJoan Carbunkle 2025 Pretty Thing Peggy 2026 Plucked Maggie
Television Year Title Role Notes1997Guiding LightFranTV series2000Sex and the CityGirl #2Episode: "Frenemies"2000, 2008Law & OrderStephanie Hollis, Julie LiscombEpisodes: "Panic", "Tango"2002Third WatchZebraEpisode: "Falling"2006Law & Order: Criminal IntentJenna SwitzerEpisode: "Masquerade"2007–2009BettyRecurring role2011BestsellersAbbyMain role2013–2017, 2019Orange Is the New BlackWanda BellRecurring role, 40 episodesScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2015, 2016)2014Mrs. TunneyEpisode: "Pilot"2015Fan GirlMiss StacyTV film2015, 2017Unbreakable Kimmy SchmidtAdministrator, Coach TannenEpisodes: "Kimmy Kisses a Boy!", "Kimmy Goes to College!" 2016CastingNatalieTV filmBullJoyce MagruderEpisode: "Light My Fire"Cathy PearlTV film2016–2018InsecureJoanneRecurring role, 11 episodes 2017ChangelingsDet. Francine VincentEpisode: "Aswang"Blue BloodsRuth BukowskiEpisode: "Lost Souls"MindhunterRuth BarnwrightEpisode: "1.5"2017–2025Stranger ThingsClaudia HendersonRecurring role (season 2 & 4), guest (season 3 & 5), 12 episodesNominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (2018)2018HomelandSandy LangmoreRecurring role (season 7), 7 episodes 2019Mommy BloggerDarbyEpisode: "Our Homeschool Adventure"SurveillanceAmy Faltin
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