Actor

Ellen Burstyn

Born 7 December 1932 · Detroit, Michigan, USA

Ellen Burstyn (born Edna Rae Gillooly; December 7, 1932) is an American actress. Known for her portrayals of complex women in dramas, she has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards, making her one of the few performers to achieve the "Triple Crown of Acting". She has also received a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award. Burstyn made her acting debut on Broadway in Fair Game in 1957 before winning the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for Same Time, Next Year (1975). She earned the Academy Award for Best Actress as the widow Alice Hyatt in Martin Scorsese's romantic drama Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974). Her other Oscar-nominated roles were in The Last Picture Show (1971), The Exorcist (1973), Same Time, Next Year (1978), Resurrection (1980), and Requiem for a Dream (2000). Her other notable films include Harry and Tonto (1974), How to Make an American Quilt (1995), Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002), W. (2008), Interstellar (2014), The Age of Adaline (2015), and Pieces of a Woman (2020). She won Primetime Emmy Awards for her guest role in the NBC legal drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2009) and supporting role in the USA Network political miniseries Political Animals (2013). Her other Emmy-nominated roles include Pack of Lies (1988), Mrs. Harris (2005), Big Love (2008), Draft Day, Flowers in the Attic (both 2014), and House of Cards (2016). Since 2000, she has been co-president of the Actors Studio, a drama school in New York City. In 2013, she was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame for her work onstage.

Films and shows

  1. 2026Place to Be1h 50mBrooke
  2. 2026Flesh Impact17mMarilyn Monroe
  3. 2025Duse, the Greatest
  4. 2025This Ordinary Thing1h 3mSelf (voice)
  5. 2025Breakdown: 19751h 32mSelf
  6. 2024E. Jean Carroll v. Donald J. Trump18mE. Jean Carroll
  7. 2024Fear and Love: The Story of The Exorcist1h 1mSelf
  8. 2024Mother, Couch1h 36mMother
  9. 2023The Exorcist: Believer1h 51mChris MacNeil
  10. 2022Three Months1h 44mValerie
  11. 2022Reframed: Marilyn Monroe1 seasonSelf
  12. 2021Queen Bees1h 41mHelen Wilson
  13. 2021Watch on the Rhine2h 9mFanny
  14. 2021Paul Newman, Behind Blue Eyes52mHerself
  15. 2020Pieces of a Woman2h 7mElizabeth Weiss
  16. 2020Delphine and Carole1h 11mSelf (archive footage)
  17. 2019Lucy in the Sky2h 5mNana Holbrook
  18. 2019American Woman1h 25mMiss Dolly
  19. 2019The House of Tomorrow1h 25mJosephine Prendergast
  20. 2019Steven Arnold: Heavenly Bodies1h 20mSelf
  21. 2018All I Wish1h 34mCelia Berges
  22. 2018The Tale1h 55mNettie
  23. 2018Friedkin Uncut1h 47mSelf
  24. 2018Nostalgia1h 55mHelen Greer
  25. 2017Marilyn Monroe: Auction of a Lifetime47mSelf
  26. 2016Wiener-Dog1h 28mNana
  27. 2016Custody1h 44mBeatrice Fisher
  28. 2015About Scout1h 32mGram
  29. 2015The Age of Adaline1h 52mFlemming
  30. 2014And the Oscar Goes To...1h 35mSelf - Interviewee
  31. 2014The Calling1h 48mEmily Micallef
  32. 2014River of Fundament6h 11mHathfertiti
  33. 2014Two Men in Town2hMère Garnett
  34. 2014Flowers in the Attic1h 30mGrandmother
  35. 2014Interstellar2h 49mMurph (older)
  36. 2014Draft Day1h 50mBarb Weaver
  37. 2014Petals on the Wind1h 25mOlivia Foxworth
  38. 2013Wish You Well1h 40mLouisa Mae Cardinal
  39. 2013Love, Marilyn1h 45mSelf
  40. 2012Political Animals1 seasonMargaret Barrish
  41. 2012Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You1h 39mNanette
  42. 2012Coma1 seasonMrs. Emerson
  43. 2011The Mighty Macs1h 42mMother St. John
  44. 2011Another Happy Day1h 59mDoris Baker
  45. 2010Main Street1h 32mGeorgiana Carr
  46. 2010BBStory: An American Film Renaissance47mSelf
  47. 2010Reflections of a Philosopher King10mSelf
  48. 2010America Lost and Found: The BBS Story2hSelf
  49. 2009Lovely, Still1h 32mMary
  50. 2009According to Greta1h 32mKatherine
  51. 2009The Velveteen Rabbit1h 28mSwan (voice)
  52. 2009Possible Side Effects1 seasonMarnie Hunt
  53. 2009PoliWood1h 30mSelf
  54. 2008The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond1h 42mMiss Addie
  55. 2007The Stone Angel1h 56mHagar
  56. 2007Mitch Albom's For One More Day1h 32mPauline "Posey" Benetto
  57. 2006The Elephant King1h 32mDiana Hunt
  58. 2006The Wicker Man1h 42mSister Summersisle
  59. 200630 Days1h 31mMaura
  60. 2006The Fountain1h 36mDr. Lillian Guzetti
  61. 2006Stardust: The Bette Davis Story1h 29mSelf
  62. 2006Hubert Selby Jr: It/ll Be Better Tomorrow1h 19mSelf
  63. 2006The Book of Daniel1 seasonBishop Beatrice Congreve
  64. 2005Our Fathers2h 10mMary Ryan
  65. 2005Mrs. Harris1h 34mFormer Tarnower Steady
  66. 2004The Five People You Meet In Heaven2h 12mRuby
  67. 2004The Madam's Family: The Truth About the Canal Street Brothel1h 30mTommie
  68. 2004Second Chances: The Making of "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore"20mSelf
  69. 2003Brush with Fate1h 38mRika
  70. 2003Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex 'n' Drugs 'n' Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood1h 59mSelf
  71. 2003A Decade Under the Influence1h 50mSelf
  72. 2002Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood1h 56mVivi
  73. 2001Within These Walls1h 40mJoan Thomas
  74. 2001Memories, Dreams & Addictions20mSelf
  75. 2001The Making of Requiem for a Dream35mSelf
  76. 2000Mermaid1h 34mTrish
  77. 2000Requiem for a Dream1h 42mSara Goldfarb
  78. 2000The Yards1h 55mVal Handler
  79. 2000That's Life2 seasonsDolly DeLucca
  80. 1999Walking Across Egypt1h 40mMattie Rigsbee
  81. 1999Night Ride Home1h 40mMaggie
  82. 1999The Last Picture Show: A Look Back1h 5mSelf
  83. 1998You Can Thank Me Later1h 45mShirley Cooperberg
  84. 1998A Will of their Own1 seasonVeronica Steward
  85. 1998The Fear of God: 25 Years of The Exorcist1h 21mSelf - Chris MacNeil
  86. 1998The Patron Saint of Liars1h 32mJune Clatterbuck
  87. 1998Playing by Heart2h 1mMildred
  88. 1998Marilyn in Manhattan46mSelf
  89. 1997Flash1h 30mLaura Strong
  90. 1997Deceiver1h 46mMook
  91. 1997A Deadly Vision1h 30mYvette Watson
  92. 1996The Spitfire Grill1h 57mHannah Ferguson
  93. 1996Timepiece1h 40mMaud Gannon
  94. 1996Didn't You Used to Be Satan?24mSelf
  95. 1995Follow The River1h 31mGretel
  96. 1995How to Make an American Quilt1h 56mHy Dodd
  97. 1995Roommates1h 48mJudith
  98. 1995My Brother's Keeper1h 34mHelen
  99. 1995The Baby-Sitters Club1h 34mMrs. Haberman
  100. 1994Trick of the Eye1h 35mFrances Griffin
  101. 1994Getting Out1h 40mArlie's Mother
  102. 1994When a Man Loves a Woman2h 6mEmily
  103. 1994Getting Gotti1h 29mJo Giacalone
  104. 1993The Cemetery Club1h 47mEsther Moskowitz
  105. 1993Roots of Roe56mNarrator (voice)
  106. 1993Shattered Trust: The Shari Karney Story1h 34mJoan Delvecchio
  107. 1992When It Was a Game 259mPassage Narrator (voice)
  108. 1992Earth and the American Dream1h 18mReader (voice)
  109. 1992Taking Back My Life: The Nancy Ziegenmeyer Story1h 36mWilma
  110. 1991Mrs. Lambert Remembers Love1h 32mLillian "Lil" Lambert
  111. 1991Grand Isle1h 52mMademoiselle Reisz
  112. 1991Dying Young1h 51mMrs. O'Neil
  113. 1991Picture This58mSelf
  114. 1990The Color of Evening1h 30mKate O'Rielly
  115. 1990When You Remember Me1h 31mNurse Cooder
  116. 1989Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre1h 28mSelf
  117. 1988Hanna's War2h 28mKatalin
  118. 1988Hello Actors Studio2h 54mSelf
  119. 1987Pack of Lies1h 41mBarbara Jackson
  120. 1987Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam1h 24mMrs. Stocks (voice)
  121. 1986Something in Common1h 42mLynn Hollander
  122. 1986The Ellen Burstyn Show1 seasonEllen Brewer
  123. 1986Act of Vengeance1h 35mMargaret Yablonski
  124. 1985Into Thin Air1h 37mJoan Walker
  125. 1985The Ambassador1h 37mAlex Hacker
  126. 1985Twice in a Lifetime1h 51mKate MacKenzie
  127. 1985Surviving2h 23mTina Brogan
  128. 1982I Love Liberty2hSelf
  129. 1981Silence of the North1h 34mOlive Frederickson
  130. 1981People vs. Jean Harris2h 27mJean Harris
  131. 1980Resurrection1h 43mEdna
  132. 1978A Dream of Passion1h 50mBrenda Collins
  133. 1978Same Time, Next Year1h 59mDoris
  134. 1977Providence1h 50mSonia Langham
  135. 1974Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore1h 52mAlice Hyatt
  136. 1974Harry and Tonto1h 55mShirley Mallard
  137. 1974Thursday's Game1h 40mLynne Evers
  138. 1974The Horror Hall of Fame: A Monster Salute1h 5mSelf (archive footage)
  139. 1973The Exorcist2h 2mChris MacNeil
  140. 1972The King of Marvin Gardens1h 43mSally
  141. 1971The Last Picture Show1h 59mLois Farrow
  142. 1970Alex in Wonderland1h 50mBeth Morrison
  143. 1969Pit Stop1h 31mEllen McCleod
  144. 1964Goodbye Charlie1h 56mFranny Salzman
  145. 1964For Those Who Think Young1h 36mDr. Pauline Swenson
  146. 1961Ricochet1hRose Maxon
  147. 1958The Christmas Tree1h 50mElizabeth
  148. 1948Easy Out?23mMary
  149. Bathing Flo