Lily Rabe

In 2008, she was injured in a stage accident at the ‘Laura Pels Theatre,’ during the rehearsal of an ‘Off-Broadway’ production by the ‘Roundabout Theatre Company.’ Despite sustaining a fractured rib, she resumed her performance after a week.

Lily has been in a long-term relationship with actor Hamish Linklater since May 2014. She gave birth to her daughter in March 2017. They are yet to tie the knot officially.

Lily was born on June 29, 1982, in New York City, New York, US, to playwright David Rabe and actor Jill Clayburgh. She has a younger brother named Michael who grew up to be an actor and playwright. She also has a paternal half-brother who is a musician. She belongs to a family of mixed European origin.

Her family moved to Lakeville, Connecticut, from Bedford, when she was in the seventh grade. She studied at the ‘Hotchkiss School’ and also trained in dance. She took ballet classes at a summer arts program and was offered a chance to perform a monologue from the play ‘Crimes of the Heart’ that prompted her to take up acting as a career. She later joined acting classes at ‘Northwestern University,’ from where she graduated with a degree in 2004.

She appeared in the movie ‘Never Again’ with her mother in 2001. She also appeared on stage with her mother at the ‘Gloucester Stage Company’ in Massachusetts the following year. Her other interest as a child was fiction writing, for which she attended various seminars with writers.

Following her graduation, she moved to New York and initially focused on theater. She appeared in the play ‘White Jesus’ by the ‘Naked Angels Theater Company’ and participated in a workshop production of the play ‘The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas’ by the ‘Roundabout Theatre Company.’

She made her ‘Broadway’ debut with the 2005 revival of ‘Steel Magnolias’ by Robert Harling and was nominated for a ‘Drama Desk Award’ for her performance. She was listed as one of the best breakthroughs of 2005 by Jeremy McCarter in ‘New York Magazine.’ She made her TV debut with her appearance in an episode of ‘Law & Order: Criminal Intent’ the same year.

In 2006, she appeared in the ‘Roundabout Theatre Company’ production of the play ‘Heartbreak House’ by George Bernard Shaw. The following year, she appeared in the play ‘Crimes of the Heart’ at the ‘Williamstown Theatre Festival’ and the romantic comedy movie ‘No Reservations.’

For the next two years, she appeared in movies such as ‘What Just Happened’ and ‘The Toe Tactic.’ She also appeared in the TV shows ‘Medium’ and ‘Last of the Ninth.’ She received positive reviews for her portrayal of ‘Lili Adler’ in the ‘Broadway’ premiere of Richard Greenberg’s play ‘The American Plan’ in 2009.

The following year was a landmark for her, as she appeared in the ‘Shakespeare in the Park’ production of ‘The Merchant of Venice,’ directed by Daniel J Sullivan. She also appeared in the 2010 movie ‘All Good Things.’ ‘The Merchant of Venice’ offered her the opportunity to work opposite Al Pacino. The show was transferred to the ‘Broadhurst Theater,’ where it ran till 2011. She was nominated for the ‘Tony Award’ for the ‘Best Actress in a Play’ for her performance in the play. Later that year, she bagged the role of ‘Nora Montgomery’ in the horror TV series ‘American Horror Story.’ This was her first regular role.

Her most notable stage appearances have been for the plays ‘Steel Magnolias’ (2005), ‘Crimes of the Heart’ (2008), ‘The American Plan’ (2009), ‘The Merchant of Venice’ (2010–2011), ‘As You Like It’ (2012)’, ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ (2014), and ‘Cymbeline’ (2015).

Some of her most noteworthy films are ‘Never Again’ (2001), ‘No Reservations’ (2007), ‘All Good Things’ (2010), ‘Pawn Sacrifice’ (2014), ‘The Veil’ (2016), ‘Golden Exits’ (2017), and ‘Finding Steve McQueen’ (2018).

Lily has appeared in a number of TV serials such as ‘Law & Order: Criminal Intent’ (2005), ‘Medium’ (2008), ‘Saving Grace’ (2010), ‘The Good Wife’ (2011–2015), ‘American Horror Story: Asylum’ (2012–2013), ‘The Whispers’ (2015), ‘American Horror Story: Roanoke’ (2016), ‘The Wizard of Lies’ (2017), and ‘Tell Me Your Secrets’ (2018).