Mary-Louise Parker

Mary Louise Parker dated actor Billy Crudup from 1997 to late 2003. The couple has a son William Atticus Parker, born in 2004.

In 2006, she began a relationship with actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan and subsequently announced their engagement in February 2008. However, the couple parted ways in April 2008.

She adopted a baby girl from Ethiopia in 2007. The baby is named Caroline Aberash Parker.

Mary Louise Parker was born on 2 August 1964 in Fort Jackson, North Carolina. Her father John Morgan Parker was a Judge who served in the US Army and her mother’s name is Caroline Louise. She is the youngest of the couple’s four children. Her family lineage has includes Swedish, Scottish, English, Dutch German and Scots-Irish ancestry.

She had a peripatetic childhood, moving from one place to another due to her father’s job. As a child, she lived in Tennessee, Texas, Thailand, Germany and France.

She completed her high school from Marcos de Niza High School, Arizona. Mary Louise Parker graduated from the North Carolina School of Arts with majors in Arts in 1986.

Her first acting role was in American soap opera ‘Ryan’s Hope’. Later in the 1980s, she shifted to New York to become successful as a stage actress. She played the role of an abused girlfriend in her first movie ‘Signs of Life’ (1989). Post a few appearances in minor roles in theatre, she played the lead role in her Broadway play debut with ‘Prelude to a Kiss’ in 1990.

She began to get recognition for her ability to portray suffering characters without victimsing them and this talent earned her many more opportunities to play several strong characters in films. She then played the role of a friend to a gay couple in ‘Longtime Companion’ (1989). During the 1990s, she switched between big banner and independent movies but her focus remained in portraying supporting roles.

Among her many performances, the characters that stood out include the film adaptation of novel ‘Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe’ which was also named ‘Fried Green Tomatoes’ (1991), drama film ‘Grand canyon’ (1991), romantic comedy film ‘Mr. Wonderful’ (1993), comedy film ‘Naked in New York’ (1993), crime comedy ‘Bullets over Broadway’ (1994) and the film adaptation of novel ‘The Portrait of a lady’ in 1996.vDuring this time period, she was also involved in theatre with performances in shows like ‘Four Dogs and a Bone’ (1993), ‘Bus Stop’ (1996) and critically acclaimed ‘How I Learned to Drive’ (1997).

She has constantly switched between her appearances in theatre, commercial and independent films and television series. In 2001, she essayed the role of Amy Gardener in political drama television series ‘The West Wing’ and her character went on till the last season of the series in 2006. In 2003, she was part of the miniseries ‘Angels in America’, an adaptation of a popular Broadway play; this performance earned her multiple awards.

In 2004, she appeared in a comedy movie ‘Saved!’ along with acting in a television movie ‘Miracle Run’. She Parker also appeared in the lead role of the Broadway theatre play ‘Reckless’ the same year.

She is well-known for her work in theatre and television. Her performance in television series ‘Weeds’ and Broadway theatre plays like ‘Proof’ have earned her much recognition and accolades.