Anna Kathryn Holbrook (née York; born April 18, 1957) is an American television actress, known for her role as Sharlene Frame Hudson on the NBC daytime soap opera ''
Another World'', for which she received
in 1996.
Life and career
Holbrook was born in
Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks is a home rule city and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska and the second largest in the state. The 2020 Census put the po ...
and grew up in
Tucson, Arizona
, "(at the) base of the black ill
, nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town"
, image_map =
, mapsize = 260px
, map_caption = Interactive map ...
. Holbrook's father, Don Joseph York (aged 29) was killed in
South Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...
during the Vietnamese War. Her mother, Johanna, later remarried.
She began her career appearing in television series including ''
Hart to Hart
''Hart to Hart'' is an American mystery television series that premiered on August 25, 1979, on ABC. The show stars Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers as Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, respectively, a wealthy couple who lead a glamorous jetset lifes ...
'' and ''
Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
''. In 1988, she moved to New York City for performing on off-Broadway stage, and later was cast as Sharlene Frame Hudson on the NBC daytime soap opera, ''
Another World'' a role she played until 1991 after her character was presumed dead in a boat explosion. Soap operas weren’t in Holbrook’s plans, but her agent offered some advice that would change her mind.She returned to soap in late 1993 and appeared until 1997, and again in 1999. The character Sharlene was a victim of sexual abuse and suffered from
multiple personality disorder
Dissociative identity disorder (DID), better known as multiple personality disorder or multiple personality syndrome, is a mental disorder characterized by the presence of at least two distinct and relatively enduring personality states.
The di ...
, and Holbrook won a
Daytime Emmy Award
The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ...
for Outstanding Supporting Actress award for her portrayal in 1996.
Holbrook has appeared in numerous guest starring roles, including four different roles on ''
Law & Order
''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment, launching the '' Law & Order'' franchise.
''Law & Order'' aired its entire run on NBC, premiering on ...
'', three on ''
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' between 1993 and 2006, ''
Spin City
''Spin City'' is an American sitcom television series that aired from September 17, 1996 to April 30, 2002, on ABC. Created by Gary David Goldberg and Bill Lawrence, the show is set in a semi-fictionalized version of the New York City mayor's ...
'', ''
The West Wing
''The West Wing'' is an American serial (radio and television), serial political drama television series created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999, to May 14, 2006. The series is set primarily in the ...
'', ''
Bull
A bull is an intact (i.e., not castrated) adult male of the species ''Bos taurus'' (cattle). More muscular and aggressive than the females of the same species (i.e., cows), bulls have long been an important symbol in many religions,
includin ...
'', ''
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
''Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt'' is an American streaming television sitcom created by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, starring Ellie Kemper in the title role. It premiered on March 6, 2015, on Netflix and ran for four seasons, ending on January 25, 20 ...
'', ''
Blue Bloods'', ''
Homeland
A homeland is a place where a cultural, national, or racial identity has formed. The definition can also mean simply one's country of birth. When used as a proper noun, the Homeland, as well as its equivalents in other languages, often has ethni ...
'' (in the
season eight episode "
Deception Indicated"), ''
Hunters
Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/ hide, bone/tusks, horn/antler, et ...
'', ''
The Blacklist
''The Blacklist'' is an American crime thriller television series that premiered on NBC on September 23, 2013. The show follows Raymond "Red" Reddington (James Spader), a former U.S. Navy officer turned high-profile criminal who voluntarily sur ...
'', ''
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street (Manhattan), 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and 110th Street (Manhattan), ...
'' and ''
The Equalizer''. She appeared in the 1994 comedy film ''
I Love Trouble'' and in 2007 had a recurring role as Dr. Hannah Young on the ABC daytime soap opera ''
One Life to Live
''One Life to Live'' (often abbreviated as ''OLTL'') is an American soap opera broadcast on the ABC television network for more than 43 years, from July 15, 1968, to January 13, 2012, and then on the internet as a web series on Hulu and iTunes ...
'' for several episodes. In 2021, Holbrook played Debbie in the ''
Sister Swap
''Sister Swap'' is an American series of TV films, starring sisters Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Ashley Williams. The films were originally broadcast on Hallmark Channel, as part of the channel's "Countdown to Christmas" seasonal programming.
I ...
'' film franchise.
[https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/sister-swap-a-hometown-holiday/cast/anna-holbrook] She starred as the mother of real-life sisters
Kimberly Williams-Paisley
Kimberly Payne Williams-Paisley (née Williams; born September 14, 1971) is an American actress known for her co-starring roles on ''According to Jim'' and ''Nashville,'' as well as her breakthrough performance in ''Father of the Bride'' (1991) ...
and
Ashley Williams, who also happen to be the real-life daughters of Holbrook's real-life best friend.
Personal life
Holbrook has been married to Bruce Holbrook since 1979, and they have two children. Anna is currently an acting teacher at the Performing Arts Conservatory in
New Canaan, Connecticut
New Canaan () is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 20,622 according to the 2020 census.
About an hour from Manhattan by train, the town is considered part of Connecticut's Gold Coast. The town is bounde ...
.
References
External links
*
*
Holbrook family info legacy.com; accessed July 4, 2015.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Holbrook, Anna Kathryn
1957 births
Living people
American stage actresses
American film actresses
American soap opera actresses
Daytime Emmy Award winners
Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series winners
Actresses from Connecticut
Actresses from Alaska
21st-century American women