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Catherine Ann Keener (born March 26, 1959) is an American actress. She has portrayed disgruntled and melancholic yet sympathetic women in independent films, as well as supporting roles in studio films. She has been nominated twice for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, for ''
Being John Malkovich ''Being John Malkovich'' is a 1999 American fantasy comedy film directed by Spike Jonze and written by Charlie Kaufman, both making their feature film debut. The film stars John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, and Catherine Keener, with John Malkovich ...
'' (1999) and for her portrayal of author
Harper Lee Nelle Harper Lee (April 28, 1926February 19, 2016) was an American novelist best known for her 1960 novel ''To Kill a Mockingbird''. It won the 1961 Pulitzer Prize and has become a classic of modern American literature. Lee has received numerou ...
in '' Capote'' (2005). Keener also starred in live-action roles in the films '' The 40-Year-Old Virgin'' (2005), '' Into the Wild'' (2007), ''
Synecdoche, New York ''Synecdoche, New York'' (pronounced ) is a 2008 American postmodern psychological drama film written and directed by Charlie Kaufman in his directorial debut. It stars Philip Seymour Hoffman as an ailing theater director who works on an incr ...
'' (2008), '' Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief'' (2010), and '' Get Out'' (2017), as well as a starring voice role in ''
Incredibles 2 ''Incredibles 2'' is a 2018 American computer-animated superhero film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Written and directed by Brad Bird, it is the sequel to ''The Incredibles'' (2004) and the second ...
'' (2018). Keener is the
muse In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in ...
of director Nicole Holofcener, having appeared in each of Holofcener's first five films. She also appeared in each of director
Tom DiCillo Thomas A. DiCillo (born August 14, 1953) is an American film director, screenwriter and cinematographer. Early life He was born in Camp Le Jeune, North Carolina. His father was Italian and his mother was from New England. He studied creative wr ...
's first four films, and three films directed by
Spike Jonze Adam H. Spiegel (born October 22, 1969), known professionally as Spike Jonze, is an American filmmaker, actor, musician, and photographer. His work includes commercials, film, music videos, skateboard videos and television. Jonze began his ca ...
. From 2018 to 2020, she starred in the Showtime dramedy series ''
Kidding ''Kidding'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Dave Holstein that premiered on September 9, 2018, on Showtime (TV network), Showtime. The series stars Jim Carrey, Frank Langella, Judy Greer, Cole Allen, Juliet Morris, and C ...
''.


Early life and education

Keener was born on March 26, 1959, in
Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
,
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...
, the third of five children of Evelyn (née Jamiel) and Jim Keener, a manager of a mattress store in Hialeah, Florida. She is of Irish descent on her father's side, and of Lebanese descent on her mother's. Keener was raised in Hialeah as a
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
and attended Catholic schools. She attended
Monsignor Edward Pace High School Monsignor Edward Pace High School is a Catholic secondary school in the Opa-locka North neighborhood of Miami Gardens, Florida. It was named a Blue Ribbon School in 2002 and one of the top 50 Catholic high schools in the country in 2004 and 2005 ...
. Keener's sister, Elizabeth Keener, is also an actress and a real estate agent working for Sotheby's in Los Angeles. Keener attended
Wheaton College Wheaton College may refer to: * Wheaton College (Illinois), a private Christian, coeducational, liberal arts college in Wheaton, Illinois * Wheaton College (Massachusetts) Wheaton College is a private liberal arts college in Norton, Massachus ...
, in
Norton, Massachusetts Norton is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, and contains the villages of Norton Center and Chartley. The population was 19,202 at the 2020 census. Home of Wheaton College, Norton hosts the Dell Technologies Championship ...
. She majored in American Studies, also enrolling in a theater course. Her first theatrical production was the
Wendy Wasserstein Wendy Wasserstein (October 18, 1950 – January 30, 2006) was an American playwright. She was an Andrew Dickson White Professor-at-Large at Cornell University. She received the Tony Award for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1989 ...
play '' Uncommon Women and Others'', during her junior year at Wheaton. She graduated with her Bachelor of Arts from Wheaton College in 1983.


Career

Keener had a supporting role as Lt. Cricket Sideris in the television series '' Ohara''. The series ran from January 1987 to May 1988. Her first film appearance was one line in '' About Last Night...'' (1986). Although she struggled professionally over the next few years, one project had an unexpected dividend: Keener met her future husband, actor
Dermot Mulroney Dermot Mulroney (born October 31, 1963) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in romantic comedy, western, and drama films. Appearing on screen since 1986, he is known for his work in various films such as '' Young Guns'' (1988), '' Stay ...
, in 1987 while working on '' Survival Quest'' (1989), after Mulroney became stuck while attempting to scale a cliff. She also guest-starred as an artist on an episode of ''
Seinfeld ''Seinfeld'' ( ) is an American television sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld. It aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, over nine seasons and 180 episodes. It stars Seinfeld as a fictionalized version of himself and ...
'' called " The Letter". She played Jerry's girlfriend, an artist who painted a famous portrait of Kramer. Keener then earned her first starring role, in '' Johnny Suede'', with the then-unknown
Brad Pitt William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Awar ...
. Her performance gained critical acclaim and earned her first Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Female Lead. She went on to work with director Tom Dicillo again, in '' Living in Oblivion'' (1995). Two years later, she was once again nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for her performance in ''
Walking and Talking ''Walking and Talking'' is a 1996 independent film written and directed by Nicole Holofcener and starring Catherine Keener, Anne Heche, Todd Field, Liev Schreiber and Kevin Corrigan. The film is #47 on '' Entertainment Weekly''s "Top 50 Cult Film ...
'', an independent cult-comedy film directed by Nicole Holofcener. In 2000, Keener earned her first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role in ''
Being John Malkovich ''Being John Malkovich'' is a 1999 American fantasy comedy film directed by Spike Jonze and written by Charlie Kaufman, both making their feature film debut. The film stars John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, and Catherine Keener, with John Malkovich ...
'', directed by
Spike Jonze Adam H. Spiegel (born October 22, 1969), known professionally as Spike Jonze, is an American filmmaker, actor, musician, and photographer. His work includes commercials, film, music videos, skateboard videos and television. Jonze began his ca ...
. In 2001, she worked with director Nicole Holofcener in '' Lovely and Amazing'', garnering her a third Independent Spirit Award nomination. In 2002, she co-starred with Edward Norton in the
off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer th ...
revival of '' Burn This'' and the film ''
Death to Smoochy ''Death to Smoochy'' is a 2002 satirical black comedy crime film directed by Danny DeVito and written by Adam Resnick. Starring Robin Williams, Edward Norton, DeVito, Catherine Keener and Jon Stewart, the film centers on "Rainbow" Randolph Sm ...
''. She also took part in the film '' Full Frontal'', and ''
Simone Simone may refer to: * Simone (given name), a feminine (or Italian masculine) given name of Hebrew origin * Simone (surname), an Italian surname Simone may also refer to: * Simone (1918 film), ''Simone'' (1918 film), a French silent drama film * S ...
'' alongside
Al Pacino Alfredo James Pacino (; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he has received numerous accolades: including an Academy Award, two Tony Awards, and two Primetime Emmy ...
. In 2005, she starred in the political
thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...
'' The Interpreter'' (as a Secret Service agent partnered with Sean Penn's character) and '' The Ballad of Jack and Rose'' with Daniel Day-Lewis, and played the love interest of
Steve Carell Steven John Carell (; born August 16, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He played Michael Scott in ''The Office'' (2005–2011; 2013), NBC’s adaptation of the British series created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, where Ca ...
in
Judd Apatow Judd Apatow (; born December 6, 1967) is an American comedian, director, producer, and screenwriter, best known for his work in comedy and drama films. He is the founder of Apatow Productions, through which he produced and directed the films ' ...
's '' The 40-Year-Old Virgin''. Keener's performance as writer
Harper Lee Nelle Harper Lee (April 28, 1926February 19, 2016) was an American novelist best known for her 1960 novel ''To Kill a Mockingbird''. It won the 1961 Pulitzer Prize and has become a classic of modern American literature. Lee has received numerou ...
in '' Capote'' (also 2005) earned her several awards and nominations, including her second Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress."Being Catherine Keener"
August 27, 2006, New York Times
In 2006, she starred in the film '' Friends with Money'', directed by Nicole Holofcener. In 2007, Keener played Jan Burres in
Sean Penn Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American actor and film director. He has won two Academy Awards, for his roles in the mystery drama ''Mystic River'' (2003) and the biopic ''Milk'' (2008). Penn began his acting career in televisi ...
's critically acclaimed film '' Into the Wild'', based on Jon Krakauer's best-selling book of the same name. In 2008, her film '' An American Crime'', the true story of
Gertrude Baniszewski Sylvia Marie Likens (January 3, 1949 – October 26, 1965) was an American teenager who was tortured and murdered by her caregiver, Gertrude Baniszewski, many of Baniszewski's children, and several of their neighborhood friends. This abuse in ...
, a middle-aged mother who tortured and murdered Sylvia Likens in her Indiana home, was aired on Showtime. Keener played Baniszewski and her portrayal earned her an Emmy nomination in the Best Actress in a TV Mini-Series or Movie category. In 2008, Keener portrayed
Philip Seymour Hoffman Philip Seymour Hoffman (July 23, 1967 – February 2, 2014) was an American actor. Known for his distinctive supporting and character roles—typically lowlifes, eccentrics, underdogs, and misfits—he acted in many films and theatrical produc ...
's wife Adele in
Charlie Kaufman Charles Stuart Kaufman (; born November 19, 1958) is an American filmmaker and novelist. He wrote the films '' Being John Malkovich'' (1999), '' Adaptation'' (2002), and '' Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'' (2004). He made his directorial ...
's directorial debut, ''
Synecdoche, New York ''Synecdoche, New York'' (pronounced ) is a 2008 American postmodern psychological drama film written and directed by Charlie Kaufman in his directorial debut. It stars Philip Seymour Hoffman as an ailing theater director who works on an incr ...
''. She and Hoffman again played husband and wife in the 2012 film ''
A Late Quartet ''A Late Quartet'' (released in Australia as ''Performance'') is a 2012 American drama film directed by Yaron Zilberman and co-written by Zilberman and Seth Grossman. The film stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, Christopher Walken, Catherine Keener, Ma ...
''. Keener played the title character's mother in the 2010 film '' Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief'', based on the series of books by Rick Riordan. Keener starred in the six-episode HBO miniseries '' Show Me a Hero'', based on the 1999 nonfiction book of the same name by Lisa Belkin. It aired in August 2015. In 2016, Keener starred in the independent film '' Unless''. In 2017, Keener starred as Missy Armitage in the racially themed horror film '' Get Out,'' which was a critical and commercial success. Keener starred in the 2021
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
horror drama miniseries '' Brand New Cherry Flavor''. In September 2022, it was announced that Keener had been cast in '' Joker: Folie à Deux'', the sequel to the 2019 film '' Joker'', slated for a October 4, 2024 release date.


Acting style and reception

Throughout her career, Keener has developed a reputation for succeeding in complex roles, often portraying desolate, bittersweet women "who come across as empty or unfulfilled in their relationships or their creative endeavors", effortlessly earning sympathy from audiences in both protagonistic and antagonistic roles. Director Rebecca Miller said that Keener is "very good at playing disgruntled", a designation about which Keener explained, "Anger is not a bad thing"; she finds comfort in playing roles of this nature because "It doesn't go hand in hand with the mode of behaviour that's ladylike or proper or dignified." Nate Williams of
ComingSoon.net Mandatory (formerly CraveOnline Media) is a lifestyle website based in Los Angeles with sales offices in New York City, Chicago and San Francisco. The site is owned by media company Evolve Media, LLC. Mandatory focuses its contents into the male ...
deemed Keener "one of the most interesting performers in the game" as of 2019 due to her willingness "to embrace different roles", describing her as "A dramatic actor with no problem playing strange characters". Keener gravitates towards roles in
independent film An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is produced outside the major film studio system, in addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies (or, i ...
s, and opts for smaller
character roles A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or Eccentricity (behavior), eccentric character (arts), characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, ". ...
on rare occasions when she agrees to appear in larger studio ventures, which ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular ...
'' critic Missy Schwartz believes "she inhabits more comfortably than flashier ones." Amanda McCorquodale, contributing to the ''
Miami New Times The ''Miami New Times'' is a newspaper published in Miami, Florida, United States, and distributed every Thursday. It primarily serves the Miami-Dade County, Miami area and is headquartered in Miami's Wynwood Art District. Overview It was acquir ...
'', wrote that Keener regularly plays smart, neurotic women in independent films, likening her body of work to
Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...
heroines.
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...
crowned Keener "one of the queens of 1990s American independent cinema", while ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...
'' called her "A darling of the independent film world". Despite commending her diverse yet carefully cultivated roles, ''The Independent'' observed that most of Keener's studio roles have "barely registered" among critics and audiences. Williams believes that Keener's skillset and versatility have allowed her to work with some of the industry's best filmmakers. Schwartz wrote that directors such as Neil LaBute ('' Your Friends & Neighbors'', 1998) and
Steven Soderbergh Steven Andrew Soderbergh (; born January 14, 1963) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer and editor. A pioneer of modern independent cinema, Soderbergh is an acclaimed and prolific filmmaker. Soderbergh's direct ...
('' Full Frontal'', 2002) have consistently "put her unusual beauty and trademark dry wit to good use." Keener seldom gives interviews, believing that overexposure "becomes a dirty business". The actress is known for being notoriously press-shy, and refuses to refer to herself as "famous" despite her success in the film industry. In 2010, '' Inside Jersey'' contributor Stephen Whitty observed that, throughout a decade of interviewing the actress, Keener had always been open to commenting about her collaborators, both directors and co-stars, but often refused to be interviewed about herself, considering her a shy person who values her privacy. In 2014, the ''
Montreal Gazette The ''Montreal Gazette'', formerly titled ''The Gazette'', is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Three other daily English-language newspapers shuttered at various times during the second half of t ...
'' journalist T'Cha Dunlevy selected Keener as his most memorable interview of the year, during which he admitted to mostly remembering laughing. Dunlevy described the actress as "a consummate pro who has brought charisma and soul to projects ranging from" goofball comedies to blockbuster films. Keener has continued to enjoy a reputation "as a both charming and well respected actress".


Personal life

Keener married actor
Dermot Mulroney Dermot Mulroney (born October 31, 1963) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in romantic comedy, western, and drama films. Appearing on screen since 1986, he is known for his work in various films such as '' Young Guns'' (1988), '' Stay ...
in 1990. They have a son, Clyde, born in 1999, who is a singer. Mulroney filed for divorce in June 2007, citing irreconcilable differences and the divorce became final on December 19, 2007.


Filmography


Film


Television


Video games


Podcast


Awards and nominations


See also

*
List of people from Miami The following is a list of notable people who were born or who live or formerly lived in the city of Miami, Florida. Artists and designers * Jorge Arango, architect * Hernan Bas, visual artist * Clandestine Culture, contemporary artist *Seb ...


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Keener, Catherine Living people 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actresses from Miami American film actresses American television actresses American voice actresses American people of Arab descent American people of Lebanese descent American people of Irish descent Wheaton College (Massachusetts) alumni 1959 births