Kyra Minturn Sedgwick (; born August 19, 1965) is an American actress, producer and director. For her starring role as Deputy Chief

Brenda Leigh Johnson Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson (portrayed by Kyra Sedgwick) is a fictional character and the main protagonist featured in TNT's ''The Closer''. She heads the Major Crimes Division (formerly the Priority Homicide Division) of the Los Angeles ...

on the

TNT Trinitrotoluene (), more commonly known as TNT, more specifically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and by its preferred IUPAC name 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. TNT is occasionally used as a reagen ...

crime drama ''

The Closer ''The Closer'' is an American television police procedural starring Kyra Sedgwick as Brenda Leigh Johnson, a Los Angeles Police Department deputy chief. A CIA-trained interrogator originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Brenda has a reputation as a c ...

'', she won a Golden Globe Award in 2007 and an Emmy Award in 2010. She also had a recurring role as Madeline Wuntch on the sitcom '' Brooklyn Nine-Nine''. Sedgwick was nominated for a Golden Globe award for her performance in '' Something to Talk About'' (1995). Her other film roles include Oliver Stone's ''

Born on the Fourth of July ''Born on the Fourth of July'', published in 1976, is the best-selling autobiography by Ron Kovic, a paralyzed Vietnam War veteran who became an anti-war activist. Kovic was born on July 4, 1946, and his book's ironic title echoed a famous line ...

'' (1989),

Cameron Crowe Cameron Bruce Crowe (born July 13, 1957) is an American journalist, author, writer, producer, director, actor, lyricist, and playwright. Before moving into the film industry, Crowe was a contributing editor at '' Rolling Stone'' magazine, for w ...

's ''

Singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...

'' (1992), ''

Heart and Souls ''Heart and Souls'' is a 1993 American fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Ron Underwood. The film stars Robert Downey Jr. as Thomas Reilly, a businessman recruited by the souls of four deceased people, his guardian angels from childhood, to ...

'' (1993), ''

Phenomenon A phenomenon ( : phenomena) is an observable event. The term came into its modern philosophical usage through Immanuel Kant, who contrasted it with the noumenon, which ''cannot'' be directly observed. Kant was heavily influenced by Gottfried ...

'' (1996), ''

What's Cooking What's Cooking? may refer to: * ''What's Cooking?'' (film), a 2000 British/American comedy-drama film * ''What's Cooking?'' (British TV series), a British lifestyle show * ''What's Cooking?'' (Australian TV series), an Australian cooking televisi ...

'' (2000), ''

Secondhand Lions ''Secondhand Lions'' is a 2003 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Tim McCanlies. It tells the story of an introverted young boy (Haley Joel Osment) who is sent to live with his eccentric great uncles (Robert Duvall and Michael C ...

'' (2003), '' The Game Plan'' (2007), ''

The Possession ''The Possession'' is a 2012 American supernatural horror film directed by Ole Bornedal and produced by Sam Raimi, Robert Tapert, and J. R. Young, and written by Juliet Snowden and Stiles White. It stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Kyra Sedgwick, Nat ...

'' (2012), and ''

The Edge of Seventeen ''The Edge of Seventeen'' is a 2016 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film written and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig, in her directorial debut. The film stars Hailee Steinfeld, Woody Harrelson, Kyra Sedgwick, and Haley Lu Richardson. The f ...

'' (2016).

Early life

Sedgwick was born in New York City, the daughter of Patricia (née Rosenwald), a speech teacher and educational/family therapist and

Henry Dwight Sedgwick V The Sedgwick family is a predominantly American family originating in England. Members of the family and their descendants have been influential in politics, law, business, and the arts. The earliest known member of the Sedgwick family to have gone ...

, a

venture capitalist Venture capital (often abbreviated as VC) is a form of private equity financing that is provided by venture capital firms or funds to startups, early-stage, and emerging companies that have been deemed to have high growth potential or which ha ...

. Her mother was Jewish and her father was Episcopalian and of English heritage. Sedgwick has identified herself as Jewish and has stated that she participates in Passover seders. A member of the

Sedgwick family The Sedgwick family is a predominantly American family originating in England. Members of the family and their descendants have been influential in politics, law, business, and the arts. The earliest known member of the Sedgwick family to have gone ...

on her father's side, she is a descendant of

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

Robert Sedgwick Major General Robert Sedgwick (c. 1611 – 1656) was an English colonist, born 1611 in Woburn, Bedfordshire, England, and baptised on 6 May 1613. Biography He was the son of William Sedgwick of London, and brother of English priest William Sed ...

, Judge

Theodore Sedgwick Theodore Sedgwick (May 9, 1746January 24, 1813) was an American attorney, politician, and jurist who served in elected state government and as a delegate to the Continental Congress, a U.S. representative, and a senator from Massachusetts. H ...

Endicott Peabody Endicott Howard Peabody (February 15, 1920 – December 2, 1997) was an American politician from Massachusetts. A Democrat, he served a single two-year term as the 62nd Governor of Massachusetts, from 1963 to 1965. His tenure is probably ...

(the founder of the Groton School),

William Ellery William Ellery (December 22, 1727 – February 15, 1820) was a Founding Father of the United States, one of the 56 signers of the United States Declaration of Independence, and a signer of the Articles of Confederation as a representative of Rho ...

(a signer of the

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of th ...

), Samuel Appleton, John Lathrop, of Boston, Massachusetts, and is the great-granddaughter of Henry Dwight Sedgwick III, thus the corresponding niece to his brother

Ellery Sedgwick Ellery Sedgwick (February 27, 1872 – April 21, 1960) was an American editor, brother of Henry Dwight Sedgwick. Early life He was born in New York City to Henry Dwight Sedgwick II and Henrietta Ellery (Sedgwick), grand daughter of William El ...

, owner/editor (1908-1938) of ''

The Atlantic Monthly ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...

''. Sedgwick is also a sister of actor

, half-sister of jazz guitarist

Mike Stern Mike Stern (born January 10, 1953) is an American jazz guitarist. After playing with Blood, Sweat & Tears, he worked with drummer Billy Cobham, then with trumpeter Miles Davis from 1981 to 1983 and again in 1985. He then began a solo career, ...

, the

first cousin Most generally, in the lineal kinship system used in the English-speaking world, a cousin is a type of familial relationship in which two relatives are two or more familial generations away from their most recent common ancestor. Commonly, ...

once removed of actress

Edie Sedgwick Edith Minturn Sedgwick Post (April 20, 1943 – November 16, 1971) was an American actress and fashion model, known for being one of Andy Warhol's superstars.Watson, Steven (2003), "Factory Made: Warhol and the Sixties" Pantheon Books, pp. 210& ...

, and a niece of the writer

John Sedgwick John Sedgwick (September 13, 1813 – May 9, 1864) was a military officer and Union Army general during the American Civil War. He was wounded three times at the Battle of Antietam while leading his division in an unsuccessful assault against Co ...

. She is the aunt of R&B/pop singer

George Nozuka George Nozuka (born April 28, 1986) is an American-based Canadian-Japanese R&B singer best known for his single "Talk to Me", which peaked at No. 1 on the MuchMusic music-video countdown in October 2006. Career Nozuka released his debut ...

and his younger singer-songwriter brother

Justin Nozuka Justin Tokimitsu Nozuka (born September 29, 1988) is an American singer, songwriter and actor. His debut album ''Holly'' has been released in Europe, Canada, Japan and the United States. He has licensed the album to indie label Coalition Enterta ...

(their mother, Holly, is Sedgwick's half-sister). Sedgwick's parents separated when she was four and divorced when she was six; her mother subsequently married Ben Heller, an art dealer. Sedgwick graduated from

Friends Seminary Friends Seminary is an independent K-12 school in Manhattan within the landmarked district in the East Village. The oldest continuously coeducational school in New York City, Friends Seminary serves 794 students in Kindergarten through Grade 1 ...

and attended Sarah Lawrence College before transferring to the

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8.1 ...

, where she graduated with a theater degree.

Career

Sedgwick made her debut at the age of 16 on the television soap opera '' Another World'' as Julia Shearer, troubled granddaughter of Liz Matthews. In 1988, she appeared in a TV version of

Lanford Wilson Lanford Wilson (April 13, 1937March 24, 2011) was an American playwright. His work, as described by ''The New York Times'', was "earthy, realist, greatly admired ndwidely performed." Fox, Margalit"Lanford Wilson, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Playwright ...

's '' Lemon Sky''. During the 1990s, she appeared in several Hollywood movies, including ''

'' (1992), ''

'' (1993), '' Something to Talk About'' (1995), and ''

'', in which she played the love interest of John Travolta's character.Stated in interview on ''

Inside the Actors Studio ''Inside the Actors Studio'' is an American talk show that airs on Ovation. The series premiered in 1994 on Bravo where it aired for 22 seasons and was hosted by James Lipton from its premiere until 2018. It is taped at the Michael Schimmel C ...

'', 2007 She acted in Critical Care (1997). She starred in the Emmy Award–winning 1992

made-for-TV film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

'' Miss Rose White'' as a Jewish immigrant who comes to terms with her ethnicity. She played the parts of Mae Coleman in 2003's ''

'' and Stella Peck in the 2007 film '' The Game Plan''. She also starred alongside her husband

Kevin Bacon Kevin Norwood Bacon (born July 8, 1958) is an American actor. His films include the musical-drama film '' Footloose'' (1984), the controversial historical conspiracy legal thriller '' JFK'' (1991), the legal drama '' A Few Good Men'' (1992), t ...

in two films: the 1991 sex comedy ''

Pyrates ''Pyrates'' is a 1991 comedy film, starring Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick about a couple who experience pyrokinesis after having sex. Directed and written by Noah Stern, the film was released on VHS on December 18, 1991. Plot When Ari (Kevin B ...

'', and the 2004 drama '' The Woodsman''. She dubbed the voice of Batwoman in the animated movie '' Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman''. Sedgwick starred in the television series ''

'' from 2005 to 2012. In 2007, she began earning roughly $300,000 per episode. Over the life of the series, she was nominated for and won several awards for her starring role as Deputy Chief

. She received a Golden Globe award in 2007 for her performance as lead actress and won a Primetime Emmy Award in 2010. In 2009, Sedgwick was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Television. ''The Closer'' ended on August 13, 2012, following the completion of its seventh season; the series's broadcaster,

, said that the decision to retire the series was made by Sedgwick. A sequel series starring most of the same cast called '' Major Crimes'' continued in its place. Sedgwick produced the television series '' Proof'' for TNT which debuted in 2015 for one season. She is also featured in the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

comedy series '' Brooklyn Nine-Nine'' portraying the character of Madeline Wuntch. Sedgwick will play the lead role of Jean Raines in the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

comedy pilot ''My Village,'' written by

Kari Lizer Kari Lizer (born August 26, 1961) is an American actress, writer, and producer. She was the creator and executive producer of the CBS sitcom ''The New Adventures of Old Christine''. In May 2010, CBS canceled ''Old Christine'' after five seasons ...

. The series was

green-light To green-light is to give permission to proceed with a project. The term is a reference to the green traffic signal, indicating "go ahead". Film industry In the context of the film and television industries, to green-light something is to ...

ed by ABC and re-titled ''

Call Your Mother ''Call Your Mother'' is an American television multi-camera sitcom created by Kari Lizer that premiered on ABC on January 13, 2021, as a midseason entry in the 2020–21 television season. In May 2021, the series was canceled after one season. ...

'' on May 21, 2020, for the 2020–2021 television season.

Personal life

Sedgwick married actor

on September 4, 1988. The couple have two children, Travis Sedgwick Bacon and actress Sosie Ruth Bacon. The family lives in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

Awards and nominations

Honors

* 2005: Received the Copper Wing Tribute Award presented to her during the

Phoenix Film Festival Phoenix Film Festival is a festival that celebrates feature films and their creators. Started in 2000, the annual celebration takes place in the city of Phoenix, Arizona. The festival is a showcase for feature and short films from all over the wo ...

. * 2009, June 8: Inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame receiving a star for her contribution to Television located at 6356 Hollywood, Blvd. – the 2,384th star, presented to her by the President and CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, Leron Gubler. * 2013: Honored with the President's Award by the Society of Camera Operators. * 2017: Received the John Cassavetes Award presented to her during the

Denver International Film Festival The Denver Film Festival is held in November, primarily at the Denver Film Center/Colfax, in Denver, Colorado, now the Anna and John J. Sie FilmCenter (Sie FilmCenter). Premiere events are held in the Buell Theatre and Ellie Caulkins Opera House ...

Accolades

References

External links

* * *
Kyra Sedgwick
at Hollywood Walk of Fame
Kyra Sedgwick
at Internet Broadway Database * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sedgwick, Kyra 1965 births 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actresses from New York City American film actresses American people of English descent American television actresses American voice actresses Best Drama Actress Golden Globe (television) winners Cornell family Jewish American actresses Living people Peabody family People from the Upper West Side Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actress in a Drama Series Primetime Emmy Award winners Sarah Lawrence College alumni Sedgwick family USC School of Dramatic Arts alumni Friends Seminary alumni