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Jill Eikenberry
American actress

Jill Eikenberry

The basics

Quick Facts

Intro
American actress
Gender
Female
Place of birth
New Haven
Age
77 years
Family
Spouse:
Michael Tucker
The details (from wikipedia)

Biography

Jill Susan Eikenberry (born January 21, 1947) is an American film, stage, and television actress. She is known for her role as lawyer Ann Kelsey on the NBC drama L.A. Law (1986–94), for which she is a five-time Emmy Award and four-time Golden Globe Award nominee, winning the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama Series in 1989. She received an Obie Award in 1986 for the Off-Broadway plays Lemon Sky and Life Under Water, and was nominated for a 2011 Drama Desk Award for the Off-Broadway musical The Kid. Her film appearances include Hide in Plain Sight (1980), Arthur (1981) and The Manhattan Project (1986).

Life and career

Eikenberry was born in New Haven, Connecticut, and was raised in Madison, Wisconsin and St. Joseph and Kansas City, Missouri. She began studies in anthropology at Barnard College but in her second year she auditioned for and was accepted into the Yale School of Drama.

She met Michael Tucker at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., where they appeared together in The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail (1970) and Moonchildren (1971), the latter of which transferred to Broadway in 1972. She married Tucker in 1973 and they settled in New York City. She has a son, Max, and a stepdaughter, actress Allison Tucker (by Michael's first marriage).

Her first role in film was a minor role in the television movie, They've Killed President Lincoln (1971). Among her early feature films was Between the Lines (1977), directed by Joan Micklin Silver. She and Michael Tucker had small roles in Lina Wertmüller's 1978 success A Night Full of Rain, and she also appeared in An Unmarried Woman starring Jill Clayburgh the same year.

Throughout the 1970s, Eikenberry's main focus was on theater. She made her Broadway debut in 1974 in All Over Town, and later appeared Off-Broadway in Uncommon Women and Others, which was later filmed for American public television. She also starred in the musical Onward Victoria (1980), which closed on opening night.

The 1980s saw a number of television films to her credit, and a major film success, Dudley Moore's star vehicle Arthur (1981). In 1986, she and Michael Tucker scored a major success by each securing major parts in the successful television series L.A. Law. They were given the roles by producer Steven Bochco, who had been impressed by the pair when he used them for two episodes on his earlier hit Hill Street Blues. Jill and Michael moved to Hollywood at this time, and it was in this period that Jill discovered she had breast cancer, which was successfully treated over the next two years.

The event was significant in her life. In 1989, she co-produced a documentary for NBC television called Destined to Live, which featured interviews with cancer survivors like herself, including Nancy Reagan. She remains an activist for breast cancer research and early detection.

Eikenberry continued to appear in television movies over the next decade, while continuing her role on L.A. Law. With the financial success accruing from their L.A. Law work, Jill and Michael produced a number of television movies as vehicles in which they appeared together. They include Assault and Matrimony (1987), The Secret Life of Archie's Wife (1990), A Town Torn Apart (1992) and Gone in a Heartbeat (1996).

Since L.A. Law's run ended in 1994, her film and television appearances have been sporadic. One of her more recent roles was in the comedy Manna from Heaven (2003), in which she appeared with Cloris Leachman and Shirley Jones.

She has sung on stage and in films, and in recent years, she and her husband have written a number of songs. They currently reside in New York and Umbria.

After meeting artist Emile Norman, Eikenberry and Tucker purchased land from him to become his neighbors in Big Sur, California. Becoming friends with him, they produced a 2008 PBS documentary, Emile Norman: By His Own Design.

Eikenberry was also a guest star Numb3rs in 2008, Law & Order in 2009 and Body of Proof (Episode: "Broken Home") in 2011. She played a role in the comedy film Something Borrowed, which was released in May, 2011.

In March, 2015 Eikenberry co-starred with Tucker in The M Spot, a play written by Tucker and presented at the New Jersey Repertory Company.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1977Between the LinesLynn
1978Night Full of Rain, AA Night Full of Rain
1978Unmarried Woman, AnAn Unmarried WomanClaire
1978Rush ItMerrill
1979Butch and Sundance: The Early DaysMary Parker
1979Rich KidsJuilliard Student
1980Hide in Plain SightAlisa Hacklin
1981ArthurSusan Johnson
1986The Manhattan ProjectElizabeth Stephens
1994On HopeWoman at ChurchShort film
2002Manna from HeavenDottie
2007Happiest Day of His Life, TheThe Happiest Day of His LifePenny Somerset
2007Suburban GirlMarlene Eisenberg
2011Something BorrowedBridget Thaler
2011Young AdultHedda Gary

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1971They've Killed President Lincoln!Anne SurrattTV film
1977Deadliest Season, TheThe Deadliest SeasonCarole EskanaziTV film
1977Best of Families, TheThe Best of FamiliesSarah LathropTV miniseries
1979Great PerformancesKate QuinEpisode: "Uncommon Women... and Others"
1979Orphan TrainEmma SymmsTV film
1980Swan SongAnnaTV film
1982NurseEpisode: "On the Line"
1983SessionsMaggieTV film
1984Hill Street BluesSarah FimpelEpisodes: "Mayo, Hold the Pickle", "Watt a Way to Go"
1985Kane & AbelSusan LesterTV miniseries
1986–1994L.A. LawAnn KelseyMain role (171 episodes)
1987Assault and MatrimonySylviaTV film
1987Family SinsKate WilliamsTV film
1988Mickey's 60th BirthdayMia LoudTV film
1988ABC Afterschool SpecialClare FosterEpisode: "A Family Again"
1988Stoning in Fulham County, AA Stoning in Fulham CountySusanTV film
1989My Boyfriend's BackDebbie McGuireTV film
1989Cast the First StoneDiane MartinTV film
1990Secret Life of Archie's Wife, TheThe Secret Life of Archie's WifeBunnyTV film
1991Inconvenient Woman, AnAn Inconvenient WomanPauline MendelsonTV miniseries
1991Living a LieJoanneTV film
1992Town Torn Apart, AA Town Torn ApartEllen KreigerTV film
1993Chantilly LaceValTV film
1993Tracey Takes on New YorkJessica SternTV film
1994Aaahh!!! Real MonstersMerf / Michelle (voice)Episode: "Where Have All the Monsters Gone?"
1994Parallel LivesLula SparksTV film
1994Without ConsentMichelle MillsTV film
1994Rugged GoldMartha MartinTV film
1995Other Woman, TheThe Other WomanTessa BryanTV film
1995Dare to LoveAlicia WellsTV film
1996My Very Best FriendBarbara WilkinsTV film
1996Gone in a HeartbeatJan HaleTV film
1999Chicken Soup for the SoulEpisode: "No Less a Starfish"
1999Batman BeyondCarter's Mom (voice)Episode: "Hidden Agenda"
2000Strong MedicineCouncilwoman Evelyn BarrettEpisode: "Do No Harm"
2000Judging AmySheila TownsendEpisode: "Waterworld"
2001Stop at NothingTV film
2002Roughing ItLivy ClemensTV film
2002L.A. Law: The MovieAnn KelseyTV film
2008Numb3rsSusan DoranEpisode: "Atomic No. 33"
2009Law & OrderIrene MatsonEpisode: "Anchors Away"
2011Body of ProofLillian ParksonEpisode: "Broken Home"

Awards/Nominations

Awards
YearAwardCategoryProductionResult
1987Primetime EmmyOutstanding Lead Actress in a Drama SeriesL.A. LawNominated
1988Primetime EmmyOutstanding Lead Actress in a Drama SeriesL.A. LawNominated
1988Golden GlobeBest Performance by an Actress in a TV Series – DramaL.A. LawNominated
1989Primetime EmmyOutstanding Lead Actress in a Drama SeriesL.A. LawNominated
1989Golden GlobeBest Performance by an Actress in a TV Series – DramaL.A. LawWon
1990Primetime EmmyOutstanding Lead Actress in a Drama SeriesL.A. LawNominated
1990Golden GlobeBest Performance by an Actress in a TV Series – DramaL.A. LawNominated
1991Golden GlobeBest Performance by an Actress in a TV Series – DramaL.A. LawNominated
1994Primetime EmmyOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama SeriesL.A. LawNominated

The contents of this page are sourced from Wikipedia article. The contents are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license.
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