Acting
Ellen Burstyn
Born Dec 7, 1932 · Detroit, Michigan, USA
Ellen Burstyn (born Edna Rae Gillooly; December 7, 1932) is an American actress. Known for her portrayals of complex women in dramas, she has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards, making her one of the few performers to achieve the "Triple Crown of Acting". She has also received a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award.
Burstyn made her acting debut on Broadway in Fair Game in 1957 before winning the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for Same Time, Next Year (1975). She earned the Academy Award for Best Actress as the widow Alice Hyatt in Martin Scorsese's romantic drama Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974). Her other Oscar-nominated roles were in The Last Picture Show (1971), The Exorcist (1973), Same Time, Next Year (1978), Resurrection (1980), and Requiem for a Dream (2000). Her other notable films include Harry and Tonto (1974), How to Make an American Quilt (1995), Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002), W. (2008), Interstellar (2014), The Age of Adaline (2015), and Pieces of a Woman (2020).
She won Primetime Emmy Awards for her guest role in the NBC legal drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2009) and supporting role in the USA Network political miniseries Political Animals (2013). Her other Emmy-nominated roles include Pack of Lies (1988), Mrs. Harris (2005), Big Love (2008), Draft Day, Flowers in the Attic (both 2014), and House of Cards (2016). Since 2000, she has been co-president of the Actors Studio, a drama school in New York City. In 2013, she was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame for her work onstage.
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Acting
Place to Be
2026
Drama
Flesh Impact
2026
Drama
Breakdown: 1975
2025
Documentary
This Ordinary Thing
2025
Documentary
Duse, the Greatest
2025
Documentary
E. Jean Carroll v. Donald J. Trump
2024
Documentary
Mother, Couch
2024
Comedy · Drama
Fear and Love: The Story of The Exorcist
2024
Documentary · Horror
The Exorcist: Believer
2023
Horror
The First Lady
2022
Drama · Family
Three Months
2022
Drama · Comedy
Paul Newman, Behind Blue Eyes
2021
Documentary
Queen Bees
2021
Romance · Comedy · Drama
Watch on the Rhine
2021
Law & Order: Organized Crime
2021
Crime · Drama
Pieces of a Woman
2020
Drama
Delphine and Carole
2020
Documentary
Lucy in the Sky
2019
Drama · Thriller · Romance
American Woman
2019
Drama · Crime
Steven Arnold: Heavenly Bodies
2019
Documentary
The House of Tomorrow
2019
Drama · Comedy
Friedkin Uncut
2018
Documentary
Nostalgia
2018
Drama
All I Wish
2018
Comedy · Romance
The Tale
2018
Drama · Mystery
Marilyn Monroe: Auction of a Lifetime
2017
Documentary
Wiener-Dog
2016
Comedy · Drama
Custody
2016
Drama
Unity
2015
Documentary
About Scout
2015
Family · Drama
The Age of Adaline
2015
Romance · Fantasy · Drama
Interstellar
2014
Adventure · Drama · Science Fiction
The Calling
2014
Thriller
Petals on the Wind
2014
TV Movie · Romance · Thriller
Two Men in Town
2014
Crime · Drama
Draft Day
2014
Drama
River of Fundament
2014
Drama · Fantasy
And the Oscar Goes To...
2014
Documentary · TV Movie
Flowers in the Attic
2014
Drama · Mystery · Thriller
Wish You Well
2013
Family · Drama
Mom
2013
Comedy · Drama
Love, Marilyn
2013
Documentary
House of Cards
2013
Drama
Coma
2012
Drama · Mystery · Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Political Animals
2012
Drama
Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You
2012
Drama · Comedy
Another Happy Day
2011
Comedy · Drama
The Mighty Macs
2011
Drama
Reflections of a Philosopher King
2010
Documentary
BBStory: An American Film Renaissance
2010
Documentary
Main Street
2010
Drama · Romance
According to Greta
2009
Drama · Romance
Lovely, Still
2009
Drama · Romance
PoliWood
2009
Documentary
The Velveteen Rabbit
2009
Animation · Drama · Family
W.
2008
Drama
The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond
2008
Drama · Romance
Mitch Albom's For One More Day
2007
Drama · TV Movie
The Stone Angel
2007
Drama
The Fountain
2006
Drama · Science Fiction · Romance
30 Days
2006
Drama
The Wicker Man
2006
Horror · Mystery · Thriller
Hubert Selby Jr: It/ll Be Better Tomorrow
2006
Documentary
Stardust: The Bette Davis Story
2006
Documentary · TV Movie
The Elephant King
2006
Drama · Romance
Big Love
2006
Drama
The Book of Daniel
2006
Drama
Mrs. Harris
2005
Drama · Thriller · TV Movie
Our Fathers
2005
Drama · History · TV Movie
The Five People You Meet In Heaven
2004
Drama · Fantasy · Science Fiction
The Madam's Family: The Truth About the Canal Street Brothel
2004
TV Movie · Drama
Second Chances: The Making of "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore"
2004
Documentary
A Decade Under the Influence
2003
Documentary
Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex 'n' Drugs 'n' Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood
2003
Documentary · History
Brush with Fate
2003
Drama · Thriller · TV Movie
Red Dragon
2002
Crime · Thriller · Horror
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
2002
Comedy · Drama
Within These Walls
2001
Drama · TV Movie
Memories, Dreams & Addictions
2001
Documentary
The Making of Requiem for a Dream
2001
Documentary
Requiem for a Dream
2000
Drama
That's Life
2000
Drama · Comedy
Mermaid
2000
Drama · Family · TV Movie
The Yards
2000
Crime · Drama · Thriller
Walking Across Egypt
1999
Drama · Comedy · Family
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
1999
Crime · Drama · Mystery
The Last Picture Show: A Look Back
1999
Documentary
Night Ride Home
1999
Drama · TV Movie
Playing by Heart
1998
Comedy · Drama · Romance
A Will of their Own
1998
Marilyn in Manhattan
1998
Documentary · TV Movie
You Can Thank Me Later
1998
Comedy · Drama
The Fear of God: 25 Years of The Exorcist
1998
Documentary · TV Movie · Horror
The Patron Saint of Liars
1998
Drama · Romance
Flash
1997
Family · Drama
Deceiver
1997
Mystery · Crime · Drama
A Deadly Vision
1997
TV Movie · Thriller · Mystery
HARDtalk
1997
Talk
Timepiece
1996
Drama · TV Movie
Didn't You Used to Be Satan?
1996
Documentary · Horror
The Spitfire Grill
1996
Comedy · Drama
How to Make an American Quilt
1995
Drama · Romance
The Baby-Sitters Club
1995
Comedy · Drama · Family
Follow The River
1995
Drama · Action
Roommates
1995
Drama · Comedy
Trick of the Eye
1994
Drama · TV Movie · Thriller
Getting Gotti
1994
Action · Crime · Drama
When a Man Loves a Woman
1994
Drama · Romance
Getting Out
1994
Drama · Thriller · TV Movie
Shattered Trust: The Shari Karney Story
1993
TV Movie · Drama
The Cemetery Club
1993
Comedy
Earth and the American Dream
1992
Documentary
When It Was a Game 2
1992
Documentary · History
Taking Back My Life: The Nancy Ziegenmeyer Story
1992
Drama · TV Movie
Picture This
1991
Documentary
Grand Isle
1991
Drama · TV Movie
Dying Young
1991
Drama · Romance
Mrs. Lambert Remembers Love
1991
Drama · TV Movie
When You Remember Me
1990
Drama · TV Movie
The Color of Evening
1990
Drama · Romance
Hello Actors Studio
1988
Documentary
American Experience
1988
Documentary
Hanna's War
1988
Drama · War
Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam
1987
Documentary · War
Pack of Lies
1987
Thriller · TV Movie · Drama
Something in Common
1986
Drama · Romance · TV Movie
The Ellen Burstyn Show
1986
Comedy
Act of Vengeance
1986
Drama · Crime · TV Movie
Into Thin Air
1985
TV Movie · Drama · Crime
Twice in a Lifetime
1985
Drama
Night of 100 Stars II
1985
Comedy · Music · TV Movie
Surviving
1985
TV Movie · Drama · Romance
The Ambassador
1985
Drama · Thriller
I Love Liberty
1982
Music · TV Movie · Documentary
Night of 100 Stars
1982
Comedy · Music · TV Movie
Silence of the North
1981
Drama · Adventure
People vs. Jean Harris
1981
Crime · Drama · Romance
Be Pretty and Shut Up!
1981
Documentary
Resurrection
1980
Drama · Fantasy
A Dream of Passion
1978
Drama
Same Time, Next Year
1978
Comedy · Drama · Romance
Providence
1977
Drama · Comedy
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
1974
Romance · Drama
Harry and Tonto
1974
Adventure · Comedy · Drama
Thursday's Game
1974
TV Movie · Comedy · Drama
The Exorcist
1973
Horror
The King of Marvin Gardens
1972
Drama
The Last Picture Show
1971
Drama · Romance
Alex in Wonderland
1970
Comedy · Drama
Tropic of Cancer
1970
Drama · Romance
Pit Stop
1969
Action · Drama
The Time Tunnel
1966
Action & Adventure · Sci-Fi & Fantasy · Drama
The Big Valley
1965
Western · Drama
Goodbye Charlie
1964
Comedy · Romance · Fantasy
For Those Who Think Young
1964
Comedy · Romance
Kraft Suspense Theatre
1963
Mystery · Drama
Going My Way
1962
Drama · Comedy
I'm Dickens, He's Fenster
1962
The Virginian
1962
Western · Drama
Ricochet
1961
Comedy · Drama
Ben Casey
1961
Drama
Bus Stop
1961
Drama
Dr. Kildare
1961
Drama
The Defenders
1961
Drama
Kraft Mystery Theatre
1961
Drama · Mystery · Crime
Surfside 6
1960
Drama
Checkmate
1960
Crime · Drama · Mystery
The Detectives
1959
Action & Adventure · Drama
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
1959
Comedy
77 Sunset Strip
1958
Crime · Drama · Mystery
Perry Mason
1957
Mystery · Drama · Crime
Cheyenne
1955
Western · Drama
Gunsmoke
1955
Western · Action & Adventure · Drama
Letter to Loretta
1953
Drama
Easy Out?
1948
Drama