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Tuesday, November 3, 2026 Tonight’s issue · Toronto
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Mary SteenburgenImage: Wikimedia Commons

People

Mary Steenburgen

American actress, singer and songwriter

Mary Steenburgen is an American actress, comedian, singer and songwriter who studied at New York's Neighborhood Playhouse before her screen debut in Goin' South (1978). She won the Golden Globe Award and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Melvin and Howard (1980). She later played mothers in a string of comedies, including Parenthood, Elf and Step Brothers, and received the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award in 2025.

Mary Steenburgen appears in 8 films and 1 TV series in The Rerun, from 1989 to 2024. Most of that work is in drama, comedy and romance. Frequent collaborators in The Rerun: Bryce Dallas Howard (2), Oliver Stone (2), Crispin Glover (2), Jason Robards (2).

Known for

  • Melvin and Howard (1980). Won her the Golden Globe Award and the Academy Award for supporting actress.
  • Time After Time (1979). Earned her critical acclaim early in her film career.
  • Back to the Future Part III (1990).
  • Elf (2003).
  • Happiest Season (2020). Another of the comedies in which she played a mother.

Shows

Movies

Quick answers

When was Mary Steenburgen born?
Mary Steenburgen was born on 8 February 1953.

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