Mary Nell Steenburgen was born on February 8, 1953, in Newport, Arkansas, to Nellie Mae (née Wall) and Maurice Hoffman Steenburgen, a freight-train conductor. She grew up in North Little Rock and attended Hendrix College, where she studied drama. Steenburgen later moved to New York City in 1972 to pursue an acting career.
Steenburgen’s acting career began after being discovered by Jack Nicholson at Paramount’s New York office. Her film debut was in Nicholson’s 1978 Western, Goin’ South.
Steenburgen gained significant recognition for her role as Lynda Dummar in Jonathan Demme’s 1980 film, Melvin and Howard, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture.
Her other notable film credits include:
Steenburgen has also had a successful career in television, appearing in numerous series and made-for-TV movies. She received Emmy Award nominations for her roles in