Mary Nell Steenburgen is an actress, comedian, singer, and songwriter from the United States.
Mary Steenburgen was born in Newport, Arkansas, on February 8, 1953, to Nellie Mae and Maurice Hoffman Steenburgen. Nancy Kelly, a teacher, is her sister.
Her mother Nellie Mae was a school-board secretary, and Maurice Hoffman Steenburgen, her father was a freight-train conductor for the Missouri Pacific Railroad.
She enrolled at Hendrix College to study drama in 1971. On the advice of her drama teacher, she travelled to Dallas and successfully auditioned for New York City’s Neighbourhood Playhouse.
Mary Nell Steenburgen made her professional acting debut in the 1978 Western comedy film Goin’ South after studying at New York’s Neighbourhood Playhouse in the 1970s.
Mary Steenburgen went on to win a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Jonathan Demme’s 1980 comedy-drama Melvin and Howard.
Mary Steenburgen was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her performance in Milo Forman’s drama film Ragtime (1981), a BAFTA TV Award for her performance in the drama miniseries Tender Is the Night (1985), and a Primetime Emmy Award for her performance in the television film The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank (1988).