Acting credits
59
Established
Large and steady acting portfolio.
Actor
Mary McDonnell
Acting
Career Snapshot
ExplainedThese indicators come from TMDB. They are relative signals, not review ratings.
TMDB popularity
5.3
Moderate attention
TMDB internal trend index. Higher usually means more searches and page activity now.
Movies: 39Series: 20
TMDB ID: 1581
IMDb ID: nm0001521
Known for: Acting
Born: April 28, 1952
Age: 74
Place of birth: Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, USA
Gender: Female
Adult content flag: No
Career span: 1944 - 2026
Years active: 83
Average TMDB rating: 7.1
Wikidata: Q117500
Also known as
Mary Eileen McDonnell
Biography
Mary Eileen McDonnell (born April 28, 1952) is an American film, stage, and television actress. She received Academy Award nominations for her roles as Stands With A Fist in Dances With Wolves and May-Alice Culhane in Passion Fish. McDonnell is well known for her performances as President Laura Roslin in Battlestar Galactica, First Lady Marilyn Whitmore in Independence Day, and Rose in Donnie Darko. She was featured as Captain Sharon Raydor during seasons 5–7 of the TNT series The Closer and starred as Commander Sharon Raydor in the spin-off series Major Crimes on the same network. In 2023, she played Madeleine Usher in the miniseries The Fall of the House of Usher on Netflix.
Photos
Movies
Movies
Movie credits linked with Mary McDonnell.
Broke
as Kathy Brandywine
2025 Movie
The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf
as Lady Zerbst (voice)
2021 Movie
Margin Call
as Mary Rogers
2011 Movie
Scream 4
as Kate Roberts
2011 Movie
Hostile Makeover
as Rose Smithsonian
2009 Movie
Battlestar Galactica: Razor
as President Laura Roslin
2007 Movie
Mrs. Harris
as Vivian Schulte
2005 Movie
Crazy Like a Fox
as Amy Banks
2004 Movie
The Making of ‘Sneakers’
as Self
2003 Movie
Dances with Wolves: The Creation of an Epic
as Self
2003 Movie
Nola
as Margaret Langworthy
2003 Movie
The Locket
as Helen Staples
2002 Movie
Donnie Darko
as Rose Darko
2001 Movie
For All Time
as Laura Brown
2000 Movie
A Father's Choice
as Susan Shaw
2000 Movie
Mumford
as Althea Brockett
1999 Movie
Replacing Dad
as Linda Marsh
1999 Movie
Behind the Mask
as Mary Shushan
1999 Movie
You Can Thank Me Later
as Diane
1998 Movie
Evidence of Blood
as Dora Overton
1998 Movie
12 Angry Men
as Judge
1997 Movie
Two Voices
as Sybil Goldrich
1997 Movie
Independence Day
as Marilyn Whitmore
1996 Movie
Independence Day: The ID4 Invasion
as Self
1996 Movie
Series
Series
Series credits linked with Mary McDonnell.
The Boroughs
as The Duchess • 1 eps
2026 Series
Twelve Dates 'Til Christmas
as Delilah • 6 eps
2025 Series
The Fall of the House of Usher
as Madeline Usher • 8 eps
2023 Series
Rebel
as Helen • 1 eps
2021 Series
Fargo
as Ruby Goldfarb • 4 eps
2014 Series
Major Crimes
as Captain Sharon Raydor • 105 eps
2012 Series
The Closer
as Sharon Raydor • 25 eps
2005 Series
Grey's Anatomy
as Virginia Dixon • 3 eps
2005 Series
Battlestar Galactica
as Laura Roslin • 73 eps
2004 Series
Veronica Mars
as Jane • 1 eps
2004 Series
Battlestar Galactica
as President Laura Roslin • 2 eps
2003 Series
Ryan Caulfield: Year One
as Rachel Caulfield • 8 eps
1999 Series
High Society
as Dott Emerson • 13 eps
1995 Series
Touched by an Angel
as Sister Theodore Claire • 1 eps
1994 Series
ER
as Eleanor Carter • 5 eps
1994 Series
American Experience
as Narrator (voice) • 1 eps
1988 Series
E/R
as Eve Sheridan • 22 eps
1984 Series
The Oscars
as Self • 1 eps
1953 Series
Hallmark Hall of Fame
as Helen Staples • 1 eps
1951 Series
Golden Globe Awards
as Self • 2 eps
1944 Series