Joan Cusack
| Joan Cusack | |
|---|---|
 Cusack in June 2010 | |
| Born |
October 11, 1962[1] New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Spouse(s) | Richard Burke (m. 1993) |
| Children | 2 |
| Family |
John Cusack (brother) Ann Cusack (sister) |
Joan Cusack (/ˈkjuːsæk/, born October 11, 1962)[2] is an American actress. She received Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress for her roles in the romantic comedy-drama Working Girl (1988) and the romantic comedy In & Out (1997), as well as one Golden Globe nomination for her performance in the latter. She is also known as the voice of Jessie in the Toy Story franchise.
Cusack was a cast member on the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live from 1985 to 1986. She starred on the Showtime hit drama/comedy Shameless as Sheila Gallagher (née Jackson), a role for which she has received five consecutive Emmy Award nominations, winning for the first time in 2015. She is the sister of actors Ann and John Cusack.
Early life
Cusack was born in New York City, New York on October 11, 1962 and raised in Evanston, Illinois.[3] Her mother, Ann Paula "Nancy" (née Carolan), is a former mathematics teacher and political activist.[4][5][6] Her late father, Dick Cusack, as well as her siblings Ann and John, have also been or are actors; her father was also a filmmaker. Her family is Irish American and Catholic.[7] Cusack is an alumna of the University of Wisconsin–Madison (1984).[8]
Career
Cusack has twice been nominated for Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, for her work in Working Girl and In & Out. She appeared with her brother John in the movies Sixteen Candles, Grandview, U.S.A., Class, High Fidelity, Grosse Pointe Blank, Say Anything..., Cradle Will Rock, Martian Child, and most recently, War, Inc. In the film Addams Family Values she played serial divorcee and murderer 'Debbie Jellinsky'. She also starred in the short-lived ABC sitcom What About Joan? in 2001–02 and the hit film Arlington Road. For many years, Cusack was also the commercial spokeswoman for U.S. Cellular. One of Cusack's most well known roles was the head-teacher of Horace Green Elementary School, Rosalie 'Roz' Mullins, in School of Rock. She also voiced Jessie in Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3, and played Dr. Burton, the therapist of Charlie (Logan Lerman), in the teen film The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012).
Cusack was a cast member on the NBC sketch show Saturday Night Live from 1985 to 1986. Her recurring characters on Saturday Night Live included "Salena," a socially inept girl who tries to ask out her boyfriend, "Biff" (played by Jon Lovitz), who is also socially inept. In addition, she did celebrity impersonations of Brooke Shields, Jane Fonda and Queen Elizabeth II.
She has been nominated four times for the American Comedy Award in the category of "Funniest Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture" and has won three times, for Runaway Bride (1999), In & Out (1997) and Working Girl (1988). She has also won the New York Film Critics Circle Award and the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for "Best Supporting Actress" for In & Out.
In 2003, both Joan and her brother John signed the "Not in My Name" resolution (along with people such as Noam Chomsky and Susan Sarandon) opposing the invasion of Iraq.
Cusack narrates the public TV animated series Peep and the Big Wide World. In September 2010, Cusack guest-starred on NBC's Law & Order: SVU.[9]
Shameless
In 2010, Cusack joined the Showtime drama/comedy Shameless as Sheila Gallagher (née Jackson) the mother of Karen Jackson (Laura Slade Wiggins). The first season premiered on January 9, 2011, and had its first finale March 27, 2011. Cusack replaced actress Allison Janney, who originally portrayed the role in the first edit of the pilot episode but was forced to drop out of the part owing to her series regular commitment on the ABC comedy Mr. Sunshine. Janney took the role with the understanding the character would be less prominent on the show, but when producers decided to increase the character's screen presence, she was forced to pull out of the part. Cusack has received critical acclaim for her performance, receiving Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series nominations in 2011, 2012, and 2013 as well as a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series in 2014 and 2015, winning in the later year.
Personal life
She is the sister of actor John Cusack. They have appeared together in 10 productions: Class (1983), Sixteen Candles (1984), Grandview, U.S.A. (1984), Broadcast News (1987), Say Anything... (1989), Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), Cradle Will Rock (1999), High Fidelity (2000), Martian Child (2007) and War, Inc. (2008).
She is married to attorney Richard Burke, President and CEO of VISANOW Global Immigration, since 1993. They have two sons: Dylan John (b. 1997) and Miles (b. 2000). Cusack owns a home in Three Oaks Township, Michigan, and lives in Chicago, Illinois.
Filmography
Film
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985–1986 | Saturday Night Live | Various Characters | |
| 2001–2002 | What About Joan? | Joan Gallagher | |
| 2004- | Peep and the Big Wide World | Narrator | Nominated—Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program |
| 2011 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Pamela Burton | Episode: "Locum" |
| 2011–2015 | Shameless | Sheila Gallagher (née Jackson) | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series (2015) Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series (2011–2013) Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series (2014) |
| 2013 | The Office | Erin's Biological Mother | Episode: "Finale" |
| 2013 | Toy Story of Terror! | Jessie | Voice |
| 2014 | Toy Story That Time Forgot | Jessie | Voice |
| 2017 | A Series of Unfortunate Events | Justice Strauss | |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Chicken Little | Abby Mallard | Voice |
| 2006 | Chicken Little: Ace in Action | Abby Mallard | Voice |
| 2010 | Toy Story 3: The Video Game | Jessie | Voice |
| 2011 | Kinect Disneyland Adventures | Jessie | Voice |
| 2012 | Kinect Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure | Jessie | Voice |
References
- ↑ "Monitor". Entertainment Weekly (1228/1229). Time Inc. Oct 12–19, 2012. p. 23.
- ↑ Joan Cusack Biography. Tribute.ca
- ↑ Allan Johnson (January 3, 2001). "Cusack Puts Chicago on the Laugh Track". Archived from the original on January 6, 2009.
- ↑ "Cusack, Richard J.". Chicago Tribune. June 3, 2003. Archived from the original on May 27, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
- ↑ "Miss Carolan, Newton Centre, Is Bride of Richard Cusack". Daily Boston Globe. February 14, 1960. Archived from the original on October 17, 2013.
- ↑ "Newton Girl Plans February Wedding". Daily Boston Globe. December 6, 1959. Archived from the original on October 17, 2013.
- ↑ http://www.amc.com/talk/2011/03/qa-mars-needs
- ↑ http://www.wisc.edu/about/facts/prominent-alumni.php
- ↑ "Exclusive: Joan Cusack Signs on to Law & Order: SVU". TVGuide.com.
External links
- Joan Cusack at the Internet Movie Database
- Joan Cusack at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
- Sac Ticket: Joan Cusack