Maura Tierney
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| Maura Tierney | |
| Birth name | Maura Lynn Tierney |
| Born | February 3, 1965 (age 42) Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
| Notable roles | Abby Lockhart in ER Lisa Miller in NewsRadio |
Maura Lynn Tierney (born February 3, 1965) is an American actress, most recently known for her role as Abby Lockhart on the medical drama ER.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
Tierney was born and raised in the Hyde Park neighborhood[1] of Boston, Massachusetts. Her father, Joseph Tierney, was a prominent Boston politician who served multiple terms on the Boston City Council. Her mother, Pat, was a real estate agent. Tierney is of Irish descent.[2] She attended Notre Dame Academy in Hingham, Massachusetts, where her studies included drama and led to her appearance at the Boston Globe Drama Festival.[1] After graduation, she moved to New York City to attend New York University, but left before graduation to study drama at Circle-in-the-Square Theatre School.
[edit] Career
After appearing in several plays (such as Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead and The Bald Soprano)[citation needed], she moved to Los Angeles, California and in 1987 got her first break in a role in Walt Disney's made-for-TV film Student Exchange.[3] Tierney's first starring role in a film was in a low-budget, independently-produced film called Dead Women in Lingerie, shot in 24 days.[4] Although the cast included well-known actors such as Jerry Orbach as her boss, and June Lockhart and Lyle Waggoner as her parents, the film, a thriller with opening and closing credits paying tribute to the plights of Illegal immigrants post-1986, never received a theatrical release. Much later (in 2005), the film was released on DVD by MTI Home Video; the company's press release and packaging makes it clear that the release is an attempt to capitalize on her more recent career successes.[5]
Tierney continued winning small roles in film and television, though it was not until her leading role in NewsRadio from 1995–1999 and roles in major feature films such as Liar Liar, Primary Colors, and Forces of Nature that she received regular national exposure. It was after NewsRadio ended that she got the role of Nurse Abigail "Abby" Lockhart on ER. She started off guest starring as an OB nurse, a role which expanded in 2000 to a full-time regular part as an ER nurse; within a year, her work on ER had earned her an Emmy Award nomination, recognition she credits to a "juicy" story arc featuring her and Sally Field.[3]. Tierney's character Abby Lockhart graduated from medical school and became a doctor at the end of the 2003–2004 season.
Tierney starred in Scotland, Pa., playing a Lady Macbeth-like role written specifically for her by writer/director and then-husband Billy Morrissette. She also collaborated with NewsRadio writer Joe Furey for a special "Working with Joe Furey" featurette for Furey's film Love and Support.
Tierney won the second season tournament of Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown against Lauren Graham, her former NewsRadio colleague. The show, first telecast in 2004, was hosted by Dave Foley, who was her co-lead and romantic interest in NewsRadio. She returned to the stage in May 2006 in an appearance opposite Eric McCormack in the off-Broadway U.S. premiere of Some Girl(s).[6]
[edit] Personal life
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In 2006, Tierney filed for divorce from her husband of thirteen years, director Billy Morrissette.[7]
[edit] Winners of the Celebrity Poker Showdown Championship Table
| Season | Winner | Runner- Up |
|---|---|---|
| One | Nicole Sullivan | David Cross |
| Second | Maura Tierney | Lauren Graham |
| Third | Seth Meyers | Dave Navarro |
| Fourth | Mekhi Phifer | Neil Patrick Harris |
| Fifth | Brad Garrett | Colin Quinn |
| Sixth | Kathy Najimy | Stephen Collins |
| Seventh | Steven Culp | Dule Hill |
| Eighth | Jason Alexander | Robin Tunney |
[edit] Selected television and film roles
- Semi-Pro (2008)
- The Go-Getter (2007)
- Diggers (2006)
- Danny Roane: First Time Director (2006)
- Welcome to Mooseport (2004)
- Melvin Goes to Dinner (2003)
- The Nazi (2002)
- Rooftop Kisses (2002)
- Insomnia (2002)
- Scotland, Pa. (2001)
- ER (2000–present)
- Oxygen (1999)
- Instinct (1999)
- Forces of Nature (1999)
- Primary Colors (1998)
- Liar Liar (1997)
- Mercy (1996)
- Primal Fear (1996)
- NewsRadio (1995–1999)
- 704 Hauser (1994, her first starring role)
- Out of Darkness (1994)
- The Temp (1993)
- Fly by Night (1993)
- White Sands (1992)
- Dead Women in Lingerie (1991)
- The Linguini Incident (1991)
- Flying Blind (1990)
- The Van Dyke Show (1988)
- Crossing the Mob (1988)
- Student Exchange (1987)
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ a b Prescription for success, a February 2002 Boston Phoenix interview
- ^ http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/archive/200611/20061114_tierney.html
- ^ a b Dream Life, a September 2001 interview in Brntwd Magazine
- ^ Interview with director Erica Fox
- ^ July 2005 press release
- ^ ...Tierney Becomes One of LaBute's Some Girl(s) for US Debut, a March 2006 Playbill article
- ^ Natalie Finn (Jul 27, 2006). E! Online Maura Tierney's Marriage Flatlines. E online. Retrieved on 2007-01-26.
[edit] External links
Categories: Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | Articles to be expanded since March 2007 | All articles to be expanded | 1965 births | American film actors | American television actors | Irish-American actors | Law & Order cast members | Living people | People from Boston
