Mary-Louise Parker is an American actress and author who gained recognition on stage for her 'Tony'-nominated role as Rita in a Broadway production of 'Prelude to a Kiss' in 1990. Her early prominent film roles were in 'Grand Canyon' (1991), 'Fried Green Tomatoes' (1991), 'The Client' (1994), 'Bullets over Broadway' (1994), 'Boys on the Side' (1995), and 'The Maker' (1997). She appeared on many made-for-television movies throughout the decade, and was cast in the recurring role of Amy Gardner in the political drama series 'The West Wing' (2001-06), which earned her a nomination for the 'Primetime Emmy Award' in 2002.
In 2001, she played Catherine Llewellyn in David Auburn's Broadway play 'Proof', for which she received the 'Tony Award'. Her portrayal of Harper Pitt in the HBO mini-series 'Angels in America' (2003) won her a 'Golden Globe' and an 'Emmy'. It also helped her bag one of her best roles, the lead character Nancy Botwin on the Showtime television series 'Weeds' (2005-12), which earned her a 'Golden Globe' and three nominations for 'Emmy'. Her recent filmography includes the successful movies 'The Spiderwick Chronicles' (2008), 'Red' (2010), and 'Red 2' (2013), as well as the box-office failure 'R.I.P.D.' (2013).