Calista Kay Flockhart (born November 11, 1964)
is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for portraying the
title character
The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piece. The title of ...
on the
Fox television series ''
Ally McBeal'' (1997–2002), for which she received a
Golden Globe Award in 1998 and was thrice nominated for the
. From 2006 to 2011, she starred as
Kitty Walker
Katherine Anne "Kitty" Walker McCallister is a fictional character on the primetime show
'' Brothers & Sisters''. She is played by actress Calista Flockhart. In a two-part 2010 episode, actress Kay Panabaker portrayed a teenage Kitty Walker in f ...
on the
ABC drama series ''
Brothers & Sisters'', and between 2015 and 2021, Flockhart appeared as
Cat Grant
Catherine Jane Grant is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.
The character was played by Tracy Scoggins in '' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'' and Calista Flockhart in the Arrowverse tel ...
on the superhero drama ''
Supergirl
Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original, current, and most well known Supergirl is Kara Zor-El, the cousin of superhero Superman. The character made her fir ...
''. In film, she is known for roles in ''
The Birdcage
''The Birdcage'' is a 1996 American comedy film directed by Mike Nichols, adapted by Elaine May, and starring Robin Williams, Gene Hackman, Nathan Lane, and Dianne Wiest. Dan Futterman, Calista Flockhart, Hank Azaria, and Christine Baranski appear ...
'' (1996), ''
A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (1999), and ''
Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her'' (2000).
Early life
Flockhart was born in
Freeport, Illinois
Freeport is the county seat and largest city of Stephenson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 23,973 at the 2020 census, and the mayor of Freeport is Jodi Miller, elected in 2017. Freeport is known for hosting the second Linc ...
, the daughter of Kay Calista, an
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
teacher, and Ronald Flockhart (1932–2020), a
Kraft Foods
The second incarnation of Kraft Foods is an American food manufacturing and processing conglomerate, split from Kraft Foods Inc. in 2012 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. It became part of Kraft Heinz in 2015.
A merger with Heinz, arran ...
executive.
Her parents retired to
Morristown, Tennessee, where her father lived until his death and her mother continues to reside. She has one older brother, Gary. Her mother reversed her own first and middle names in naming her Calista Kay.
Flockhart attended
Mason Gross School of the Arts
Mason Gross School of the Arts is the arts conservatory at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. It is named for Mason W. Gross, the sixteenth president of Rutgers. Mason Gross offers the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance, Theater, Digi ...
at
Rutgers University–New Brunswick
Rutgers University–New Brunswick is one of three regional campuses of Rutgers University, New Jersey's public research university. It is located in New Brunswick and Piscataway. It is the oldest campus of the university, the others bein ...
. People began recognizing Flockhart's acting ability when William Esper (Mason Gross theater director and Flockhart's acting teacher) made an exception to policy by allowing Flockhart to perform on the main stage. Though this venue usually is reserved for juniors and seniors, Harold Scott insisted that Flockhart perform there in his production of
William Inge
William Motter Inge (; May 3, 1913 – June 10, 1973) was an American playwright and novelist, whose works typically feature solitary protagonists encumbered with strained sexual relations. In the early 1950s he had a string of memorable Broad ...
's ''
Picnic''. Flockhart graduated with a
Bachelor of Fine Arts in theater in 1988 from Rutgers as one of the few students who successfully completed the acting course. Rutgers inducted her into the Hall of Distinguished Alumni on May 3, 2003.
Career
Early career
In spring 1989, Flockhart made her first television appearance in a minor role in an episode of ''
Guiding Light'' as a babysitter. Also, she played a teenager battling an eating disorder on a one-hour afternoon special on TV. Flockhart made her professional debut on the New York stage, appearing in ''Beside Herself'' alongside
Melissa Joan Hart, at the
Circle Repertory Theatre The Circle Repertory Company, originally named the Circle Theater Company, was a theatre company in New York City that ran from 1969 to 1996. It was founded on July 14, 1969, in Manhattan, in a second floor loft at Broadway and 83rd Street by direc ...
. Two years later, Flockhart appeared in the television movie ''Darrow''. Though she later appeared in films ''
Naked in New York'' (1993) and ''Getting In'' (1994), her first substantial speaking part in a film was in ''
Quiz Show'', directed by
Robert Redford.
Flockhart debuted on
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
in 1994, as Laura in ''
The Glass Menagerie
''The Glass Menagerie'' is a memory play by Tennessee Williams that premiered in 1944 and catapulted Williams from obscurity to fame. The play has strong autobiographical elements, featuring characters based on its author, his Histrionic persona ...
''. Flockhart received a
Clarence Derwent Award The Clarence Derwent Awards are theatre awards given annually by the Actors' Equity Association on Broadway in the United States and by Equity, the performers' union, in the West End in the United Kingdom.
Clarence Derwent (23 March 1884 – 6 Aug ...
for her performance. In 1995, Flockhart became acquainted with actors such as
Dianne Wiest
Dianne Evelyn Wiest (; born March 28, 1948) is an American actress. She has won two Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress for 1986’s '' Hannah and Her Sisters'' and 1994’s ''Bullets over Broadway'' (both of which were directed by Wood ...
and
Faye Dunaway
Dorothy Faye Dunaway (born January 14, 1941) is an American actress. She is the recipient of many accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and a BAFTA Award. In 2011, the government of France mad ...
when she appeared in the movie ''
Drunks''. In 1996, Flockhart appeared as the daughter of
Dianne Wiest
Dianne Evelyn Wiest (; born March 28, 1948) is an American actress. She has won two Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress for 1986’s '' Hannah and Her Sisters'' and 1994’s ''Bullets over Broadway'' (both of which were directed by Wood ...
and
Gene Hackman's characters in ''
The Birdcage
''The Birdcage'' is a 1996 American comedy film directed by Mike Nichols, adapted by Elaine May, and starring Robin Williams, Gene Hackman, Nathan Lane, and Dianne Wiest. Dan Futterman, Calista Flockhart, Hank Azaria, and Christine Baranski appear ...
''. Later that year, Flockhart starred in ''Jane Doe'' as a drug addict, though it was not released until 1999, over three years after filming ended. Throughout that year, she continued to work on Broadway, playing the role of Natasha in
Anton Chekhov's ''
Three Sisters''.
''Ally McBeal''
In 1997, Flockhart was asked to audition for the starring role in
David E. Kelley
David Edward Kelley (born April 4, 1956) is an American television writer, producer, and former attorney, known as the creator of '' Doogie Howser, M.D.'', '' Picket Fences'', ''Chicago Hope'', ''The Practice'', '' Ally McBeal'', ''Boston Publi ...
's
Fox television
The Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly known simply as Fox and stylized in all caps as FOX, is an American commercial broadcast television network owned by Fox Corporation and headquartered in New York City, with master control operations and ...
series ''
Ally McBeal''. Kelley, having heard of Flockhart, wanted her to audition for the contract part. Though she initially hesitated due to the necessary commitment to the show in a negotiable contract, she was swayed by the script and traveled to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
to audition for the part, which she won. She earned a
Golden Globe Award for the role in 1998. Flockhart also appeared on the June 29, 1998, cover of ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...
'' magazine, placed as the newest iteration in the evolution of
feminism
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
, relating to the ongoing debate about the role depicted by her character. Flockhart starred on the show until it was canceled in 2002.
''Brothers & Sisters''
Flockhart performed in a starring role as
Kitty Walker
Katherine Anne "Kitty" Walker McCallister is a fictional character on the primetime show
'' Brothers & Sisters''. She is played by actress Calista Flockhart. In a two-part 2010 episode, actress Kay Panabaker portrayed a teenage Kitty Walker in f ...
, opposite
Sally Field,
Rachel Griffiths
Rachel Anne Griffiths (born in 1968) is an Australian actress. Raised primarily in Melbourne, she began her acting career appearing on the Australian series ''Secrets'' before being cast in a supporting role in the comedy ''Muriel's Wedding'' ...
and
Matthew Rhys
Matthew Rhys Evans ( ; born 8 November 1974) is a Welsh actor.
He is known for playing Kevin Walker in '' Brothers & Sisters'' (2006–2011) and Philip Jennings in ''The Americans'' (2013–2018), for which he received two Golden Globe Awar ...
, in the
ABC critically acclaimed prime time series ''
Brothers & Sisters'', which premiered in September 2006 in the time slot after ''Desperate Housewives''. The show was cancelled in May 2011 after running for five years. Flockhart's character was significant throughout the series' first four years, but her appearances were reduced for the 2010–2011 season, coinciding with the departure of TV husband
Rob Lowe
Robert Hepler Lowe (born March 17, 1964) is an American actor, filmmaker, and podcast host. He made his acting debut at the age of 15 with ABC's short-lived sitcom ''A New Kind of Family'' (1979–1980). Following numerous television roles in ...
.
Other work
Flockhart played the role of Helena in ''
A Midsummer Night's Dream'', a 1999 film version of
Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
's play. In 2000, she appeared in ''
Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her'' and ''
Bash: Latter-Day Plays'', later accompanying
Eve Ensler to
Kenya
)
, national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Nairobi
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Nairobi
...
in order to protest violence against women, particularly
female genital mutilation. Flockhart also starred in the
off-Broadway production of Ensler's ''
The Vagina Monologues
''The Vagina Monologues'' is an episodic play written in 1996 by Eve Ensler which developed and premiered at HERE Arts Center, Off-Off-Broadway in New York and was followed by an Off-Broadway run in at Westside Theatre. The play explores c ...
''.
In 2004, Flockhart appeared as
Matthew Broderick
Matthew Broderick (born March 21, 1962) is an American actor. His roles include the Golden Globe-nominated portrayal of the title character in '' Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' (1986), the voice of adult Simba in Disney's ''The Lion King'' (1994) ...
's deranged girlfriend in ''
The Last Shot
''The Last Shot'' is a 2004 American action comedy film starring Matthew Broderick, Alec Baldwin, Toni Collette, Calista Flockhart, Ray Liotta, Tim Blake Nelson, James Rebhorn and Tony Shalhoub. The film is written and directed by Jeff Nathanson, ...
''. In the same year, Flockhart traveled to
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
for the filming of ''
Fragile
Fragile or The Fragile may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Fragile'' (film), a 2005 film by Jaume Balagueró
* "Fragile" (''Smallville''), a television episode
Literature
* ''Fragile'' (manga), a 2016 Japanese series by Bin Kusamizu and Sab ...
'', which premiered in September 2005 at the
Venice Film Festival
The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival h ...
. She was offered the role of
Susan Mayer on ''
Desperate Housewives'' but declined, and the role later went to
Teri Hatcher
Teri Lynn Hatcher (born December 8, 1964) is an American actress best known for her portrayals of Lois Lane on the television series '' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'' (1993–1997); Paris Carver in the ''James Bond'' film '' Tom ...
.
["Coulda Been a Contender"](_blank)
, slide 7 of 14. AOL Television. Retrieved December 21, 2009.
In 2014, Flockhart landed a role in ''Full Circle'' second season, as mob boss Ellen. It was expected to air in 2015. This had been Flockhart's first acting role in three years, after her hiatus when
''Brothers & Sisters'' ended.
In 2015, Flockhart was cast in the television series ''
Supergirl
Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original, current, and most well known Supergirl is Kara Zor-El, the cousin of superhero Superman. The character made her fir ...
'' as
Cat Grant
Catherine Jane Grant is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.
The character was played by Tracy Scoggins in '' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'' and Calista Flockhart in the Arrowverse tel ...
, a "self-made media magnate and founder of CatCo" and boss to Kara (Supergirl's alter ego).
The series premiered on October 26, 2015, on
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
. Due to the network's wish to reduce the show's budget, it was moved to sister network
The CW
''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...
after its first season, along with a move to filming in Vancouver. Flockhart remained with the show (albeit as a recurring character), despite her previous aversion to working outside Los Angeles.
In 2022, she played the role of Martha opposite
Zachary Quinto
Zachary John Quinto (; born June 2, 1977) is an American actor and film producer. He is known for his roles as Sylar, the primary antagonist from the science fiction drama series '' Heroes'' (2006–2010); Spock in the film ''Star Trek'' (2009) ...
in
Edward Albee's ''
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf
''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' is a play by Edward Albee first staged in October 1962. It examines the complexities of the marriage of a middle-aged couple, Martha and George. Late one evening, after a university faculty party, they receive ...
'' at the
Geffen Playhouse
The Geffen Playhouse (or the Geffen) is a not-for-profit theater company founded by Gilbert Cates in 1995. It produces plays in two theaters in Geffen Playhouse, which is owned by University of California Los Angeles. The Playhouse is located ...
in Los Angeles. The production was directed by
Gordon Greenberg and also starred
Aimee Carrero and Graham Philips.
Personal life
Flockhart has been in a relationship with actor
Harrison Ford since their meeting at the
Golden Globe Awards on January 20, 2002. They became engaged on Valentine's Day in 2009, and were married on June 15, 2010, in
Santa Fe, New Mexico. The ceremony was presided over by Governor
Bill Richardson
William Blaine Richardson III (born November 15, 1947) is an American politician, author, and diplomat who served as the 30th governor of New Mexico from 2003 to 2011. He was also the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Energy Secretary ...
and New Mexico Supreme Court Chief Justice
Charles W. Daniels.
Flockhart and Ford have one adopted son together, Liam Flockhart Ford (born 2001),
whom Flockhart adopted at birth.
From 2004 to 2014, Flockhart served as the national spokeswoman for Peace Over Violence.
Filmography
Film
Television
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
*
*
*
*
*
, -
! colspan="3" style="background: #DAA520;" ,
Theatre World Award
The Theatre World Award is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or Off-Broadway. It was first awarded for the 1945–1946 theatre se ...
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Flockhart, Calista
1964 births
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American actresses
Actresses from Illinois
American film actresses
American Shakespearean actresses
American soap opera actresses
American stage actresses
Best Musical or Comedy Actress Golden Globe (television) winners
Clarence Derwent Award winners
Living people
Mason Gross School of the Arts alumni
People from Freeport, Illinois
People from Norwich, New York
Rowan University alumni
Rutgers University alumni
Shawnee High School (New Jersey) alumni