Anna Gunn (born August 11, 1968) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as

Skyler White Skyler White (née Lambert) is a fictional character in ''Breaking Bad'', portrayed by Anna Gunn. For her performance, Gunn received critical acclaim, with some critics even lauding her character as the template for television anti-heroines. ...

on the AMC drama series ''

Breaking Bad ''Breaking Bad'' is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. Set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows Walter White (Bryan Cranston), an underpaid, overqualified, and dispirited h ...

'' (2008–2013), for which she won the

Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...

for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2013 and 2014. She has also played Jean Ward in ''

The Practice ''The Practice'' is an American legal drama television series created by David E. Kelley centering on partners and associates at a Boston law firm. The show ran for eight seasons on ABC, from March 4, 1997, to May 16, 2004. It won an Emmy ...

'' (1997–2002), and

Martha Bullock Martha Marguerite Eccles Bullock (1851–1939) was an American pioneer woman who was the wife of Seth Bullock, one of the leading citizens in early Deadwood, South Dakota. She and Bullock were married in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1874. Martha Bul ...

in '' Deadwood'' (2004–2006).

Early life

Gunn was born in

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S ...

, but grew up in

Santa Fe, New Mexico Santa Fe ( ; , Spanish for 'Holy Faith'; tew, Oghá P'o'oge, Tewa for 'white shell water place'; tiw, Hulp'ó'ona, label= Northern Tiwa; nv, Yootó, Navajo for 'bead + water place') is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. The name “S ...

. She is the daughter of Sharon Anna Kathryn "Shana" Gunn (''

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

'' Peters), an interior designer, and Clemens Earl Gunn Jr., who worked in real estate. She graduated from Santa Fe Preparatory School in 1986, then attended

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

, where she majored in theater and graduated in 1990. In the fall of 1988, she spent a semester abroad to study at the

British American Drama Academy The British American Drama Academy is a drama school in London, in the United Kingdom. It is affiliated with Sarah Lawrence College and Yale University. Background The British American Drama Academy (BADA) was founded in 1983 by Tony Branch and ...

. She moved to Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles, where she shared a house with Pamela Adlon.

Career

Gunn is known for her role as

in the AMC drama series ''

'', for which she was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2012, 2013 and 2014, winning in 2013 and 2014. In August 2013, she wrote an op-ed piece for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' examining the public dislike directed toward her character. Anna Gunn and Aaron Paul, May 2009 (4)

Gunn had a recurring role as Assistant District Attorney Jean Ward on the ABC series ''

'' from 1997 to 2002, and was series regular

on HBO's '' Deadwood'' from 2005 to 2006. She appeared on ''

Seinfeld ''Seinfeld'' ( ) is an American television sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld. It aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, over nine seasons and 180 episodes. It stars Seinfeld as a fictionalized version of himself and ...

'' in the episode " The Glasses", in the '' Six Feet Under'' episode "Parallel Play", and on the first season of '' Murder One''. She provided the voice of Ariel in the '' Legacy of Kain'' series of video games, and appeared in the '' Quantum Leap'' episode "The Play's the Thing". In 2011, she had a lead role in the Lifetime movie ''Secrets of Eden'', opposite

John Stamos John Phillip Stamos ( ; born August 19, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He first gained recognition for his contract role as Blackie Parrish on the ABC television soap opera '' General Hospital'', for which he was nominated for the ...

. Her other film credits include '' Without Evidence'', '' Enemy of the State'', '' Treading Water'', ''

Twelve Mile Road ''Twelve Mile Road'' is a 2003 American drama television film written and directed by Richard Friedenberg, based on the 1994 novel ''Mystery Ride'' by Robert Boswell. The film stars Tom Selleck, Wendy Crewson, Maggie Grace, Anna Gunn, and Patric ...

'', and '' Red State''. In February 2013, cable network Bravo announced that Gunn would star in a pilot for a one-hour TV drama, ''Rita'', based on a Danish TV series about a private-school teacher and mother. The Fox TV Studios pilot was to be written by Krista Vernoff and directed by

Miguel Arteta Miguel Arteta (born 1965) is a Puerto Rican director of film and television, known for his independent film ''Chuck & Buck'' (2000), for which he received the Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award, and for the films '' The Good Girl'' (2002 ...

. In 2014, Gunn starred

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer th ...

with Billy Magnussen in ''Sex with Strangers'', directed by David Schwimmer at Second Stage Theater. She starred in the 2016 film ''

Equity Equity may refer to: Finance, accounting and ownership *Equity (finance), ownership of assets that have liabilities attached to them ** Stock, equity based on original contributions of cash or other value to a business ** Home equity, the diff ...

''. Billed as the first female-driven

Wall Street Wall Street is an eight-block-long street in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It runs between Broadway in the west to South Street and the East River in the east. The term "Wall Street" has become a metonym for ...

movie, it premiered at the

2016 Sundance Film Festival The 2016 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 21 to January 31, 2016. The first lineup of competition films was announced on December 2, 2015. The opening night film was ''Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You'', directed by Heidi E ...

. In 2019, Gunn starred as Maxine Faulk in the Noël Coward Theater limited-time production of

Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thr ...

' ''

The Night of the Iguana ''The Night of the Iguana'' is a stage play written by American author Tennessee Williams. It is based on his 1948 short story. In 1959, Williams staged it as a one-act play, and over the next two years he developed it into a full-length play, p ...

''.

Personal life

Gunn married Scottish actor and real estate broker Alastair Duncan in 1990. They divorced in 2009. They have two daughters, Eila Rose and Emma.

Filmography

Gunn in 2013

Film

Television

Video games

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gunn, Anna 1968 births 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actresses from Santa Fe, New Mexico American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses American video game actresses American voice actresses Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Primetime Emmy Award winners Living people Northwestern University School of Communication alumni Alumni of the British American Drama Academy