Deborah Rush (born April 10, 1954) is an American actress. She has worked in television, film and on
Broadway. In 1984, she was nominated for a
Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play for
Michael Frayn
Michael Frayn, FRSL (; born 8 September 1933) is an English playwright and novelist. He is best known as the author of the farce ''Noises Off'' and the dramas ''Copenhagen (play), Copenhagen'' and ''Democracy (play), Democracy''.
Frayn's novel ...
's comedy ''
Noises Off
''Noises Off'' is a 1982 farce by the English playwright Michael Frayn.
Frayn conceived the idea in 1970 while watching from the wings a performance of '' The Two of Us'', a farce that he had written for Lynn Redgrave. He said, "It was funni ...
''.
Life and career

Rush was born in
Chatham Borough, New Jersey. She is married to Walter Cronkite III (born April 22, 1957) and daughter-in-law of the late television journalist
Walter Cronkite
Walter Leland Cronkite Jr. (November 4, 1916 – July 17, 2009) was an American broadcast journalist who served as anchorman for the ''CBS Evening News'' from 1962 to 1981. During the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trust ...
. The couple has two sons, Walter Cronkite IV and the late Peter Cronkite.
Rush made her Broadway debut performing in the 1975 musical ''
Dance with Me''.
[ She later appeared in films '' Oliver's Story'' (1978), '' 10'' (1979) and '']Honky Tonk Freeway
''Honky Tonk Freeway'' is a 1981 British comedy film directed by John Schlesinger. The film, conceived and co-produced by Don Boyd, was one of the most expensive box office bombs in history, losing its British backers Thorn EMI between $11 mill ...
'' (1981), and made-for-television productions ''Alice at the Palace'' and ''A Midsummer Night's Dream
''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a Comedy (drama), comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One s ...
'' in 1982. From 1983 to 1984 she starred as Brooke Ashton in ''Noises Off
''Noises Off'' is a 1982 farce by the English playwright Michael Frayn.
Frayn conceived the idea in 1970 while watching from the wings a performance of '' The Two of Us'', a farce that he had written for Lynn Redgrave. He said, "It was funni ...
'', a role gained her Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards are among the most esteemed honors in New York theater, recognizing outstanding achievements across Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions within the same categories. The awards are considered a signific ...
and a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play
The Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play is an honor presented at the Tony Awards, a ceremony established in 1947 as the Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, to actresses for quality supporting roles in a Broadway theatre, ...
nomination.[ Also in 1983, Rush starred in the satirical mockumentary comedy film, '']Zelig
''Zelig'' is a 1983 American satirical mockumentary comedy film written, directed by and starring Woody Allen as Leonard Zelig, a nondescript enigma, who, apparently out of his desire to fit in and be liked, unwittingly takes on the characteris ...
'' written and directed by Woody Allen
Heywood Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American filmmaker, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades. Allen has received many List of awards and nominations received by Woody Allen, accolade ...
. She later appeared in another Woody Allen's film, ''The Purple Rose of Cairo
''The Purple Rose of Cairo'' is a 1985 American period fantasy romantic comedy film, written and directed by Woody Allen. Set in Depression-era New Jersey, it stars Mia Farrow as a film lover who flees her abusive husband (Danny Aiello) after ...
'' (1985). During the 1980s, Rush also appeared in films such as '' Compromising Positions'' (1985), ''Heat
In thermodynamics, heat is energy in transfer between a thermodynamic system and its surroundings by such mechanisms as thermal conduction, electromagnetic radiation, and friction, which are microscopic in nature, involving sub-atomic, ato ...
'' (1986), ''Big Business
Big business involves large-scale corporate-controlled financial or business activities. As a term, it describes activities that run from "huge transactions" to the more general "doing big things". In corporate jargon, the concept is commonly ...
'' (1988), ''Parents
A parent is either the progenitor of a child or, in humans, it can refer to a caregiver or legal guardian, generally called an adoptive parent or step-parent. Parents who are progenitors are first-degree relatives and have 50% genetic meet. ...
'' (1989) and ''Family Business
A family business is a commercial organization in which decision-making is influenced by multiple generations of a family, related by Consanguinity , blood, marriage or adoption, who has both the ability to influence the vision of the business a ...
'' (1989). On stage, Rush also acted in ''Hay Fever
Allergic rhinitis, of which the seasonal type is called hay fever, is a type of rhinitis, inflammation in the nose that occurs when the immune system overreacts to allergens in the air. It is classified as a Allergy, type I hypersensitivity re ...
'', '' The Sisters Rosensweig'', and Stephen Adly Guirgis' '' The Last Days of Judas Iscariot''.
In 1990s, Rush played number of supporting roles in films such as '' My Blue Heaven'' (1990), '' In & Out'' (1997), '' You've Got Mail'' (1998) and '' Three to Tango'' (1999). On television, she played Isabel Hazard in the 1994 miniseries, '' Heaven & Hell: North & South, Book III'' and had a recurring role in the ABC sitcom '' Spin City'' as Helen Winston, eventual ex-wife of mayor Randall Winston. From 1999 to 2000, Rush was a regular cast member of the Comedy Central comedy series, '' Strangers with Candy'' starring Amy Sedaris
Amy Louise Sedaris (; born March 29, 1961) is an American actress, comedian, and writer. She played Jerri Blank in the Comedy Central comedy series '' Strangers with Candy'' (1999–2000) and the prequel film '' Strangers with Candy'' (2005), wh ...
. She reprised her role in the 2005 prequel film, '' Strangers with Candy''. In 2002 she co-starred opposite Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Joanna Aniston (born February 11, 1969) is an American actress. She rose to international fame for her role as Rachel Green on the television sitcom ''Friends'' from 1994 to 2004, which earned her Primetime Emmy, Golden Globe, and Scr ...
in the comedy-drama film, '' The Good Girl'' and the following year appeared in the comedy film '' American Wedding'', as Mary Flaherty, Michelle Flaherty's mom. She played Ryan Gosling
Ryan Thomas Gosling ( ; born November 12, 1980) is a Canadian actor. His work includes both independent films and major studio features, and his accolades include a Golden Globe Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Awards, a ...
's mother in the 2006 drama film, '' Half Nelson'', and starred as Avis DeVoto in the 2009 biographical comedy-drama film, ''Julie & Julia
''Julie & Julia'' is a 2009 American biographical comedy drama film written and directed by Nora Ephron starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams in the title roles with Stanley Tucci, Chris Messina, and Linda Emond in supporting roles. The film ...
'' written and directed by Nora Ephron
Nora Ephron ( ; May 19, 1941 – June 26, 2012) was an American journalist, writer, and filmmaker. She is best known for writing and directing romantic comedy films and received numerous accolades including a British Academy Film Award as ...
. In December 2008, she joined the cast of the Broadway revival of '' Blithe Spirit''.
In 2010, Rush was regular cast member in the short-lived Comedy Central sitcom, '' Big Lake''. She also made guest appearances in television series such as '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'', ''The Good Wife
''The Good Wife'' is an American legal political drama television series that aired on CBS from September 22, 2009, to May 8, 2016. It focuses on Alicia Florrick, the wife of the Cook County State's Attorney, who returns to her career in law ...
'', '' Inside Amy Schumer'' and ''The Blacklist
''The Blacklist'' is an American crime thriller television series created by Jon Bokenkamp and developed by John Eisendrath. It stars James Spader as Raymond Reddington, an international criminal and one of the FBI's Most Wanted fugitives ...
''. From 2013 to 2019 she had a recurring role in the Netflix comedy-drama series, ''Orange Is the New Black
''Orange Is the New Black'' (sometimes abbreviated to ''OITNB'') is an American comedy-drama television series created by Jenji Kohan for Netflix. The series is based on Piper Kerman's memoir '' Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Pr ...
'', as Piper Chapman's mother, Carol Chapman.
Filmography
Film
Television
Theater
References
External links
*
*
*
Deborah Rush at Broadway.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rush, Deborah
American film actresses
Actresses from New Jersey
People from Chatham Borough, New Jersey
1954 births
Living people
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American actresses
American television actresses
American stage actresses
Actors from Morris County, New Jersey