Kyra Minturn Sedgwick ( ; born August 19, 1965) is an American film and television actress. She is best known for her starring role as Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson on the crime drama ''

The Closer ''The Closer'' is an American police procedural television series starring Kyra Sedgwick as Brenda Leigh Johnson, a Los Angeles Police Department Chief of police#United States, deputy chief. A CIA-trained interrogator originally from Atlanta, G ...

'' (2005–2012), for which she won a

Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Januar ...

in 2007 and an

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...

in 2010. She also starred in the 1992 TV film '' Miss Rose White'', which won an Emmy Award. She was nominated for a

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...

for her performance in the 1995 film '' Something to Talk About''. Sedgwick's other film credits include

Oliver Stone William Oliver Stone (born ) is an American filmmaker. Stone is an acclaimed director, tackling subjects ranging from the Vietnam War and American politics to musical film, musical Biographical film, biopics and Crime film, crime dramas. He has ...

's '' Born on the Fourth of July'' (1989) and

Cameron Crowe Cameron Bruce Crowe (born July 13, 1957) is an American filmmaker and journalist. He has received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, and Grammy Award as well as a nomination for a Tony Award. Crowe started his career a ...

's '' Singles'' (1992). She also had a recurring role as Madeline Wuntch on the sitcom ''

Brooklyn Nine-Nine ''Brooklyn Nine-Nine'' is an American police procedural sitcom television series that aired on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox, and later on NBC, from September 17, 2013, to September 16, 2021, for eight seasons and 153 episodes. Created by Dan G ...

''.

Early life

Sedgwick was born in New York City on August 19, 1965, the daughter of Patricia (née Rosenwald), a speech teacher and educational/family therapist, and Henry Dwight Sedgwick V, a venture capitalist. Her mother was Jewish and her father was Episcopalian and of English heritage. Sedgwick has identified as Jewish and has stated that she participates in Passover seders. She is a descendant of

William Ellery William Ellery (December 22, 1727 – February 15, 1820) was a Founding Father of the United States, one of the 56 signers of the United States Declaration of Independence, and a signer of the Articles of Confederation as a representative of Rho ...

, a signatory of the

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another state or failed state, or are breaka ...

, and Ellery Sedgwick, an editor of ''

The Atlantic Monthly ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher based in Washington, D.C. It features articles on politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 ...

''. She is the sister of actor Robert Sedgwick, the half-sister of jazz guitarist Mike Stern, the

first cousin A cousin is a relative who is the child of a parent's sibling; this is more specifically referred to as a first cousin. A parent of a first cousin is an aunt or uncle. More generally, in the lineal kinship, kinship system used in the English-s ...

once removed of actress

Edie Sedgwick Edith Minturn Sedgwick Post (April 20, 1943 – November 16, 1971) was an American actress, model and socialite who was one of Andy Warhol's superstars, starring in several of his short films during the 1960s.Watson, Steven (2003), "Factory Ma ...

, and the niece of writer

John Sedgwick John Sedgwick (September 13, 1813 – May 9, 1864) was an American military officer who served as a Union Army general during the American Civil War. He was wounded three times at the Battle of Antietam while leading his division in an unsucces ...

. She is the aunt of R&B singer

George Nozuka George Nozuka (born April 28, 1986) is an American-based Canadian- Japanese R&B singer best known for his single "Talk to Me", which peaked at No. 1 on the MuchMusic music-video countdown in October 2006. Career Nozuka released his debu ...

, actor Philip Nozuka, and singer/songwriter

Justin Nozuka Justin Tokimitsu Nozuka (born September 29, 1988) is an American-born singer, songwriter, and actor of Japanese and Canadian descent. His debut album, ''Holly (album), Holly'', was released in 2007. He has since published four more studio album ...

(their mother, Holly, is Sedgwick's half-sister). Sedgwick's parents separated when she was four and divorced when she was six. Sedgwick graduated from Friends Seminary and attended Sarah Lawrence College before transferring to the University of Southern California, where she graduated with a theater degree.

Career

Sedgwick obtained her first acting job in 1982 on the television soap opera '' Another World'', portraying Julia Shearer, troubled granddaughter of Liz Matthews. In 1988, she appeared in a TV version of

Lanford Wilson Lanford Wilson (April 13, 1937March 24, 2011) was an American playwright. His work, as described by ''The New York Times'', was "earthy, realist, greatly admired ndwidely performed". Fox, Margalit"Lanford Wilson, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Playwrigh ...

's '' Lemon Sky''. In 1989, Sedgwick played the role of Donna in the Oscar-winning '' Born on the Fourth of July''. Sedgwick played the title role in the

–winning 1992 TV film '' Miss Rose White'' as a Jewish immigrant who comes to terms with her ethnicity. During the 1990s, she appeared in several Hollywood movies, including '' Singles'' (1992), '' Heart and Souls'' (1993), '' Something to Talk About'' (1995; for which she received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress—Motion Picture), ''

Phenomenon A phenomenon ( phenomena), sometimes spelled phaenomenon, is an observable Event (philosophy), event. The term came into its modern Philosophy, philosophical usage through Immanuel Kant, who contrasted it with the noumenon, which ''cannot'' be ...

'' (1996; in which she played the love interest of

John Travolta John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor. He began acting in television before transitioning into a leading man in films. List of awards and nominations received by John Travolta, His accolades include a Primetime Em ...

's character), and ''Critical Care'' (1997). Sedgwick has starred alongside her husband

Kevin Bacon Kevin Norwood Bacon (born July 8, 1958) is an American actor. Known for various roles, including leading man characters, Bacon has received numerous accolades such as a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Bacon made his featu ...

in '' Pyrates'' (1991), '' The Woodsman'' (2004), and '' The Best You Can'' (2025). Other film credits include '' Secondhand Lions'' (2003), '' The Game Plan'' (2007), '' The Possession'' (2012), and ''

The Edge of Seventeen ''The Edge of Seventeen'' is a 2016 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film written and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig, in her directorial debut. The film stars Hailee Steinfeld, Woody Harrelson, Kyra Sedgwick, and Haley Lu Richardson. The ...

'' (2016). Sedgwick is best known for starring as Brenda Leigh Johnson in the television series ''

''. She played this role from 2005 to 2012. In 2007, she began earning approximately $300,000 per episode on ''The Closer''. For portraying Brenda, Sedgwick earned six consecutive nominations for

Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama The Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama is a Golden Globe Awards, Golden Globe Award presented annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). The award honors the best performance by an actress in a drama ...

(winning once), five consecutive nominations for the

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Prime time, or peak time, is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for television shows. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to ...

(winning once), and seven nominations for Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series. ''The Closer'' aired its final episode on August 13, 2012, following the completion of its seventh season; the series's broadcaster

TNT Troponin T (shortened TnT or TropT) is a part of the troponin complex, which are proteins integral to the contraction of skeletal and heart muscles. They are expressed in skeletal and cardiac myocytes. Troponin T binds to tropomyosin and helps ...

stated that the decision to end the series was made by Sedgwick. The first episode of '' Major Crimes''—a sequel series that did not feature Sedgwick, but included many other cast members from ''The Closer''—aired immediately following the final episode of ''The Closer''. Sedgwick produced the television series ''

Proof Proof most often refers to: * Proof (truth), argument or sufficient evidence for the truth of a proposition * Alcohol proof, a measure of an alcoholic drink's strength Proof may also refer to: Mathematics and formal logic * Formal proof, a co ...

'' for TNT. The show debuted in 2015 and aired for one season. In 2017, Sedgwick directed '' Story of a Girl'', a television film based on the 2007 novel of the same name by Sara Zarr. The film marked Sedgwick's directorial debut. It starred Sedgwick's husband

; her daughter Sosie Bacon; and others. ''Story of a Girl'' aired on the Lifetime network. Sedgwick portrayed the character of Madeline Wuntch in the comedy series ''

''. She also played the lead role of Jean Raines in the comedy pilot ''My Village'', written by Kari Lizer. ''My Village'' was approved by ABC and re-titled '' Call Your Mother'' on May 21, 2020, for the 2020–2021 television season. In 2023, Sedgwick played the role of Aunt Julia in season 2 of the drama series '' The Summer I Turned Pretty''.

Personal life

Sedgwick and

were married on September 4, 1988, about 18 months after meeting on the set of PBS's adaptation of

's '' Lemon Sky''. They have two children, Travis Sedgwick Bacon and actress Sosie Bacon. The family splits their time between New York City and the family farm in Connecticut.

Honors

* 2005: Received the Copper Wing Tribute Award presented to her during the

Phoenix Film Festival Phoenix Film Festival is a festival that celebrates feature films, documentaries, short films and their creators. Started in 2001, the annual celebration takes place in the city of Phoenix, Arizona. The Festival is run under the umbrella of the 5 ...

. * 2009, June 8: Inducted into the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...

receiving a star for her contribution to television. The star is located at 6356 Hollywood Boulevard. * 2013: Honored with the President's Award by the Society of Camera Operators. * 2017: Received the John Cassavetes Award presented to her during the

Denver International Film Festival The Denver Film Festival is held in November, primarily at the Denver Film Center/Colfax, in Denver, Colorado, now the Anna and John J. Sie FilmCenter (Sie FilmCenter). Premiere events are held in the Buell Theatre and Ellie Caulkins Opera House ...

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* *
Kyra Sedgwick
at

Kyra Sedgwick
at Internet Broadway Database * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sedgwick, Kyra 1965 births 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actresses from Manhattan American film actresses American people of English descent American people of German-Jewish descent American television actresses American voice actresses Best Drama Actress Golden Globe (television) winners Cornell family Jewish American actresses Living people Peabody family People from the Upper West Side Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actress in a Drama Series Primetime Emmy Award winners Sarah Lawrence College alumni Sedgwick family USC School of Dramatic Arts alumni Friends Seminary alumni