Lauren Ambrose (born February 20, 1978) is an American actress. Ambrose gained recognition and critical acclaim for her starring role as Claire Fisher in the

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

drama series '' Six Feet Under'' (2001–2005), for which she was nominated for two

Primetime Emmy Awards 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. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...

and won two

Screen Actors Guild Awards Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1995 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...

. She went on to star as Jilly Kitzinger in the

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...

science fiction series '' Torchwood: Miracle Day'' (2011), Dorothy Turner in the

Apple TV+ Apple TV+ is an American subscription over-the-top streaming service owned by Apple. The service launched on November 1, 2019, and it offers a selection of original production film and television series called Apple Originals. The service w ...

psychological horror series ''

Servant A domestic worker is a person who works within a residence and performs a variety of household services for an individual, from providing cleaning and household maintenance, or cooking, laundry and ironing, or care for children and elderly ...

'' (2019–2023), and as the adult version of Vanessa "Van" Palmer in the Showtime drama thriller series '' Yellowjackets'' (2023–present). Her film credits include '' In & Out'' (1997), '' Can't Hardly Wait'' (1998), '' Psycho Beach Party'' (2000), '' Where the Wild Things Are'' (2009), and '' The Other Woman'' (2009). Ambrose played the title role in '' Loving Leah'', a 2009 Hallmark film. Other credits include '' About Sunny'' (2011), '' Sleepwalk with Me'' (2012), and ''

Wanderlust Wanderlust is a strong desire to wander or travel and explore the world. The term has its roots in German Romanticism. Etymology The first documented use of the term in English occurred in 1902 as a reflection of what was then seen as a chara ...

'' (2012). Ambrose's stage credits include '' Buried Child'' (2004), '' Awake and Sing!'' (2006), and '' Exit the King'' (2009). She portrayed the lead role of Eliza Doolittle in the 2018

Lincoln Center Theater The Vivian Beaumont Theater is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater in the Lincoln Center complex at 150 West 65th Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Operated by the nonprofit Lincoln Center Theater (LCT ...

revival of ''

My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical theatre, musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story, based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play ''Pygmalion (play), Pygmalion'' and on the Pygmalion (1938 film), 1938 film ...

'' on Broadway, for which she garnered a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

nomination and a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

, as well as an

Outer Critics Circle Award The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on Broadway and Off-Broadway. They are presented by the Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of New York theater writers for out-of-town news ...

. She is lead singer of the

ragtime Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that had its peak from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its Syncopation, syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers ...

band Lauren Ambrose and the Leisure Class.

Early life

Lauren Ambrose was born on February 20, 1978. She is the daughter of Frank D'Ambruoso, a caterer, and Anne (née Wachtel), an interior designer. She is of Italian descent on her father's side, and German, English, and Irish on her mother's side. Ambrose attended

Choate Rosemary Hall Choate Rosemary Hall ( ) is a Independent school, private, Mixed-sex education, co-educational, College-preparatory school, college-preparatory boarding school in Wallingford, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1890, it took its present na ...

, Wilbur Cross High School, High School in the Community, and the ACES Educational Center for the Arts in New Haven as part of the class of 1996. She is also a trained

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

singer who studied voice and opera at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute in the summers of 1994 and 1995.

Career

1990–1998: Career beginnings

Ambrose began her career in New York theater, starring in the

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 tha ...

play ''Soulful Scream of a Chosen Son'' at the

Vineyard Theatre The Vineyard Theatre is a 120-seat Off-Broadway non-profit theatre company, located at 108 East 15th Street in Manhattan, New York City, near Union Square. Founded in 1981 by Barbara Zinn Krieger, the Vineyard states that its goal is "to give ...

from August to September 1990. Her early career also included television appearances, most notably playing supporting guest roles in the NBC crime drama series ''

Law & Order ''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television, launching the ''Law & Order'' franchise. ''Law & Order'' aired its entire ...

'', and a feature guest role on the show in the 1998 episode "Damaged" as Valerie Maxwell, an intellectually disabled young woman raped by a group of popular high school students. Her first film role was as Vicky Rayburn in the comedy '' In & Out'' (1997). She went on to have a prominent role as Denise Fleming in the high school comedy film '' Can't Hardly Wait'' (1998).

1999–2005: Breakthrough and ''Six Feet Under''

In 1999, Ambrose had a recurring role as Myra Wringler in five episodes of the Fox teen drama ''

Party of Five ''Party of Five'' is an American teen and family drama television series created by Christopher Keyser and Amy Lippman that originally aired on Fox from September 12, 1994, to May 3, 2000, with a total of six seasons consisting of 142 epis ...

''. She played the ingenue lead, Florence "Chicklet" Forrest, in the horror comedy '' Psycho Beach Party'' (2000). The same year, she starred as Frankie Wheeler in the coming-of-age drama film ''

Swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, such as saltwater or freshwater environments, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Swimmers achieve locomotion by coordinating limb and body movements to achieve hydrody ...

''. Ambrose gained wider recognition and critical acclaim for her starring role as Claire Fisher in the

drama series '' Six Feet Under'' (2001–2005). For her performance, she was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and a Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Drama Actress. She also won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series twice, from five nominations as a part of the ensemble cast. In 2004, she starred as Shelly in the

Royal National Theatre The National Theatre (NT), officially the Royal National Theatre and sometimes referred to in international contexts as the National Theatre of Great Britain, is a performing arts venue and associated theatre company located in London, England, ...

production of the play '' Buried Child''.

2006–2017: Broadway debut

In 2006, Ambrose made her Broadway debut in the

revival production of '' Awake and Sing!'' at the Belasco Theatre. She went on to appear in the drama films ''

Diggers The Diggers were a group of religious and political dissidents in England, associated with a political ideology and programme resembling what would later be called agrarian socialism.; ; ; Gerrard Winstanley and William Everard (Digger), Will ...

'' (2006) and ''

Starting Out in the Evening ''Starting Out in the Evening'' is a 2007 American drama film directed by Andrew Wagner. The screenplay by Wagner and Fred Parnes is based on the novel of the same name by Brian Morton. Plot Now aging and ailing, the one-time celebrated autho ...

'' (2007). In 2007, she starred as Juliet in the Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park performance of ''

Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...

'' at the Delacorte Theater in

Central Park Central Park is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City, and the first landscaped park in the United States. It is the List of parks in New York City, sixth-largest park in the ...

. She also appeared as

Ophelia Ophelia () is a character in William Shakespeare's drama ''Hamlet'' (1599–1601). She is a young noblewoman of Denmark, the daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes and potential wife of Prince Hamlet. Due to Hamlet's actions, Ophelia ultima ...

in the 2008 performance of ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

'' for Shakespeare in the Park. In 2008, she had a starring role as Coco Tompkins in the Fox comedy series '' The Return of Jezebel James'', which was created by

Amy Sherman-Palladino Amy Sherman-Palladino (born January 17, 1966) is an American television writer, Television director, director, and producer. She is the creator of the comedy drama series ''Gilmore Girls'' (2000–2007), ''Bunheads'' (2012–2013), and ''The Marv ...

. The series was cancelled after one season. Ambrose returned to Broadway in the 2009 revival of

Eugène Ionesco Eugène Ionesco (; ; born Eugen Ionescu, ; 26 November 1909 – 28 March 1994) was a Romanian-French playwright who wrote mostly in French, and was one of the foremost figures of the French avant-garde theatre#Avant-garde, French avant-garde th ...

's '' Exit the King'' at the

Ethel Barrymore Theatre The Ethel Barrymore Theatre is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 243 West 47th Street (Manhattan), 47th Street in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1928, it ...

, opposite

Geoffrey Rush Geoffrey Roy Rush (born 6 July 1951) is an Australian actor. Known for often playing eccentric roles on both stage and screen, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Geoffrey Rush, numerous accolades, including an Academy Aw ...

and Susan Sarandon. Also in 2009, she starred in numerous films, such as the comedy-dramas '' A Dog Year'' and '' Cold Souls'', and the romance dramas '' The Other Woman'' and '' Loving Leah''. Additionally, she provided the voice of the monster KW in

Spike Jonze Adam Spiegel (born October 22, 1969), known professionally as Spike Jonze (), is an American Filmmaking, filmmaker, actor, musician, and photographer. His work includes films, commercials, music videos, skateboard videos and television. Jonze ...

's fantasy drama film '' Where the Wild Things Are''. Ambrose is the lead singer of Lauren Ambrose and the Leisure Class, a ragtime dixieland jazz band formed in 2009. They have performed several times at Joe's Pub and charity events. In 2011, Ambrose appeared in seven episodes of the

science fiction series '' Torchwood: Miracle Day''. She played Jilly Kitzinger, a "sweet-talking PR genius with a heart of stone who's just cornered the most important client of her career and maybe of all time". For her performance, she received a Saturn Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress on Television. Ambrose produced and starred in the drama film '' About Sunny'' (2011), which premiered at the

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the most prestigious and largest publicly attended film festivals in the world. Founded in 1976, the festival takes place every year in early September. The organi ...

. For her performance, she was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead. In 2012, she appeared in the comedy films '' Sleepwalk with Me'', ''

'', and ''

Grassroots A grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or continent movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from volunteers at the local level to imp ...

''. She was set to play

Fanny Brice Fania Borach (October 29, 1891 – May 29, 1951), known professionally as Fanny Brice or Fannie Brice, was an American comedian, Illustrated Songs, illustrated song model, singer, and actress who made many stage, radio, and film appearances. Sh ...

in a 2012 Broadway revival of '' Funny Girl'', directed by Bartlett Sher, but the production was indefinitely postponed due to financial concerns. Ambrose made numerous TV appearances, including roles in the A&E miniseries ''

Coma A coma is a deep state of prolonged unconsciousness in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to Nociception, respond normally to Pain, painful stimuli, light, or sound, lacks a normal Circadian rhythm, sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate ...

'' (2012), the

Adult Swim Adult Swim (stylized as dult swimand s is an American adult-oriented television programming block that airs on Cartoon Network which broadcasts during the evening, prime time, and Late-night television, late-night Dayparting, dayparts. T ...

animated series ''

Robot Chicken ''Robot Chicken'' is an American adult animation, adult stop motion, stop-motion animated sketch comedy television series created by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich for Cartoon Network's nighttime programming block Adult Swim. The twelve-minute ...

'' (2013), the NBC crime drama series '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' (2013), the Lifetime television film '' Deliverance Creek'' (2014), and the

USA Network USA Network (or simply USA) is an American basic cable television channel owned by the NBCUniversal Media Group division of Comcast's NBCUniversal. It was launched in 1977 as Madison Square Garden Sports Network, one of the first national sports ...

miniseries '' Dig'' (2015). From 2016 to 2018, she had a recurring role as Special Agent Liz Einstein in the Fox science fiction drama series ''

The X-Files ''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The original series aired from September 10, 1993, to Ma ...

''.

2018–present: Broadway return and ''Servant''

In March 2018, Ambrose began a leading role as Eliza Doolittle in the Broadway revival of ''

'' at the

Vivian Beaumont Theatre The Vivian Beaumont Theater is a Broadway theater in the Lincoln Center complex at 150 West 65th Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Operated by the nonprofit Lincoln Center Theater (LCT), the Beaumont i ...

, directed by Bartlett Sher. For her performance, she received critical acclaim and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. She also won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical. In October 2018, Ambrose left ''My Fair Lady'' to take on the lead role as Dorothy Turner in the psychological horror series ''

'', which was produced by

M. Night Shyamalan Manoj Nelliyattu M. Night Shyamalan ( ; born August 6, 1970) is an American filmmaker. His films often employ supernatural plots and twist endings. The cumulative gross of his films exceeds $3.3 billion globally. Shyamalan has received vario ...

and Tony Basgallop for

. The series premiered in November 2019 and ended after four seasons in March 2023. For her performance in the series, she garnered a nomination for the Critics' Choice Super Award for Best Actress in a Horror Series. Ambrose has also narrated various audiobooks, most recently '' The Maid'' by Nita Prose in 2022. In 2023, Ambrose began starring in the Showtime drama thriller series '' Yellowjackets'', portraying the adult version of the character Vanessa "Van" Palmer.

Personal life

Ambrose has been married to professional writer Sam Handel since September 2001. They have two children.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Stage

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ambrose, Lauren 1978 births Living people 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actresses from New Haven, Connecticut American film actresses American people of English descent American people of German descent American people of Irish descent American people of Italian descent American Shakespearean actresses American stage actresses American television actresses American voice actresses Choate Rosemary Hall alumni Tanglewood Music Center alumni Wilbur Cross High School alumni