Stephanie Caroline March is an American actress and

activist Activism consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived common good. Forms of activism range from mandate build ...

. She is known for playing Alexandra Cabot in the NBC

crime drama Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as Drama (film and television), dr ...

series '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' (2000–2018) and its spinoff media. She is also recognized for her activism towards abuse victims, education, and

women's rights Women's rights are the rights and Entitlement (fair division), entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st c ...

. March has appeared in the films ''Head of State'' (2003), ''Mr. & Mrs. Smith'' (2005), '' Falling for Grace'' (2006), ''The Treatment'' (2006), '' Jesse Stone: Night Passage'' (2006), ''Confessions of a Shopaholic'' (2009), and ''Origin'' (2023). She also executive produced and starred in the

independent film An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is film production, produced outside the Major film studios, major film studio system in addition to being produced and distributed by independ ...

''The Social Ones'' (2019). Her continued television roles include Carol Blanton on 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 ...

miniseries '' Neon Joe, Werewolf Hunter'' (2015), Debora Green in the Lifetime film ''A House on Fire'' (2021), and Akira on the superhero series ''Naomi'' (2022), and Angelica Wyatt in

Amazon Prime Amazon Prime (styled as prime) is a paid subscription service of Amazon which is available in many countries and gives users access to additional services otherwise unavailable or available at a premium to other Amazon customers. Services inclu ...

's miniseries '' Shelter'' (2023).

Early life

March was born in

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

, the daughter of John and Laura March, and has a sister, Charlotte. She attended McCulloch Middle School in Highland Park, and Highland Park High School, where ''

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 ...

''s

Angie Harmon Angela Michelle Harmon (born August 10, 1972) is an American actress and model. She won ''Seventeens modeling contest in 1987 at age 15, signed with IMG Models, and appeared on covers for magazines such as ''Cosmopolitan'' and ''Esquire''. ...

, who played the role of an assistant district attorney on ''Law & Order'', attended concurrently. After her parents' divorce, her mother married Robert Derby. In 1996, March graduated from

Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...

, where she was a

member Member may refer to: * Military jury, referred to as "Members" in military jargon * Element (mathematics), an object that belongs to a mathematical set * In object-oriented programming, a member of a class ** Field (computer science), entries in ...

of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. At Northwestern University, March played Helena in ''

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

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, where she continued to pursue her stage career.

Career

Beginnings and ''Law & Order''

In 1997, March made her screen debut in an episode of the CBS series '' Early Edition''. In 1999, March moved to New York and made her Broadway debut in a production of

Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are '' All My Sons'' (1947), '' Death of a Salesman'' (1 ...

's ''

Death of a Salesman ''Death of a Salesman'' is a 1949 stage play written by the American playwright Arthur Miller. The play premiered on Broadway in February 1949, running for 742 performances. It is a two-act tragedy set in late 1940s Brooklyn told through a ...

'' with Brian Dennehy. She later co-starred in the television film based on the play. March is best known for her role as Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cabot on the NBC crime legal drama series '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'', who she played as a main character from 2000 to 2003, and reprised in recurring appearances on the show until 2018. On landing the role, March told ''People'' magazine "I'm not sure that when I got the job, I intended for this to happen, but once I had the job, I became pretty deliberate about it because the subject matter I found disturbing and compelling. It was just not something I could put away when I came home at night from work. So, I became quite deliberate in my choices of how I wanted to participate and how I wanted to use my voice." The character of Cabot and March's work has earned widespread acclaim, and is often considered one of the best characters and acting performances in the ''Law & Order'' series. In 2003, at the 8th Golden Satellite Awards, she and her ''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' co-stars were nominated for the Satellite Award for Best Television Series – Drama. March reprised the role as Cabot, now the Bureau Chief ADA of the homicide bureau, on the short-lived NBC courtroom drama ''

Conviction In law, a conviction is the determination by a court of law that a defendant is Guilty (law), guilty of a crime. A conviction may follow a guilty plea that is accepted by the court, a jury trial in which a verdict of guilty is delivered, or a ...

'', which debuted in spring 2006. The show, which saw March in a leading role and was part of the ''

'' universe, was cancelled after one 13-episode season following a negative reception from critics and audiences. Despite this, ''Entertain your Brain'' wrote that "... March, she has already proven herself on ''Special Victims Unit''."

Continued film and television work

In 2003, March made her film debut with a supporting role in the political comedy ''

Head of State A head of state is the public persona of a sovereign state.#Foakes, Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representative of its international persona." The name given to the office of head of sta ...

'' opposite Chris Rock. She later appeared in the films '' Mr. & Mrs. Smith'', '' The Treatment'', and '' Falling for Grace'', the latter two romantic comedies. March also appeared in the 2009 film '' The Invention of Lying'' as the woman

Ricky Gervais Ricky Dene Gervais ( ; born 25 June 1961) is an English comedian, actor, writer, television producer and filmmaker. He co-created, co-wrote, and acted in the British television sitcoms ''The Office (British TV series), The Office'' (2001–2003) ...

's character tells the world will end unless she has sex with him. She later co-starred in the independent films '' Why Stop Now?'' and '' Innocence''. In 2007, March performed in the Broadway premiere of Eric Bogosian's ''

Talk Radio Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. They may feature monologues, dialogues between the hosts, Interview (jo ...

'', starring Liev Schreiber. She also starred in Howard Korder's off-Broadway play ''Boy's'' ''Life'' alongside Jason Biggs. March has guest-starred on ''

30 Rock ''30 Rock'' is an American satire, satirical sitcom television series created by Tina Fey that originally aired on NBC from October 11, 2006, to January 31, 2013. The series, based on Fey's experiences as head writer for ''Saturday Night Live' ...

'', ''

Grey's Anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series focusing on the personal and professional lives of surgical internship (medicine), interns, residency (medicine), residents, and attending physician, attendings at the fictional ...

'', '' Rescue Me'', and '' Happy Endings''. She was cast as a regular character on the short-lived CBS legal comedy-drama '' Made in Jersey'' in 2012, but she left the series after the pilot episode. She starred in the 2015 Adult Swim series '' Neon Joe, Werewolf Hunter.'' March played the role of Ivanka Trump in the March 2019

Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American Cable television in the United States, cable television channel, channel owned by Paramount Global through its Paramount Media Networks, network division's Paramount Media Networks#MTV Entertainment Group, MTV Ente ...

TV movie ''A President Show Documentary: The Fall of Donald Trump''. The 22-minute documentary is a comedic portrayal of the aftermath of Trump's imagined loss of the 2020 presidential election. On March 9, 2019, ''The Social Ones'' premiered at the Hammer Theatre Center in San Jose, California, as part of the 2019 Cinequest Film and Creativity Festival. March is a co-executive producer and portrays one of the lead characters. Laura Kosann wrote and directed the film, which also features Richard Kind, Jackie Hoffman, Debra Jo Rupp, and

Peter Scolari Peter Thomas Scolari (September 12, 1955 – October 22, 2021) was an American actor. He was best known for his roles as Henry Desmond in the American Broadcasting Company, ABC sitcom ''Bosom Buddies'' (1980–1982) and Michael Harris on the C ...

. The film won Cinequest's Audience Award for Best Comedy Feature. ''The Social Ones'' is an ensemble

mockumentary A mockumentary (a portmanteau of ''mock'' and ''documentary'') is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events, but presented as a Documentary film, documentary. Mockumentaries are often used to analyze or comment on current event ...

that satirizes social media culture, including its fixation on likes, selfies, and social media influencers. The film gained additional attention because it was written, produced, and directed entirely by women. In a March 2019 interview, March explained how a mostly women's production team compared to one that is primarily run by men: "We were under budget, on time, wrapped early, had fun, zero on-set drama, zero backstage drama, and wholly supportive of one another- both in front of and behind the camera. I have never experienced such a seamless set. No ego. All warmth (meets organization, meets diligence, meets determination). Moms really should be in charge of more businesses." In 2021, March signed with Echo Lake Entertainment, for management in all areas. She subsequently appeared in the Lifetime biographical

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...

''A House on Fire'', where she played Debora Green, a former doctor and convicted murderer. Her performance earned praise from critics and audiences; Sayantani Nath of ''Meaww.com'' wrote that the actress showed "incredible finesse and brilliance" and further wrote on March's "impressive acting and realistic depiction of Green's mental anguish and struggles." It was announced that March would join the cast of

The CW The CW Network, LLC (commonly referred to as The CW or simply CW) is an American commercial broadcast television network which is controlled by Nexstar Media Group through a 75% ownership interest. The network's name is derived from the firs ...

superhero series ''Naomi'', where she was set to play the role of Akira; released in 2022, the series earned positive reviews from critics and audiences alike. On auditioning for the role, March told '' ComicBook.com'' that "When I auditioned, the role of Akira was described to me as a, quote, " Ripley-inspired intergalactic badass," and I thought, "Well, yeah, I want to do that." ... so far, I hope that's how it's come across. It's certainly been fun to play." In 2023, March played Binky in Ava DuVernay's acclaimed biographical drama film '' Origin''. That year, she also played the role of Angelica Wyatt in the miniseries adaptation of Harlan Coben's '' Shelter''.

Other work

March co-founded SheSpoke (formerly Rouge), a custom-made cosmetics company, with her business partner Rebecca Perkins in 2013. March and her husband, Dan Benton, became co-producers of the Broadway musical ''

Redwood Sequoioideae, commonly referred to as redwoods, is a subfamily of Pinophyta, coniferous trees within the family (biology), family Cupressaceae, that range in the Northern Hemisphere, northern hemisphere. It includes the List of superlative tree ...

'' in 2025.

Activism and philanthropy

March is a philanthropist and advocate for international

, focusing on

reproductive rights Reproductive rights are legal rights and freedoms relating to human reproduction, reproduction and reproductive health that vary amongst countries around the world. The World Health Organization defines reproductive rights: Reproductive rights ...

, the right access to education, freedom from sexual violence, and fair legal representation. She currently serves on the boards of the Panzi Foundation, OneKid OneWorld, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and

The Gotham Film & Media Institute The Gotham Film & Media Institute (also simply the Gotham), formerly known as the Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP), is a membership-based, not-for-profit organization dedicated to independent film. It offers programs that assist independent fi ...

. She is a longtime advocate for

Planned Parenthood The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. (PPFA), or simply Planned Parenthood, is an American nonprofit organization

and previously served on the board of Planned Parenthood Global. March is a member of the Board of Advisors for the Northwestern University School of Communication. In April 2018, March participated in a variety show fundraiser “A Starry Night” at Northwestern University for the School of Communication. In addition to March, other alumni from the school who participated included

Stephen Colbert Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program ''The Colbert Report'' from 2005 to ...

, Tony Roberts, and Dermot Mulroney.

Personal life

March married celebrity chef

Bobby Flay Robert William "Bobby" Flay (born December 10, 1964) is an American celebrity chef, food writer, restaurateur, and Television presenter, television personality. Flay is the owner and Chef de cuisine, executive chef of several restaurants and fr ...

on February 20, 2005. She appeared on four of Flay's

Food Network Food Network is an American basic cable channel owned by Television Food Network, G.P., a unit of Warner Bros. Discovery, who manages and operates it as a division of the Warner Bros. Discovery U.S. Networks Group. The channel airs both televi ...

shows—''Boy Meets Grill'', ''Grill It! with Bobby Flay'', '' Iron Chef America'', and '' Throwdown with Bobby Flay''—as a guest judge. According to media reports, March and Flay separated in March 2015 and their divorce was finalized on July 17, 2015. March wrote an essay, published in June 2016, that detailed her experience with breast augmentation surgery in 2014 and the subsequent removal of the implants due to infection. On September 1, 2017, March married businessman Dan Benton in Katonah, New York. She was introduced to Benton, the founder of Andor Capital, by a mutual friend in October 2015, several months after her divorce from celebrity chef Bobby Flay. The couple resides in the

West Village The West Village is a neighborhood in the western section of the larger Greenwich Village neighborhood of Lower Manhattan, New York City. The West Village is bounded by the Hudson River to the west and 14th Street (Manhattan), 14th Street to ...

in an apartment they bought in 2018.{{cite web , url=https://streeteasy.com/blog/stephanie-march-and-daniel-benton-score-34m-penthouse/ , title=Stephanie March and Daniel Benton Score $34M Penthouse | StreetEasy , first=Laura , last=Vecsey , date=11 January 2018 , website= StreetEasy

Filmography

Film

{, class="wikitable sortable" , - ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" , Notes , - , rowspan="2" , 2003 , ''Focus Room'' , Kim , Short film , - , ''

'' , Nikki , , - , 2005 , '' Mr. & Mrs. Smith'' , Julie , , - , rowspan="3" , 2006 , '' Flannel Pajamas'' , Cathy , , - , '' The Treatment'' , Julia , , - , ''Copy That'' , Stephanie , Short film , - , 2007 , '' Falling for Grace'' , Kay Douglas , , - , rowspan="2" , 2009 , '' Confessions of a Shopaholic'' , Department Store Manager , Scene deleted{{citation needed, date=April 2015 , - , '' The Invention of Lying'' , Blonde , , - , 2012 , '' Why Stop Now?'' , Trish , , - , 2014 , '' Innocence'' , Natalie Crawford , , - , 2019 , ''The Social Ones'' , Miriam Spacelli , , - , 2023 , '' Origin'' , Binky ,

Television

{, class="wikitable sortable" , - ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" , Notes , - , 1997 , '' Early Edition'' , Arlene , Episode: "A Bris Is Just a Bris" , - , 2000 , ''Death of a Salesman'' , Miss Forsythe ,

Television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...

, - , 2000–2018 , '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' , Alexandra Cabot , Main role ( seasons 2–5, 11)
Recurring role (seasons 6, 10, 13, 19){{cite web, last=Ausiello, first=Michael, authorlink=Michael Ausiello, date=July 5, 2011, title=''Law & Order: SVU'' Scoop: Stephanie March, Diane Neal Heading Back to Court, url=http://www.tvline.com/2011/07/law-order-svu-stephanie-march-diane-neal/, url-status=live, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150221233510/http://tvline.com/2011/07/05/law-order-svu-stephanie-march-diane-neal/, archive-date=February 21, 2015, access-date=March 21, 2012, website=

TVLine ''TVLine'' is a website devoted to information, news, and spoilers of television programs. It covers various topics including the latest news on television, reviews, latest releases, and more. History In late 2010, ''Entertainment Weekly''s ...

, - , 2005 , '' Jesse Stone: Night Passage'' , Cissy Hathaway , Television film , - , rowspan="2" , 2006 , ''

'' , Alexandra Cabot , Main role , - , ''

'' , Gretchen Thomas , Episode: " Blind Date" , - , 2007 , ''

'' , Jane , Episode: "Physical Attraction... Chemical Reaction" , - , 2009 , '' Rescue Me'' , Psychic , Episode: "Jimmy" , - , 2012 , '' Made in Jersey'' , Natalie Minka , Episode: "Pilot" , - , 2013 , '' Happy Endings'' , Brooke Kerkovich , Episode: " Brothas and Sisters" , - , 2015 , '' Neon Joe, Werewolf Hunter'' , Mayor Carol Blanton , Recurring role; 5 episodes , - , 2017 , ''

The President Show ''The President Show'' is an American comedy television series that premiered on April 27, 2017, on Comedy Central. The show was created by Anthony Atamanuik who also stars as Donald Trump, the President of the United States, alongside Peter Gr ...

'' , Ivanka Trump , 1 episode , - , rowspan="2" , 2021 , '' Solar Opposites'' , Defense Attorney (voice) , Episode: "The Apple Pencil Pro" , - , ''A House on Fire'' , Debora Green , Lifetime television film , - , 2022 , '' Naomi'' , Akira , Recurring role; 6 episodes , - , 2023 , '' Harlan Coben’s Shelter'' , Angelica Wyatt , Recurring role; 2 episodes

References

{{Reflist, 3

External links

* {{IMDb name, 0545335
Official ''Talk Radio'' on Broadway website
{{commons category, Stephanie March {{Authority control {{DEFAULTSORT:March, Stephanie Living people American stage actresses American film actresses American television actresses Northwestern University School of Communication alumni Actresses from Dallas 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses American abortion-rights activists Year of birth missing (living people)