Lily Rabe
- David Rabe
- Jill Clayburgh
Lily Rabe (born June 29, 1982)[1][2] is an American actress. She is best known for her multiple roles on the FX anthology horror series American Horror Story (2011–2021). For her performance as Portia in the Broadway production of The Merchant of Venice, she received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play.
Her film credits include What Just Happened (2008), All Good Things (2010), Pawn Sacrifice (2014), Miss Stevens (2016), Golden Exits (2017), Vice (2018), Fractured (2019), and The Tender Bar (2021). On television, she appeared in the series The Whispers (2015), The Undoing (2020), The Underground Railroad (2021), and The First Lady (2022).
Early life
Rabe was born on New York City's Upper West Side,[3] the daughter of playwright David Rabe and actress Jill Clayburgh. She has a younger brother, Michael, an actor and playwright; and an older paternal half-brother, Jason, a musician.[4] Her father is Roman Catholic,[5] her maternal grandfather was Jewish, and her maternal grandmother was Protestant.[6] Rabe was raised in Bedford, New York, but moved to Lakeville, Connecticut, when she was in seventh grade,[3] where she attended the Hotchkiss School.[7]
Rabe studied dance for ten years. She was teaching ballet at a summer arts program in Connecticut when she was approached by the program's acting instructor, who asked her to perform a monologue in the final production.[8] She read a monologue from the play Crimes of the Heart by Beth Henley.[8] She said, "It was that moment, performing that monologue, that made me think, 'Maybe this is what I wanna do'."[8] She then went on to study acting at Northwestern University, graduating in 2004.[9]
Career
Early years
In 2001, Rabe made her screen debut opposite her mother Jill Clayburgh in the film Never Again. She made her professional stage debut, again opposite her mother, at the Gloucester Stage Company in Massachusetts. She starred in two one-act plays, Speaking Well of the Dead by Israel Horovitz and The Crazy Girl by Frank Pugliese,[10] roles that enabled her to get an Equity Card.[11] In July 2003, she returned to the Gloucester Stage Company to appear in Proof by David Auburn. That year, she also appeared in the film Mona Lisa Smile. After graduating, she moved back to New York. From September 29 through October 2, 2004, she appeared in White Jesus by Deirdre O'Connor,[12] one of a series of one-act plays presented as The Democracy Project from the Naked Angels Theater Company.[13]
On January 21, 2005, she took part in a workshop production of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas at the Roundabout Theatre Company, directed by Joe Mantello.[14] She made her Broadway debut as Annelle Dupuy-Desoto in the 2005 revival of Steel Magnolias by Robert Harling, directed by Jason Moore[15] for which she was nominated for a Drama Desk Award.[16] She had been cast in the play Sisters of the Garden, but had to drop out after being cast in Steel Magnolias.[17] From September through to October 2005, she appeared in the American premiere of Colder Than Here by English playwright Laura Wade at the MCC Theater,[18] prompting New York Magazine's Jeremy McCarter to call her performance "one of the best breakthroughs" of 2005.[19] From September to December 2006, she played Ellie Dunn in Roundabout Theatre Company's production of Heartbreak House by George Bernard Shaw.[20] In 2007, she appeared in the film No Reservations.
In August 2007, Rabe appeared in Crimes of the Heart at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, the directorial debut of actress Kathleen Turner.[21] In 2008, the production moved Off-Broadway to the Laura Pels Theatre, where it was staged by the Roundabout Theatre Company and ran from February 14 to April 13.[22] During a rehearsal, a piece of the set fell on Rabe, leaving her with a fractured rib[23] and causing her to miss a week of preview performances; the opening night was changed from February 7 to February 14.[22]
In August 2008, Rabe was cast as a plainclothes cop in the pilot of the HBO 1970s drama Last of the Ninth,[24] written by David Milch and directed by Carl Franklin. In December 2008, it was reported that HBO had decided not to pick it up as a series.[25] That year, Rabe appeared in the films What Just Happened and The Toe Tactic, as well as two episodes of Medium. From January to March 2009, she appeared in the Broadway premiere of Richard Greenberg's 1990 play The American Plan at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.[26] In 2010, she made her debut appearance at Shakespeare in the Park in a production of The Merchant of Venice, directed by Daniel J. Sullivan, that ran from June 30 to August 1.[27] Rabe was cast as Portia, which she described as "one of the great female roles."[28] She also co-starred in the 2010 film All Good Things.
2011–present
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ad/Lily_Rabe_November_2011_3.jpg/170px-Lily_Rabe_November_2011_3.jpg)
Rabe next starred in The Merchant of Venice, opposite Al Pacino as Shylock, in a performance described as a "smashing break-out".[29] The production transferred to Broadway at the Broadhurst Theater, where it ran from October 19, 2010, to February 20, 2011.[30] For her performance, she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play.[31] In March 2011, she was cast in the FOX drama pilot Exit Strategy.[32] In July, it was confirmed that FOX had passed on the pilot.[33] Rabe appeared again at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in a production of A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen, where she played Nora Helmer.[34]
In August 2011, Rabe got her first regular role on a television series, as Nora Montgomery on the FX horror series American Horror Story. She was later cast in the second season as the nun Sister Mary Eunice McKee (which she reprised in the fourth season). For the second season, she was nominated for a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Miniseries. She was also cast in the third season as a resurgent witch, Misty Day, a role written for her by co-creator Ryan Murphy.[35] In the fifth season, she was a special guest star in the "Devil's Night" episode, playing Aileen Wuornos. In the sixth season, she had a main role as Shelby Miller. Rabe is one of only three actors to appear in the show's first six seasons.[36] In 2019, for the ninth installment of the show, titled 1984, Rabe returned in the recurring role of Lavinia Richter, a distraught mother who haunts Camp Redwood, an idyllic summer retreat with a history of massacre.
Rabe appeared at the Golden Theatre in the Broadway play Seminar by Theresa Rebeck. Directed by Sam Gold, the cast included Alan Rickman, Jerry O'Connell, Hamish Linklater and Hettienne Park. It opened on November 20, 2011 and closed May 6, 2012. In May 2012, it was announced that Rabe would play actress Mary Pickford in The First, a film based on the book Pickford: The Woman Who Made Hollywood by Eileen Whitfield.[37] She finished work in the Public Theater's production of As You Like It, part of the 50th Season of Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte Theatre. She played Rosalind in the production that opened on June 11, 2012, and closed on June 30, 2012. In October 2012, it was announced that Rabe would appear in We're Just Married, a film written by her father and directed by Rodrigo Garcia. Rabe was also a producer on the film.[38] In May 2013, she made her Los Angeles stage debut in Miss Julie by August Strindberg, adapted and directed by Neil LaBute.[39] In September 2013, she was cast as Commander Lyme in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, the final two installments of The Hunger Games film series, based on the novels by Suzanne Collins.[40] She was later replaced in the films by Gwendoline Christie due to a scheduling conflict.[41]
On February 14, it was announced that Rabe would appear in Much Ado About Nothing as part of the 2014 Shakespeare in the Park season. The production began on June 3 and ran to July 6.[42] In 2014, she appeared in Pawn Sacrifice, a film biopic about chess player Bobby Fischer, playing Fischer's sister Joan Targ.[43] On February 24, it was announced that Rabe would appear with Thomas Jane and Jessica Alba in horror film The Veil.[44] It was released on January 19, 2016, through video on demand, prior to home-media release on February 2, 2016.[45][46] That day, it was announced that Rabe would star in The Visitors, a drama pilot for ABC.[47] The pilot was later changed to The Whispers and was officially picked up by ABC in May 2014.[48] The series premiered on June 1, 2015[49] and was subsequently cancelled on October 19, 2015 after one season.[50] In May 2016, Rabe was cast in Golden Exits directed by Alex Ross Perry.[51]
In August 2021, Rabe starred in the tenth season of American Horror Story, as Doris Gardner in the first half of the season, and as Amelia Earhart in the second. It was her first time as part of the main cast since Roanoke.[52]
Personal life
In December 2016, it was reported that Rabe was expecting her first child with boyfriend Hamish Linklater. She gave birth to a girl in March 2017.[53][54] In June 2020, they had their second daughter.[55][56] In September 2021, Rabe announced her third pregnancy with Linklater.[57][58] She gave birth in June 2022.[59]
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
2001 | Never Again | Tess | Eric Schaeffer | |
2003 | Mona Lisa Smile | Art History Student | Mike Newell | |
2006 | A Crime | Sophie | Manuel Pradal | |
2007 | No Reservations | Bernadette | Scott Hicks | |
2008 | What Just Happened | Dawn | Barry Levinson | |
The Toe Tactic | Mona Peek | Emily Hubley | ||
2010 | Weakness | Katharine Browne | Michael Melamedoff | |
All Good Things | Deborah Lehrman | Andrew Jarecki | ||
2011 | Letters from the Big Man | Sarah | Christopher Münch | |
2012 | Redemption Trail | Anna Cole | Britta Sjogren | |
2013 | Aftermath | Samantha | Thomas Farone | |
2014 | Pawn Sacrifice | Joan Fischer | Edward Zwick | |
2016 | The Veil | Sarah Hope | Phil Joanou | |
Miss Stevens | Rachel Stevens | Julia Hart | ||
2017 | Golden Exits | Sam | Alex Ross Perry | |
A Midsummer Night's Dream | Helena | Casey Wilder Mott | ||
The Phantom Menace | Karen | Charlotte Barrett & Sean Fallon | Short film | |
2018 | Vice | Liz Cheney | Adam McKay | |
2019 | Sgt. Will Gardner | Mary-Anne Mackey | Max Martini | |
Finding Steve McQueen | Sharon Price | Mark Steven Johnson | ||
Fractured | Joanne Monroe | Brad Anderson | ||
2021 | The Tender Bar | Dorothy Moehringer | George Clooney | |
2023 | Downtown Owl | Julia | Rabe & Hamish Linklater | |
2025 | A Big Bold Beautiful Journey | Kogonada | Filming |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Siena Boatman | Episode: "Scared Crazy" |
2006 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Nikki | Episode: "Recall" |
2008 | Nip/Tuck | Lanie Ainge | Episode: "Kyle Ainge" |
Medium | Joanna Wheeler | 2 episodes | |
2009 | Last of the Ninth | Mary Byrne | Unsold TV pilot |
2010 | Saving Grace | Sarah Cullen | Episode: "You Can't Save Them All, Grace" |
Law & Order | Andrea Wheaton | Episode: "Crashers" | |
2011–2015 | The Good Wife | Petra Moritz | 3 episodes |
2011 | Exit Strategy | Natalie Clayton | Unsold TV pilot |
American Horror Story: Murder House | Nora Montgomery | 7 episodes | |
2012–2013 | American Horror Story: Asylum | Sister Mary Eunice McKee | 10 episodes |
2013–2014 | American Horror Story: Coven | Misty Day | 10 episodes |
2014 | American Horror Story: Freak Show | Sister Mary Eunice McKee | Episode: "Orphans" |
2015 | The Whispers | Claire Bennigan | 13 episodes |
The Walker | Sarah | Episode: "How to Deal with a Frenemy" | |
2015–2016 | American Horror Story: Hotel | Aileen Wuornos | 2 episodes |
2016 | American Horror Story: Roanoke | Shelby Miller | 10 episodes |
2017 | Regular Show in Space | Ailen (voice) | Episode: "Meet the Seer" |
The Wizard of Lies | Catherine Hooper | Television film | |
2017–2018 | Voltron: Legendary Defender | Honerva (voice) | 10 episodes |
2018 | Legion | Joan Barrett | Episode: "Chapter 12" |
American Horror Story: Apocalypse | Misty Day | 2 episodes | |
2019 | American Horror Story: 1984 | Lavinia Richter | 3 episodes |
2020 | The Undoing | Sylvia Steineitz | 6 episodes |
2021 | Tell Me Your Secrets | Emma Hall | 10 episodes |
The Underground Railroad | Ethel Wells | 2 episodes | |
American Horror Story: Double Feature | Doris Gardner | 4 episodes | |
Amelia Earhart | 2 episodes | ||
2022 | The First Lady | Lorena Hickok | 7 episodes |
2023 | Shrinking | Meg | 5 episodes |
Love & Death | Betty Gore | Miniseries, 7 episodes | |
2024 | The Great Lillian Hall | Margaret Tanner | Television film |
Presumed Innocent | Dr. Liz Rush | 4 episodes |
Stage
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | Colder Than Here | Jenna Bradley | |
Steel Magnolias | Annelle Dupuy-Desoto | ||
2006 | Heartbreak House | Ellie Dunn | |
2008 | Crimes of the Heart | Babe Botrelle | |
2009 | The American Plan | Lili Adler | |
2010-2011 | The Merchant of Venice | Portia | |
2011–2012 | Seminar | Kate | |
2011 | A Doll's House | Nora Helmer | |
2012 | As You Like It | Rosalind | |
2013 | Miss Julie | Miss Julie | |
2014 | Much Ado About Nothing | Beatrice | |
2015 | Cymbeline | Imogen |
Awards and nominations
Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2005 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play | Steel Magnolias | Nominated |
2011 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Play | The Merchant of Venice | Nominated |
Tony Awards | Best Actress in a Play | Nominated | ||
2013 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Miniseries | American Horror Story: Asylum | Nominated |
2016 | SXSW Film Festival Awards[60] | Special Jury Recognition for Best Actress | Miss Stevens | Won |
2019 | Critics' Choice Movie Awards | Best Acting Ensemble | Vice | Nominated |
References
- ^ UPI Staff (June 29, 2022). "Famous birthdays for June 29: Lily Rabe, Richard Lewis". United Press International. Archived from the original on July 15, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "MILESTONES: June 29 birthdays for Lily Rabe, Nicole Scherzinger, Maria Conchita Alonso". Brooklyn Eagle. June 29, 2022. Archived from the original on August 25, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ a b Lawrence, Vanessa (July 15, 2010). "Lily Rabe Talks "Merchant of Venice"". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
- ^ Miller, Griffin (22 May 2013). "Celebrity Profile: Lily Rabe". NYLuxury.com. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
- ^ Kolin, Philip C. (Spring 1989). "An Interview with David Rabe". Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism. pp. 139–140. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
- ^ Bloom, Nate (19 November 2010). "The Plame game, Jill Clayburgh: a Jew?, Gyllenhaal and Lambert". J. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
- ^ Smith, Krista (January 24, 2013). "Opening Acts". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on February 28, 2014. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
- ^ a b c "When Lily Met Babe". TDF.org. Archived from the original on February 28, 2014. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
- ^ "Lily Rabe". AmericanTheatreWing.org. October 2012. Archived from the original on February 28, 2014. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
- ^ Wallenberg, Christopher (July 17, 2011). "Her parents' legacy, her own spotlight". Boston.com. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
- ^ Hernandez, Ernio (February 12, 2008). "PLAYBILL.COM'S CUE & A: Lily Rabe". Playbill. Archived from the original on February 28, 2014. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
- ^ "Democracy: An Issues Project". NakedAngels.com. Archived from the original on February 20, 2015. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
- ^ Kilian, Michael (September 23, 2004). "New York playwrights getting political". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
- ^ "Playreading: Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, The". Roundabout Theatre Company. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
- ^ ,Ennis, Connor (May 12, 2005). "Broadway newcomer is impressive in debut play". SentinelSource.com. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
- ^ Murray, Matthew (May 22, 2005). "2005 Drama Desk Awards Presented". TheaterMania.com. Retrieved March 2, 2014.
- ^ Rizzo, Frank (March 3, 2005). "Fabrique To Play Ella Fitzgerald At Theaterworks". Courant.com. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
- ^ Hernandez, Ernio (July 14, 2005). "Judith Light and Lily Rabe To Star in MCC Theatre's Colder Than Here Off-Broadway". Playbill. Archived from the original on March 4, 2014. Retrieved March 2, 2014.
- ^ McCarter, Jeremy (8 December 2005). "Theater". New York. Retrieved March 2, 2014.
- ^ Hernandez, Ernio (December 17, 2006). "Heartbreak House, Starring Philip Bosco and Swoosie Kurtz, Ends Run on Broadway". Playbill. Archived from the original on March 4, 2014. Retrieved March 2, 2014.
- ^ Hetrick, Adam (July 20, 2007). "Full Cast Announced for Williamstown's Crimes of the Heart; Kathleen Turner Directs". Playbill. Archived from the original on March 7, 2014. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
- ^ a b Hernandez, Ernio (January 29, 2008). "Roundabout Shifts Crimes of the Heart Opening to Valentine's Day". Playbill. Archived from the original on March 7, 2014. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
- ^ O'Driscoll, Sean (February 25, 2008). "Actresses Find Their Way Into 'Heart'". Fox News. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (August 8, 2008). "Threesome step in for HBO 'Ninth'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (December 17, 2008). "HBO picks up 'Hung'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
- ^ "The American Plan". PlaybillVault.com. Archived from the original on March 5, 2014. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
- ^ Hetrick, Adam (June 30, 2010). "The Merchant of Venice, With Al Pacino, Lily Rabe, Byron Jennings, Opens in Central Park June 30". Playbill. Archived from the original on March 20, 2014. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
- ^ Steinberg, Julie (June 16, 2010). "Shakespeare in the Park's Lily Rabe Wants You to Throw Peonies at Her". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
- ^ Brantley, Ben (June 30, 2010). "Railing at a Money-Mad World". The New York Times. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
- ^ Hetrick, Adam (February 20, 2011). "The Merchant of Venice, With Al Pacino, Ends Broadway Run Feb. 20". Playbill. Archived from the original on March 20, 2014. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
- ^ "Lily Rabe – Tony Awards 2013 Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play Nominee". Key Brand Entertainment. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (March 10, 2011). "TV CASTINGS: Slew Of Actors Join Pilots". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (July 5, 2011). "Midseason Status Report: 'Breaking In' Stays Alive With Cast Options Pickup, 'Common' & 'Album' Keep Some Actors, 'Smothered' Dead". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
- ^ "A Doll's House". Williamstown Theatre Festival. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
- ^ Dos Santos, Kristin (August 22, 2011). "Which Famous Actress' Daughter Is Getting an "Ungodly" Role in American Horror Story?". E! Online. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
- ^ Neumyer, Scott (January 22, 2014). "How the Ethereal Lily Rabe Found Success on 'American Horror Story'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
- ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (May 17, 2012). "Lily Rabe To Play Mary Pickford". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (October 24, 2012). "Rodrigo Garcia To Helm Lily Rabe In 'We're Just Married'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
- ^ Ng, David (March 8, 2013). "Lily Rabe: Driving 'Miss Julie'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 2, 2014.
- ^ "Lily Rabe Joins 'Hunger Games: Mockingjay'". Deadline Hollywood. September 16, 2013. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (April 4, 2014). "'Game Of Thrones' Actress Gwendoline Christie Replacing Lily Rabe In 'Hunger Games'". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ "Breaking News: 'MUCH ADO' with Lily Rabe, Hamish Linklater & KING LEAR with John Lithgow Set for The Public's 2014 Shakespeare in the Park Season". Broadway World. February 13, 2014. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
- ^ "Lily Rabe Boards Bobby Fischer Pic 'Pawn Sacrifice'". Deadline Hollywood. October 13, 2013. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
- ^ Kit, Borys (February 24, 2014). "'American Horror Story's' Lily Rabe to Star in Jason Blum's 'The Veil' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
- ^ Disgusting, Mr (January 8, 2016). "Universal's 'The Veil' Going Straight to Video". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
- ^ "The Veil". Uphe.com. 11 November 2015. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
- ^ Ausiello, Michael (February 24, 2014). "Pilot Scoop: American Horror Story Vet Lily Rabe Joins ABC's Alien Drama The Visitors". TVLine. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 8, 2014). "ABC New Series Pickups". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
- ^ Weinstein, Shelli (April 8, 2015). "ABC's Summer Schedule: Find Out When The Whispers, Mistresses and More Premiere". TV Guide. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
- ^ "The Whispers: Cancelled by ABC; No Season Two". TVSeriesFinale. 19 October 2015. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
- ^ Hipes, Patrick (May 3, 2016). "Alex Ross Perry Pic 'Golden Exits' Set With Ensemble Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
- ^ "Meet the full cast of FX's horror series American Horror Story Double Feature". meaww.com. Retrieved 2021-08-27.
- ^ "Baby on the Way for Lily Rabe and Hamish Linklater". People. December 28, 2016.
- ^ Juneau, Jen (March 15, 2017). "Lily Rabe and Hamish Linklater Welcome a Daughter — See Her First Photo". People.
- ^ "Baby No. 2! Lily Rabe Welcomes Second Child with Boyfriend Hamish Linklater". People. August 18, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
- ^ Niazi, Amil (May 25, 2021). "A Conversation With Lily Rabe: Motherhood Made Career Decisions So Much Easier". Romper.
- ^ Duncan, Gabrielle (September 26, 2021). "Lily Rabe Expecting Third Baby with Hamish Linklater". Yahoo.
- ^ Chase, Stephanie (September 27, 2021). "American Horror Story star Lily Rabe confirms pregnancy". Digital Spy.
- ^ https://pagesix.com/2022/06/21/lily-rabe-gives-birth-to-third-baby-with-hamish-linklater/
- ^ "SXSW: Complete List of Winners at the 2016 Film Awards". Indiewire. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
External links
- Lily Rabe at IMDb
- Lily Rabe at the Internet Broadway Database
- Lily Rabe at the Internet Off-Broadway Database