Ellen Burstyn
Biography
Ellen Burstyn is an American actress known for playing complicated women in dramas, and she holds an Academy Award, a Tony Award and two Primetime Emmys. Born in Detroit, she acted on Broadway in 1957 and later trained with Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio. After years of small parts, she broke through in The Last Picture Show (1971) and won the Oscar for Best Actress as a widowed woman in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974). Further Oscar nominations came for The Exorcist (1973), Resurrection (1980) and Requiem for a Dream (2000). Her other films include Harry and Tonto (1974), How to Make an American Quilt (1995), Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002), Interstellar (2014), The Age of Adaline (2015) and Pieces of a Woman (2020). On television she won Emmys for Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2009) and Political Animals (2013), and since 2000 she has helped lead the Actors Studio as co-president.
93years old
Turns 94 on December 7in 56 days
- Born Detroit
- Star sign: SagittariusThe sign runs November 22 to December 21
- Edna Rae Gillooly (birth name)
Movie Career
- Films
- 70
- Career span
- 56 years1969 to 2025
Genres
- Drama76%, 53 films
- Comedy24%, 17 films
- Romance21%, 15 films
- Documentary13%, 9 films
- Horror10%, 7 films
First and latest
Photos
Share
Did you know?!
A role that slipped away
Ellen Burstyn initially rejected the role of Sara Goldfarb in Requiem for a Dream because she found the story too depressing, but changed her mind after seeing Darren Aronofsky's earlier work.
Behind the award
Burstyn earned a 2006 Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, playing Former Tarnower Steady in HBO's Mrs. Harris. Her part was minor, just 14 seconds and 38 words, so people questioned the nomination.
About the name
Burstyn used the name Kerri Flynn when she worked as a dancer, and she was a model until she was 23.
About the name
Ellen Burstyn appeared as an "away we go" dancing girl on The Jackie Gleason Show under the name Erica Dean from 1955 to 1956.
Ellen Burstyn movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Darren Aronofsky directed two of these films, Paul Mazursky two. Linda Blair appears in four of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Linda Blair's page
Bruce Dern's page
Stephen Lang's page
Max von Sydow's page
Brian Dennehy's page
Nick Offerman's page
All films by Darren Aronofsky
All films by Paul Mazursky
Also three films together2 more actors
- Ann-MargretQueen Bees (2021), The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond (2008) and Twice in a Lifetime (1985)
- Jason MillerThe Fear of God: 25 Years of The Exorcist (1998), The Horror Hall of Fame: A Monster Salute (1974) and The Exorcist (1973)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Box office
What Ellen Burstyn's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$1.8 billion
29 of the 70 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 70 films: 29 worldwide figure; 8 us gross only; 14 never in cinemas; 1 streaming, short cinema run; 18 figure not found.
- 29Worldwide figure
- 8US gross only
- 14Never in cinemas
- 1Streaming, short cinema run
- 18Figure not found
Top grosser
Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 90% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$747M41.2% of the total
- 2$431M23.8% of the total
- 3$137M7.6% of the total
- 4$82M4.5% of the total
- 5$74M4.1% of the total
- 6$66M3.6% of the total
- 7$50M2.8% of the total
- 8$41M2.3% of the total
$184 millionfrom the other 21 films with a worldwide figure, 10% of the total
Awards
Twelve awards and honors from 1975 to 2013, seven of them major.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | |||
| 1975 | Best Actress | Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore | Won |
| Golden Globes | |||
| 1979 | Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Won | |
| BAFTA | |||
| 1976 | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Won | |
| Emmy Awards | |||
| 2013 | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie | Political Animals | Won |
| 2009 | Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Won |
| Berlin Film Festival | |||
| 1988 | Berlinale Camera | Won | |
| Tony Awards | |||
| 1975 | Best Actress in a Play | Won | |
| Other honors | |||
| 2009 | Genie Awards | The Stone Angel | Won |
| 2008 | Canadian Screen Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series | Won | |
| 2001 | Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Actress | Won | |
| 2001 | Satellite Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture | Won | |
| 2000 | Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress | Won | |
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.