Kathleen Chalfant
Biography
Kathleen Chalfant is an American actress. Born in San Francisco and raised in Oakland, she trained with Wynn Handman in New York and Alessandro Fersen in Rome. She made her Off-Broadway debut in Cowboy Pictures in 1974 and has appeared in more than three dozen Off-Broadway productions. In 1993 she earned a Tony nomination for originating Hannah Pitt in Tony Kushner's Angels in America. For playing Vivian Bearing in Wit, Margaret Edson's Pulitzer-winning play, she won Obie, Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel and Outer Critics Circle awards. A second Obie came for Alan Bennett's Talking Heads in 2003, and in 2018 she received an Obie for Lifetime Achievement. Her film work includes Kinsey (2004) and Familiar Touch (2024), the latter winning her the Orizzonti best actress award at the Venice International Film Festival and a best actress award from the National Society of Film Critics. Her television work includes House of Cards, Law & Order and Rescue Me.
81years old
Turns 82 on January 14in 94 days
- Born San Francisco
- Star sign: CapricornThe sign runs December 22 to January 19
- Also credited as Kathleen Ann Chalfant
Movie Career
- Films
- 18
- Career span
- 38 years1987 to 2025
First and latest
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Early training
In New York, Chalfant trained under Wynn Handman, a protege of Sanford Meisner, and she also studied with Alessandro Fersen in Rome.
Getting ready for a role
In 1998, Chalfant played Vivian Bearing in Margaret Edson's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Wit, and she shaved her head for the role. She earned the Outer Circle Critics, Drama Desk, Obie and Lucille Lortel awards for that performance.
A change of course
In the mid-1970s, before she became an actor, Chalfant was a Production Coordinator at Playwrights Horizons. Her first project there was Demons: A Possession by Robert Karmon.
Kathleen Chalfant movies on Netflix
Familiar Touchas Ruth
Oldas Agnes
Ambition's Debtas Soothsayer
Class Rankas Barbara – The Editor in Chief
They Shall Not Perishas Mabel Elliot
Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fightas Ethel Harlan
Duplicityas Pam Frailes
Georgia O'Keeffeas Mrs. Stieglitz
First Bornas Mrs. Kasperian
Perfect Strangeras Elizabeth Clayton
Kinseyas Barbara Merkle
The Laramie Projectas Anonymous Female Rancher
A Price Above Rubiesas Beggar Woman
The Last Days of Discoas Zenia
Junioras Casitas Madres Receptionist
Tales from the Darkside: The Movieas Dean (segment "Lot 249")
Miss Firecrackeras Miss Lilly
Five Cornersas Mrs. Fitzgerald
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Six actors appear in two of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.







Films together
Steve Buscemi2 films together, 1990 to 2002
Steve Buscemi's page The Laramie Project2002IMDb rating 7.1Chalfant as Anonymous Female RancherBuscemi as Doc O'Connor
Tales from the Darkside: The Movie1990IMDb rating 6.2Chalfant as Dean (segment "Lot 249")Buscemi as Bellingham (segment "Lot 249")
Ed Begley Jr.2 films together, 2009 to 2013
Ed Begley Jr.'s page Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight2013IMDb rating 6.7Chalfant as Ethel HarlanBegley as Justice Harry Blackmun
Georgia O'Keeffe2009IMDb rating 6.5Chalfant as Mrs. StieglitzBegley as Dr. Lee Steiglita
Dylan Baker2 films together, 2002 to 2004
Dylan Baker's page Kinsey2004IMDb rating 7.0Chalfant as Barbara MerkleBaker as Alan Gregg
The Laramie Project2002IMDb rating 7.1Chalfant as Anonymous Female RancherBaker as Rulon Stacey
Tim Robbins2 films together, 1987 to 1989
Tim Robbins's page Miss Firecracker1989IMDb rating 6.1Chalfant as Miss LillyRobbins as Delmount Williams
Five Corners1987IMDb rating 6.1Chalfant as Mrs. FitzgeraldRobbins as Harry
Frank Langella2 films together, 1994 to 2013
Frank Langella's page Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight2013IMDb rating 6.7Chalfant as Ethel HarlanLangella as Chief Justice Warren Burger
Junior1994IMDb rating 4.8Chalfant as Casitas Madres ReceptionistLangella as Noah Banes
Laura Linney2 films together, 2002 to 2004
Laura Linney's page Kinsey2004IMDb rating 7.0Chalfant as Barbara MerkleLinney as Clara McMillen
The Laramie Project2002IMDb rating 7.1Chalfant as Anonymous Female RancherLinney as Sherry Johnson
Box office
What Kathleen Chalfant's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$388 million
9 of the 18 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 18 films: 9 worldwide figure; 3 us gross only; 4 never in cinemas; 2 figure not found.
- 9Worldwide figure
- 3US gross only
- 4Never in cinemas
- 2Figure not found
Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 100% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$108M27.9% of the total
- 2$90M23.2% of the total
- 3$78M20.1% of the total
- 4$73M18.8% of the total
- 5$17M4.4% of the total
- 6$16M4.2% of the total
- 7$3.0M0.8% of the total
- 8$1.1M0.3% of the total
Awards
Three awards and honors.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other honors | |||
| 1999 | Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Lead Actress | Won | |
| Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play | Won | ||
| Drama League Award | Won | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.










