Jeannie Berlin


Jeannie Berlin is an American film, television and stage actress and screenwriter, known for her role in the 1972 film The Heartbreak Kid, for which she received Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations. She later played the leading role in Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York, and in the 2000s returned to screen appearing in films such as Margaret, Inherent Vice and Cafe Society, as well as the miniseries The Night Of. In 2018 she played the President of the United States in the series The First.

Early life

Born in Los Angeles, California, Berlin is the daughter of actress Elaine May and inventor Marvin May. Elaine May directed Berlin in the 1972 film The Heartbreak Kid, which garnered her Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress.

Career

Jeannie chose to use her mother's maiden name for her stage name.
Berlin's performance in the 1972 feature film The Heartbreak Kid garnered her Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress. Additional screen credits during the 1970s included Getting Straight, The Strawberry Statement, Portnoy's Complaint, and the leading role in Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York. She also had a leading role in "Old Fashioned Murder", a 1976 episode of Columbo. After an extended absence of several decades from acting in films, she has recently appeared in prominent works such as Margaret, Inherent Vice, and Café Society. She received positive reviews for her performance as prosecutor Helen Weiss in the HBO miniseries The Night Of in 2016.
Berlin made her Broadway theatre debut in May's play After the Night and the Music in 2005. In 2012, she appeared in the play Other Desert Cities at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1969In Name OnlyHeather
1970Getting StraightJudy Kramer
1970The Strawberry StatementGirl with Clipboard
1970On a Clear Day You Can See ForeverGirl in Orphanage
1970Move
1970The Baby MakerCharlotte
1971Two on a BenchHarriet
1972Portnoy's ComplaintBubbles Girardi
1972BoneThe Girl
1972I figli chiedono perché
1972The Heartbreak KidLila KolodnyNew York Film Critics Circle Awards for Best Supporting Actress
National Society of Film Critics Awards for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated - Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
1973Why?The Junkie
1975Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New YorkSheila Levine
1976ColumboJanie BrandtEpisode: "Old Fashioned Murder"
1990In the SpiritCrystalAlso co-writer
2003Miss MatchRisa BarbekoEpisode: "Matchmaker, Matchmaker"
2011MargaretEmilyVillage Voice Film Poll for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated - Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated - National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated - Indiewire Award for Best Supporting Performance
2013My Friend VijayMrs. Korokowski
2014Inherent ViceAunt Reet
2016Café SocietyRose
2016The Night OfHelen WeissMiniseries
2018The FirstPresident Cecily Burke
2019SuccessionCyd PeachRecurring role
2020HuntersRuth HeidelbaumRecurring role