Born: May 2, 1952, Buffalo, NY, USA
Early days. Father, Lucien Baranski, edited a Polish-language newspaper. Mother- Virginia. Baranski was influenced from a young age by her Polish grandparents, who were both actors. Baranski attended Villa Maria Academy, after which she studied at Juilliard. Then she began working on the New York stage and on various TV shows, and made her film debut in 1982.
Career. Baranski is a distinguished American actress. First major screen credit: A Midsummer Night's Dream (1982). Baranski's Broadway credits include Tom Stoppard’s The Real Thing (1984, for which she got a Tony Award. She played there with Glen Close and Jeremy Irons),Hurlyburly, The House of Blue Leaves, Neal Simon’s Rumors (1989, another Tony Award), Regrets Only and Follies. In 1991 she starred in the first production of Terrence McNally's play Lips Together, Teeth Apart (for which she got a Drama Desk Award). Baranski has done particularly notable work in Jeffrey (1995), in which she played a New York socialite. Baranski had a role as Cybill Shepherd's hard-drinking friend Maryanne Thorpe in the CBS sitcom Cybill, which ran from 1995 until 1998, during which time she hosted Saturday Night Live. She had an uncredited role in the series Now and Again. She later appeared in the 2000-2001 sitcom Welcome to New York and, with John Larroquette, in the 2003-2004 NBC sitcom Happy Family. Her film credits include Addams Family Values, Chicago (2002 Academy Award® winner for Best Picture with Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta Jones and Richard Gere), How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, Bulworth, Bowfinger (1999, a memorable performance as a struggling actress sharing the screen with Steve Martin, Heather Graham, and Eddie Murphy), The Birdcage (1996, which featured her as the brassy mother of Robin Williams' grown son), and Cruel Intentions (1999, in which she did a hilarious turn as a New York socialite). She also received rave reviews for her portrayal of Mrs. Lovett in the Kennedy Center's production of Sweeney Todd. Baranski appeared in the title role in the Kennedy Center's production of Mame in 2006.
In 1983 she married the actor Matthew Cowles with whom she has two daughters- Lily and Isabell. She raised her daughters without television because she doesn't approve of the sexual content and violence on the screen. The family lives in Connecticut.
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