Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio

Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio is an American stage and movie actress, best known for her role in the 1986 award-winning film ‘The Color of Money’. Mary started acting in local plays when she was studying in the University of Illinois. She made her film debut in 1983 with the crime movie ‘Scarface’ wherein she starred alongside Al Pacino. However, her breakthrough as an actress came in 1986 when she starred in the drama film ‘The Color of Money’. Her role as Carmen fetched her a nomination at the Academy Awards as well as at the Golden Globes. Since then, she has starred in several movies with diverse themes throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Mastrantonio later started focusing on Broadway and television. An accomplished stage actress, she was seen in the hit productions of ‘Twelfth Night’, ‘Henry V’, ‘Measure for Measure’, and ‘Man of La Mancha.’ Her stage roles have earned her a Tony award nomination and two Drama Desk award nominations. Her TV appearances include roles in ‘Law & Order: Criminal Intent’ and ‘Hostages’. She was recently seen in the Netflix series ‘The Punisher’ and the NBC crime drama ‘Blindspot’.

Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio was born on November 17, 1958 in Lombard, Illinois to Frank Mastrantonio and Mary Dominica. Her parents were of Italian descent, and she was raised in Oak Park, Illinois. She graduated from the University of Illinois.

Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio made her film debut as Gina Montana in the Al Pacino-starrer movie ‘Scarface’ in 1983. The movie became commercially successful, and Mastrantonio’s performance received rave reviews. She made her TV debut with ‘Mussolini: The Untold Story’, a miniseries that aired in 1985.
She was next seen in ‘The Color of Money’ as Carmen. The 1986 movie proved to be the biggest breakthrough in her career as she was nominated for both an Oscar and a Golden Globe award. She later starred in ‘Slam Dance’ (1987), ‘The January Man (1989), and ‘The Abyss’ (1989).
In 1991, Mastrantonio portrayed the character of maid Marian in the adventure film ‘Robin Hood: The Prince of Thieves’. Her performance fetched her a nomination for the Saturn Award in the Best Supporting Actress category. Her other movies of the 1990s include ‘White Sands’ (1992), ‘Three Wishes’ (1995), and ‘Two Bits’ (1995).
In 1999, she starred as Donna De Angelo in the John Sayles drama film ‘Limbo’. The movie was a critical success and earned her a Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award nomination for Best Actress. She later starred as Moira Pettigrew in ‘My Life so Far’ in the same year.
Mastrantonio’s film appearance decreased considerably after 2000. She was seen only in three films: ‘The Perfect Storm’ (2000), ‘Standing Room Only’ (2003), and ‘Tabloid’ (2001). She started focusing on stage and began appearing on Broadway more frequently.
Her stage credits include ‘West Side Story’ (1980), ‘Copperfield’ (1981), ‘Man of La Mancha’ (2002), and ‘The Human Comedy’ (1983). At the New York Shakespeare Festival, she appeared in the plays ‘Henry V’, ‘Measure for Measure’, and ‘Twelfth Night’. Her stage performances have earned her a Tony Award and two Drama Desk Award nominations.
In 2001, she starred as Jean Ellison in the TV film ‘The Brooke Ellison Story’, which was based on the life of an American politician. Mastrantonio won the Gracie Allen Award for Outstanding Female Lead in a Drama Special for this role.
She played the recurring role of Anne Cassidy in the American police drama series ‘Without a Trace’. She appeared in nine episodes of the show from 2005 to 2006.
Her first leading role on TV was as Capt. Zoe Callas in ‘Law & Order: Criminal Intent’. She appeared in 14 episodes of the highly-acclaimed series and was praised for her performance by many critics.

In 2012, she was cast in ‘Grimm’, another American fantasy police drama series, as Kelly Burkhardt. The show starred the likes of David Giuntoli, Reggie Lee, and Bree Turner. Mastrantonio later appeared as a guest star in the series ‘Blue Bloods’ (2013).
In the sci-fi comedy series ‘Limitless’, she was cast as a lead character, playing Nasreen 'Naz' Pouran in the first season. However, despite its initial popularity, the series was cancelled by CBS after the first run. She later played the role of Senator Helen Barret in the TV movie ‘Salamander’ (2017).
Her most recent projects include the TV series ‘Blindspot’ and ‘The Punisher’, in which she played leading roles. ‘The Punisher’ was a Netflix adaptation of a Marvel comic strip that was later cancelled after two seasons due to average reception.
In the NBC crime drama series ‘Blindspot’, Mastrantonio essays the role of Madeline Burke. She stars alongside Sullivan Stapleton, Jaimie Alexander, and Audrey Esparza. The show is currently running in its fourth season and has receive positive reviews overall.
Currently, Mastrantonio keeps herself occupied with plays and stage appearances. She is known for her fierce portrayal of difficult roles and has distinguished herself as a dedicated actress.

Mary Mastrantonio is married to Pat O’Connor, an Irish director, since 1990. The couple has two children: Declan and Jack O’Connor.

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