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Biography

Mary-Louise Parker was born in Fort Jackson, South Carolina on August 2, 1964, the youngest of several children. Her father was a judge and officer in the military, and the family of "army brats" grew up on military bases around the United States. Parker's interest in the arts began during high school, and she went on to major in acting at the North Carolina School of the Arts. Following graduation, she moved to New York City in the mid-'80s to pursue a career in theater. Parker initially found work off-Broadway, and also had a short stint on ABC's daytime soap, Ryan's Hope. In 1988, she made her TV movie debut in the CBS World War II drama Too Young the Hero, quickly followed by her feature film debut as an abused girlfriend in Signs of Life (1989). It wouldn't be long before she visited the award podium again.

Parker picked up another Golden Globe in 2005 for her starring role in Showtime's series Weeds, in which she plays a suburban mother who becomes the neighborhood pot dealer in order to cope with the financial woes that follow her husband's death. Stacked against four of the stars of ratings juggernaut Desperate Housewives, it proved to be a true recognition of her talent and integrity. Along with a recurring role on NBC's The West Wing, the new millennium found Parker delivering her trademark nuanced style in a wide variety of projects, playing opposite Ed Norton in Silence of the Lambs prequel Red Dragon, and appearing as the imperfect mother of Jena Malone in the religious satire Saved!.

Parker's undeniable acting talent was not relegated to low-profile roles and projects, however, as she accepted a part in the epic HBO mini series, Angels in America. Starring alongside greats such as Meryl Streep, Al Pacino, and Emma Thompson, Parker did far more than simply hold her own, earning both an Emmy and a Golden Globe award for her performance.

It wouldn't be long before she visited the award podium again. Parker picked up another Golden Globe in 2005 for her starring role in Showtime's series Weeds, in which she plays a suburban mother who becomes the neighborhood pot dealer in order to cope with the financial woes that follow her husband's death. Stacked against four of the stars of ratings juggernaut Desperate Housewives, it proved to be a true recognition of her talent and integrity.