Ann Dowd worked in near anonymity for three decades before becoming one of television's most quietly feared presences. Born in Massachusetts in 1956, the character actress drew first serious notice in the indie 'Compliance' (2012), then won an Emmy as the zealous Aunt Lydia in 'The Handmaid's Tale' (2017- ). She was equally indelible as cult leader Patti Levin in 'The Leftovers' (2014-2017), the sinister Joan in 'Hereditary' (2018) and a grieving mother in the chamber drama 'Mass' (2021). Her specialty is true believers: characters whose conviction makes them terrifying, moving, or both at once. Read more