Ellen Burstyn
Known for
Ellen Burstyn belongs to the royalty of American acting. Born in Detroit in 1932, she conquered the New Hollywood of the seventies with 'The Last Picture Show' (1971), 'The Exorcist' (1973) as the desperate mother Chris MacNeil, and 'Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore' (1974), which won her the Oscar. A quarter century later she delivered a second career-defining performance as the diet-pill-ravaged Sara Goldfarb in 'Requiem for a Dream' (2000). New audiences met her as the elderly Murph in 'Interstellar' (2014). A longtime co-president of the Actors Studio, she is still working past ninety, with the same unguarded intensity.
Ellen Burstyn
75 Movies
31 Series
Ellen Burstyn belongs to the royalty of American acting. Born in Detroit in 1932, she conquered the New Hollywood of the seventies with 'The Last Picture Show' (1971), 'The Exorcist' (1973) as the desperate mother Chris MacNeil, and 'Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore' (1974), which won her the Oscar. A quarter century later she delivered a second career-defining performance as the diet-pill-ravaged Sara Goldfarb in 'Requiem for a Dream' (2000). New audiences met her as the elderly Murph in 'Interstellar' (2014). A longtime co-president of the Actors Studio, she is still working past ninety, with the same unguarded intensity.
Movies
Plays Murph (older)
Interstellar
2014
Plays Chris MacNeil
The Exorcist
1973
Plays Flemming
The Age of Adaline
2015
Plays Sara Goldfarb
Requiem for a Dream
2000
Plays Dr. Lillian Guzetti
The Fountain
2006
Plays Chris MacNeil
The Exorcist: Believer
2023
Plays Sister Summersisle
The Wicker Man
2006
Plays Val Handler
The Yards
2000
Plays Mrs. O'Neil
Dying Young
1991
Plays Barb Weaver
Draft Day
2014
Plays Lois Farrow
The Last Picture Show
1971
Plays Emily
When a Man Loves a Woman
1994
Plays Alice Hyatt
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
1974
Plays Elizabeth Weiss
Pieces of a Woman
2020
Plays Nettie
The Tale
2018
Plays Mildred
Playing by Heart
1998
Plays Hy Dodd
How to Make an American Quilt
1995
Plays Barbara Bush
W.
2008
Plays Mrs. Haberman
The Baby-Sitters Club
1995
Plays Celia Berges
All I Wish
2018
Plays Beatrice Fisher
Custody
2016
Plays Nana
Wiener-Dog
2016
Plays Emily Micallef
The Calling
2014
Plays Miss Addie
The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond
2008
Plays Maura
30 Days
2006
Plays Nana Holbrook
Lucy in the Sky
2019
Plays Mary
Lovely, Still
2009
Plays Swan (voice)
The Velveteen Rabbit
2009
Producer
Plays Josephine Prendergast
The House of Tomorrow
2019
Plays Vivi
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
2002
Plays Laura Strong
Flash
1997
Plays Katherine
According to Greta
2009
Plays Georgiana Carr
Main Street
2010
Plays Helen Wilson
Queen Bees
2021
Plays Sonia Langham
Providence
1977
Plays Doris
Same Time, Next Year
1978
Plays Hagar
The Stone Angel
2007
Plays June Clatterbuck
The Patron Saint of Liars
1998
Plays Mother
Mother, Couch
2024
Plays Doris Baker
Another Happy Day
2011
Plays Dr. Pauline Swenson
For Those Who Think Young
1964
Plays Hannah Ferguson
The Spitfire Grill
1996
Plays Sally
The King of Marvin Gardens
1972
Plays Mook
Deceiver
1997
Plays Shirley
Harry and Tonto
1974
Plays Mother St. John
The Mighty Macs
2011
Plays Helen Greer
Nostalgia
2018
Plays Judith
Roommates
1995
Plays Louisa Mae Cardinal
Wish You Well
2013
Plays Valerie
Three Months
2022
TV Shows
Plays Dolly DeLucca
That's Life
2000
Plays Bernadette 'Bernie' Stabler
Law & Order: Organized Crime
2021
Plays Nancy Davis Dutton
Big Love
2006
Plays Margaret Barrish
Political Animals
2012
Plays Sara Delano Roosevelt
The First Lady
2022
Plays Elizabeth Hale
House of Cards
2013
Plays Bishop Beatrice Congreve
The Book of Daniel
2006
Plays Amy Waters
Gunsmoke
1955
Plays Veronica Steward
A Will of their Own
1998
Plays Mrs. Emerson
Coma
2012
Plays Eve Holland
The Time Tunnel
1966
Plays Betty Benson
77 Sunset Strip
1958
Plays Emmy Mae
Cheyenne
1955
Plays Barbara Sherwood / Lucille Benton
Kraft Suspense Theatre
1963
Plays Wandra Drake
Surfside 6
1960
Plays Mona Winthrope White
Perry Mason
1957
Plays Elizabeth
Hallmark Hall of Fame
1951
Plays Louise
Going My Way
1962
Plays Phyllis Dunning
Bus Stop
1961
Plays Dr. Leslie Fraser
Ben Casey
1961
Plays Nora
The Detectives
1959
Plays Anne Garner
Dr. Kildare
1961
Plays Hilda Wesley
The Defenders
1961
Plays Ann Walters
Letter to Loretta
1953
Plays Donna Whittaker
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
1959
Plays Shirley
Mom
2013
Plays Joan
I'm Dickens, He's Fenster
1962
Plays Margo as Ellen McRae
Checkmate
1960
Plays Sister Sarah Jacob
The Big Valley
1965
Plays Kate Burden
The Virginian
1962
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
Breakdown: 1975
Full Filmography
Mother, Couch
Mother
2024
Film
The Exorcist: Believer
Chris MacNeil
2023
Film
The First Lady
Sara Delano Roosevelt · 6 episodes
2022–
TV
Three Months
Valerie
2022
Film
Queen Bees
Helen Wilson
2021
Film
Watch on the Rhine
Fanny
2021
Film
Law & Order: Organized Crime
Bernadette 'Bernie' Stabler · 27 episodes
2021–
TV
Pieces of a Woman
Elizabeth Weiss
2020
Film
Lucy in the Sky
Nana Holbrook
2019
Film
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Ellen Burstyn and where are they from?
Ellen Burstyn is 93 years old, born on December 7, 1932 in Detroit, Michigan, USA.
What are the most famous roles of Ellen Burstyn?
Ellen Burstyn is best known for roles in Interstellar, Requiem for a Dream, The Exorcist.
How many movies has Ellen Burstyn been in?
Over a 78-year career (since 1948), Ellen Burstyn has appeared in 75 movies and 31 TV shows.
What was Ellen Burstyn's first movie?
The career of Ellen Burstyn began with Easy Out? (1948).
What is Ellen Burstyn's most recent movie or series?
Ellen Burstyn's most recent release is Breakdown: 1975, which premiered on December 18, 2025.
What TV shows has Ellen Burstyn appeared in?
On television, Ellen Burstyn has appeared in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, House of Cards, Mom, Saturday Night Live.
Does Ellen Burstyn have any upcoming projects?
Yes, Ellen Burstyn's upcoming work includes: Flesh Impact (2026).
Ellen Burstyn
1932-12-07 · Detroit, Michigan, USA
Ellen Burstyn (born Edna Rae Gillooly; December 7, 1932) is an American actress. Known for her portrayals of complex women in dramas, she has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards, making her one of the few performers to achieve the "Triple Crown of Acting". She has also received a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award.
Burstyn made her acting debut on Broadway in Fair Game in 1957 before winning the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for Same Time, Next Year (1975). She earned the Academy Award for Best Actress as the widow Alice Hyatt in Martin Scorsese's romantic drama Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974). Her other Oscar-nominated roles were in The Last Picture Show (1971), The Exorcist (1973), Same Time, Next Year (1978), Resurrection (1980), and Requiem for a Dream (2000). Her other notable films include Harry and Tonto (1974), How to Make an American Quilt (1995), Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002), W. (2008), Interstellar (2014), The Age of Adaline (2015), and Pieces of a Woman (2020).
She won Primetime Emmy Awards for her guest role in the NBC legal drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2009) and supporting role in the USA Network political miniseries Political Animals (2013). Her other Emmy-nominated roles include Pack of Lies (1988), Mrs. Harris (2005), Big Love (2008), Draft Day, Flowers in the Attic (both 2014), and House of Cards (2016). Since 2000, she has been co-president of the Actors Studio, a drama school in New York City. In 2013, she was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame for her work onstage.