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Joan Cusack

Joan Cusack, 2006
Born Joan Mary Cusack
October 11, 1962 (1962-10-11) (age 47)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation Actress/Comedian
Years active 1980–present
Spouse(s) Richard Burke (1993–present)

Joan Mary Cusack (born October 11, 1962) is an American actress and comedienne.

Personal life

Joan Cusack was born in New York City to an Irish American Catholic family. She was raised in Evanston, Illinois.[1] Her mother, Nancy, is a former mathematics teacher and political activist. Her father, Richard Cusack, as well as her siblings Ann, Bill, John and Susie, have also been actors.

Cusack is an alumna of the University of Wisconsin - Madison. She is married to Chicago attorney Dick Burke, with whom she has two sons, Dylan John and Miles. She also owns a home in Three Oaks Township, MI.

Career

Cusack has twice been nominated for Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, for her work in Working Girl and In & Out. She appeared with her brother John in the movies Sixteen Candles, Grandview, U.S.A., Class, High Fidelity, Grosse Pointe Blank, Say Anything..., Cradle Will Rock, Martian Child, Broadcast News and most recently, War, Inc. She also starred in the short-lived ABC sitcom What About Joan? in 2001-02.

For many years, Cusack was also the commercial spokeswoman for U.S. Cellular.

Cusack was a cast member on the NBC sketch show, Saturday Night Live, from 1985 to 1986. Her recurring characters on Saturday Night Live included, "Salena," a socially inept girl who tries to ask out her boyfriend, "Biff" (played by Jon Lovitz), who is also socially inept. In addition, she did celebrity impersonations of Brooke Shields, Jane Fonda and Queen Elizabeth II.

She currently narrates the public TV animated series Peep and the Big Wide World.

In 2003, both Joan and her brother John signed the "Not in My Name" resolution (along with people such as Noam Chomsky and Susan Sarandon) opposing the invasion of Iraq.

Filmography

Year Film Role
1980 Cutting Loose Minor role
My Bodyguard Shelley
1983 Class Julia
1984 Sixteen Candles Geek Girl #1
Grandview, U.S.A. Mary Maine
1987 The Allnighter Gina
Broadcast News Blair Litton
1988 Stars and Bars Irene Stein
Married to the Mob Rose
Working Girl Cyn
1989 Say Anything... Constance Dobler
1990 Men Don't Leave Jody
My Blue Heaven Hannah Stubs
1991 The Cabinet of Dr. Ramirez Cathy
1992 Hero Evelyn Laplante
Toys Alzatia Zevo
1993 Addams Family Values Debbie Jelinsky
1994 Corrina, Corrina Jonesy
1995 Nine Months Gail Dwyer
Two Much Gloria
1996 Mr. Wrong Inga Gunther
1997 Grosse Pointe Blank Marcella
A Smile Like Yours Nancy Tellen
In & Out Emily Montgomery
1999 Arlington Road Cheryl Lang
Cradle Will Rock Hazel Huffman
Runaway Bride Peggy Flemming
Toy Story 2 Jessie the Yodeling Cowgirl (voice)
2000 High Fidelity Liz
Where the Heart Is Ruth Meyers
2003 School of Rock Rosalie Mullins
Looney Tunes: Back in Action Mother
2004 Raising Helen Jenny Portman
The Last Shot Fanny Nash
2005 Ice Princess Joan Carlyle
Chicken Little Abby Mallard (voice)
2006 Friends with Money Franny
2007 Martian Child Liz
2008 War, Inc. Marsha Dillon
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl Miss Lucinda Bond
2009 Confessions of a Shopaholic Jane Bloomwood
My Sister's Keeper Judge De Salvo
Acceptance Nina
2010 Hoodwinked 2: Hood vs. Evil Witch (voice)
Toy Story 3 Jessie the Yodeling Cowgirl (voice)

Television

References

  1. ^ "Interview with Joan Cusack by Allan Johnson". http://www.joancusack.net/cusack-puts-chicago-on-the-laugh-track.html. Retrieved 2008-11-15. 
  2. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0278255/

External links

   
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