Mary Kay Place Biography, Actress, Age, Height, Net Worth, Husband, Movies, TV Shows, Albums

Mary Kay Place Biography

Mary Kay Place is an American actress, singer, director and screenwriter. Place is known for portraying Loretta Haggers on the television series Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, a role that won her the 1977 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Comedy Series.

Place’s numerous film appearances include Private Benjamin in 1980, The Big Chill in 1983, Captain Ron in 1992 and Francis Ford Coppola’s 1997 drama, The Rainmaker. She also recorded three studio albums for Columbia Records, one in the Haggers persona, which included the Top Ten country music hit “Baby Boy.

Mary Kay Place Age

Mary Kay Place was born on September 23, 1947 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. She is 71 years old as of 2018.

Mary Kay Place Height

Mary Kay Place stands at a height of 1.55 m.

Mary Kay Place Husband

Mary Kay Place is neither married nor does she have any child. In case one is wondering if she is a lesbian probably because she is neither married nor with a child, we are unable to link her with any partner, she is hardly a lesbian.

Mary Kay Place Net Worth

Mary Kay PlaceMary Kay Place has an estimated net worth of $8 million.

Mary Kay Place Parents

Mary Kay Place is a daughter to Gwendolyn Lucille (née Johnson) and Bradley Eugene Place.

Mary Kay Place Education

Mary Kay Place graduated from Nathan Hale High School and the University of Tulsa, where her father was an art professor, she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority and received a speech degree.

Mary Kay Place Career

Mary Kay Place  moved to Hollywood with aspirations of becoming a writer and an actress. In the 1970s, she was hired for The Tim Conway Comedy Hour as a production assistant to both Conway and producer Norman Lear. Conway gave Place her first on-camera break, while Lear saw to it that Place received her first writing credit on his subsequent All in the Family.

On the episode, Place and actress Patty Weaver sang “If Communism Comes Knocking on Your Door, Don’t Answer It.” Place appeared in the third-season episode of M*A*S*H titled “Springtime”, for which she also received writing credits.

Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and musical career

In Mary Hartman (1976–1977), Lear then cast her in the role of would-be country and western star Loretta Haggers on the satirical soap opera Mary Hartman. Place won an Emmy Award for her work as Loretta and was later nominated for a Grammy Award for her spin-off musical album ”Tonite! At the Capri Lounge Loretta Haggers”. She wrote two of the songs on Tonite!: “Vitamin L” and “Baby Boy,” both of which she sang on the program as Loretta.

Both Tonite! At the Capri Lounge Loretta Haggers and its follow up Aimin’ To Please featured A-list country and pop performers from the 1970s. Dolly Parton provided backing vocals as well as the song “All I Can Do” (which Parton also wrote) on whom the Loretta character was loosely based,. Emmylou Harris, Anne Murray and Nicolette Larson sang backup as well. Aimin’ to Please’s “Something to Brag About,” in 1977, a duet with Willie Nelson, earned the pair a place on the music charts.

Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman was one of the biggest cult television programs of all time. The show ended in 1977 when Louise Lasser left the show, but the remaining cast stayed on for one more year to tape Forever Fernwood. The series ended with Loretta finding out Charlie was not sterile immediately before giving birth to quintuplets which were conceived by artificial insemination.

While working on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Place also wrote scripts for several TV situation comedies, including M*A*S*H, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Phyllis usually in collaboration with Linda Bloodworth-Thomason (who would later create Designing Women). Place appeared in the episode “Springtime,” which she co-wrote with Bloodworth. Place also made an appearance in the sitcom All in the Family in the episode “Archie Goes Too Far” as Betty Sue. In 1977 Place hosted Saturday Night Live and was one of the few hosts who also appeared as the musical guest (with Willie Nelson on the duet “Something to Brag About”

Late 1970s through 1990s

In the 1977, Place accompanied on sax by a character played by Robert De Niro, sings Blue Moon musical drama New York, New York, directed by Martin Scorsese. In the 1979 Burt Reynolds romantic comedy, Starting Over, she plays the first woman Reynolds dates after a divorce. Place had a key role in the Lawrence Kasdan ensemble piece The Big Chill as Meg in 1983, a single corporate attorney who wishes to be impregnated with her first child by one of her past college friends.

The actress appeared in a number of television movies in the late 1980s and early 1990s and a starring role in the 1992 Kurt Russell and Martin Short comedy Captain Ron. Place returned to television in 1994 in the recurring role of Camille Cherski on My So-Called Life. She comically portrayed an evangelistic pro-life activist in Alexander Payne’s debut feature film Citizen Ruth in 1996. Place had a strong dramatic role as Dot Black, mother of a terminally ill young man, in Francis Ford Coppola’s version of John Grisham’s The Rainmaker in 1997.

In the 1996 film Manny & Lo, Place was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for her work. Place plays the matronly Elaine, who would love to have a child and works in a maternity shop, but never married and is past her child-bearing years. Place directed episodes of the HBO sitcom Dream On, the series Baby Boom and NBC’s Friends.

Place provided at least two voices for Fox’s animated show King of the Hill in an episode in which Peggy Hill competes in the Mrs. Heimlich County Pageant. Place voiced both a coordinator and the competitor of the pageant. She appeared in Being John Malkovich as the receptionist with a reception problem, Floris and in Girl, Interrupted. While not in any scenes together, this marked the third time that Place had done a film with one of her former My So-Called Life co-stars: first with Claire Danes in The Rainmaker, second with Bess Armstrong in Pecker, then with Jared Leto.

2000–present

The actress co-directed Don Henley’s video for “Taking You Home” in 2000. Place had a small role in her second Lisa Krueger movie, Committed. In a 2001 episode of NBC’s The West Wing, she played the United States Surgeon General. The character returned in the 2004 season. Place had a self-referential moment as a Maupin character during the Mary Hartman era in which the series is set, in the original PBS mini-series Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City.

Laura Linney’s character often watched Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. The Tales franchise was piched up by Showtime, but Place was not in the second installment. Place did have a role in the third mini-series, Further Tales of the City (2001), which featured her in the role of “Prue Giroux.”

Mary Kay Place  had a sizable role in the Reese Witherspoon movie Sweet Home Alabama as Witherspoon’s character’s mother, Pearl Smooter in 2002. That same year Place was in Human Nature starring Tim Robbins and Patricia Arquette and A Woman’s a Helluva Thing with Penelope Ann Miller as well as with Albert Brooks in the dark comedy My First Mister.

The story focuses on a developing relationship between Leelee Sobieski, an isolated rebellious 18-year-old and an engaging older man Brooks. Place played as Brooks’ best friend. The film marked the directorial debut of actress Christine Lahti.

In the film Latter Days (2003), Place played a Mormon mother. She had a recurring role in HBO’s Big Love from 2006 to 2011, playing Adaleen Grant, the mother of the Chloë Sevigny character, Nicki. Place and Lily Tomlin did the pilot and 5 episodes of 12 Miles of Bad Road from Harry Thomason and Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, who wrote television scripts with Place in the 1970s.

HBO chose not to air the series and producers were seeking other networks to air it. Placehe served as the voice of Julie Powell’s mother in the film Julie & Julia in 2009. Place recently joined the cast of HBO’s comedy Bored to Death. She appeared as Bryan’s mother on The New Normal in 2013. She also provided the voice of Anne Hathaway’s mother in The Intern in 2015. Place plays Maria Bamford’s mother in the Netflix series Lady Dynamite.

Mary Kay Place Movies

Year

Title

Role

Notes

1976

Bound for Glory

Sue Ann

1977

New York, New York

Bernice Bennett

1979

More American Graffiti

Teensa

1979

Starting Over

Marie

1980

Private Benjamin

Pvt. Mary Lou Glass

1981

Modern Problems

Lorraine

1982

Waltz Across Texas

Kit Peabody

1983

The Big Chill

Meg Jones

1983

Terms of Endearment

Doris (voice)

1985

Smooth Talk

Katherine

1988

A New Life

Donna

1990

Bright Angel

Judy

1991

Samantha

Marilyn

1992

Captain Ron

Katherine Harvey

1994

Teresa’s Tattoo

Nora

1996

Citizen Ruth

Gail Stoney

1996

Manny & Lo

Elaine

1997

Eye of God

Claire Spencer

1997

The Rainmaker

Dot Black

1998

Naturally Native

Madame Celeste

1998

How to Make the Cruelest Month

Mary Bryant

1998

Pecker

Joyce

1999

Judgment Day: The Ellie Nesler Story

Jan Martinez

1999

Being John Malkovich

Floris

1999

Girl, Interrupted

Barbara Gilcrest

2001

My First Mister

Patty

2001

Nailed

Fern Romano

2001

The Safety of Objects

Helen Christianson

2002

Sweet Home Alabama

Pearl Smooter

2003

Latter Days

Sister Gladys Davis

2004

Evergreen

Susan

2004

Killer Diller

Dr. Gwen Bradley

2004

Silver City

Grace Seymour

2005

Lonesome Jim

Sally

2005

Nine Lives

Dr. Alma Wyatt

2007

War Eagle, Arkansas

Jessie

2007

Mama’s Boy

Barbara

2008

City of Ember

Mrs. Murdo

2009

It’s Complicated

Joanne

2010

Leonie

Albiana Gilmour

2012

Smashed

Rochelle

2013

Bad Milo!

Beatrice

2013

You’re in Charge

Penny Guidry

2014

Miss Meadows

Mrs. Davenport

2014

Last Weekend

Jeannie

2015

I’ll See You in My Dreams

Rona

2015

The Breakup Girl

Joan Baker

2016

The Hollars

Pam

2016

Youth in Oregon

Estelle Engersol

2017

Downsizing

Land’s End Customer

2018

State Like Sleep

Elaine

2018

Diane

Diane

Mary Kay Place TV Shows

Year

Title

Role

Notes

1973

All in the Family

Betty Sue

“Archie Goes Too Far”

1974

M*A*S*H

Lt. Louise Simmons

“Springtime”

1975

The Mary Tyler Moore Show

Sally Jo Hotchkiss

“Murray in Love”

1976

The Cheerleaders

Margie

TV film

1976–77

Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman

Loretta Haggers

Main role

1977

Forever Fernwood

Loretta Haggers

TV series

1980

Act of Love

Becky Wiggins

TV film

1984

ABC Afterschool Special

Ellie Skinner

“Mom’s on Strike”

1984

For Love or Money

K.K

TV film

1985

The History of White People in America

Joyce Harrison

TV film

1986

Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color

Prissy Thrash

“The Girl Who Spelled Freedom”

1986

The History of White People in America: Volume II

Joyce Harrison

TV film

1988

Portrait of a White Marriage

Joyce Harrison

1989

Out on the Edge

Sondra Evetts

TV film

1990

Thirtysomething

Patsy Klein

“Happy New Year”

1990

Traitor in My House

Elizabeth Van Lew

TV film

1991

Crazy from the Heart

Merrilee Playton

TV film

1992

Bed of Lies

Jean Daniel Murph

TV film

1992

Just My Imagination

Shilda Hawk

TV film

1993

Telling Secrets

Shelley Jefferson Carp

TV film

1993

Tales of the City

Prue Giroux

TV miniseries

1994

In the Line of Duty: The Price of Vengeance

Norma Williams

TV film

1994–95

My So-Called Life

Camille Cherski

Recurring role

1995

Chicago Hope

Joanna Kenneally

“Freeze Outs”

1996

My Very Best Friend

Molly Butler

TV film

1996

For My Daughter’s Honor

Betty Ann Dustin

TV film

1997

Love in Another Town

Sam

TV film

1998

Point Last Seen

Coreen Davis

TV film

1998–2009

King of the Hill

Various (voice)

3 episodes

2000

The Wild Thornberrys

Nancy Tucker (voice)

“Birthday Quake”

2001

Further Tales of the City

Prue Giroux

TV miniseries

2001

A Woman’s a Helluva Thing

Cecilia Piloski

TV film

2001

Citizen Baines

Francesca Dunlop

“The Appraisal”

2001–04

The West Wing

Surgeon General Millicent Griffith

“Ellie”, “In the Room”, “Impact Winter”

2002

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Hope Garrett

“Vulnerable”

2004

The Handler

Naomi Prince

“Acts of Congress”

2005

Jack & Bobby

Rev. Rindhart

“A Child of God”

2006

Numb3rs

Hester Stirling

“Protest”

2006–18

Grey’s Anatomy

Olive Warner

3 episodes

2006–11

Big Love

Adaleen Grant

Regular role

2007

The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman

Jeanette

“We’re Number Two!”, “The Carolina Moonshiners”

2008

12 Miles of Bad Road

C.Z. Shakespeare

Main role

2008

Saving Grace

Dorothy Edwina Talbert

“It’s Better When I Can See You”

2008

Pushing Daisies

Annabelle Vandersloop

“The Legend of Merle McQuoddy”

2010

Bored to Death

Kathryn Joiner

Recurring role

2012

The Life & Times of Tim

Dorothy (voice)

“Action Packed Heist/Fall Foliage”

2013

Suburgatory

Gam Gam

“Blowtox and Burlap”

2013

The New Normal

Colleen

“The Big Day”, “Finding Name-O”

2013

A Country Christmas Story

Sarah

TV film

2013

Holidaze

Elaine Gerard

TV film

2014

Rake

Judge Cunningham

“Jury Tamperer”

2014–15

Getting On

Dr. Ann Killigrew

Recurring role

2015

Looking

Sarah

“Looking for a Plot”

2015

Ellen More or Less

Virginia

TV film

2015–16

Grace and Frankie

Amanda

“The End”, “The Credit Cards”, “The Chicken”

2016–17

Lady Dynamite

Marilyn Bamford

Main role

2017

Black-ish

Doctor Harris

“Good Dre Hunting”

2017–18

Imposters

Marsha Bloom

6 episodes

2018

The Romanoffs

Marilyn Hopkins

Episode: “Expectation”

Mary Kay Place As Director or Writer

Year

Title

Notes

1973

The Shape of Things

Writer, TV special

1973–74

M*A*S*H

Writer, “Hot Lips and Empty Arms”, “Springtime”, “Mad Dogs and Servicemen”

1974

Paper Moon

Writer, “Gimme That Old Time Relation”

1974

Friends and Lovers

Writer, “The Groupie”

1975

The Mary Tyler Moore Show

Writer, “Mary’s Delinquent”

1975

Phyllis

Writer, “So Lonely I Could Cry”

1988

Baby Boom

Director, “Stress”

1994

Dream On

Director, “Where There’s Smoke, You’re Fired”, “Those Who Can’t, Edit”

1995

Friends

Director, “The One with the List”

1996

Dream On

Director, “Tenants, Anyone?”

1996

Arliss

Director, “The Company You Keep”

2007

The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman

Director, “Straight up Your Heart”, “Good Times and Great Oldies”

Mary Kay Place Albums

Year

Album

US Country

Label

1976

Tonite! At the Capri Lounge Loretta Haggers

6

Columbia

1977

Aimin’ to Please

40

Columbia

2011

Almost Grown

—

Wounded Bird/Sony

Mary Kay Place Singles

Year

Single

Chart Positions

Album

US Country

US

CAN Country

1976

“Baby Boy”

3

60

6

Tonite! At the Capri Lounge Loretta Haggers
(credited to “Mary Kay Place as Loretta Haggers”)

1977

“Vitamin L”

72

—

—

“Something to Brag About” (with Willie Nelson)

9

—

15

Aimin’ to Please

Mary Kay Place Interview

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