SOUTH AFRICA'S TV WEBSITE
SIGN IN SEARCH MENU
SOUTH AFRICA'S TV WEBSITE


Mary McDonnell

Full / Real Name: Mary Eileen McDonnell
Born: 28 April 1952 (73 years old)
Gender: Female

Rate:

9.0

Add to Actor Favourites

Bio

Mary McDonnell is an American actress best known for her role as President Laura Roslin in the reimagined sci-fi television series Battlestar Galactica.

McDonnell was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and raised in Ithaca, New York. After graduating from the State University of New York at Fredonia, she attended drama school and joined the East Coast's prestigious Long Wharf Theatre Company, with whom she worked for over 20 years.

She won an Obie in 1980 for her work in the play Still Life.

On Broadway, she has performed in productions of Execution of Justice, The Heidi Chronicles, and Summer and Smoke.

After more than 21 years of theatre and television work, McDonnell made her film breakthrough in 1990 as "Stands With A Fist", a European-American raised by Sioux Indians, in Kevin Costner's Dances with Wolves.

She received a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the role.

McDonnell's role in Passion Fish (1992) brought her another Academy Award nomination, this time for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

Her other notable films include Grand Canyon (1991), Sneakers (1992), Independence Day (1996), and Donnie Darko (2001).

On television, McDonnell had her first regular role in 1980 on the soap opera As the World Turns. She starred in 1984 on the short-lived medical sitcom E/R, alongside Elliott Gould and George Clooney.

Coincidentally, she guest-starred in 2001 on the medical series of the same name, ER, which also featured Clooney. She was nominated for an Emmy Award for her five-episode role on the show as Eleanor Carter, the mother of Dr. John Carter.

McDonnell also starred with Patrick Swayze in the 1988 movie, Tiger Warsaw.

In 2003, the cult 1970s show Battlestar Galactica was brought back to life, albeit in a re-imagined form as a three-hour mini-series. McDonnell starred as Laura Roslin, a Secretary of Education who is sworn in as President of the Colonies.

The mini-series effectively served as a pilot for the subsequent series, which was commissioned in a collaborative effort between the Sci Fi Channel and Sky TV.

McDonnell is married to actor Randle Mell, with whom she has two children, Olivia and Michael.


Television Roles

Show

Character

Claudia Colfax

Laura Roslin

Laura Roslin

Laura Roslin

President Laura Roslin

Laura Roslin

Laura Roslin

Eleanor Carter

Ruby Goldfarb

Dr. Virginia Dixon

Captain Sharon Raydor

Captain Sharon Raydor

Captain Sharon Raydor

Captain Sharon Raydor

Captain Sharon Raydor

Captain Sharon Raydor

Vivian Schulte

Captain Sharon Raydor

Captain Sharon Raydor

Captain Sharon Raydor

Sister Theodore


LATEST ARTICLES

New on TV today: Saturday 28 June 2025

The only new show tonight is dance/date hybrid show I Like the Way U Move, which starts a run on S3.


iThonga Teasers - July 2025

It's burning flames! Sanele finds himself caught in a lurve triangle from hell.


On Carte Blanche: Mayday! South Africa's Titanic - Centurion

While Centurion sinks, there's a dangerous world of counterfeit Botox injections going on underground.


Genesis Teasers - July 2025

Money and stardom go straight to Ishmael's head, leading him down a dangerous road.


Sacred Love Teasers - July 2025

Ranbir goes from apologising to Meghla to vowing to erase her from his life in the space of a day.


The River 6 on Mzansi Magic Teasers - July 2025

Cracked! Dimpho finally gets into Lindiwe’s safe but an unpleasant surprise awaits.


New on TV today: Friday 27 June 2025

The final season of Squid Game drops on Netflix and Jay & Pamela are a new reality low on TLC.


1802: Love Defies Time on Mzansi Magic Teasers - July 2025

Run Khosi, run! She's forced into marrying Longamo... can she escape?


Back! Blink Kant Bo 2 Teasers - July 2025

Ferit is shot and rushed to the hospital, where the Korhans blame Seyran.


Skemergrond crystal ball: sneak peek at five Season 2 storylines

This is what happens when you're unable to get over the past and move on.

LATEST SITE ACTIVITY


More activity at TVSA Central



LATEST SOAPIE TEASERS



LATEST SOAPIE TEASERS





×
×

You browser doesn't have Flash, Silverlight, Gears, BrowserPlus or HTML5 support.