Margo Martindale (born July 18, 1951) is an American character actress who has appeared on television, film, and stage. In 2011, she won a Primetime Emmy Award and a Critics' Choice Television Award for her recurring role as Mags Bennett on Justified. She was nominated for an Emmy Award four times for her recurring role as Claudia on The Americans, winning it in 2015 and 2016.
Martindale is known for her extensive supporting roles in numerous films such as The Rocketeer (1991), Lorenzo's Oil (1992), The Firm (1993), Dead Man Walking (1995), Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), Marvin's Room (1996), The Hours (2002), Million Dollar Baby (2004), Walk Hard (2007), The Savages (2007), Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009), Secretariat (2010), Win Win (2011), August: Osage County (2013), Instant Family (2018), Uncle Frank (2020), and Cocaine Bear (2023).
She has had numerous recurring roles in shows such as The Good Wife (2015–2016), Impeachment: American Crime Story (2021), and Mrs. Davis (2023). For her portrayal of Bella Abzug on the FX miniseries Mrs. America (2020) she received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie nomination. She also voiced a fictionalized version of herself in the Netflix series BoJack Horseman. She made her Broadway debut in the 2004 revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof for which she received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play.
Early life and education Martindale was born in Jacksonville, Texas, the youngest of three children and only daughter of William Everett and Margaret ( Pruitt) Martindale.
Her oldest brother is the professional golfer and golf course designer Billy Martindale. The middle child, brother Bobby Tim, born 1946, died in 2004 at the age of 58. Margo participated in golf, cheerleading and drama at school, and was crowned Football Sweetheart and Miss Jacksonville High School 1969.
Following graduation in 1969, she attended Lon Morris College, then transferred to the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. While at Michigan, she attended summer courses at Harvard University, appearing onstage with future movie and TV stars Jonathan Frakes and Christopher Reeve.
Career 1980–2010 In the early 1980s, Martindale worked for four years at the Actors Theatre, Louisville, Kentucky, where she became good friends with fellow actress Kathy Bates. One of her first television roles came in the miniseries Lonesome Dove (1989). Martindale starred in several off-Broadway stage productions, most notably originating the role of Truvy Jones in the first production of Steel Magnolias, and starring in its first national tour. Martindale has been described as a character actress. Martindale's film roles include acting alongside Susan Sarandon in both Lorenzo's Oil (1992), and Dead Man Walking (1995). She appeared as Leonardo DiCaprio's character's doctor in Marvin's Room (1997); and as Hilary Swank's character's selfish mother in Million Dollar Baby (2004). Other films include The Human Stain (2003) with Anthony Hopkins and Nicole Kidman, Nobody's Fool (1994) with Paul Newman, 28 Days (2000) with Sandra Bullock, Proof of Life with Russell Crowe and Meg Ryan, and Practical Magic (1998), again with Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock.
Martindale made her Broadway debut in 2004 as Big Mama in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, for which she received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play. A series of character and guest appearances followed in a wide range of TV shows. Martindale played recurring character Camilla Figg on the first three seasons of Dexter and had a recurring role in the A&E courtroom drama 100 Centre Street with Alan Arkin. From 2007 to 2008, she had a recurring role as Nina Burns, a neighbor of the Malloy/"Rich" family in The Riches with Minnie Driver and Eddie Izzard.
2011–present In 2011, Martindale joined the cast of Justified for the second season. She played the role of Mags Bennett, matriarch of the Bennett crime family which controlled much of the drug activity in the fictional version of Harlan County, Kentucky. She won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her performance.
After learning of the nomination, Martindale told CNN she hoped that it would open up more doors for older women in Hollywood. "People really identify with this character [Mags Bennett] and I think it's because it is a character that is powerful and older and extremely mean", she said. She won Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series at the Critics' Choice Television Awards for her role as Mags Bennett. In February 2012 it was announced Martindale had been cast in the ABC comedy pilot Counter Culture, which was not picked up.
Martindale had a role in August: Osage County (2013), a film adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Tracy Letts. She played Mattie Fae Aiken, the sister of lead character Violet Weston (Meryl Streep). Filming took place in the fall and winter of 2012. Martindale returned to television in late January 2013 in the spy drama The Americans on FX Network. She played Claudia, the KGB "handler" of two Soviet spies living in 1980s Cold War America.
She co-starred in the sitcom The Millers on CBS. In 2015, she began a recurring role as Ruth Eastman, Peter Florrick's new campaign manager on The Good Wife. Martindale took up the role of Ruth again in 2018 in season two of The Good Fight, the sequel to The Good Wife. She appears as a fictionalized version of herself on the Netflix animated comedy BoJack Horseman. Her fictional version is easily angered and temperamentally violent, moonlighting as a bank robber and going on frequent criminal heists. BoJack consistently refers to her as "Esteemed Character Actress Margo Martindale", while most other characters begin addressing her with "Beloved."
Martindale played Audrey Bernhardt, matriarch of the family on the Amazon series Sneaky Pete starring Giovanni Ribisi, for the 2015 pilot, the first season which aired in January 2017, and the second and third seasons as well. She also played Mike's Aunt Rosemary in two episodes of Mike & Molly. I Spy, a podcast hosted by Martindale and produced by Foreign Policy, was released in November 2019.
She portrayed Ruth Eastman in The Good Fight (2018–2021) and Senator Elizabeth Guthrie in Your Honor (2020–2021). For her performance as US Congresswoman Bella Abzug on the FX miniseries Mrs. America (2020) for which she received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie.
Personal life Martindale has been married to musician Bill Boals since 1986.
Acting credits Film
Year Title Role Notes 1990 Days of Thunder Donna 1991 Millie 1992 Lorenzo's Oil Wendy Gimble 1993 Emma and Elvis Jenny Nina Huff 1994 Nobody's Fool "Birdy" 1995 Dead Man Walking Sister Collegeville Sabrina Nurse 1996 Marvin's Room Dr. Charlotte Samit Ghosts of Mississippi Clara Mayfield 1997 Critical Care Constance "Connie" Potter Eye of God Dorothy 1998 Twilight Gloria "Mucho" Lamar Practical Magic Linda Bennett 1999 In Dreams Nurse Floyd Ride with the Devil Wilma Brown 2000 28 Days Betty Proof of Life Ivy 2002 Mrs. Latch 2003 It's All About Love Betsy PsychologistAn Unexpected LoveMaggie 2004 Miss Mason Million Dollar Baby Earline Fitzgerald 2006 Out There Jeri Wedding Daze Betsy Paris, je t'aime Carol 2007 Roz Rocket Science Coach Lumbly Mo Pam Macy Rails & Ties Judy Neasy Feast of Love Mrs. Maggarolian Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story Ma Cox 2008 Management Trish Flux 2009 Donna Hannah Montana: The Movie Grandma Ruby Orphan Dr. Browning La soga Flannigan 2010 Forged Dianne Secretariat Elizabeth Hamm Main Street Myrtle Parker 2011 Win Win Eleanor Cohen Scalene Janice Trimble 2013 Beautiful Creatures Aunt Del Bluebird Crystal August: Osage County Mattie Fae Aiken 2014 Heaven is for Real Nancy Rawling 2016 Sophie and the Rising Sun Anne Morrison The Hollars Sally Hollar The Boss Sister Agnes Aluminata Mother's Day Florence "Flo" My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea Mrs. Brinson (voice) 2017 Wilson Alta Table 19 Freda Eckberg Cars 3 Louise "Barnstormer" Nash (voice) Downsizing Woman On Shuttle Cameo 2018 Instant Family Sandy Wagner 2019 Blow the Man Down Enid Nora Devlin The Kitchen Helen O'Carroll 2020 Uncle Frank Mammaw Bledsoe Lazy Susan Mary O'Connell 2022 Family Squares Diane Worth Also C & D Camera Operator 2023 Cocaine Bear Ranger Liz 2025 The Twits Mrs. Twit (voice) 2026 The Long Haul CJ TBA TBA Post-production
Television Year Title Role Notes 1988 Alma TV film 1989 Lonesome Dove "Buffalo" Heiffer Episode: "The Plains" 1994 New York Undercover Nurse Warner Episode: "Tasha" 1996 Law & Order Ms. Best Episode: "Atonement" Ruby Jean and Joe Frankie TV film 1997 ...First Do No Harm Marjean 1999 Homicide: Life on the Street Verna Henderson Episode: "The Same Coin" Earthly Possessions Libby TV film Snoops Hannah Larson Episode: "Pilot" 2000 Perfect Murder, Perfect Town Linda Hoffmann-Pugh TV film 2001 Welcome to New York Rose Episode: "Dusting Diva" May TV film What Girls Learn Lainey 2001–2002 100 Centre Street Michelle Grande 14 episodes 2002 Trish Steger TV film 2003 Ed Amanda Myers Episode: "Partners" Maggie TV film 2004 Iron Jawed Angels Harriot Blatch Plainsong Mrs. Beckman 2005 Silver Bells Mrs. Quinn 2006 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Rita Gabler Episode: "Cage" 2006–2008 Dexter Camilla Figg 5 episodes 2007–2008 Nina Burns Regular role (20 episodes) 2009 Hung Molly Episode: "The Pickle Jar" 2009–2010 Mercy Nurse Klowden Recurring role (11 episodes) 2011 Harry's Law Gina Powell Episode: "Innocent Man" Justified Mags Bennett Recurring role (10 episodes) Chaos Doris Balshik Episodes: "Pilot", "Proof of Life" 2011–2012 Rita Perkins-Hall Main role (16 episodes) 2012 Counter Culture Billie TV film Suits Nell Sawyer Episode: "Meet the New Boss" Person of Interest Barbara Russell Episode: "Bad Code" 2013 Smash Miriam Abramson Episode: "The Fallout" New Girl Bonnie Miller Episode: "Chicago" Masters of Sex Miss Horchow Episode: "Pilot" 2013–2014 Carol Miller Main role (34 episodes) 2013–2018 Claudia Recurring role (32 episodes) 2014–2020 BoJack Horseman Character Actress Margo Martindale Voice; 8 episodes; fictionalized version of self 2015 Mike & Molly Rosemary Ritter Episodes: "Mudlick or Bust" and "Mother From Another Mudlick" 2015–2016 The Good Wife Ruth Eastman Recurring role (13 episodes) 2015–2019 Sneaky Pete Audrey Bernhardt Main role (30 episodes) 2016 BrainDead Dr. Joanne Alaimo Season 1: "Episode 5" 2017–2021 DuckTales Ma Beagle (voice) 8 episodes 2017 The Guest Book Alice 3 episodes 2018–2021 The Good Fight Ruth Eastman 4 episodes 2019 The Act Emma Lois Gisclair Pitre Episode: "A Whole New World" 2020 Mrs. America Bella Abzug Main role; Miniseries 2020–2023 Your Honor Senator Elizabeth Guthrie 9 episodes 2021 Infinity Train Judge Morpho (voice) Recurring; Book 4 – Duet Ada Twist, Scientist Great Aunt Rose (voice) Episode: "Movie Night/The Banana Peel Problem" Impeachment: American Crime Story Lucianne Goldberg 5 episodes 2022 The Watcher Maureen 6 episodes 2023 Accused Joanna Lynn Pierce Episode: "Laura's Story" Mrs. Davis Mother Superior 3 episodes 2024 Big City Greens Dr. Bloom (voice) Episode: "Unguarded" The Chicken Sisters Narrator 8 episodes Doctor Odyssey Ellen Parsons Episode: "I Always Cry At Weddings" The Sticky Ruth Landry 6 episodes 2025 Poker Face Dr. Hamm Episode: "Sloppy Joseph"
Theater Year Title Role Venue(s)1982Talking WithPerformer ("Rodeo")Manhattan Theatre Club1984The Miss Firecracker ContestTess MahoneyManhattan Theatre Club1987Steel MagnoliasTruvyWPA Theater, Lucille Lortel Theatre1990Steel MagnoliasTruvyWestport Country Playhouse1991The Stick WifeBetty ConnorManhattan Theatre Club1995The Sugar Bean SistersFaye ClementineWPA Theater1997Always … Patsy ClineLouiseVariety Arts Theater2003 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Big Mama Music Box Theatre, Broadway