British-born American actress Frances Fisher started her acting career in theater after moving to New York. She had a successful 14-year stage career in regional and off-Broadway productions before she was cast as Deborah Saxon in the television mystery crime drama series and soap opera The Edge of Night (1976–1981). She has appeared in numerous television series, including minor recurring roles on Guiding Light (1985), Becker (1999), Titus (2002), The Lyon's Den (2003), The Shield (2008), Eureka (2008), Touch (2013), Masters of Sex (2015–2016), and Watchmen (2019). She also had main roles in Strange Luck with D. B. Sweeney (1995), Glory Days with Eddie Cahill (2002), and Resurrection with Kurtwood Smith (2014–2015).
Fisher began acting in films in 1983 with a small role in Can She Bake a Cherry Pie? before going on to appearing in the films Pink Cadillac with Clint Eastwood (1989), Striptease with Demi Moore (1996), and Wild America with Jamey Sheridan (1997). In 1997, she was cast as Ruth DeWitt Bukater in the epic romance and disaster film Titanic, opposite Kate Winslet. The film itself earned significant critical and commercial success, and the role earned Fisher international recognition. She starred in the 2008 drama film Jolene opposite Jessica Chastain and had minor roles in The Lincoln Lawyer (2011), Laws of Attraction (2004), The Host (2013), You're Not You (2014), and Holidate (2020).
Fisher has also appeared in numerous television films including playing Lucille Ball in Lucy & Desi: Before the Laughter (1991), and Janet Lee Bouvier Auchincloss in Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis (2000).
Film
Year Title Role Notes 1983Can She Bake a Cherry Pie?Louise1987Tough Guys Don't DanceJessica PondHeartJeannie1988Patty HearstYolandaBum RapPhyllis1989Lost AngelsJudith Loftis Pink CadillacDinah1990Welcome Home, Roxy CarmichaelRochelle Bossetti1991L.A. StoryJuneFrame UpJo Westlake 1992UnforgivenStrawberry Alice1994BabyfeverRosieMolly & GinaMolly McKennaFrame-Up II: The Cover-UpJo Baker 1995The Stars Fell on HenriettaCora DayThe Whiskey HeirDeirdreShort film1996 Female PerversionsAnnunciataStripteaseDonna Garcia1997Trading FavorsLibrarianWild AmericaAgnes StoufferTitanicRuth DeWitt Bukater1999True CrimeD.A. Cecilia NussbaumThe Big TeaseCandyThe Audrey Hepburn StoryElla van Heemstra2000Gone in 60 SecondsJunie2001The Rising PlaceVirginia Wilder2002Blue CarDelia2003House of Sand and FogConnie Walsh2004Laws of AttractionSara Miller2006The Night of the White PantsVivian Hagan2007Sex and Death 101Hope HartlightThe KingdomElaine FlowersIn the Valley of ElahEvieMy Sexiest YearFaye2008JoleneCindyA Single WomanNarrator/Suffragist 2009 The Perfect GameBetty2010Janie JonesLily Brand Golf in the KingdomEve Greene2011The RoommateAlison EvansSedonaTammyThe Lincoln LawyerMary Windsor2012The Silent ThiefCandi HendersonAny Day NowJudge MeyersonBeverly Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva la Fiesta!Amelia JamesPandora's BoxNicoleShort filmRetributionBettyThe Perfect FitOverwhelmed Girl's BossShort filmFrannyDelores 2013The HostMaggiePlushCamilaRed WingMomma B2014The M WordCarson RileyYou're Not YouGwen2015Woman in GoldBarbara Schoenberg2016Outlaws and AngelsEstherAn American Girl Story – Melody 1963: Love Has to WinMiss AbbotDirect-to-video2017Another Kind of WeddingTammy Bergman2018ShrimpMarieShort film2020HolidateElaine 2021Grace and GritMotherAwakeDoris2023 On Sacred Ground Ricky Reptile Camille Grady The King Tide Faye 2024 Rust Lucas' great aunt
Television
Year Title Role Notes 1976–1981The Edge of NightDeborah Saxon 245 episodes1985Guiding LightSuzette Saxon3 episodes1986The EqualizerAmanda Kaufman Episode: "Nightscape"1987The EqualizerFrancesca Episode: "Mission: McCall"1988RoseanneSavannahEpisode: "Here's to Good Friends"1989NewhartLibbyEpisode: "Hi, Society"MatlockNancy Proctor 2 episodesCBS Summer PlayhouseViolet CoffinEpisode: "Elysian Fields"In the Heat of the NightKate MorellEpisode: "Time of the Stranger"1991The Young RidersClara TurnerEpisode: "A House Divided"1993Law & OrderSusan BoydEpisode: "Animal Instinct"1995Strange LuckAngieMain cast (17 episodes)1999The Outer LimitsLady JuliaEpisode: "Ripper"BeckerDr. Elizabeth Carson 5 episodes2001The X-FilesLizzy GillEpisode: "Essence"2002TitusJuanita Titus 3 episodesGlory DaysMitzi Dolan Main cast (9 episodes)2003The Lyon's DenBrit Hanley5 episodes2004Boston LegalCarrieEpisode: "Still Crazy After All These Years"2005ERHelen KingsleyEpisode: "Just as I Am"MediumAbigail MarshEpisode: "I Married a Mind Reader"2006 Laws of ChanceEvelynEpisode: #1.1Grey's AnatomyBetty JohnsonEpisode: "Damage Case"2007Saving GraceAunt CathyEpisode: "Would You Want Me to Tell You?"2008October RoadEllen DanielsEpisode: "Hat? No Hat?"The ShieldRita4 episodesCold CaseRachel West '08Episode: "Slipping"EurekaEva Thorne8 episodes2009The Mentalist Victoria AbnerEpisode: "Red Scare"2010 Two and a Half MenPriscilla HoneycuttEpisode: "Ixnay on the Oggie Day"Private PracticeRubyEpisode: "War"The Good GuysHelen TraynorEpisode: "Small Rooms"Sons of AnarchyHoneyEpisode: "Home"2011Days of Our LivesGladys Pierce 2 episodes Torchwood: Miracle Day The Mother 2 episodes CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Joanna Sapphire Episode: "Maid Man"2012 A Gifted Man Blanche Tipton Episode: "In Case of Heart Failure" Childrens Hospital Headmistress Episode: "British Hospital"2013 Touch Nicole Farington 5 episodes2014 Castle Matilda King Episode: "Dressed to Kill"2014–2015 Resurrection Lucille Langston Main cast2014 Rectify Peggy Episode: "Donald the Normal" The Killing Gena Geddes Episodes: "Dream Baby Dream" and "Truth Asunder"2015–2016 Masters of Sex Edna Eshelman 4 episodes2016–2019 The Expanse Elise Holden Episodes: "Windmills" and "New Terra"2016 Criminal Minds Antonia Slade Episodes: "Devil's Backbone" and "The Storm"2017 Fargo Vivian Lord Episode: "The Law of Non-Contradiction"2018 Swedish Dicks Warden Johnson 2 episodes2019 Watchmen Jane Crawford 5 episodes2021 The Rookie Evelyn Nolan Episodes: "La Fiera" and "Sabotage" The Sinner Meg Muldoon 8 episodes2023 Capital Fall Mrs. Porter Episode: "An Unconventional Cruiseline"
Television films Year Title Role Notes 1985Broken VowsMaureen Phelan1989Cold Sassy TreeLoma Williams1990Sudie and SimpsonMrs. Marge AllenA Promise to KeepSarah1991Lucy & Desi: Before the LaughterLucille Ball1992DevlinMaryellen 1993Praying MantisBetty Attack of the 50 Ft. WomanDr. Theodora Cushing 1995The Other Mother: A Moment of Truth MovieCarol Schaefer 1999 Traffic 2000Jackie Bouvier Kennedy OnassisJanet Lee Bouvier Auchincloss2001Passion and PrejudiceDr. Gwen Barry 2005Mrs. HarrisMarge Richey Jacobson 2008To Love and DieJanet2010Backyard WeddingEleanor Tyler 2011PartnersColleen Scott2012The Seven Year HitchMrs. Von Hoffman2013The MakeoverAllie Doolittle
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