Martha Plimpton (born November 16, 1970) is an American actress. She started her career as a teen actress in film before transitioning to adult roles on stage and screen. She has received several awards including a Primetime Emmy Award as well as nominations for three Tony Awards. Her feature-film debut was a supporting role in the political thriller Rollover (1981), and she rose to prominence in the adventure film The Goonies (1985). She later took roles in The Mosquito Coast (1986), Shy People (1987), Running on Empty (1988), Parenthood (1989), Samantha (1991), Beautiful Girls (1996), Small Town Murder Songs (2011), Frozen 2 (2019), and Mass (2021). She is a member of the Carradine family.
On television, she took a recurring guest role on the legal drama The Good Wife (2009–2013) for which she received a Primetime Emmy Award. She was further Emmy-nominated for her leading role as Virginia Chance in the Fox sitcom Raising Hope (2010–2014), and guest spot as a drug addict in the NBC police drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2002). She starred in the ABC sitcom The Real O'Neals (2016–2017).
On stage, Plimpton made her Broadway debut in the play Sixteen Wounded (2004). She was nominated for three consecutive Tony Awards for her performances in Tom Stoppard's The Coast of Utopia (2006–2007), Caryl Churchill's Top Girls (2007–2008), and the musical Pal Joey (2008–2009). She also appeared on Broadway in Shining City (2006–2007), Cymbeline (2007), and A Delicate Balance (2014).
Early life
Plimpton was born in New York City. She is the daughter of actors Keith Carradine and Shelley Plimpton. Her parents met while performing in the original Broadway run of Hair.Yuan, Jada. "92 Minutes With Martha Plimpton" New York Magazine, July 31, 2011 Her paternal grandfather was actor John Carradine.Erickson, Hal. "Keith Carradine Biography" nytimes.com, accessed March 22, 2015Kennedy, Mark. "For Martha Plimpton, Acting Is Really the Only Choice" latimes.com, January 11, 2002 Plimpton is an eighth cousin twice removed of writer and editor George Plimpton. They share the common ancestor, Captain John Plimpton (1620–1678), who was George Plimpton's seventh great-grandparent and Martha Plimpton's ninth great-grandparent. She is also related to cartoonist Bill Plympton, despite the different spelling.Plympton, Bill. "But through my beautiful and talented cousin, Martha Plimpton (the star of Broadway), David, her uncle, was kind enough to do a starring voice in my wonderful film Hair High." She attended the Professional Children's School in Manhattan.Ryzik, Melena. "So Odd, but Lately in Classic Fashion", The New York Times, November 25, 2007. Retrieved November 25, 2007. "On a break from rehearsals for 'Cymbeline' at Lincoln Center, Martha Plimpton dashed outside for a cigarette and immediately ran into a classmate from her alma mater, the nearby Professional Children’s School." Plimpton's first stage appearance was when her mother brought her on stage in costume for the curtain call of the short-lived Broadway play The Leaf People and then another play The Ass and the Heart."Working in the Theatre" April 2004 panel discussion at American Theatre Wing
Career 1980–1989: Early roles and The Goonies Plimpton began her career as a model, securing an early 1980s campaign for Calvin Klein, making an impression as a sophisticated but tomboyish little girl. She made her feature film debut in 1981 with a small role in the film Rollover." 'Rollover' Cast and Crew" allmovie.com, accessed March 23, 2015 In 1984, Plimpton appeared in the Deep South drama The River Rat opposite Tommy Lee Jones, as his "hoydenish daughter"."Overview" The New York Times, accessed March 23, 2015 Her breakthrough performance was as Stef Steinbrenner in the 1985 film The Goonies.Brennan, Sandra. "Martha Plimpton Biography" nytimes.com, accessed March 23, 2015Borel, Kathryn. "Martha Plimpton Interview" believermag.com (excerpt), March/April 2013"Martha Plimpton Filmography" nytimes.com, accessed March 23, 2015 Plimpton also appeared that year in the sitcom Family Ties. This began Plimpton being cast in the role of a rebellious tomboy, beginning with her performance as the Reverend Spellgood (Andre Gregory)'s daughter in the 1986 film The Mosquito Coast, starring Harrison Ford. The critically praised but commercially unsuccessful 1987 film Shy People Canby, Vincent. "Movie Review. 'Shy People' (1987). Black Sheep in a Family" The New York Times, July 1, 1988 was followed by a performance in the 1988 ensemble comedy Stars and Bars.Stars and Bars rottentomatoes.com, accessed March 23, 2015 This was released shortly before Running on Empty, an Oscar-nominated film," 'Running on Empty' Cast and Crew" allmovie.com, accessed March 23, 2015 in which Plimpton appeared opposite River Phoenix, her boyfriend, both 17–18 years of age, like their characters. For this role, she was nominated for a Young Artist Award.
In her late teenaged years, Plimpton was also active in theater, performing in regional theater in Seattle, Washington, where her mother was living at the time. She also began a career making small independent film appearances with supporting roles in big-budget films. Plimpton appeared in the 1988 Woody Allen film Another Woman.Canby, Vincent."Movie Review. 'Another Woman'" The New York Times, October 14, 1988 She starred as a cancer patient in the German film Zwei Frauen (1990) (released in America as Silence Like Glass)."Zwei Frauen Cast and Crew" allmovie.com, accessed March 23, 2015 The film was nominated for a German Film Award as Best Fiction Film. Plimpton shaved her head to play a cancer patient in Zwei Frauen. Plimpton played the independent teenage daughter of Dianne Wiest's character in Parenthood.Parenthood allmovie.com, accessed March 23, 2015 Parenthood grossed over $126 million"'Parenthood' Box Office" powergrid.thewrap.com, accessed March 23, 2015 and received two Oscar nominations,"Awards" allmovie.com, accessed March 23, 2015 one of her most successful movie appearances since The Goonies.
1990–2008: Mature roles and Broadway debut
Plimpton appeared in the Robert De Niro-Jane Fonda 1990 romantic drama Stanley & Iris in a supporting role."'Stanley and Iris' Cast" allmovie.com, accessed March 22, 2015 She also appeared in the 1991 TV movie A Woman At War in the lead role as Helene Moszkiewiez.Bleiler, David. A Woman At War TLA Video & DVD Guide 2005: The Discerning Film Lover's Guide, books.google.com, 2004, Macmillan, p. 689 Plimpton played the starring role of Samantha in the film Samantha (1991)." 'Samantha' Cast" allmovie.com, accessed March 22, 2015 She appeared as an activist in the independent film Inside Monkey Zetterland released in 1993.Howe, Desson. "'Inside Monkey Zetterland' Review" Washington Post, December 3, 1993 Plimpton appeared in the television film Daybreak (1993, HBO).Bleiler, David. TLA Film and Video Guide 2000–2001: The Discerning Film Lover's Guide, books.google.com, 2013, St. Martin's Griffin, Hall, Jane. "A Once and Future Plague: HBO's 'Daybreak' is an allegory that treats AIDS in a political context" latimes.com, May 2, 1993 She appeared in the Showtime television film Chantilly Lace."Chantilly Lace Cast" nytimes.com, accessed March 22, 2015 Plimpton had a featured role in the film Josh and S.A.M. (1993) as a runaway who takes care of the two boys." 'Josh and S.A.M.' Details" The New York Times, accessed March 22, 2015Holden, Stephen. review?res=9B03E6DD1E3AF937A15752C1A965958260 "'Josh and S A M' (1993) Youngsters on the Run From Painful Realities" The New York Times, November 24, 1993 She played the lead in The Beans of Egypt, Maine, based on the Carolyn Chute novel. Plimpton also appeared as herself in the independent film by Eric Schaeffer My Life's in Turnaround (1993), a movie about filmmakers trying to make a movie. She appeared as a close friend of radical feminist Valerie Solanas in the film I Shot Andy Warhol (1996)."Cast and Crew" allmovie.com, accessed March 22, 2015
In 1997, the Showtime Network cast Plimpton as the female lead in a television film, The Defenders: Payback. Two more episodes (The Defenders: Choice of Evils and The Defenders: Taking the First) were aired in 1998. This show was a retooling of the classic television show by the same name, and the characters were descendants of Lawrence Preston, a role reprised by actor E. G. Marshall. Plimpton played the granddaughter, M.J. Preston."Production Begins on Paramount Network Television's 'The Defenders: Payback,' The First of a Series of Two-Hour Telefilms for Showtime" prnewswire.com, May 7, (year not shown), accessed March 22, 2015Rosenberg, Howard. "This Time, 'The Defenders' Will Hold Court on Showtime" latimes.com, September 1, 1997 The intent was to spin the program off as a series, but Marshall died in 1998. The decision was made to not continue production due to Marshall's death.Erickson, Hal. Encyclopedia of Television Law Shows: Factual and Fictional Series About Judges, Lawyers and the Courtroom, 1948–2008, books.google.com, McFarland, 2009, , p.85 Plimpton became involved with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, appearing in Hedda Gabler (2001) among others."Steppenwolf Theatre" company list She appeared in the John Waters film Pecker in 1998. The film received mixed reviews—for example, the SF Gate reviewer wrote, "...Waters' patented brand of off-color fun is watered down", but wrote that Plimpton's work was "solid".Beitiks, Edvins. "John Waters approaches mainstream with 'Pecker'" sfgate.com, September 25, 1998 The 1999 film 200 Cigarettes received generally negative reviews, but the AllMovie reviewer wrote of Plimpton: "...woefully underappreciated Martha Plimpton gets laughs as a bundle of neuroses who grows more and more stressed out as people fail to appear for her party...""Review" allmovie.com, accessed March 22, 2015 In 1999, Plimpton had a recurring role in the sixth season of the NBC medical drama ER as Meg Corwyn.
In 2001, Plimpton starred in The Sleepy Time Gal.The Sleepy Time Gal allmovie.com, accessed March 22, 2015 In 2002, she appeared in the documentary Searching for Debra Winger and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for her guest appearance on the television drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Plimpton was the voice of Miss Crumbles in the 2004 animated film Hair High by Bill Plympton.Genzlinger, Neal. "Movie Review. 'Hair High'" The New York Times, October 18, 2006 In 2004, she guest-starred in an episode of 7th Heaven. Plimpton wrote the episode of the show entitled "Red Socks", which aired in 2005.Hernandez, Ernio. "WB's '7th Heaven' Characters Sing Show Tunes in Feb. 14 Episode" playbill.com, February 14, 2005 She had a recurring role in the NBC show Surface (2005–06)."'Surface' Cast'" tv.com, accessed March 22, 2015 From October 2006 to May 2007, Plimpton was in the stage play The Coast of Utopia, a trilogy of plays by Tom Stoppard at Lincoln Center."'The Coast of Utopia' Listing" playbillvault.com, accessed March 22, 2015 She won a Drama Desk Award and was nominated for a Tony Award for Featured Actress in a Play. From August to September 2007, Plimpton appeared in A Midsummer Night's Dream in the Public Theater Shakespeare in the Park production as "Helena".Hetrick, Adam. "Plimpton, Enos, David, Ferguson Are Central Park Dreamers in 'Midsummer', Opening Aug. 23" playbill.com, August 23, 2007