Maggie May Baird (born March 29, 1959) is an American actress, activist, and singer-songwriter. She grew up in Colorado performing music, and studied theater and dance at the University of Utah, before moving to New York City, where she performed on Broadway. She made her television debut in 1981 in the soap opera Another World and her film debut in the 1989 feature An Innocent Man.
Baird continued to act in television and film after moving to Los Angeles in 1991, and became a member and teacher at the Groundlings, a troupe and improvisational theatre school. She acted in 2000s television series such as Bones, The X-Files and Six Feet Under, and provided the voices of Samara in the video game series Mass Effect, and various characters in the Saints Row game series. In 2009, Baird released her debut studio album, We Sail.
Baird married Patrick O'Connell in 1995, with whom she has two children: musicians Finneas O'Connell and Billie Eilish. She wrote and co-starred with her son Finneas in the 2013 film Life Inside Out, which garnered Baird critical acclaim for her performance. In 2016, she edited the music video for "Six Feet Under" for her daughter Billie.
Early life Maggie May Baird was born on March 29, 1959 to Edith (Shaw) and William Norton Baird. Baird was born and raised in Fruita, Colorado. Baird learned the piano and guitar as a teenager. Her older brother is politician Brian Baird. She graduated from Fruita Monument High School in 1977. While Baird was in her 20s, her mother died following a heart attack. Her father also died in 2001 after battling idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Baird studied theater and dance at the University of Utah before later moving to New York City.
Career Baird made her debut television appearance in 1981, playing a supporting role in the American soap opera Another World. After moving to New York City, she performed in the 1985 revival of The Iceman Cometh on Broadway, and several Off-Broadway shows. After several years in New York City, Baird was cast in a play that took place in Anchorage, Alaska, where she met her future husband, Patrick O'Connell on set. In 1991, Baird moved to Los Angeles, California, where she acted in television and film productions such as L.A. Law, Murphy Brown, Walker, Texas Ranger and Picket Fences before spending nine months touring with The Heidi Chronicles in 1990, where she played the role of one of Heidi's friends. She played Taylor Baldwin on the soap opera As the World Turns in 1987 before making her film debut as Stacy in An Innocent Man in 1989.
From 1994 to 2000, Baird was a member and teacher at the Groundlings, an improvisational and sketch comedy troupe and school in Los Angeles. While at the Groundlings, Baird taught and performed with actors such as Will Ferrell, Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy, becoming McCarthy's first improv teacher. Baird has been a voice actress in video games such as the Mass Effect series, the Saints Row series, the EverQuest II series, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, Rogue Galaxy and Vampire: The Masquerade – Redemption.
Some of her notable acting roles from the 2000s to 2010s are Sharon Pearl in The X-Files in 2000, Sandra Hicks in Bones in 2009, Andrea Kuhn in Six Feet Under in 2005, and the asari Samara from the original Mass Effect trilogy. In March 2009, Baird released her debut studio album We Sail, an eleven-track country record.
Baird wrote, co-produced, acted and provided the soundtrack for the film Life Inside Out which was released in October 2013. The film, which explores the relationship between a mother and son through music, features Baird's real-life son Finneas. Gary Goldstein from Los Angeles Times wrote "A beautiful demonstration of a mother's love concludes this special little film on a hugely touching note."
In 2016, Baird edited the music video for the US gold-certified song "Six Feet Under" by her daughter, Billie Eilish. Baird portrayed Zach Galifianakis's sister in a deleted scene from the 2019 film Between Two Ferns: The Movie.
In 2020, amid the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Baird, with the help of her two children, launched Support + Feed, a nonprofit organization that aims to provide plant-based meals to those suffering from food insecurity. The intent of this organization is to address the climate crisis, food equity, and food insecurity.
Personal life Baird is a hobby musician and has recorded two CDs, including We Sail, which is available on iTunes. Baird was a teacher for Music Together for six years and made music a substantial part of her children's lives.
In 1984, Baird met actor Patrick O'Connell while on the set of a play in Anchorage, Alaska. After 11 years of dating, Baird and O'Connell married in 1995. On July 30, 1997, Baird gave birth to the couple's first child, Finneas O'Connell. On December 18, 2001, Baird gave birth to the couple's second child, Billie Eilish O'Connell, in Highland Park, Los Angeles. Baird and O'Connell decided to homeschool their children, with Baird stating: "Homeschooling allows us to let them do the things that they really love to do and not have a giant academic schedule on top of it."
Both of their children are successful singer-songwriters, music producers, and actors. Baird and O'Connell have been supportive of both Eilish and Finneas's careers. As of 2021, they reside in Highland Park, Los Angeles.
While talking about her own religion in 2020, Eilish described her family, which includes Baird, as not religious.
Filmography Television YearTitleRoleNotes1981Another WorldRhonda SadowskiRecurring 1987–1988As the World TurnsTaylor BaldwinRecurring1992L.A. LawRachel MaloneEpisode: "Back to the Suture"1994Walker, Texas RangerJessica Ann PritchardEpisode: "The Reunion"Picket FencesMarjorie Engrams3 episodes1996The Naked TruthFrench Filmmaker's WifeEpisode: "Hollywood Honours Male Prostitute"Chicago HopeGloria NealEpisode: "A Day in the Life"1998Buddy FaroEpisode: "Get Me Cody Swift"L.A. DoctorsEpisode: "Leap of Faith"1999CrashboxVerityVoice FriendsCasting Director No. 2Episode: "The One Where Joey Loses His Insurance"Jack & JillDonnaEpisode: "Fear and Loathing in Gotham"2000JAGVera DukeEpisode: "Surface Warfare"Cover MeChristy Ann HarnickEpisode: "In Plain Sight"Curb Your EnthusiasmCouple #1Episode: "AAMCO"The X-FilesSharon PearlEpisode: "Invocation"2002The West WingMs. Carney, Network News President #3Episode: "The Black Vera Wang"Birds of PreyMother2 episodes2003CharmedDoctorEpisode: "The Day The Magic Died"The Brotherhood of Poland, New HampshireEpisode: "Little Girl Lost"2005Six Feet UnderAndrea KuhnEpisode: "A Coat of White Primer"EverwoodMrs. HarcourtEpisode: "Put on a Happy Face"2008The Starter WifeBlairEpisode: "The Remains of the Snow Day"2009BonesSandra HicksEpisode: "Double Trouble in the Panhandle"2011Days of Our LivesFemale T.V. VoiceEpisode #1.115862013See Dad RunHippie MomEpisode: "See Dad Host a Play Group"
Film YearTitleRoleNotes1989Roe vs. WadeTV movieAn Innocent ManStacy1995SiringoBlancheWhite DwarfScarred Cultist1999Michael Jordan: An American HeroReporterTV movieThe Big SplitTracy's Mom2000Dropping OutWaitressRunning MatesNewscaster #22001ManicRebecca2004Sake Bottle BattleCathy GaffneyShort film2005Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm SchoolLinda Sue2006EragonAdditional voices2011Ice Age: A Mammoth ChristmasAdditional voicesShort film2013Life Inside OutLauraWritten, co-produced, soundtrack2016I Am BeDemeterShort film2021Billie Eilish: The World's a Little BlurryHerselfDocumentary
Video games YearTitleRole1999Battlezone II: Combat CommanderFemale Ensemble2000Vampire: The Masquerade – RedemptionAnezka2004EverQuest II2005Rogue GalaxyAmni RhyzaEverQuest II: Desert of Flames2006Saints RowStilwater's Resident2008Saints Row 2Various2010Mass Effect 2Samara2012Mass Effect 32013Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIIIAdditional voices
Discography TitleAlbum detailsWe Sail Released: March 30, 2009 Label: Self-released Formats: CD, digital download, streaming
Awards and nominations YearOrganizationAwardWorkResult2013Heartland International Film FestivalCrystal Heart Award for Dramatic FeatureLife Inside Out rowspan=3 Crystal Heart Award for Best Premiere2014Phoenix Film FestivalCox Audience AwardBest Picture San Luis Obispo International Film FestivalBest Narrative Feature
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