Alison Martin is an American character actress, writer and producer who has appeared on television, film, in podcasts and onstage. She is, along with Jean Trebek, the editor and co-founder of the podcast and online magazine insidewink. Martin made her Broadway debut playing opposite Nathan Lane in Neil Simon's Laughter on the 23rd Floor and traveled cross country on the national tour. Martin won an Emmy Award for acting in the children's television series A Likely Story for which she both wrote and acted. She garnered a second Emmy nomination for the Lifetime Channel series The World According to Us for which again she both wrote and acted.
Early life Martin was born on September 8 in the Bronx borough of New York City, the only child Joseph G. Martin and Josephine DiLorenzo, both journalists who met and married while working at the New York Daily News.
Joseph G. Martin had a career that spanned more than 45 years. As a reporter for the New York Daily News, he won nearly every possible honor for reporting: a Selurians Award (1950); two George Polk Awards (1952 and 1973) and a Newspaper Guild Page One Award (1956). In 1959, Martin won a Pulitzer Prize for international reporting for a 10-part series co-written with Philip Santori on Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista. The piece predicted the fall of Batista months before it happened and was called “prophetic journalism” by the Pulitzer committee. Martin also served as New York Deputy Police Commissioner for public relations from 1965 to 1968.
Josephine DiLorenzo was raised in the Bronx. A highly gifted student, she graduated high school at 15 and entered Hunter College at 16 years of age. She got a job as one of the first female copyboys at the New York Daily News, working her way up to a reporter. Besides Daily News stories, DiLorenzo wrote celebrity interviews, including in-depth talks with Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor. After becoming a stay-at-home Mom, DiLorenzo continued writing a weekly column for the Daily News titled “Trips and Treats.”
Following her graduation from Ursuline Highschool in the Bronx, Martin attended Boston College, graduating summa cum laude with a degree in Broadcast Communications and Theater. While at Boston College, she co-founded America's second oldest collegiate improv comedy troupe called My Mother's Fleabag which boasts a slew of celebrity alumni such as Amy Poehler.
Career
Television Martin has starred in hundreds of commercials, two of which she improvised that went on to win Clio Awards. She has also made more than forty recurring and guest star appearances in shows including How to Get Away with Murder, The Big Bang Theory, Code Black, American Princess, There's... Johnny!, Grace & Frankie, and The Office.
Film Martin's film appearances include Soul Survivor, The Year of Spectacular Men, Four Christmases, Sleepover, and Blades of Glory. She is also best known on the Comic-Con trail for her work in Larry Blamire's Trail of the Screaming Forehead and The Lost Skeleton Returns Again.
Theater Martin began her theater career in Boston, performing in America's longest running comedy, Shear Madness. In New York, Martin appeared Off-Broadway in original productions of works by Peter Tolan, David Ives and David Mamet. Martin made her Broadway debut opposite Nathan Lane in Neil Simon's Laughter on the 23rd Floor, later continuing with the national tour of the show. Martin is a member of The Echo Theater Company in Los Angeles, most recently performing the role of Soccer Mom in the company's 2019 LA Drama Critics Circle winning production of The Wolves.
Podcasts Martin is currently co-host of the insidewink podcast along with Jean Trebek. Martin also produced and performed in The Audio Adventurebook of Big Dan Frater which won the Gold Nick Danger Mark Time award as best comedy album in 2015.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1986 Life Is a Banquet Joanna Marson TV movie 1993 The Perfect Woman Herself Short film 2004 Sleepover Gabby's Friend 2005 I'm Not Gay Herself Short film 2007 Blades of Glory Female Judge in Stockholm Trail of the Screaming Head Millie Healey 2008 Four Christmases Churchgoer The Lost Skeleton Returns Again Chinfa, Queen of the Cantaloupe People 2009 Dark and Stormy Night Mrs. Cupcupboard 2013 It's a Frame-Up! Symona Boniface Short film Favor Pinback Code Black Judge Lily Taniston 2014 A Zombie Next Door Marge Short film Audrey Tootsie Palmer 2017 The Year of Spectactular Men Marg 2020 RxR Carol Short film Soul Survivor Karen Short film 2022 Mind Thief Norma 2024 Tricks Can Go Wrong Diane Familiar Touch Joan Rock and Doris (try to) Write a Movie Mrs. Dumont
Television Year Title Role Notes 1987-1995 A Likely Story Alison the Librarian 1990 Wish You Were Here Jean Episode: "French Riviera" 1994-1996 Law & Order Miss Dawkins/Dr. Florence Sanders 2 episodes 1995 Girls' Night Out Herself 1996 Party of Five Woman Episode: "Poor Substitutes" Grace Under Fire Mrs. Strauman Episode: "Positively Hateful" Townies Mrs. Hammrick Episode: "Faith, Hope, & Charity" 1997 7th Heaven Teacher Episode: "I Hate You" 1997-1998 Mad About You Muriel 3 episodes 1998 The Naked Truth Bonnie Episode: "Day of the Locos" Cybill Alison Episode: "Don Gianni" Seinfeld Lucy Episode: "The Puerto Rican Day" Oh Baby Nora 2 episodes The Practice Mrs. Blair Episode: "Rhyme and Reason" 1999 Katie Joplin Lana Episode: "Charcoaled Gray" Chicago Hope Antonia Carver Episode: "Upstairs, Downstairs" Maggie Sharon 2 episodes Judging Amy Mrs. Angela Compson Episode: "Witch Hunt" 2000 Freaks and Geeks Katey Desario Episode: "Noshing and Moshing" 2002 Lizzie McGuire Roberta Gordon Episode: "Gordo's Bar Mitzvah" Providence Episode: "Limbo" Philly Adele Foster Episode: "Mojo Rising" NYPD Blue Tess Barry Episode: "Meat Me in the Park" 2003 Without a Trace Mrs. Sawyer Episode: "Sons and Daughters" 2005 Will & Grace Gabby Episode: "Sour Balls" Jack & Bobby Herself Episode: "A Child of God" ER Mrs. Kendrick Episode: "Dream House" 2007 Shark Judge Rita Bardos 2 episodes Tales from the Pub Jane Weldon/Caroline/Ruth Hammond 3 episodes 2009 Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Molly Malloy Episode: "Ourselves Alone" The Office Herself Episode: "Company Picnic" 2011 Desperate Housewives Dr. Lippman 3 episodes Harry's Law Elaine Lister Episode: "Head Games" 2014 The Mentalist Mrs. Macy Episode: " II Tavolo Bianco" 2015 The Audio Adventurebook of Big Dan Frater, Vol. 1 Millie Healey Mad Men Viola Episode: "Severance" The Exes Dorothy Episode: "Gone Girls" 2015-2017 Grace & Frankie Judy 2 episodes 2016 JoJoHead Herself 4 episodes 2017 The Young and the Restless Linda 1 episode Hanazuki: Full of Treasures Chicken Plant 4 episodes There's... Johnny! Lorraine Klavin 3 episodes 2018 Code Black Judge Lily Taniston Episode: "The Business of Saving Lives" The Big Bang Theory Andrea Episode: "The Planetarium Collision" 2019 American Princess Alma Quaid 2 episodes How to Get Away with Murder Ms. Maloney Episode: "I'm the Murderer" 2020 The Audio Adventurebook of Big Dan Fater, Vol. 2 Millie Healey 5 episodes 2021 PEN15 Sandra Episode: "Bat Mitzvah" 2021-2022 General Hospital Professor Kahn 4 episodes 2022 All Rise Morgan Goodwin Episode: "Truth Hurts" 2023 I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson Cam Episode: "When I First Thought of This You Didn't Even Have Hands Up There: You Were Just Walking Straight Up The Wall"
Audio Year Title Role Notes 2015 Damn Dirty Geeks Herself Episode: "Funny Business with Big Dan Frater"
References
External links IMDb insidewink