Lisa Emery

Lisa Emery is an American stage, film, and television actress. Emery is best known for playing Darlene Snell on Netflix series Ozark.

Lisa Emery
Born
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Alma materHollins College
Years active1985–present
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1990; div. 2003)​
Children1

Early life

Emery was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the daughter of an aspiring actress from Charlottesville, Virginia and an advertising executive who worked in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. She attended Hollins College, where she planned to study painting, but became interested in drama classes instead because "they were having way more fun." After graduation she studied at the Circle in the Square Theatre School for a year, then began to audition.[1]

Emery moved to New York with her then-longtime boyfriend. They eventually broke up and she enrolled in the Circle in the Square two-year program. She moved to the East Village in 1982.[2]

Career

Emery's theatre credits include The Matchmaker, Dinner with Friends (1999), What the Butler Saw (2000), The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (2006), Talley & Son, Burn This (1987), Rumors, Present Laughter, The Women (2001), Marvin's Room (1991), Abigail's Party (2005), and Relatively Speaking (2011). She has been nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play three times.[3][4]

Emery's film credits include A Map of the World, Unfaithful, The Night Listener, and Margot at the Wedding. On television she had a reoccurring role on Ed and has made guest appearances on Law & Order, Sex and the City, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Third Watch, Fringe, Damages and Jessica Jones. She also had a cast role on Ozark.

Ben Brantley, chief theatre critic at The New York Times, wrote of Emery's performance in Harold Pinter’s A Kind of Alaska, “Lisa Emery gives one of the most affectingly detailed performances now on a New York stage.”[5]

Charles Isherwood, in his review of Relatively Speaking (the one-act “George Is Dead” by Elaine May) for The New York Times, wrote of Emery: "Carla, a thankless straight-woman role played with skill by the fine Lisa Emery..."[6]

In a July 2020 interview for The Natural Aristocrat, Emery spoke about enjoying the unpredictable nature of her Ozark character Darlene Snell. "Every time I get a script, I’m surprised, which is great. It’s not like, ‘Oh, there she goes again!’ I think it’s unpredictable what a great mother she is in her own way."[7]

Personal life

Emery was married to actor Josh Pais; their son, Zane, appeared with his mother in Margot at the Wedding.[8]

Emery did not seek a film or television career and did not think of career strategies. "I take it as it comes... Perhaps I'd regret it if I were less happy now. I live perfectly well and love what I do."[9]

Awards and nominations
  • Drama Desk Award 2011, Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play - The Collection & A Kind of Alaska (nominee)[10]
  • Drama Desk Award 2006, Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play - Abigail's Party (nominee)
  • Drama Desk Award 1992, Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play - Marvin's Room (nominee)
  • Lucille Lortel Award 2009, Outstanding Featured Actress - Distracted (nominee)
  • Lucille Lortel Award 2006, Outstanding Featured Actress - Abigail's Party (nominee)
  • Lucille Lortel Award 2004, Outstanding Lead Actress - Iron (nominee)
  • Obie Awards 2003–2004, Outstanding Performance - Iron (winner)[11][12]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1986 Dreamaniac Rosie
1990 How to Be Louise Nancy
1994 Wolf Party Guest
1997 In & Out Classroom Reporter
1998 Harvest Alice Yates
1999 A Map of the World Susan Durkin
2002 Unfaithful Beth
2002 Roger Dodger Woman in Bar
2002 People I Know Elsa Nye
2003 Marci X Parent
2006 The Night Listener Darlie Noone
2006 Out There Kris
2006 Brother's Shadow Sylvia
2007 Margot at the Wedding Woman with Dog
2009 Cold Souls Cynthia
2013 Admission Mrs. Pressman
2021 Catch the Fair One Debra

Television
Year Title Role Notes
1985 Doubletake Brenda Miniseries
1990 H.E.L.P. Corinne Butler Episode: "Steam Heat"
1991–2009 Law & Order Attorney Weller / Meg Lafferty / Gwen Graham 5 episodes
1993 As the World Turns Dawn Wheeler Episode dated 15 January 1993
1993 Class of '96 Mrs. Farr Episode: "Parents Weekend"
1998 Sex and the City Ruth / Mid 30's Woman Episode: "Three's a Crowd"
2000 Madigan Men Brooke Payton Episode: "The Kid's Alright"
2001 Far East Julia Anderson Television film
2002 Stage on Screen: The Women Nancy Blake Television film
2002–2004 Ed Rita Vessey 3 episodes
2002, 2005 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Anna Gable / Mary Ellen Lesinski 2 episodes
2003 Queens Supreme Mrs. Ali Episode: "Permanent Markers"
2004 The Jury Anneliese Rose Episode: "Too Jung to Die"
2005 Third Watch Ms. Perry Episode: "The Kitchen Sink"
2005 Law & Order: Trial by Jury Lynn Blaylock Episode: "The Abominable Showman"
2007 Damages Laura Watkins Episode: "Sort of Like a Family"
2008 Canterbury's Law Trial Judge Episode: "Baggage"
2008 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Callie's Mother Episode: "Ten Count"
2008 Fringe Paula Kramer Episode: "The Cure"
2011 Louie Karleen 2 episodes
2014 Those Who Kill Irma Episode: "Rocking the Boat"
2015 Elementary Mrs. Barnes Episode: "Absconded"
2015 Jessica Jones Louise Thompson 4 episodes
2017–2022 Ozark Darlene Snell 30 episodes
2018 The Sinner Carolyn Episode: "Part III"
2019 Madam Secretary Maggie Brixton Episode: "Proxy War"
2019 Blindspot Linda Weller Episode: "Everybody Hates Kathy"
2023 The Walking Dead: Dead City The Dama 2 episodes

References
  1. Interview New York Times, December 7, 2003
  2. Meet: Lisa Emery April 9, 2015 Archived April 10, 2015, at archive.today
  3. Emery ibdb.com, accessed November 3, 2015
  4. "Emery Off-Broadway" Archived 2012-08-29 at the Wayback Machine lortel.org, accessed November 3, 2015
  5. Brantley, Ben (November 23, 2010). "Essence of Pinterland, a Terrain Both Warm and Flecked With Ice". The New York Times. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  6. Isherwood, Charles. "Each Family, Tortured in Its Own Way", The New York Times, October 20, 2011, p.C1
  7. Regev, Nir (July 3, 2020). "Lisa Emery talks Ozark's Darlene Snell, Season 4, Coronavirus (Interview)". The Natural Aristocrat.
  8. McCarter, Jeremy (December 7, 2003). "A Working Stiff With Style". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012.
  9. Horwitz, Simi (May 3, 2012). "Lisa Emery Makes a Triple Play in 'Lonely, I'm Not'". Backstage.
  10. "Lisa Emery" playbillvault.com, accessed November 3, 2015
  11. Iron Archived 2015-04-04 at the Wayback Machine lortel.org, accessed November 3, 2015
  12. Zinoman, Jason. "Theater: OBIE Awards" New York Times, May 19, 2004
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