Abbey Bartlet

Background:

Award-winning actress Stockard Channing began turning heads with her supporting role of heiress Fredrika Contessa ‘Freddie’ Biggars/Sullivan in Mike Nichols’ crime comedy The Fortune (1975, brought a Golden Globe nomination). After a long string of acclaimed performances, Channing gained worldwide fame as Abbey Bartlet in the series “The West Wing” (1999-2006), a role that won her an Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, as well as brought five Emmy nominations. The actress also took home five other Emmy nominations thanks to her impressive performance in such films as television’s Echoes in the Darkness (1987), Perfect Witness (1989, TV), “Road to Avonlea” (1994, guest starred as Viola Elliot), An Unexpected Family (1996, TV), The Baby Dance (1998, TV) and the now-airing sitcom “Out of Practice” (show began in 2005, as Dr. Lydia Barnes).

The multi-talented performer also excelled on stage with her performance in “A Day in the Life of Joe Egg” (1985, won a Tony Award) and her Tony-nominated roles in John Guare’s “House of Blue Leaves” (1986), “Four Baboons Adoring the Sun” (1992), Guare’s “Six Degrees of Separation” (1990, received an Oscar nomination after reprising her role in the 1993 movie) and “A Lion in Winter” (1999). In appreciation for her achievements, Channing was handed the 1979 People’s Choice Favorite Motion Picture Supporting Actress, the 2001 San Francisco International Film Festival’s Peter J. Owens Award and the 2003 GLAAD Media’s Golden Gate Award.

Outside the limelight, Channing is an active supporter of abortion rights. In late 2004, she was arrested for DUI, which cost her $390 in fines, a three-year probation period and the order to attend an alcohol education class. On a more private note, Channing was formerly married to Walter Channing (1963-1967), Paul Schmidt (1970-1976), David Debin (1976-1980) and David Rawle (1980-1988). She is now involved with Daniel Gillham.


Mayor’s Sister

Childhood and Family:

Susan Antonia Williams Stockard (later famous as Stockard Channing) was born on February 13, 1944, in the heart of New York City. A second daughter of Lester Napier Stockard (business executive, shipping magnate) and Mary Alice Stockard, Susan has an older sister named Lesly Smith (former Mayor of Palm Beach, Florida). Her father died of cancer in 1950.

After graduating from the Madeira School in McLean, Virginia, Susan studied American History and Literature at the Radcliffe College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the female-only division of Harvard University. In college, she found a huge interest in acting after joining a campus production. After finishing her education with a magna cum laude title, Susan honed in on her acting skills at the Theater Company of Boston.

Susan Stockard, who was first married to artist and businessman Walter Channing (1963-1967), kept “Channing” as her surname. Her next marriages were with playwright Paul Schmidt (1970-1976), screenwriter and producer David Debin (1976-1980) and businessman David Rawle (1980-1988). She now lives with cinematographer Daniel Gillham, whom she first met while filming A Time of Destiny (1988).


Six Degrees of Separation

Career:

Stockard Channing’s love for acting grew after she took a role as Pirate Jenny in her college production of “The Threepenny Opera,” under the direction of Timothy Mayer. In 1966, she made her first professional performance with the Theater Company of Boston in “The Investigation.” It was followed with her off-Broadway debut in “Adaptation/Next” (1969) and the Broadway debut “Two Gentlemen of Verona” (1971, as chorus dancer/singer and understudy to the leading role, played the role in the 1973’s L.A. revival).

Almost at the same time, Channing received a small screen role in the children’s serial program “Sesame Street” (1969-1974). She also took an unaccredited turn as a nurse in The Hospital (1971) before having the role of Judy Stanley in the comedy Up the Sandbox (1972) and the leading role of Miriam Knight in the TV film The Girl Most Likely to... (1973).

A guest performer in the drama series “Medical Center” (1974), Channing attracted the attention of director Mike Nichols, who then cast her in the starring role of daffy heiress Fredrika Contessa ‘Freddie’ Biggars/Sullivan, alongside Warren Beatty and Jack Nicholson, in the crime comedy The Fortune (1975). Her fine performance in the movie soon earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Acting Debut. A year later, she performed in the L.A. staging of “Vanities” (1976), with Sandy Duncan and Lucie Arnaz. Channing was then seen with roles in Sweet Revenge (1976, starred as Vurrla Kowsky), the TV drama Lucan (1977) and the John Travolta vehicle Grease (1978, played Betty Rizzo), before headlining her own comedy series “Stockard Channing in Just Friends” (1979, as Susan Hughes) and “The Stockard Channing Show” (1980).

The 1979 People’s Choice Favorite Motion Picture Supporting Actress then costarred with David Carradine in the adventure movie Safari 3000 (1982), played Jocelyn Norris in the mystery drama Without a Trace (1983) and took a role in Table Settings (1984, TV). Also in 1984, Channing joined Kander and Ebb in their musical production “The Rink.” The actress then beautifully portrayed an optimistic mother in the play “A Day in the Life of Joe Egg” (1985) and won a Tony for Best Actress in a Play. She next earned a Tony nomination for Best Actress after playing Bunny Flingus in John Guare’s “House of Blue Leaves” (1986).

After having roles in Not My Kid (1985, TV) and The Men’s Club (1986, as Nancy), the versatile actress picked up an Emmy nomination for her supporting role as Susan Reinert in the based-on-fact TV film Echoes in the Darkness (1987). It was quickly ensued by her engaging performance as Marion in the drama Tidy Endings (1988, won a CableACE award) and her Emmy-nominated supporting turn as Liz Sapperstein in the HBO movie Perfect Witness (1989).

Replacing actress Blythe Danner, Channing astonished stage audiences with her portrayal of Louisa ‘Ouisa’ Kittredge in John Guare’s “Six Degrees of Separation” (1990), which brought her a second Tony nomination. After appearing in the movies Married to It (1991) and Bitter Moon (1992), the performer swept up her next Tony nomination for her role in Guare’s staging of “Four Baboons Adoring the Sun” (1992).

In 1993, Channing brilliantly reprised her role of Ouisa Kittredge on the silver screen and received an Oscar and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress. Continuing the triumph, she presented an Emmy-nominated guest appearance as Viola Elliot in Disney channel’s “Road to Avonlea” (1994) and a fine portrayal of Ruby McNutt in the drama comedy Smoke (1995, earned a Screen Actors Guild nomination).

Furthermore, Channing took home a National Board of Review for her acting as Cynthia Swann Griffin in the ensemble movie The First Wives Club (1996). The same year, she was also praised for such roles as Marcia McGrath in Up Close & Personal (1996, won a Blockbuster Entertainment award) and Barbara Whitney in the TV movie An Unexpected Family (1996, brought in an Emmy nomination). The voice of guest character Mrs. Holloway in the animated series “King of the Hill (1997) resumed her victorious journey with the leading role of Rachel Luckman in the drama about adoption, The Baby Dance (1998, collected an Emmy, a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild nomination) and the Blockbuster Entertainment award-winning turn as Aunt Frances Owens in the romantic comedy Practical Magic (1998).

Channing, who previously rocked the stage with her title turn in “Hapgood” (1995) and her role in “The Little Foxes” (1997), provided a lovely turn as Eleanor of Aquataine in the revival of “A Lion in Winter” (1999) and brought home a Tony nomination. On TV, the actress voiced the recurring character of Commissioner Barbara Gordon in the animated series “Batman Beyond” (1999-2000, 2001) before gaining further fame with the role of first lady Abbey Bartlet in the acclaimed “The West Wing” (1999-2006). Thanks to her impressive acting, Channing won an Emmy and a Screen Actors Guild for Best Supporting Actress, as well as collected 5 Emmy and 5 Screen Actors Guild nominations.

The recipient of the 2001 San Francisco International Film Festival’s Peter J. Owens award delivered captivating turns as a lesbian’s mom named Janice in the TV drama The Truth about Jane (2000, earned a Screen Actors Guild nomination), Julie Styron in the drama thriller The Business of Strangers (2001, won a London Critics Circle Film’s Actress of the Year) and Judy Shepard in The Matthew Shepard Story (2002, TV, received an Emmy and a Screen Actors Guild award). After carrying out the role of Klara, Hitler’s wife, in Hitler: The Rise of Evil (2003, TV), Channing brought home a Daytime Emmy for her starring turn as Anne in the adaptation of A.M. Homes’ novel, Jack (2004, TV).

Within a year, the accomplished performer joined the cast of the sitcom “Out of Practice” (show began in 2005) and accepted another Emmy nomination for Best Actress. While working on the series, she will appear in the UK drama Sparkle (2006). Channing, who in 2003 received a GLAAD Media’s Golden Gate award, will also try her hand at directing and producing with the upcoming drama comedy The Joy of Funerals, which is scheduled for release in 2006.


Awards:

- Daytime Emmy: Outstanding Performer in a Children/Youth/Family Special, Jack, 2005
- GLAAD Media: Golden Gate Award, 2003
- London Critics Circle Film: Actress of the Year, The Business Of Strangers, 2003
- Screen Actors Guild: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries, The Matthew Shepard Story, 2003
- Screen Actors Guild: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, “The West Wing,” 2002
- Emmy: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, “The West Wing,” 2002
- Emmy: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie, The Matthew Shepard Story, 2002
- San Francisco International Film Festival: Peter J. Owens Award, 2001
- Blockbuster Entertainment: Favorite Supporting Actress - Comedy/Romance, Practical Magic, 1999
- Blockbuster Entertainment: Favorite Supporting Actress - Romance, Up Close & Personal, 1997
- National Board of Review: Best Acting by an Ensemble, The First Wives Club, 1996
- CableACE: Actress in a Dramatic or Theatrical Special, Tidy Endings, 1989
- Tony: Best Actress (Play), “A Day In the Death of Joe Egg,” 1985
- People’s Choice: Favorite Motion Picture Supporting Actress, 1979