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Jackie Harris on "Roseanne"
Three-time Emmy Award winner Laurie Metcalf had the classic Midwestern small-town childhood. The oldest of three children, she was raised in rural Edwardsville, Illinois, where her father was comptroller at Southern Illinois University, and her mother is presently a librarian. Back in her grade school days, Laurie would put on plays with the local kids. Following graduation from high school, Laurie attended Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois. Fate decided her future. At ISU, she met a group of students - among them John Malkovich, Joan Allen and Gary Sinise - who, in 1976, founded the celebrated Steppenwolf Theatre. That summer they constructed an 88-seat theater in a church basement in Highland Park, Illinois, and put on their first four plays. Laurie completed her B.A. degree in theater arts in 1977.
She lived in Chicago for the next eight years, acting at the Steppenwolf Theatre, which moved to ever-larger venues and became established as one of the premier theatrical showcases in the country.
In 1983, Laurie went with the company to New York in a production of "Balm in Gilead," for which she received the 1984 Obie Award for Best Actress. She relocated to Manhattan and began accumulating screen credits while still performing in the theater. She made her feature film debut in "Desperately Seeking Susan," playing Rosanna Arquette's sister-in-law. Her other movies include: "Making Mr. Right," "Candy Mountain," "Stars and Bars," "Miles From Home," "Uncle Buck," "Internal Affairs" "Pacific Heights," "Mistress," "JFK," "Toy Story," "Leaving Las Vegas" and "Dear God." "Roseanne" was her first TV series as a cast regular.
In 1992 and 1993, she won the Emmy as Best Supporting Actress. And in 1994, Laurie
was nominated for the Emmy in that category. She also received an American Comedy Award
nomination in 1994 for Funniest Supporting Female In A Comedy Series. During her break
from production that year, Laurie made her Broadway debut in Alexandra Gersten's "My Thing
of Love." The actress gained critical acclaim for her dual role as Marguerite/Ferrie in "Libra,"
adapted and staged by John Malkovich for the Steppenwolf Troupe.
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