Margaret Colin
Encyclopedia
Margaret Colin is an American
actress. She is known for her role as Margo Montgomery Hughes
# 1 on As the World Turns
and for her role as Eleanor Waldorf-Rose on Gossip Girl
.
, New York
and raised on Long Island
. She is of Irish
descent and was raised in a Roman Catholic family.
, Colin began her acting career in the soap opera
The Edge of Night
, playing an heiress and former terrorist. In seven months on that show, her character survived seven murder attempts and ended up marrying her stepbrother. She followed that role with a longer stint on As the World Turns
, originating the role of Margo Montgomery, a character that is still part of that show almost 30 years later.
She has appeared on a number of prime time television shows, starting with Foley Square
, Leg Work
, and several early episodes of Chicago Hope
. She played Lisa Wiseman on the 1999 series Now and Again
, with Eric Close
and Dennis Haysbert
. More recently, she has appeared on the Law & Order spinoffs.
Since 2007, Colin has played Eleanor Waldorf, mother of Blair Waldorf
, on the television show Gossip Girl
. In the pilot episode, Eleanor was played by OLTL actress Florencia Lozano
.
Colin has also been in a number of movies, the most well-known of which are probably Something Wild (1986), Three Men and a Baby
(1987), Independence Day
(1996), Unfaithful (2002), and First Daughter
(2004). She also appeared in the play Jackie: An American Life, in which she played Jacqueline Kennedy.
During her 2003 performance of the English play A Day in the Death of Joe Egg
on Broadway
, Colin smoked
her way through the second half of the show and dedicated the performance to Mayor
Michael Bloomberg
in defiance of the state's smoking ban. After the play finished its run, she gave up smoking.
, was born in Brooklyn, New York and was raised on Long Island
. She graduated from Baldwin Senior High School
in 1976.
Colin met actor Justin Deas
when he played her love interest, Tom Hughes, on As the World Turns
. They were married in January 1988. The couple have two sons, Sam and Joe, and Colin is stepmother of her husband's daughter from his first marriage. The family moved to Upper Montclair, New Jersey
in the late 1990s.
She is a pro-life activist and is the honorary co-chair of Feminists for Life, an organization opposed to abortion.
American people of the United States
The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
actress. She is known for her role as Margo Montgomery Hughes
Margo Montgomery Hughes
Margo Hughes is a fictional character on the daytime soap opera As the World Turns a show about working life in the fictional town of Oakdale. She was first played by Margaret Colin, and then by Hillary Bailey Smith for six years...
# 1 on As the World Turns
As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
and for her role as Eleanor Waldorf-Rose on Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl (TV series)
Gossip Girl is an American teen drama television series based on the book series of the same name written by Cecily von Ziegesar. The series was created by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, and premiered on The CW on September 19, 2007...
.
Early life
Margaret Colin was born in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and raised on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
. She is of Irish
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
descent and was raised in a Roman Catholic family.
Career
After graduating from Hofstra UniversityHofstra University
Hofstra University is a private, nonsectarian institution of higher learning located in the Village of Hempstead, New York, United States, about east of New York City: less than an hour away by train or car...
, Colin began her acting career in the soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
The Edge of Night
The Edge of Night
The Edge of Night is an American television mystery series/soap opera produced by Procter & Gamble. It debuted on CBS on April 2, 1956, and ran as a live broadcast on that network until November 28, 1975; the series then moved to ABC, where it aired from December 1, 1975, until December 28, 1984...
, playing an heiress and former terrorist. In seven months on that show, her character survived seven murder attempts and ended up marrying her stepbrother. She followed that role with a longer stint on As the World Turns
As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
, originating the role of Margo Montgomery, a character that is still part of that show almost 30 years later.
She has appeared on a number of prime time television shows, starting with Foley Square
Foley Square
Foley Square is a street intersection and green space in the Civic Center neighborhood of Lower Manhattan, New York City and – by extension – the surrounding area, which is dominated by civic buildings. The space is bordered by Worth Street, Centre Street and Lafayette Street and lies...
, Leg Work
Leg Work
Leg Work is an American detective drama television series created by Frank Abatemarco that premiered on CBS on October 3, 1987. The show was short-lived and only 10 episodes were produced, of which only six were aired prior to the show's cancellation. The final episode aired on November 7, 1987...
, and several early episodes of Chicago Hope
Chicago Hope
Chicago Hope is an American medical drama series created by David E. Kelley that ran from September 18, 1994, to May 5, 2000. It takes place in a fictional private charity hospital.-Premise:The show stars Mandy Patinkin as Dr...
. She played Lisa Wiseman on the 1999 series Now and Again
Now and Again
Now and Again is an American television series that aired in the US from September 24, 1999 until May 5, 2000 on CBS. The story revolves around the United States government engineering the perfect human body for use in espionage, but not being able to yet perfect the brain...
, with Eric Close
Eric Close
Eric Close is an American film and television actor.-Early life:His father is an orthopedic surgeon, and Close is the eldest of three brothers. His family moved to Indiana, then to Michigan, and finally settled in San Diego when Close was seven years old.Close graduated with a B.A...
and Dennis Haysbert
Dennis Haysbert
Dennis Dexter Haysbert is an American film and television actor. He is known for portraying baseball player Pedro Cerrano in the Major League film trilogy, President David Palmer on the American television series 24, and Sergeant Major Jonas Blane on the drama series The Unit, as well as his work...
. More recently, she has appeared on the Law & Order spinoffs.
Since 2007, Colin has played Eleanor Waldorf, mother of Blair Waldorf
Blair Waldorf
Blair Cornelia Waldorf is the main character of Gossip Girl, introduced in the original series of novels and also appearing in their television and manga adaptations. Described as "a girl of extremes" by creator Cecily von Ziegesar, she is a comical overachiever who possesses both snobbish and...
, on the television show Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl (TV series)
Gossip Girl is an American teen drama television series based on the book series of the same name written by Cecily von Ziegesar. The series was created by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, and premiered on The CW on September 19, 2007...
. In the pilot episode, Eleanor was played by OLTL actress Florencia Lozano
Florencia Lozano
Florencia Lozano is an American actress. She has starred as character Téa Delgado on the daytime series One Life to Live, often receiving praise for the portrayal, as the character emerged as one of the genre's most prominent....
.
Colin has also been in a number of movies, the most well-known of which are probably Something Wild (1986), Three Men and a Baby
Three Men and a Baby
Three Men and a Baby is a 1987 comedy film starring Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg, Nancy Travis , and Ted Danson, and directed by Leonard Nimoy, in his first non-Star Trek movie directorial role. It follows the mishaps and adventures of three bachelors as they attempt to adapt their lives to...
(1987), Independence Day
Independence Day (film)
Independence Day is a 1996 science fiction film about an alien invasion of Earth, focusing on a disparate group of individuals and families as they converge in the Nevada desert and, along with the rest of the human population, participate in a last-chance counterattack on July 4 – the same...
(1996), Unfaithful (2002), and First Daughter
First Daughter (2004 film)
First Daughter is a 2004 American romantic comedy released by 20th Century Fox. It stars Katie Holmes as Samantha MacKenzie, daughter of the President of the United States, who enrolls at a college and develops a relationship with another student at the college played by Marc Blucas...
(2004). She also appeared in the play Jackie: An American Life, in which she played Jacqueline Kennedy.
During her 2003 performance of the English play A Day in the Death of Joe Egg
A Day in the Death of Joe Egg
A Day in the Death of Joe Egg is a 1967 play by English playwright Peter Nichols, first staged at the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow, Scotland before transferring to London's West End theatres in 1968.-Plot summary:Characters* Bri* Grace* Joe* Freddie...
on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
, Colin smoked
Smoking
Smoking is a practice in which a substance, most commonly tobacco or cannabis, is burned and the smoke is tasted or inhaled. This is primarily practised as a route of administration for recreational drug use, as combustion releases the active substances in drugs such as nicotine and makes them...
her way through the second half of the show and dedicated the performance to Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
in defiance of the state's smoking ban. After the play finished its run, she gave up smoking.
Personal life
Colin, the daughter of a New York City police officerNew York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
, was born in Brooklyn, New York and was raised on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
. She graduated from Baldwin Senior High School
Baldwin Senior High School (Baldwin, New York)
Baldwin High School is a public secondary school located in Baldwin, Nassau County, New York. The school serves about 1700 students in grades 9 to 12 in the Baldwin Union Free School District. It is the eighth largest in Nassau County.- External links :**...
in 1976.
Colin met actor Justin Deas
Justin Deas
Justin Deas is an American actor. He is known for his role as Tom Hughes #10 on As the World Turns and for his role as Buzz Cooper Sr. on Guiding Light...
when he played her love interest, Tom Hughes, on As the World Turns
As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
. They were married in January 1988. The couple have two sons, Sam and Joe, and Colin is stepmother of her husband's daughter from his first marriage. The family moved to Upper Montclair, New Jersey
Upper Montclair, New Jersey
Upper Montclair is northern Montclair, which is usually reckoned as everything north of Watchung Avenue. Upper Montclair takes up approximately one third of Montclair, New Jersey-Education:...
in the late 1990s.
She is a pro-life activist and is the honorary co-chair of Feminists for Life, an organization opposed to abortion.
Filmography
- 1979: The Edge of NightThe Edge of NightThe Edge of Night is an American television mystery series/soap opera produced by Procter & Gamble. It debuted on CBS on April 2, 1956, and ran as a live broadcast on that network until November 28, 1975; the series then moved to ABC, where it aired from December 1, 1975, until December 28, 1984...
as Paige Madison (21 episodes) - 1982-83: As the World TurnsAs the World TurnsAs the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
as Margo Montgomery HughesMargo Montgomery HughesMargo Hughes is a fictional character on the daytime soap opera As the World Turns a show about working life in the fictional town of Oakdale. She was first played by Margaret Colin, and then by Hillary Bailey Smith for six years...
# 1(6 episodes) - 1985: Foley SquareFoley SquareFoley Square is a street intersection and green space in the Civic Center neighborhood of Lower Manhattan, New York City and – by extension – the surrounding area, which is dominated by civic buildings. The space is bordered by Worth Street, Centre Street and Lafayette Street and lies...
as Asst. D.A. Alex Harrigan (14 episodes) - 1986: Pretty in PinkPretty in PinkPretty in Pink is a 1986 American teen romantic comedy-drama film about teenage love and social cliques in 1980s American high schools. It is one of a group of John Hughes films starring Molly Ringwald, and is commonly identified as a "Brat Pack" film...
as English Teacher - 1986: Something Wild as Irene
- 1987: The Return of Sherlock Holmes as Jane Watson
- 1987: Warm Hearts, Cold Feet as Amy Webster
- 1987: Like Father Like SonLike Father Like Son (1987 film)Like Father Like Son is a 1987 comedy film starring Kirk Cameron and Dudley Moore. This film is a remake of the 1976 classic Disney film Freaky Friday. The film is one of four body swap comedies to appear in the space of a year; the others were the Italian film Da grande , 18 Again! and Vice Versa...
as Ginnie Armbruster - 1987: Leg WorkLeg WorkLeg Work is an American detective drama television series created by Frank Abatemarco that premiered on CBS on October 3, 1987. The show was short-lived and only 10 episodes were produced, of which only six were aired prior to the show's cancellation. The final episode aired on November 7, 1987...
as Claire McCarron (10 episodes) - 1987: Three Men and a BabyThree Men and a BabyThree Men and a Baby is a 1987 comedy film starring Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg, Nancy Travis , and Ted Danson, and directed by Leonard Nimoy, in his first non-Star Trek movie directorial role. It follows the mishaps and adventures of three bachelors as they attempt to adapt their lives to...
as Rebecca - 1988: Magnum, P.I.Magnum, P.I.Magnum, P.I. is an American television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from 1980 to 1988 in first-run broadcast on the American CBS television network....
as Connie Northrop (1 episode) - 1989: True BelieverTrue Believer (1989 film)True Believer is a 1989 courtroom drama directed by Joseph Ruben and released by Columbia Pictures.-Synopsis:The film stars James Woods as burnt-out attorney Eddie Dodd, who has left behind civil rights work to defend drug dealers. Robert Downey Jr...
as Kitty Greer - 1990: Goodnight Sweet Wife: A Murder in Boston as Michelle Caruso
- 1990: Martians Go HomeMartians Go Home (film)Martians Go Home is a 1990 comedy film starring Randy Quaid. It was directed by David Odell and written by Charles S. Haas based on the novel by science fiction author Fredric Brown....
as Sara Brody - 1991-92: SibsSibsSibs was an American sitcom broadcast by ABC as part of its 1991-92 prime time lineup.Sibs starred veteran actress Marsha Mason as Nora Rusico, a successful accountant and Alex Rocco as her longsuffering husband, Howie. The source of most of Howie's suffering was his wife's younger sisters , Audie...
as Audie Ruscio (22 episodes) - 1991: The Butcher's WifeThe Butcher's WifeThe Butcher's Wife is a 1991 romantic comedy film, in which a clairvoyant woman thinks that she's met her future husband , who she has seen in her dreams and is a butcher in New York. They marry and move to the city, where her powers tend to influence everyone she meets while working in the shop...
as Robyn Graves - 1993: Amos & AndrewAmos & AndrewAmos & Andrew is a 1993 comedy starring Nicolas Cage and Samuel L. Jackson, filmed in and around Wilmington, North Carolina. It concerns wealthy African-American playwright Andrew Sterling's purchase of a summer home on a predominantly white island.-Plot:When Andrew Sterling Amos & Andrew is a...
as Judy Gillman - 1994: Related by Birth as Audie
- 1994: Terminal VelocityTerminal Velocity (film)Terminal Velocity is a 1994 action movie starring Charlie Sheen as a daredevil skydiver who becomes mixed up with Russian spies. It was written by David Twohy and directed by Deran Sarafian. Originally, Sheen's role was written for Tom Cruise, although William Baldwin was also considered. The...
as Joline "Jo" (Uncredited) - 1994: Chicago HopeChicago HopeChicago Hope is an American medical drama series created by David E. Kelley that ran from September 18, 1994, to May 5, 2000. It takes place in a fictional private charity hospital.-Premise:The show stars Mandy Patinkin as Dr...
as Dr. Karen Antonovich (5 episodes) - 1995: In the Shadow of Evil as Dr. Molly Nostrand
- 1995: The Wright Verdicts as Sandy Hamor (7 episodes)
- 1996: Independence DayIndependence Day (film)Independence Day is a 1996 science fiction film about an alien invasion of Earth, focusing on a disparate group of individuals and families as they converge in the Nevada desert and, along with the rest of the human population, participate in a last-chance counterattack on July 4 – the same...
as Constance Spano - 1997: Milk & Money as Lorraine
- 1997: The Devil's OwnThe Devil's OwnThe Devil's Own is a 1997 action thriller movie starring Harrison Ford, Brad Pitt, Rubén Blades, Natascha McElhone, Julia Stiles and Treat Williams. It was the final film directed by Alan J...
as Sheila O'Meara - 1997: Time to Say Goodbye?Time to Say Goodbye?Time to Say Goodbye? is a 1997 dramatic film directed by David Hugh Jones. The film is centered around the decision of an elderly family patriarch to end his life, when faced with the degradation of Alzheimer's disease.-Cast:...
as Kristen Hamstra - 1998: The Adventures of Sebastian ColeThe Adventures of Sebastian ColeThe Adventures of Sebastian Cole is a 1998 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Tod Williams and starring Adrian Grenier as the title character.-Plot:...
as Joan Cole - 1999: Hit and Run as Joanna Kendall
- 1999: Swing Vote as Linda Kirkland
- 1999-01: Now and AgainNow and AgainNow and Again is an American television series that aired in the US from September 24, 1999 until May 5, 2000 on CBS. The story revolves around the United States government engineering the perfect human body for use in espionage, but not being able to yet perfect the brain...
as Lisa Wiseman (14 episodes) - 2000: Madigan MenMadigan MenMadigan Men is an American television comedy that premiered on ABC in the U.S. on October 6, 2000. The show performed poorly in the ratings and among critics and was canceled on December 18, 2000.-Cast:*Gabriel Byrne as Ben Madigan...
as Vonda Madigan (1 episode) - 2001: Private LiesPrivate LiesPrivate Lies is a 2001 film starring John Corbett that was made for German television....
as Ellen - 2001: The Familiar Stranger as Elizabeth 'Peachy' Welsh
- 2001: The Wedding Dress as Madeline Carver
- 2002: Blue CarBlue CarBlue Car is a 2002 drama film directed and written by Karen Moncrieff. It was her first film that she had directed and written.-Plot:A gifted 16-year-old named Megan has been abandoned by her father and soon neglected by her mother. Her mother has been working hard and long lately because she needs...
as Diane - 2002: Unfaithful as Sally
- 2003: Law & Order: Special Victims UnitLaw & Order: Special Victims UnitLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced...
as Mrs. Krug (1 episode) - 2003: Remembering Charlie as Lori Alken
- 2004: Law & Order: Criminal IntentLaw & Order: Criminal IntentLaw & Order: Criminal Intent is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and produced by Dick Wolf and René Balcer, the series premiered on September 30, 2001, as the second spin-off of Wolf's successful crime drama...
as Dr. Eloise Barnes (1 episode) - 2004: First DaughterFirst Daughter (2004 film)First Daughter is a 2004 American romantic comedy released by 20th Century Fox. It stars Katie Holmes as Samantha MacKenzie, daughter of the President of the United States, who enrolls at a college and develops a relationship with another student at the college played by Marc Blucas...
as Melanie Mackenzie - 2007: Happenstance as Beth
- 2007-: Gossip GirlGossip Girl (TV series)Gossip Girl is an American teen drama television series based on the book series of the same name written by Cecily von Ziegesar. The series was created by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, and premiered on The CW on September 19, 2007...
as Eleanor Waldorf-Rose - 2008: iMurders as Carol Uberoth
- 2008: Deception as Ms. Pomerantz
- 2009: Royal PainsRoyal PainsRoyal Pains is a USA Network television series that premiered on June 4, 2009, starring Mark Feuerstein, Paulo Costanzo, Jill Flint and Reshma Shetty. The series is based in part on actual concierge medicine practices of independent doctors and companies...
as Lucy Everett (1 episode) - 2009: The Missing PersonThe Missing Person (film)The Missing Person is a 2009 dramedy-mystery film written and directed by American independent filmmaker Noah Buschel and starring Academy Award-nominees Michael Shannon and Amy Ryan...
as Lana Cobb - 2010: Law & OrderLaw & OrderLaw & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
as Mary Markson (1 episode) - 2010: MediumMedium (TV series)Medium is an American television drama series that premiered on NBC on January 3, 2005, and ended on CBS on January 21, 2011. Themed on supernatural gifts, its lead character, Allison DuBois , is a medium employed as a consultant for the Phoenix, Arizona district attorney's office...
as Kelly Shuler (1 episode)