Mimi Kennedy
Encyclopedia
Mimi Kennedy is an American
actress, author
and activist.
, the daughter of Nancy Helen (née
Colgan) and Daniel Gerald Kennedy. She got her start in theater with the Rochester Community Players
, appearing in Agatha Christie
's "Spider Web" in October 1960 when she was 12 years old. Mimi was raised in the Browncroft neighborhood of Rochester, NY. She was a 1966 graduate of Our Lady of Mercy High School. In the 1970s she was in a musical production called Rhinegold, featuring songs by her friend Jim Steinman
.
and Ellen Foley
as the other two "girls". Her most notable television roles, however, were as Dharma's mother, Abby O'Neil, on the series Dharma & Greg
and as Ruth Sloan on Homefront. She also appeared in the Broadway and road companies of the show Grease
. In March and April 2009, she was seen at the Cleveland Play House
in Ohio as the newspaper columnist Ann Landers in the stage play "The Lady with All the Answers" by David Rambo
. Kennedy is involved in several progressive activist causes, including Progressive Democrats of America
for which she serves as Chairperson of the Board. Her mid-life memoir, Taken To The Stage; The Education of an Actress, was published by Smith&Kraus in 1996 with praise from advice columnist Abigail VanBuren and playwright Wendy Wasserstein, who called it "one of the great theatrical memoirs."
Kennedy is a signatory to the 9/11 Truth Statement. She is the national chairwoman of Progressive Democrats of America
and was a charter member of Artists United to Win Without War, and a leading supporter of Dennis Kucinich
’s anti-war presidential campaign in 2004. She has worked on human rights
, environmental and labour issues.
She is friends with Lynn Marie Latham
and Bernard Lechowick
, and has worked with them on three different series.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and activist.
Early life
Kennedy was born Mary Claire Kennedy in Rochester, New YorkRochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
, the daughter of Nancy Helen (née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Colgan) and Daniel Gerald Kennedy. She got her start in theater with the Rochester Community Players
Rochester community players
The Rochester Community Players , the oldest community theatre in New York State, is a local professional theatre group in Rochester, Monroe County, New York, in the United States....
, appearing in Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
's "Spider Web" in October 1960 when she was 12 years old. Mimi was raised in the Browncroft neighborhood of Rochester, NY. She was a 1966 graduate of Our Lady of Mercy High School. In the 1970s she was in a musical production called Rhinegold, featuring songs by her friend Jim Steinman
Jim Steinman
James Richard "Jim" Steinman is an American composer, lyricist, and Grammy Award-winning record producer responsible for several hit songs. He has also worked as an arranger, pianist, and singer...
.
Career
Kennedy made her television debut in March 1977 in the short-lived television variety series 3 Girls 3, with Debbie AllenDebbie Allen
Deborrah Kaye “Debbie” Allen is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, television director, television producer, and a member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities...
and Ellen Foley
Ellen Foley
Ellen Foley is an American singer and actress, who has appeared on Broadway and television, where she co-starred in the sitcom Night Court. In music, she has released three solo albums but is best known for her collaborations with the singer Meat Loaf.- Early life and career :Foley was born in St....
as the other two "girls". Her most notable television roles, however, were as Dharma's mother, Abby O'Neil, on the series Dharma & Greg
Dharma & Greg
Dharma & Greg is an American television sitcom that aired from September 24, 1997, to April 30, 2002.It starred Jenna Elfman and Thomas Gibson as Dharma and Greg Montgomery, a couple who married instantly on their first date despite being complete opposites...
and as Ruth Sloan on Homefront. She also appeared in the Broadway and road companies of the show Grease
Grease (musical)
Grease is a 1971 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The musical is named for the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as the greasers. The musical, set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School , follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of love,...
. In March and April 2009, she was seen at the Cleveland Play House
Cleveland Play House
The Cleveland Play House is a professional regional theater company located in Cleveland, OH. As of 2005, the artistic director is Michael Bloom, the eighth artistic director since its inception. In 2011 they moved operations to the Allen Theatre in Playhouse Square Center.Founded in 1915,...
in Ohio as the newspaper columnist Ann Landers in the stage play "The Lady with All the Answers" by David Rambo
David Rambo
David Rambo is a writer, actor and producer.He grew up in Spring City, Pennsylvania. His grandmother and mother were librarians which helped develop his lifelong interest in literature and art....
. Kennedy is involved in several progressive activist causes, including Progressive Democrats of America
Progressive Democrats of America
The Progressive Democrats of America is a progressive political organization and grassroots political action committee operating inside the United States Democratic Party.-History:...
for which she serves as Chairperson of the Board. Her mid-life memoir, Taken To The Stage; The Education of an Actress, was published by Smith&Kraus in 1996 with praise from advice columnist Abigail VanBuren and playwright Wendy Wasserstein, who called it "one of the great theatrical memoirs."
Personal life
Kennedy has two children, Cisco and Molly, and a husband, Larry Dilg. Coincidentally, "Larry" was also the name of her fictional life partner on Dharma & Greg. Mimi also met her real husband Larry in college. Mimi went to the sister college of Larry's, where they were both matched up in a computer dating service.Kennedy is a signatory to the 9/11 Truth Statement. She is the national chairwoman of Progressive Democrats of America
Progressive Democrats of America
The Progressive Democrats of America is a progressive political organization and grassroots political action committee operating inside the United States Democratic Party.-History:...
and was a charter member of Artists United to Win Without War, and a leading supporter of Dennis Kucinich
Dennis Kucinich
Dennis John Kucinich is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. He was furthermore a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections....
’s anti-war presidential campaign in 2004. She has worked on human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
, environmental and labour issues.
She is friends with Lynn Marie Latham
Lynn Marie Latham
Lynn Marie Latham is an Emmy Award-winning television writer and producer. Her initial foray into writing for television was as a story editor for the short-lived series Berrenger's in 1985...
and Bernard Lechowick
Bernard Lechowick
Bernard Lechowick is an American television writer and producer. He grew up in Mentor, Ohio and is a father of two sons, Richard Latham Lechowick and Vincent Latham Lechowick. Lechowick graduated from the University of Notre Dame...
, and has worked with them on three different series.
Filmography
- Chances AreChances Are (film)Chances Are is a 1989 romantic comedy film written by Perry & Randy Howze and directed by Emile Ardolino. Starring Cybill Shepherd, Robert Downey, Jr., Ryan O'Neal, and Mary Stuart Masterson. The original music score was composed by Maurice Jarre.-Plot:...
(1989) .... Sally - Immediate Family (1989) .... Eli's Mom
- Pump Up the VolumePump Up the Volume (film)Pump Up the Volume is a 1990 comedy-drama film written and directed by Allan Moyle and starring Christian Slater and Samantha Mathis.- Plot summary :...
(1990) .... Marla Hunter - Death Becomes HerDeath Becomes HerDeath Becomes Her is a 1992 American dark slapstick screwball comedy fantasy film directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Goldie Hawn, Meryl Streep, and Bruce Willis...
(1992) .... Woman #2 - FlashfireFlashfireFlashfire is a science fiction novel by David Sherman and Dan Cragg published in 2006. It is set in the 25th Century in Sherman and Cragg's StarFist series.-Plot summary:...
(1993) .... Kate Cantrell - Reasons of the Heart (1996) .... Celia Barton
- Buddy (1997) .... Mrs. Bunny Bowman
- Erin BrockovichErin Brockovich (film)Erin Brockovich is a 2000 biographical film directed by Steven Soderbergh. The film is a dramatization of the story of Erin Brockovich, played by Julia Roberts, who fought against the US West Coast energy corporation Pacific Gas and Electric Company. Roberts won the Academy Award, Golden Globe,...
(2000) .... Laura Ambrosino - In The LoopIn the Loop (film)In the Loop is a 2009 British satirical black comedy film directed by Armando Iannucci. It is based on the BBC Television series The Thick of It satirising Anglo-American politics in the 21st century and the Invasion of Iraq...
(2009) .... Karen Clark - The Three Gifts (2009) .... Rita Green
- Midnight in ParisMidnight in ParisMidnight in Paris is a 2011 romantic comedy-fantasy film written and directed by Woody Allen. The plot centers on a small group of Americans visiting the French capital for business and pleasure...
(2011) .... Helen
Television credits
- 3 Girls 3 (1977) TV Series (unknown episodes)
- Getting Married (1978) (TV) .... Jenny
- Stockard Channing in Just FriendsStockard Channing in Just FriendsStockard Channing in Just Friends is an American sitcom starring Stockard Channing, who was already known for her appearances in Grease and a few other films before that. Gerrit Graham, Mimi Kennedy, Lou Crisculo and Sydney Goldsmith co-starred with her on the series.The show premiered on CBS on...
(1979) TV Series .... Victoria (unknown episodes) - FamilyFamily (TV series)Family is an American television drama series that aired on ABC from 1976 to 1980. Creative control of the show was split between executive producers Leonard Goldberg, Aaron Spelling and Mike Nichols...
.... Karen (1 episode, 1979) - The Big ShowThe Big Show (TV series)The Big Show is an American comedy-variety-musical television series produced and broadcast by NBC for several months in 1980.The series aimed to revitalize the moribund variety television genre, which had been in a downward spiral since the cancellations of the Ed Sullivan Show and The Carol...
(1980) TV Series .... Herself (unknown episodes, 1980) - Battle of the Network Stars XI (1981) (TV) .... Herself - CBS Team Contestant
- Thin IceThin IceThin Ice may refer to:* "The Thin Ice", a 1979 Pink Floyd song* Thin Ice , starring Corine Griffith* Thin Ice , starring Sonja Henie and Tyrone Power* Thin Ice , starring Charlotte Avery...
(1981) (TV) .... Arlene - The Two of Us (1981) TV Series .... Nan Gallagher
- The Tonight ShowThe Tonight ShowThe Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
.... Herself (1 episode, 1982) - I've Had It Up to Here ... (1982)
- Popular Neurotics ... (1984)
- Spencer (1984) TV Series .... Doris Winger (unknown episodes)
- St. ElsewhereSt. ElsewhereSt. Elsewhere is an American medical drama television series that originally ran on NBC from October 26, 1982 to May 25, 1988. The series is set at fictional St. Eligius, a decaying urban teaching hospital in Boston's South End neighborhood...
.... Lois Wegener (2 episodes, 1984) - Robert Kennedy & His Times (1985) (mini) TV Series .... Pat Kennedy
- Night CourtNight CourtNight Court is an American television situation comedy that aired on NBC from January 4, 1984, to May 20, 1992. The setting was the night shift of a Manhattan court, presided over by the young, unorthodox Judge Harold T. "Harry" Stone...
.... Patty Douglas (1 episode, 1985) - Tall Tales and Legends .... Ben's Mom (1 episode, 1985)
- ABC Weekend Specials .... Mrs. Gridley (2 episodes, 1986–1990)
- Mr. BoogedyMr. BoogedyMr. Boogedy is a 1986 family film, directed by Oz Scott and written by Michael Janover, which originally aired as an episode of "The Disney Sunday Movie". It tells the story of a gag gift salesman and his family moving into a new house in New England which they soon find to be haunted by ghosts...
(1986) (TV) .... Eloise Davis - The Twilight Zone .... Christie Copperfield (1 episode, 1986)
- Bride of BoogedyBride of BoogedyBride of Boogedy is a 1987 family film, directed by Oz Scott and written by Michael Janover, which originally aired as an episode of "The Disney Sunday Movie". It tells the continuing story of the Davis family and their encounters with an evil 300-year-old ghost in the fictional New England town of...
(1987) (TV) .... Eloise Davis - Baby Girl Scott (1987) (TV) .... Jane
- Family ManFamily ManFamily Man is an album released by the American hardcore punk band Black Flag in 1984. It is unique in that one side features spoken-word tracks by vocalist Henry Rollins and the other side mainly features instrumental tracks...
(1988) TV Series .... Andrea Tobin - Tales from the CryptTales from the Crypt (TV series)Tales from the Crypt, sometimes titled HBO's Tales from the Crypt, is an American horror anthology television series that ran from 1989 to 1996 on the premium cable channel HBO...
.... Distraught Woman (1 episode, 1989) - Major DadMajor DadMajor Dad is an American sitcom created by Richard C. Okie and John G. Stephens that originally ran from 1989 to 1993 on CBS, starring Gerald McRaney as Major John D. MacGillis and Shanna Reed as his wife Polly...
.... Cassandra Loomis (1 episode, 1990) - A Promise to Keep (1990) (TV) .... Annie
- Sins of the Mother (1991) (TV) .... Karen
- Knots LandingKnots LandingKnots Landing is an American primetime television soap opera that aired from December 27, 1979 to May 13, 1993 on CBS. Set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles in California, the show centered on the lives of four married couples living in a cul-de-sac, Seaview Circle...
.... Doris (1 episode, 1991) - DinosaursDinosaurs (TV series)Dinosaurs is an American family sitcom that was originally broadcast on ABC from April 26, 1991 to July 20, 1994. The show, about a family of anthropomorphic dinosaurs, was produced by Michael Jacobs Productions and Jim Henson Television in association with Walt Disney Television and Buena Vista...
.... Glenda Molehill (1 episode, 1991) - Homefront .... Ruth Sloan (41 episodes, 1991–1993)
- Joe's LifeJoe's LifeJoe's Life was a short-lived American sitcom which aired on ABC during the first half of the 1993-94 season. Nat Bernstein and Mitchel Katlin served as supervising producers on the series, while Lee Aronsohn and Rita Dillon were producers.-Synopsis:...
(1993) TV Series .... Barb (unknown episodes) - Second Chances .... Real Estate Agent (1 episode, 1993)
- The George Carlin ShowThe George Carlin ShowThe George Carlin Show is an American sitcom that aired on the Fox network from January 1994 to July 1995. It was created jointly by veteran TV producer Sam Simon and the show's namesake, comedian George Carlin.-Synopsis:...
.... Judith (1 episode, 1994) - Bless This HouseBless This House (US TV series)Bless This House was an American CBS sitcom which starred Andrew Dice Clay and Cathy Moriarty.-Cast:* Andrew Dice Clay as Burt Clayton* Cathy Moriarty as Alice Clayton* Raegan Kotz as Danny Clayton* Sam Gifaldi as Sean Clayton* Molly Price as Phyllis...
.... Mrs. Elkins (1 episode, 1995) - ABC Afterschool Specials .... Elaine Marshall (1 episode, 1995)
- Baywatch NightsBaywatch NightsBaywatch Nights was an American police and science fiction drama series that aired in syndication from 1995 to 1997. Created by Douglas Schwartz, David Hasselhoff, and Gregory J. Bonann, the series is a spin-off from the popular television series, Baywatch.-Synopsis:The original premise of the show...
(1 episode, 1995) - Partners .... Shana (1 episode, 1995)
- SavannahSavannah (TV series)Savannah is an American prime time television drama that ran from January 21, 1996 to February 24, 1997 on The WB. It was created by Constance M. Burge and produced by Aaron Spelling.-Plot:...
(1996) TV Series .... Eleanor Alexander Burton (unknown episodes) - Dream OnDream On (TV series)Dream On is an American adult-themed situation comedy about single New Yorker, Martin Tupper. The show used a gimmick where old black and white clips were used to punctuate the main character's feelings or thoughts...
(1 episode, 1996) - Homicide: Life on the StreetHomicide: Life on the StreetHomicide: Life on the Street is an American police procedural television series chronicling the work of a fictional version of the Baltimore Homicide Unit. It ran for seven seasons on NBC from 1993 to 1999, and was succeeded by a TV movie, which also acted as the de-facto series finale...
.... Dr. Kate Wystan (1 episode, 1996) - Once You Meet a StrangerOnce You Meet a StrangerOnce You Meet a Stranger is a 1996 Warner Bros. Television thriller directed by Tommy Lee Wallace. It is a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train. Yet in the remake the genders of the principal characters have been switched from male to female...
(1996) (TV) .... Connie - CybillCybillCybill is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre, which aired on CBS from January 2, 1995 to July 13, 1998. Starring Cybill Shepherd, the series revolves around Cybill Sheridan, a twice-divorced single mother of two and struggling actress in her 40s, who has never gotten her show...
.... Gretchen (1 episode, 1997) - Dharma & GregDharma & GregDharma & Greg is an American television sitcom that aired from September 24, 1997, to April 30, 2002.It starred Jenna Elfman and Thomas Gibson as Dharma and Greg Montgomery, a couple who married instantly on their first date despite being complete opposites...
.... Abby O'Neil (119 episodes, 1997–2002) - Pacific PalisadesPacific Palisades (TV series)Pacific Palisades is an American soap opera that aired on Fox during prime time from April to July 1997. Produced by Aaron Spelling, the show was cancelled after just thirteen episodes despite a last-minute attempt to increase ratings by casting Joan Collins.-Plot summary:Set in the Los Angeles...
.... Amy Nichols (3 episodes, 1997) - Hollywood SquaresHollywood SquaresHollywood Squares is an American panel game show in which two contestants play tic-tac-toe to win cash and prizes. The "board" for the game is a 3 × 3 vertical stack of open-faced cubes, each occupied by a celebrity seated at a desk and facing the contestants...
.... Guest Appearance (2 episodes, 2001) - Whammy! The All New Press Your Luck .... Herself (1 episode, 2002)
- Politically IncorrectPolitically IncorrectPolitically Incorrect is a late-night, half-hour political talk show hosted by Bill Maher that ran from 1993 to 2002. It premiered on Comedy Central from 1993 to 1997, and later on ABC in 1997, which cancelled it in 2002....
.... Herself (1 episode, 2002) - PyramidPyramid (game show)Pyramid is an American television game show which has aired several versions. The original series, The $10,000 Pyramid, debuted March 26, 1973 and spawned seven subsequent Pyramid series...
.... Herself (2 episodes, 2002–2003) - Wild Card .... Mimi (1 episode, 2003)
- Come to Papa .... Barb (1 episode, 2004)
- Happy Birthday Oscar Wilde (2004) (TV) .... Herself
- Cold Case .... Elena - 1978, 2005 (1 episode, 2005)
- Grey's AnatomyGrey's AnatomyGrey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
.... Verna Bradley (1 episode, 2005) - HouseHouse (TV series)House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...
.... Greta (1 episode, 2006) - The Young and the RestlessThe Young and the RestlessThe Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional Wisconsin town called Genoa City, which is unlike and unrelated to the real life village of the same name, Genoa City, Wisconsin...
.... Feather (2 episodes, 2006) - Man in the Chair (2007) .... Mom
- 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...
.... Helen (1 episode, 2007) - Outspoken: Los Angeles (2007) (post-production) .... Herself
- ERER (TV series)ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
(2007) .... Chicago Police Officer - Rita Rocks .... Aunt Mavis
- Private Practice .... Eleanor (1 episode, 2010)
- No Ordinary Family .... Susan Volson (1 episode, 2010)