Rachel Brosnahan
American actress (born 1990)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rachel Elizabeth Brosnahan (born July 12, 1990)[1][2] is an American actress. She rose to fame for her performance as Midge Maisel in the Amazon Prime Video period comedy series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017–2023), for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award in 2018 and two consecutive Golden Globe Awards in 2018 and 2019.[3][4][5] She is also recognized for portraying Lois Lane in the DC Universe (DCU), a role she first played in the film Superman (2025).
Rachel Brosnahan | |
|---|---|
Brosnahan in 2025 | |
| Born | July 12, 1990 |
| Education | New York University (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Spouse | |
| Relatives | Kate Spade (aunt) Andy Spade (uncle-in-law) |
On screen, she was Emmy-nominated for the political thriller series House of Cards (2013–2015) and acted in the drama series Manhattan (2014–2015) and the comedy miniseries Crisis in Six Scenes (2016). Brosnahan made her film debut in the horror film The Unborn (2009), and had starred in The Courier (2020), I'm Your Woman (2020), and The Amateur (2025).
On stage, she made her Broadway debut in the 2013 revival of the Clifford Odets play The Big Knife. She played Desdemona in the 2016 off Broadway production of Othello, which also starred Daniel Craig and David Oyelowo.[6] Brosnahan returned to Broadway playing a wife in a turbulent marriage in the 2023 revival of the Lorraine Hansberry play The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window for which she was nominated for the Drama League Distinguished Performance Award.
Early life and education
Brosnahan was born on July 12, 1990, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Carol and Earl Brosnahan, who worked in children's publishing.[1][7][8] Her mother is British, and her father is an American of Irish descent.[9][10] From the age of four years old, Brosnahan was raised in Highland Park, Illinois.[7][11] She has a younger brother and sister.[12]
She attended Wayne Thomas Elementary School and Northwood Junior High School.[12][7] She performed in musical theater during junior high and high school.[12][7] At Highland Park High School, she was on the wrestling team for two years and was a snowboarding instructor.[12][9] When she was 16, she took a class with Carole Dibo, director of Wilmette's Actors Training Center, who is now her manager.[7] Brosnahan graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in 2012.[13] She also studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.[14]
Career
While still in high school, Brosnahan received her first movie role—that of Lisa in the Michael Bay-produced horror film The Unborn (2009). She first appeared on stage in 2009 in Up at Steppenwolf Theatre.[7] In college, she appeared in single episodes of television series such as Gossip Girl, The Good Wife, Grey's Anatomy,[12] and In Treatment. Brosnahan's early roles include performances in two short films directed by Ari Aster, Basically (2013), and Munchausen (2014). After college, she began landing recurring roles in series such as the crime thriller The Blacklist (2014) and the short-lived medical drama Black Box (2014). She made her Broadway debut in The Big Knife with Roundabout Theatre Company in 2013.[15]
In 2013, she starred as Rachel Posner in the critically acclaimed Netflix political drama House of Cards with Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright. Although she was initially booked for only two episodes, she caught the eye of showrunner Beau Willimon,[16] and her character was significantly expanded. Her role brought her career prominence, and she received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series at the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2016, she played Desdemona in Othello at New York Theatre Workshop opposite David Oyelowo and Daniel Craig.[17] That year she appeared in Woody Allen's Amazon series Crisis in Six Scenes with Allen, Elaine May and Miley Cyrus.[18]
Starting in 2017, Brosnahan appeared as the title character in the Amazon period comedy series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She has said that her exposure to Jewish culture growing up helped prepare her for the role of Midge Maisel, a 1950s Jewish housewife who pursues a career in stand-up comedy when her marriage fails.[19] Her performance has earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series,[20][21] two Golden Globe Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and two Critics' Choice Television Awards, among other accolades.[22][23][24][25] In 2019, Brosnahan launched the production company Scrap Paper Pictures.[26]
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Brosnahan appeared in the drama film The Courier with Benedict Cumberbatch, released in January 2020.[27] In December 2020, Amazon released I'm Your Woman, in which she starred with Arinzé Kene and produced.[28] In 2022, she starred in the western Dead for a Dollar which premiered at the 79th Venice International Film Festival. In 2023, she starred in the revival of Lorraine Hansberry's The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window opposite Oscar Isaac first at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and later produced at the James Earl Jones Theatre on Broadway directed by Anne Kauffman.[29][30] She received positive reviews for her performance as well as a Drama League Award nomination for Outstanding Distinguished Performer.
In 2025, Brosnahan appeared as Lois Lane in the DC Universe superhero film Superman, from director James Gunn.[31] She also played the wife of a CIA analyst in the espionage action thriller The Amateur starring Rami Malek.[32] Also that year, it was announced that Brosnahan would be cast in the lead in the Apple TV+ anthology crime drama series Presumed Innocent which she will also serve as an executive producer.[33]
Personal life
It was reported in 2018 that Brosnahan had married actor Jason Ralph,[34] but she later revealed in January 2019 that they had been married "for years" before their relationship became public.[35] Both attended the 76th Golden Globe Awards ceremony in 2019, where she thanked him during her award acceptance speech.[36]
Brosnahan is the niece of handbag designer Kate Spade (born Katherine Noel Brosnahan), who was married to Andy Spade, the older brother of actor and comedian David Spade.[37]
Brosnahan has twice completed the "Live Below the Line" challenge.[38]
Acting credits
| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
Film
| Year | Work | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | The Unborn | Lisa | |
| The Truth About Average Guys | Molly | ||
| 2011 | Coming Up Roses | Alice | |
| 2012 | Nor'easter | Abby Green | |
| Adrift | Alex | Short film | |
| 2013 | Beautiful Creatures | Genevieve Duchannes | |
| Care | Drea | Short film | |
| A New York Heartbeat | Tamara | ||
| Munchausen | Girl | Short film | |
| 2014 | Basically | Shandy | |
| I'm Obsessed with You | Nell Fitzpatrick | ||
| The Smut Locker | Jamie White | Short film | |
| 2015 | James White | Ellen | |
| Louder Than Bombs | Erin | ||
| 2016 | The Finest Hours | Bea Hansen | |
| Burn Country | Sandra | ||
| Patriots Day | Jessica Kensky | ||
| 2017 | Boomtown | Jamie | |
| 2018 | Fifteen Years Later | Amy | Short film |
| Change in the Air | Wren | ||
| 2019 | Spies in Disguise | Wendy Beckett | Voice role |
| 2020 | The Courier | Emily Donovan | |
| I'm Your Woman | Jean | Also produced | |
| 2022 | Dead for a Dollar | Rachel Kidd | |
| 2025 | The Amateur | Sarah Heller | [39] |
| Superman | Lois Lane | ||
| 2026 | Saturn Return | Post-production | |
| 2027 | Man of Tomorrow † | Lois Lane | Filming |
| TBA | Lear Rex † | Regan | Post-production |
Television
| Year | Work | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Mercy | Samantha | Episode: "We're All Adults" |
| Gossip Girl | Girl | Episode: "It's a Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad World" | |
| The Good Wife | Caitlin Fenton | Episode: "Poisoned Pill" | |
| In Treatment | Eating Disorder Girl | Episode: "Jesse: Week Six" | |
| 2011 | CSI: Miami | Melanie Garland | Episode: "Countermeasures" |
| 2013 | Grey's Anatomy | Brian Weston | Episode: "The Face of Change" |
| Orange Is the New Black | Little Allie | Episode: "Bora Bora Bora" | |
| 2013–2015 | House of Cards | Rachel Posner | Main cast (19 episodes) |
| 2014 | Olive Kitteridge | Patty Howe | Episode: "Incoming Tide" |
| The Blacklist | Jolene Parker / Lucy Brooks | 6 episodes | |
| Black Box | Delilah Buchanan | 5 episodes | |
| 2014–2015 | Manhattan | Abby Isaacs | Main cast (23 episodes) |
| 2015 | The Dovekeepers | Yael | 2 episodes |
| 2016 | Crisis in Six Scenes | Ellie | Main cast (4 episodes) |
| 2017–2023 | The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel | Miriam "Midge" Maisel | Main cast (43 episodes) |
| 2019 | Saturday Night Live | Herself (host) | Episode: "Rachel Brosnahan/Greta Van Fleet" |
| 2019–2020 | Elena of Avalor | Princess Chloe (voice) | 3 episodes |
| 2020 | 50 States of Fright | Heather | 3 episodes |
| Saturday Night Seder | Herself | Television special | |
| 2020–2021 | Yearly Departed | 2 episodes | |
| 2021 | Ziwe | Episode: "Allyship" | |
| TBA | Presumed Innocent | Leila Reynolds | Main role (season 2); also Executive producer[40] |
Theatre
| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Up | Maria | Steppenwolf Theatre Company | [41] |
| 2013 | The Big Knife | Dixie Evans | Roundabout Theatre Company | [42] |
| 2016 | Othello | Desdemona | New York Theatre Workshop | [43] |
| 2023 | The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window | Iris Parodus Brustein | Brooklyn Academy of Music | [44] |
| James Earl Jones Theatre | [45] | |||
| 2024 | Gutenberg! The Musical! | Producer (one night only) | [46] |
