Nora Dunn

Nora Dunn Headshot

Actress • Comedian

Birth Date: April 29, 1952

Age: 72 years old

Birth Place: Chicago, Illinois

Siblings: Kevin Dunn

This pretty, sharp-featured actress has made a niche for herself playing funny, smart-mouthed character roles on TV and the big screen. A Chicago native, Dunn studied to be an artist before moving to California. By 1981, she was working as a stand-up comic. Dunn joined her hometown's Roxy cabaret in 1983 and moved East when she was cast in "Saturday Night Live" (NBC) in 1985. Her five year stint on the venerable sketch comedy show was relatively uneventful with her only memorable characters being obtuse talk show host Pat Stevens and one-half of the Vegas-style Sweeney Sisters act. In 1990, Dunn left the show shortly after boycotting an episode hosted by controversial comic Andrew Dice Clay.

By the time of her "SNL" departure, Dunn had made a few other inroads in TV, guesting on such shows as "Get a Life" and "Civil Wars" and appearing on a handful of comedy specials. 1993 marked the beginning of a three-year run on the NBC drama "Sisters." Dunn played TV producer Norma Lear, who left her husband, came out as a lesbian and had an artificially-inseminated pregnancy. Dunn's film career has consisted mostly of good, small character parts. She debuted as a bitchy office worker opposite Melanie Griffith in Mike Nichols' "Working Girl" (1988), followed by a small role in the comedy "How I Got Into College" (1989).

A change of pace came with "Miami Blues" (1990), wherein Dunn was an Hispanic policewoman partnered with Fred Ward. Her next few films didn't amount to much: the flop Liza Minnelli vehicle "Stepping Out" (1991); the interesting but largely unseen short, "Walking the Dog" (also 1991); and a miniscule part in John Sayles' "Passion Fish" (1992). She once again played the bitchy foil to dumb blonde Griffith in "Born Yesterday" (1993), but this, as well as her next, "I Love Trouble" (1994) did not do well with critics or audiences. While Dunn filmed a role as a real estate agent for "Father of the Bride, Part II" (1995), the part was cut from the final film.

She rebounded with a role in the dark political satire "The Last Supper" (1996). Dunn continued to work steadily, although the quality and success of her projects was uneven at best: she appeared in Warren Beatty's political satire "Bulworth" (1998); the family film "Air Bud 2: Golden Receiver" (1998); and the broad beauty pageant farce "Drop Dead Gorgeous" (1999). She landed a plumb role as a battlefield newswoman in director David O. Russell's sublime action-comedy "Three Kings" (1999), but also appeared in Garry Shandling's comedic misfire "What Planet Are You From?" and the problematic Martin Lawrence-Danny DeVito collaboration "What's the Worst That Could Happen?" (2001).

Next up were supporting roles in the kid-centered "Max Keeble's Big Movie" (2001), the saucy Sigourney Weaver-Jennifer Love Hewitt caper flick "Heartbreakers" (2001) and the extremely offbeat romantic comedy "Cherish" (2002). After a string of low-profile turns, Dunn scored another high-visibility part in the zany Jim Carrey comedy "Bruce Almighty" (2003).

Credits

The Big LeapStream

Guest Star
Gina
Series
2021
100%

Home EconomicsStream

Guest Star
Muriel
Series
2021

Together TogetherStream

Actor
Adele
Movie
2021
90%

The Hater

Actor
Genie
Movie
2021

The Lost Husband

Actor
Jean
Movie
2020

Boy Genius

Actor
Selma Ally
Movie
2019

Canal Street

Actor
Marge Sudermill
Movie
2018

The Oath

Actor
Eleanor
Movie
2018

DetroitersStream

Guest Star
Sue
Series
2017
95%

GravesStream

Guest Star
Series
2016
55%

Grace and FrankieStream

Guest Star
Dr. Rossmore
Series
2016
90%

Chicago MedStream

Guest Star
Dr. Richardson
Series
2015

Life in PiecesStream

Guest Star
Carol
Series
2015

Best Friends WheneverStream

Guest Star
Janet Smythe
Series
2015

EntourageStream

Actor
Dr. Deanne Emily Marcus
Movie
2015
33%

A Light Beneath Their Feet

Actor
Dr. Krolly
Movie
2015

The LibrariansStream

Guest Star
Janet Hedge
Series
2014

Mulaney

Guest Star
Series
2014
17%

Chicago P.D.Stream

Guest Star
Dr. Richardson
Series
2014

Home & Family

Guest
Talk
2012

The NeighborsStream

Guest Star
Series
2012
31%

Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23Stream

Guest Star
Series
2012
85%

LOL

Actor
Emily's Mother
Movie
2012

The Guilt TripStream

Actor
Amy
Movie
2012
37%

3, 2, 1... Frankie Go Boom

Actor
Karen
Movie
2012

New GirlStream

Guest Star
Louise
Series
2011
95%

2 Broke GirlsStream

Guest Star
Teresa
Series
2011

The Women of SNL

Actor
Show
2010

The DefendersStream

Guest Star
Amber Max
Series
2010
74%

Hot in ClevelandStream

Guest Star
Elizabeth / Victoria
Series
2010

Worst Cooks in AmericaStream

Actor
Reality
2010

The Answer ManStream

Actor
Terry Fraser
Movie
2009
32%

It's ComplicatedStream

Actor
Sally
Movie
2009
59%

My Suicide

Actor
Gretchen Williams
Movie
2009

Pineapple ExpressStream

Actor
Shannon
Movie
2008
68%

Samantha Who?Stream

Guest Star
Cheryl Hainstock
Series
2007
77%

Pushing DaisiesStream

Guest Star
Series
2007
96%

Private PracticeStream

Guest Star
Dr. Geraldine Ginsberg
Series
2007

Certifiably Jonathan

Actor
Herself/Medium
Movie
2007

SharkStream

Guest Star
Series
2006
52%

Three Moons Over Milford

Actor
Michelle Graybar
Show
2006

Southland TalesStream

Actor
Cyndi Pinziki
Movie
2006
41%

The Darwin Awards

Actor
Mrs. Pearlman
Movie
2006

National Lampoon's Pucked

Actor
Leona
Movie
2006

Criminal MindsStream

Guest Star
Series
2005

BonesStream

Guest Star
Tess Brown
Series
2005
90%

StackedStream

Guest Star
Series
2005

Love for Rent

Actor
Helen Bauman
Movie
2005

The Civilization of Maxwell Bright

Actor
Movie
2005

See Arnold Run

Actor
Arianna Huffington
Movie
2005

Amber Frey: Witness for the Prosecution

Actor
Gloria Allred
Movie
2005

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio

Actor
Girl Group Member
Movie
2005

Boston LegalStream

Guest Star
Attorney Cynthia Rhodes
Series
2004
86%

EntourageStream

Guest Star
Dr. Marcus
Series
2004
65%

Laws of Attraction

Actor
Judge Abramovitz
Movie
2004

Paper Cut

Actor
Katherine
Movie
2004

November

Actor
Dr. Fayn
Movie
2004

Bruce AlmightyStream

Actor
Ally Loman
Movie
2003
48%

Runaway JuryStream

Actor
Stella Hulic
Movie
2003
73%

Knee High P.I.

Actor
Margery
Movie
2003

The Hebrew Hammer

Actor
Mrs. Carver
Movie
2003

Die Mommie Die!

Actor
Shatzi Van Allen
Movie
2003

CSI: MiamiStream

Guest Star
Series
2002

Cherish

Actor
Bell
Movie
2002

Code Hunter

Actor
Rose Chase
Movie
2002

The Chronicle

Guest Star
Series
2001

Max Keeble's Big Move

Actor
Lily - Max's Mom
Movie
2001

HeartbreakersStream

Actor
Miss Madress
Movie
2001
54%

What's the Worst That Could Happen?Stream

Actor
Lutetia Fairbanks
Movie
2001
10%

Curb Your EnthusiasmStream

Guest Star
CBS Executive
Series
2000
92%

What Planet Are You From?

Actor
Madeline
Movie
2000

Chicken Soup for the Soul

Self
Show
1999

FuturamaStream

Guest Voice
Morgan Proctor
Series
1999

Drop Dead Gorgeous

Actor
Colleen Douglas, State Pagent
Movie
1999
47%

Three KingsStream

Actor
Adriana Cruz
Movie
1999
94%

The Wild ThornberrysStream

Guest Voice
Series
1998

The Thin Pink Line

Actor
Sandy Delongpre
Movie
1998

BulworthStream

Actor
Missy Berliner
Movie
1998
76%

Air Bud: Golden Receiver

Actor
Natalya
Movie
1998

George and Leo

Guest Star
Series
1997
70%

Just Shoot MeStream

Guest Star
Naomi Birkson
Series
1997

Everybody Loves RaymondStream

Guest Star
Helen
Series
1996

The Outer LimitsStream

Actor
Laura Sinclair
Series
1995

CybillStream

Guest Star
Series
1995

The Last Supper

Actor
Sheriff Alice Stanley
Movie
1995

Shake, Rattle and Rock!

Actor
Margo
Movie
1994

The NannyStream

Guest Star
Series
1993

The X-FilesStream

Guest Star
JoAnne Fletcher
Series
1993
74%

Born Yesterday

Actor
Cynthia Schreiber, NPR Talk Show Host
Movie
1993

Pasión de Mujer

Actor
Movie
1992

Passion FishStream

Actor
Ti-Marie
Movie
1992
100%

Sisters

Actor
Norma
Series
1991

Sisters

Guest Star
Norma
Series
1991

Stepping Out

Actor
Pam
Movie
1991

Law & OrderStream

Guest Star
Series
1990

Miami BluesStream

Actor
Ellita Sanchez
Movie
1990
85%

The Joan Rivers Show

Guest
Talk
1989

Working GirlStream

Actor
Ginny
Movie
1988
83%

Saturday Night LiveStream

Actor
Series
1975