Focus Features

Catherine Keener

Brie Marschz

Oscar and Golden Globe-nominated actress Catherine Keener is a solid force in American independent cinema, where she built up a following in films from directors like Tom DiCillo and Nicole Holofcener during the 1990s. The effortless, naturalistic acting style that landed her roles as wry, likable bohemians and stern, archly observed professionals found wider audiences the following decade with diverse offerings like Spike Jonze’s Being John Malkovich, Judd Apatow’s monster summer comedy 40-Year-Old Virgin, and the gripping period literary drama Capote. For an actress with a dedication to interesting, well-developed female characters, Keener managed to beat the odds and maintain a steady presence in movie theaters as the go-to actress for vanity-free portraits of real women with relatable quirks and foibles.