Brooke Smith (actress)

Brooke Smith (born May 22, 1967) is an American actress, photographer and author, best known for her roles as Dr. Erica Hahn on the ABC medical drama series Grey's Anatomy, as Sheriff Jane Greene on the A&E horror series Bates Motel, and as Catherine Martin in the 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs, along with roles in several movies and guest starring and recurring appearances in many television shows including Big Sky and Them.

Brooke Smith
Born (1967-05-22) May 22, 1967 (age 57)[1]
New York City, U.S.
Years active1988–present
Spouse
Steve Lubensky
(m. 1999)
Children2
MotherLois Smith

Early life

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Smith was born in New York City. Her father, Eugene "Gene" Smith, worked as a publisher, and her mother, Lois Smith (née Wollenweber), had worked with Robert Redford and other actors and directors.[2][3] In the 1980s, Smith grew up in Rockland County but was a part of the hardcore punk scene in Manhattan's Lower East Side.[4][5]

Career

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Smith has appeared in numerous films, including The Moderns (1988), The Silence of the Lambs (1991), The Night We Never Met (1993), Mr. Wonderful (1993), Vanya on 42nd Street (1994), Last Summer in the Hamptons (1995), Trees Lounge (1996), Kansas City (1996), The Broken Giant (1997), Random Hearts (1999), Series 7: The Contenders (2001), Bad Company (2002), Melinda and Melinda (2004), Iron Jawed Angels (2004), Shooting Vegetarians (2005), In Her Shoes (2005), The Namesake (2006), and Interstellar (2014).

She appeared as a guest star on the sixth season of Crossing Jordan as Dr. Kate Switzer, as one of Claire Fisher's art teachers on Six Feet Under, and on Weeds as the ex-wife of Peter Scottson, the late husband of main character Nancy Botwin.[citation needed]

Smith originated the role of Andrea in the pilot of the ABC drama series Dirty Sexy Money, but was replaced by Sheryl Lee after becoming a series regular on Grey's Anatomy.[6] On November 3, 2008, Smith told Entertainment Weekly that her character was being written out of Grey's Anatomy, stating that she was "really, really shocked," and suggested that network executives' discomfort with her character's lesbian relationship might be the reason for her ousting. However, Shonda Rhimes, the show's creator, said that Smith was dismissed from the series because the writers did not find that the "magic and chemistry" that Smith's character had with Sara Ramirez's character, Callie Torres, would sustain in the long run.[7]

Smith has also had roles on Homicide: Life on the Street, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order, Criminal Minds and The Hunger.[citation needed] In 2012, Smith also appeared in the American Horror Story: Asylum episode "The Coat Hanger". In 2015, she appeared as Frances Simpson on the Showtime drama series Ray Donovan.

In 2016, Smith appeared in the recurring role of Sheriff Jane Greene in the fifth and final season of A&E's Bates Motel, a prequel series to director Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 horror classic Psycho.[8]

In 2019, Smith portrayed Dara, a counselor assigned to a young rape victim, in Episode 7 of Unbelievable. It was released on September 13 on Netflix.[citation needed]

In 2020, she began a recurring role on the ABC series Big Sky.

In 2022, she released a photography book based on pictures she took of her friends in the Manhattan hardcore punk scene.[9]

Advocacy

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On August 27, 2008, Smith spoke at an "Open the Debates" rally in Denver, Colorado, opposing the Commission on Presidential Debates exclusion of third party candidates from the nationally televised presidential debates, and in support of independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader.[10]

Personal life

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Smith married Russian cinematographer Steve Lubensky on January 6, 1999.[11] Their daughter, Fanny Grace Lubensky, was born on March 12, 2003.[12][13] In May 2008, the couple adopted a baby girl, Lucy Dinknesh Lubensky, from Ethiopia.[14] The family lives in New York's Upper West Side,[15] and in Beachwood Canyon, Los Angeles.[12] She was once roommates with singer Jeff Buckley.[16]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1988 The Moderns Abigail
1989 See You in the Morning Additional Voice
1991 The Silence of the Lambs Catherine Martin
1993 The Night We Never Met Catha
The Pickle 1st A.D.
Mr. Wonderful Jan
1994 Vanya on 42nd Street Sonya 3rd Place — Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress
Nominated — Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female
3rd Place — National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress
1995 Last Summer in the Hamptons Lois Garfield
1996 Trees Lounge Tina
Kansas City Babe Flynn
1997 The Broken Giant Rosemary Smith
1998 Remembering Sex Jennifer Sharp
1999 Random Hearts Sarah
2000 Eventual Wife Susan
2001 Series 7: The Contenders Dawn Lagarto
The Man Who Wasn't There Sobbing Prisoner
2002 For Earth Below Dede
Bad Company CIA Agent Swanson
2004 Melinda and Melinda Cassie
Iron Jawed Angels Mabel Vernon
2005 Shooting Vegetarians The Chicken Man
In Her Shoes Amy
2006 The Namesake Sally
2010 A Little Help Kathy Helms
Fair Game Diana
The Aspern Papers Tita Bordereau
2013 Labor Day Evelyn
2014 Interstellar Nurse
2015 Road Hard Carol
Day Out of Days Annabel
2016 The Call of Charlie Diane Short film
Broken Links Diane
2017 To the Bone Olive
The Angry River Katherine Alsea Short film
2018 Dude Lorraine
Blood Clots Diane
2019 Bombshell Irena Brigante

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1988 The Equalizer Risa Episode: "A Dance on the Dark Side"
1996–2023 Law & Order Various 4 episodes
1997 The Larry Sanders Show Tonya Bailey Episode: "Make a Wish"
1998 Remembering Sex Jennifer Sharp Television film
1998–1999 The Hunger Lee Cooper 2 episodes
1999 Homicide: Life on the Street Josephine Pitt Episode: "Truth Will Out"
2001 Big Apple Lois Mooney 3 episodes
100 Centre Street Lynn Hoffman Episode: "Bottlecaps"
2002 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Tessa Rankin Episode: "Phantom"
2004 Six Feet Under Carolyn Pope 3 episodes
2006 Heist Sarah 4 episodes
2006–2008 Grey's Anatomy Dr. Erica Hahn Main role: 25 episodes
Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
2007 Crossing Jordan Dr. Kate Switzer 13 episodes
Dirty Sexy Money Andrea Smithson Episode: "Pilot"
Weeds Valerie Scottson 4 episodes
2010 Criminal Minds Barbara Lynch Episode: "Mosley Lane"
2012 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Delia Wilson 3 episodes
American Horror Story: Asylum Dr. Gardner Episode: "The Coat Hanger"
2013 Graceland Marianne O'Connor Episode: "Pilot"
2013–2015 Ray Donovan Frances Simpson 13 episodes
2016 Nashville Jackie Hudson Episode: "It's Sure Gonna Hurt"
Stitchers Dr. Naomi Burke Episode: "The Two Deaths of Jamie B."
2017 Hand of God Lesley Levay Episode: "I See That Now"
Bosch Captain Ellen Lewis 5 episodes
Bates Motel Sheriff Jane Greene 6 episodes
2018 Supergirl Jacqueline Nimball Episode: "Schott Through the Heart"
The Crossing Diana 3 episodes
The Good Doctor Sybil Meeks Episode: "Tough Titmouse"
Chicago Med Amber Young Episode: "Death Do Us Part"
2019 Project Blue Book Sara Downing Episode: "The Flatwoods Monster "
The Act Myra Episode: "Stay Inside"
The Good Fight Zelda Raye Episode: "The One with the Celebrity Divorce"
Unbelievable Dara Kaplan Episode #1.7
Prism Bec Jamison Pilot
2020 Chris Watts: Confessions of a Killer Tammy Lee Television film
2020–2021 Big Sky Merilee Legarski 8 episodes
2021 FBI: Most Wanted Flora Matthews Episode: "Winner"
Them Helen Koistra 3 episodes
2023 Class of '09 Drew Miniseries; main cast[17]
2024 Grotesquerie Gale Hanover 5 episodes

Books

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  • Sunday Matinee: Photographs by Brooke Smith (Radio Raheem, 2022)

References

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  1. ^ https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/520676%7C174393/Brooke-Smith
  2. ^ "Brooke Smith Biography". Movies.yahoo.com. May 22, 1967. Archived from the original on May 22, 2011. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
  3. ^ Kaufman, Leslie (October 9, 2012). "Lois Smith, Publicist Who Mothered Star Clients, Dies at 84". The New York Times.
  4. ^ "New York Hardcore Photos | Sunday Matinee Book". Sunday Matinee. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  5. ^ Trivett, Ben (December 10, 2022). "Brooke Smith Looks Back at the 'Authentic' Punk Scene as She Releases 'Sunday Matinee'". People Magazine. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  6. ^ "Sheryl Lee Replaces Brooke Smith as Holy Mistress at Dirty Sexy Money". Televisionista.blogspot.com. November 4, 2007. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
  7. ^ People Staff (November 3, 2008). "Brooke Smith Axed From Grey's Anatomy". People. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
  8. ^ Ausiello, Michael (September 22, 2016). "Bates Motel Elects Grey's Anatomy Alum Brooke Smith (New) Sheriff". TVLine. Archived from the original on November 16, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
  9. ^ Rose, Caryn (November 9, 2022). "'My Hometown Thought I Was a Freak'". Vulture. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  10. ^ Sheehan, Mike (August 28, 2008). "Meet Satan's towel boy, Ralph Nader, and other famous rabblerousers in a call for open debates". ScholarsandRogues.com. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  11. ^ "Mormon News for WE 10 January 1999: Liz Smith: Wedding Belles". Mormonstoday.com. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
  12. ^ a b Sicha, Choire (October 28, 2007). "Dr. Hahn, you are wanted in surgery". The Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 25, 2008. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
  13. ^ "Fanny Grace Lubensky". Variety. May 6, 2003. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
  14. ^ Ingrassia, Lisa (May 16, 2008). "Grey's Anatomy's Brooke Smith Adopts Baby Girl". People. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
  15. ^ "Smith fights back again in 'Series 7'". USAtoday.com. March 8, 2001. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
  16. ^ "Five Facts Facts About Former Grey's Anatomy Star Brooke Smith". soaphub.com. July 16, 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
  17. ^ Cordero, Rosy; Petski, Denise (November 10, 2021). "'Class of '09': Raúl Castillo, Jake McDorman, Sepideh Moafi, Brian J. Smith Among 7 Cast In FX Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
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