Constance Ray (born July 10, 1956) is an American actress and playwright. Among her highest-profile appearances are Thank You for Smoking (2006) and Stuart Little (1999), and the television drama ER (1997). She also appeared in Ice Princess (2005) and on George Lopez (2002).

Connie Ray
Born
Constance Ray

(1956-07-10) July 10, 1956 (age 68)
Occupation(s)Actress, playwright
Years active1991–present

Biography

edit

Constance Ray was one of three children born to Betty Jean (Edmonds) and Shelton Ray and raised on the family's dairy farm in Orange County, North Carolina. At the age of ten, Ray wrote a play with her brother Lester for a 4-H club talent show that went on to win at county and district competitions.[1] She went on to study dance at East Carolina University and earned a Master of Fine Arts at Ohio University.[2]

Ray wrote the bluegrass gospel musicals Smoke On The Mountain, which opened off-Broadway in 1990, Sanders Family Christmas (1999),[3] and Smoke on the Mountain Homecoming (2006), three of the most produced musicals in the United States for the last 20 years.[4][5]

Filmography

edit

Film

edit
Year Title Role Notes
1996 A Very Brady Sequel Flight Attendant
Space Jam Owner's Girlfriend
My Fellow Americans Genny
1997 Speed 2: Cruise Control Fran Fisher
1998 Hope Floats Bobbi-Claire Patterson
1999 Idle Hands Mrs. Tobias
Stuart Little Aunt Tina
2000 Lost Souls Mother
2002 The Time Machine Teacher
About Schmidt Vicki Rusk
2003 How to Deal Marion Smith
2004 Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius Clara Jones
2005 Ice Princess Mrs. Fletcher
Thank You for Smoking Pearl
2006 Flourish Wendy Covner
Flags of Our Fathers Mrs. Sousley
2007 Welcome to Paradise Patsy Nellis
2022 American Reject Bonnie

Television

edit
Year Title Role Notes
1991 Harry and the Hendersons Ginger Higgs Episode: "Harry Goes Ape"
1991–1993 The Torkelsons/Almost Home Millicent Torkelson Main role
1992 Quantum Leap Carol Pruitt Episode: "Killin' Time"
1993 L.A. Law Philomena Bannister Episode: "Leap of Faith"
1995 Murphy Brown Ms. Howard Episode: "Murphy's Law"
Never Say Never: The Deirdre Hall Story Shane TV movie
1996 Coach Mary Luba Episode: "Nice Guys Get Cut"
Dream On Mandy Episode: "Second Time Aground"
1997 Touched by an Angel Sandra Mills Episode: "The Road Home: Part 1"
Promised Land Sandra Mills Episode: "The Road Home: Part 2"
ER Glenda Episode: "Friendly Fire"
1998 The Pretender Episode: "Red Rock Jarod" Marilyn Miller
1999 Veronica's Closet Jan Schaefer Episode: "Veronica's Big Homecoming"
It's Like, You Know... Beverly Episode: "Two Days in the Valley"
2000 Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane Betty Episode: "The Feud"
2002 Andy Richter Controls the Universe Lorie Episode: "Wedding"
Providence Hazel Episodes: "All the King's Men", "Gotcha", "Out of Control"
George Lopez Debbie Episode: "No Free Launch"
2003 Less than Perfect Nona Episode: "High Maintenance"
2005–2006 Still Standing Joy Episodes: "Still Bill Vol. 1", "Still Deceitful"
2006 Twenty Good Years Susan Episode: "John's Old Lady"
2007 My Name Is Earl Mrs. Clevenger Episode: "Burn Victim"
2008 Greek Norma Episode: "47 Hours and 11 Minutes"
Worst Week Sheila Episodes: "The Cake", "The Wedding"
2011 Justified Mrs. Reasoner Episode: "Blaze of Glory"
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Biological Mother Episode; "Double Strands"
2011–2013 The Big C Connie Schuler Episodes: "The Little c", "What's Your Story?", "Quality of Life", "The Finale"
2012 Hart of Dixie Mrs. Beaudry Episode: "Walkin' After Midnight"
2013 & 2017 Blue Bloods Ruth / Ann Harris Episodes: "Lost and Found" & "Ghosts of the Past"
2014–2015 Grey's Anatomy Karen Kepner Episodes: "Don't Let's Start" & "The Bed's Too Big Without You"
2017 The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Mrs. Winters Episode: "Mrs. X at the Gaslight"
Kick Me, I'm Christian Betsy Rafferty Unsold TV pilot
2018 The Good Fight Mrs. Honeycutt Episode: "Day 443"
2019 Kim Possible Nana Possible TV movie

Theater

edit
Year Title Role Theater
1988 The Heidi Chronicles
1990 Smoke on the Mountain June Sanders Lamb's Theatre
2010 Next Fall Arlene Helen Hayes Theatre
2013 Hands on a Hardbody Cindy Barnes Brooks Atkinson Theatre

References

edit
  1. ^ Broili, Susan (3 Jan 2003). "'About Schmidt' ... he's not a great kisser". Chapel Hill Herald. [Connie] and brother Lester would show cows from their Twin Branch Farm in 4-H shows, but always wanted to be in the 4-H talent show. So one year, they wrote and starred in a play about two old ladies who rode skateboards - "and we won!" Ray recalled. Their performance won in the Orange County 4-H division, and then took the district competition when they performed at Memorial Hall.
  2. ^ Buck, Jerry (12 Mar 1993). "Connie Ray Still Great on 'Home'". Chicago Sun-Times. Ray studied dance at East Carolina University and got her master's degree at Ohio University. She also studied dance with Twyla Tharp at American University in Washington and with Merce Cunningham.
  3. ^ Holmes, Cecile (4 Dec 1999). "A country kind of Christmas". Houston Chronicle. As a sequel to Smoke On the Mountain, Sanders Family Christmas . . . is currently being produced in about 30 theaters in cities including Nashville, Cincinnati and Seattle.
  4. ^ Stein, Jerry (8 Nov 1999). "Gospel-tinged 'Smoke' comes back for a sequel". Cincinnati Post. Since its premiere in 1988, "Smoke on the Mountain" has become one of the most frequently produced musicals in the U.S.
  5. ^ Smoke on the Mountain
edit