Rebecca Wisocky (born November 12, 1971[1]) is an American actress.[2] Best known for her role as Evelyn Powell in the Lifetime comedy-drama series Devious Maids (2013–16), as of 2021 she is starring as Hetty Woodstone on the CBS sitcom Ghosts. She had small roles in shows such as Desperate Housewives, and had a reoccurring role as Ramdha on Star Trek: Picard.
Rebecca Wisocky | |
|---|---|
 Wisocky in 2013 | |
| Born | November 12, 1971 York, Pennsylvania, U.S |
| Education | New York University (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Spouse | |
Early life
editWisocky was born in York, Pennsylvania.[3] She began her acting career in York at York Little Theatre, a community theater, where she said she spent most of her childhood.[3] She also attended the Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Arts.[4] Wisocky later moved to New York City, and graduated from the New York University Experimental Theatre Wing.[5]
Career
editWisocky began work in the theatre, appearing on Broadway in 1995 in The Play's the Thing. Wisocky later performed in many stage productions, primarily playing strong women, like Lady Macbeth and Medea.[3] In 2008, she won the Obie Award for Distinguished Performance by an Actress for her role as Nazi-era German filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl in Jordan Harrison's Amazons and Their Men.[5][6][7] She also acted in several other Off-Broadway plays, including Don Juan Comes Back from the War, The Tooth of Crime, and Hot 'N Throbbing.[8]
Wisocky had supporting roles in number of films, including Pollock (2000), Funny Money (2006), and Atlas Shrugged: Part I (2011). She made her television debut in 2000, on an episode of HBO comedy Sex and the City. In later years, she also guest starred on Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Sopranos, NCIS, Bones, Emma Smith in Big Love, and as Queen Mab on True Blood.[9][10] Wisocky had a recurring roles in the CW series 90210 from 2010 to 2011, CBS's The Mentalist (2010-2013) as Brenda Shettrick, and in the first season of FX series American Horror Story as Lorraine Harvey.[11]
In early 2012, Marc Cherry cast Wisocky in his comedy-drama television pilot Devious Maids as Evelyn Powell, the main antagonist of the show.[11][12] Previously, she played Bree's Mother on Desperate Housewives (episode "Women and Death"). The series was originally in development to air on ABC, but not picked. In June 2012, Lifetime picked up the pilot with a thirteen-episode order to air in early 2013.[13] Wisocky received positive reviews from critics for her performance in the series.[14][15] In 2014, Wisocky had guest-starring roles in the ABC dramas Castle and Once Upon a Time.[16][17] In 2015, she appeared opposite Sally Field in the comedy-drama film, Hello, My Name Is Doris, directed by Michael Showalter.[18] The following years, Wisocky appeared on The X-Files, The Sinner, Modern Family, 9-1-1, For All Mankind, and Star Trek: Picard. In 2021, she began starring as Hetty Woodstone, the deceased lady of the manor, on the CBS comedy series, Ghosts.[19]
Personal life
editOn January 5, 2015, Wisocky became engaged to Lap Chi Chu, a theatrical lighting designer, on the Pont de la Tournelle in Paris.[20] They married in Boston on October 10, 2015.[21]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | The Fountain of Death | Ashley | |
| 2000 | It Had to Be You | Waitress | |
| Pollock | Dorothy Seiberling | ||
| 2005 | Flightless Birds | DeAnn | Short film |
| Escape Artists | Rachel | ||
| 2006 | Funny Money | MM. Virginia | |
| 2007 | The Picture of Dorian Gray | Ursula Wooten | |
| 2008 | Henry May Long | Mary Sterling | |
| 2009 | My Two Fans | Patricia | |
| 2011 | Atlas Shrugged: Part I | Lillian Rearden | |
| 2014 | Swallow | Dr. Nagle | Short film |
| 2015 | Hello, My Name Is Doris | Anne Patterson | |
| 2018 | Ralph Breaks the Internet | eBay Elayne | Voice |
| 2022 | Blonde | Yvet | |
| Amsterdam | Mrs. Moran |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Sex and the City | Stephanie | Episode: "Frenemies" |
| 2002, 2005 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | CSU Tech / Dede McCann | 2 episodes: "Crazy" and "Diamond Dogs" |
| 2003 | Law & Order | Louise | Episode: "Star Crossed" |
| 2003, 2006 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Marcy Cochran / Dr. Paula Greenfield | 2 episodes: "Serendipity" and "Fault" |
| 2004 | Third Watch | Wanda | Episode: "Obsession" |
| 2006 | Untitled Patricia Heaton Project | Heike Gaert | TV movie |
| The Sopranos | Rene Cabot Moskowitz | Episode: "Moe n' Joe" | |
| NCIS | Jody Carvell | Episode: "Dead and Unburied" | |
| Without a Trace | Cara Nelson | Episode: "The Thing with Feathers" | |
| 2007 | Medium | Janice - Red Haired Woman | Episode: "Apocalypse, Push" |
| Cold Case | Alice B. Harris - 1919 | Episode: "Torn" | |
| Ugly Betty | Marsha Stein | Episode: "Grin and Bear It" | |
| 2009 | Bones | Dr. Maura Bailey | Episode: "The Doctor in the Den" |
| Samantha Who? | Lindsey | Episode: "The Amazing Racist" | |
| Saving Grace | Millie Holm | 2 episodes: "Looks Like a Lesbian Attack to Me" and "Am I Gonna Die Today?" | |
| CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Shirley | Episode: "Appendicitement" | |
| 2010 | Ghosts/Aliens | Deb Hamburger | TV movie |
| Miami Medical | Jennifer Seaver | Episode: "Like a Hurricane" | |
| Svetlana | Dr. Veronica | Episode: "Eco-Shlong" | |
| 2010–2011 | 90210 | Principal Nowack | Recurring role, 4 episodes |
| 2010–2013 | The Mentalist | Brenda Shettrick | Recurring role, 9 episodes |
| 2011 | Big Love | Emma Smith | 2 episodes: "The Oath" and "Where Men and Mountains Meet" |
| Swallow | Dr. Nagle | TV movie | |
| True Blood | Queen Mab | Episode: "She's Not There" | |
| The Young and the Restless | Judge Click | 3 episodes | |
| American Horror Story: Murder House | Lorraine Harvey | Recurring role, 3 episodes | |
| Circling the Drain | Elise Fama | TV movie | |
| 2012 | In Plain Sight | Professor Lynn Gunter | Episode: "The Anti-Social Network" |
| Desperate Housewives | Bree's Mother | Episode: "Women and Death" | |
| Longmire | Rachel Clausen | Episode: "The Dark Road" | |
| Criminal Minds | Sheriff Olivia Corwin | Episode: "The Good Earth" | |
| 2013 | 1600 Penn | Bianca | Episode: "Meet the Parent" |
| Major Crimes | Madeline Morgan | Episode: "All In" | |
| 2013–2016 | Devious Maids | Evelyn Powell | Series regular, 46 episodes |
| 2014 | Castle | Dr. Elena Sarkov | Episode: "Clear & Present Danger" |
| Once Upon a Time | Madam Faustina | Episode: "Shattered Sight" | |
| 2015 | The Exes | Victoria | 2 episodes: "Holly Franklin Goes to Washington" and "A Bride Too Far" |
| Grimm | Lily Hinkley | Episode: "Death Do Us Part" | |
| 2016 | The X-Files | Jackie Goldman | Episode: "Founder's Mutation" |
| 2016–2017 | Graves | Dr. Sandra Schwartz | 2 episodes: "A Tincture of Madness" and "Cradle to the Graves" |
| 2017 | Rebel | Elsa Folster | 3 episodes |
| The Sinner | Margaret Lacey | 2 episodes: "Part II" and "Part III" | |
| NCIS: Los Angeles | Sasha Livingston | Episode: "Plain Sight" | |
| Modern Family | Mrs. Graham | Episode: "No Small Feet" | |
| 2018 | 9-1-1 | Marjorie Daniels | Episode: "Trapped" |
| Lethal Weapon | Commissioner Debra | Episode: "Family Ties" | |
| Heathers | Martha Chandler | Recurring role, 4 episodes | |
| NCIS: New Orleans | Bernadine Caldwell | Episode: "Sheepdogs" | |
| 2019 | S.W.A.T. | Ruth Pearson | Episode: "Bad Faith" |
| All Rise | Margot Baxter | Episode: "Devotees in the Courthouse of Love" | |
| The Purge | Deb Parker | Episode: "House of Mirrors" | |
| For All Mankind | Marge Slayton | Recurring role, 4 episodes | |
| 2020 | Bull | AUSA Lambert | Episode: "Quid Pro Quo" |
| The Resident | Dr. Judith Brown | Episode: "Doll E. Wood" | |
| Star Trek: Picard | Ramdha | Recurring role, 3 episodes | |
| Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist | Nancy Wellington | Episode: "Zoey's Extraordinary Confession" | |
| 2021 | United States of Al | Lisa Patterson | Episode: "Fundraiser/Baspana Towlawal" |
| Why Women Kill | Harriet | Episode: "They Made Me a Killer" | |
| Brooklyn Nine-Nine | Captain Lamazar | Episode: "The Good Ones" | |
| Dopesick | Cynthia McCormick | Mini-series, 3 episodes | |
| 2021–present | Ghosts | Hetty Woodstone | Series regular Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television (2024) Nominated — Astra Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in Broadcast Network or Cable Comedy Series (2024) |
Video games
edit- Dishonored: Death of the Outsider (2017) – Cultists
- Star Wars Squadrons (2020) – Kierah 'Gunny' Koovah
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (2023) – Doma Dendra
Theatre
edit- God's Ear as Lenora (Vineyard Theatre)
- Amazons and Their Men as Leni Riefenstahl (Clubbed Thumb)
- Hot'n'Throbbing as VO (Signature)
- Medea in Jerusalem as Medea (Rattlestick)
- Tatjana in Color as Wally (Culture Project)
- Antigone as Creon (Classic Stage Company)
- The Squirrel as Jessica (SPF)
- The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant as Petra (Henry Miller Theatre)
- Sueno as Estrella (MCC)
- Middle Finger as Myrna (Ma-Yi)
- A Tale of Two Cities as Madame Defarge (Culture Project)
- Hot Keys as Calitha (P.S. 122)
- Tooth of Crime as Becky Lou (Second Stage/Signature)
- 36 Views as Elizabeth (NYSF/The Public)
References
edit- ^ "Devious Maids - Tijdlijnfoto's". Facebook. Retrieved 2013-11-13.
- ^ Reviews, New York Times Theater (2001-12-21). The New York Times Theatre Reviews 1999-2000. Taylor & Francis. pp. 183–. ISBN 9780415936972. Retrieved 7 April 2012.
- ^ a b c Central PA (2013-08-11). "York actress Rebecca Wisocky brings experience as a villain to Lifetime's 'Devious Maids'". PennLive.com. Retrieved 2013-12-24.
- ^ "Rebecca Wisocky Biography". Tvguide.com. Retrieved 2013-12-24.
- ^ a b "Rebecca Wisocky as Evelyn Powell". Lifetime. Archived from the original on 2013-06-18. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
- ^ Andrew Gans (May 18, 2008). "Foote, Hwang, Cromer, Hamilton, Mulgrew and Stew Among 2008 Obie Award Winners". Playbill. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
- ^ BWW News Desk. "2008 Obie Awards Winners Announced". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
- ^ "Lortel Archives-The Internet Off-Broadway Database". Lortel.org. Retrieved 2013-12-24.
- ^ *HS* (December 15, 2010). "Dane DeHaan and Rebecca Wisocky Join Cast of True Blood". TV Fanatic. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
- ^ "Dane DeHaan, Rebecca Wisocky for 'Blood' - True Blood News - Cult". Digital Spy. 2010-12-16. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
- ^ a b "Rebecca Wisocky joins 'Devious Maids' pilot". Digital Spy. 23 February 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
- ^ ""Devious Maids" star Rebecca Wisocky born to play bad | The Highlighter". Wsnhighlighter.com. 2013-06-27. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
- ^ "Official: Marc Cherry's 'Devious Maids' going to Lifetime". EW.com. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
- ^ Stanley, Alessandra (June 21, 2013). "The Women Who Really Run the House". The New York Times.
- ^ Lori Acken (June 25, 2014). "We talk Devious Maids with the show's own Evelyn Powell, Rebecca Wisocky". ChannelGuideMag. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
- ^ "'Once Upon a Time' Season 4 — Rebecca Wisocky Cast as Charlatan - TVLine". TVLine. 16 October 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
- ^ "Once Upon a Time casts Devious Maids star Rebecca Wisocky". Digital Spy. 17 October 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
- ^ Daniel Falconer (August 5, 2014). "Rebecca Wisocky exclusive interview - Devious Maids, cookery shows and more". Femalefirst. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
- ^ Rinaldi, Peter (November 30, 2021). "Back to One, Episode 180: Rebecca Wisocky | Filmmaker Magazine".
- ^ Rebecca Wisocky (4 February 2015). "I'm a very lucky lady". Twitter. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
- ^ Emily Strohm (October 10, 2015). "Inside Devious Maids Star Rebecca Wisocky's Wedding at a Turn-of-the-Century Mansion". People.com. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
