Grace Zabriskie


Grace Zabriskie is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Sarah Palmer in Twin Peaks and its film prequel , Lois Henrickson in Big Love, as well as in cult films such as two of David Lynch's films: Juana Durango in Wild at Heart and Visitor #1 in Inland Empire. Other film roles include Nickel Mountain, Child's Play 2, and The Grudge. She is also known for her recurring roles in Seinfeld and Charmed.

Early life

Zabriskie was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, the daughter of Marion Grace, of Wyckoff, New Jersey, and Roger Thomas "Tom" Caplinger. Her mother had distant Polish ancestry, and was a relative of James Zabriskie, a 19th-century railroad industrialist and early pioneer of California. Zabriskie has said that her family was visited by Tennessee Williams, Gore Vidal and Truman Capote during her childhood. Her father owned the famous French quarter gay bar, Cafe Lafitte in Exile.
In the early 1960s, Zabriskie was among a circle of Kerry Thornley's New Orleans friends. At one point, Thornley began work on a novel about her called Can Grace Come Out and Play? Thornley later claimed to have had an "eight-year-long, off-again-on-again, affair/friendship/rivalry/ego-game/karmic unraveling" with her, though Zabriskie described it as "four and a half minutes in bed".
Her sister Lane Caplinger worked as a typist in New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison’s office. Caplinger is reputed to have covertly produced all five copies of the first edition of the Principia Discordia in 1965.

Career

After making her major film debut in 1979's Norma Rae, Zabriskie went on to appear in dozens of other works, including the 1981 Roger Corman horror film Galaxy of Terror, and the 1981 miniseries adaptation of John Steinbeck's East of Eden. She played the nanny in 1980's The Private Eyes, Debra Winger's mother in An Officer and a Gentleman, Heather Langenkamp's mother in Nickel Mountain, and Paul Le Mat's mother in 1984's The Burning Bed. She also appeared in 1989's Drugstore Cowboy and as the ill-fated orphanage owner Grace Poole in Child's Play 2. Other movies include the 1991 film adaptation Fried Green Tomatoes and Philip Ridley's 1995 film The Passion of Darkly Noon.
Zabriskie is perhaps most familiar for her television work. After a recurring role on the soap opera Santa Barbara, she played a major role on the David Lynch series Twin Peaks and its spin-off film, as Sarah Palmer, the eerily psychic mother of the doomed Laura Palmer. Zabriskie also appeared in Lynch's Wild at Heart — notably as the twin sister of a character played by Isabella Rossellini, an actress eleven years her junior. David Lynch later cast her as a sinister Polish neighbor in Inland Empire in 2006.
Zabriskie may best be remembered as Mrs. Ross, a recurring character on the sitcom Seinfeld. She played the mother of another doomed daughter, Susan Ross — George Costanza's fiancée — who died after licking cheap envelope adhesive when mailing out her wedding invitations. Zabriskie's character's husband on the series, who also appeared in a recurring role, was played by her former Twin Peaks co-star, Warren Frost.
She also made a brief but memorable appearance in the episode "S'ain't Valentine's" on the CBS sitcom The King of Queens, as the emotionally disturbed and alcoholic mother of Spence Olchin. While the character Veronica Olchin would reappear throughout the series, Zabriskie would not portray her again, having been replaced by Anne Meara. She also starred as Lois Henrickson in Big Love, an HBO drama series that seriously explored the issue of polygamy, and appeared twice in Aaron Spelling's series Charmed as The Crone.
She has worked in radio, collaborating with radio dramatist/monologist Joe Frank several times. In one episode of Frank's show, "Home ", she talks at length about her childhood in New Orleans, with a focus on her father. Zabriskie recently appeared in the American remake of The Grudge, in which she played a senile elderly woman sensitive to the paranormal occurrences in her home.
In 2020 she starred in the music video for Grouplove's "Youth". directed by Christopher Blauvelt.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1978They Went That-A-Way & That-A-WayLem's Wife
1979Norma RaeLinette Odum
1980The Private EyesNanny
1981Galaxy of TerrorCaptain Trantor
1982An Officer and a GentlemanEsther Pokrifiki
1984Nickel MountainEllie Wells
1984Body RockChilly's Mother
1986'Mama
1987RampageNaomi Reece
1987Leonard Part 6Jefferson
1988'Sheryl
1989Drugstore CowboyBob's Mother
1990MegavilleMrs. Jessica Palinov
1990Wild at HeartJuana Durango
1990Child's Play 2Grace Poole
1991AmbitionMrs. Wendy Merrick
1991Servants of TwilightGrace Spivey
1991My Own Private IdahoAlena
1991Fried Green TomatoesEva Bates
1992'Pat
1992'Narrator/Magi Lune
1992'Sarah Palmer
1992Chain of DesireLinda Bailey
1993Stone SoupOlympia
1993Even Cowgirls Get the BluesMrs. Maria Hankshaw
1994'LouiseShort film
1994'Gloria Pierce
1994Drop ZoneWinona
1995Desert WindsJackie's Mother
1995'Roxy
1996'Ruby
1996Bastard Out of CarolinaGranny
1997SeedMother's VoiceShort film
1997Psycho SushiGreat Aunt
1997George B.The Mother
1997Dead Men Can't DanceBrig. Gen. Burke
1997Annie's GardenMrs. Felicity Barnes
1997SparklerSherri
1998ArmageddonDottie
1998Dante's ViewGeraldine
1999TrashMrs. Wendy DeMarie
1999A Texas FuneralMurtis
1999Me and WillEdith
2000Home the Horror StoryGrace Parkinson
2000'OlgaShort film
2000Puppy LoveJeanette FoleyShort film
2000Gone in 60 SecondsHelen Raines
2001They CrawlMrs. Gage
2002R.S.V.P.Mary Franklin
2002No Good DeedMrs. Karen Quarre
2003'AllisonShort film
2004'Mrs. Stella Allison
2004ChrystalGladys
2004'Emma
2004Sabine and the Two-Headed BabySabineShort film
2006Inland EmpireVisitor #1
2007CarelessAdrienne
2007License to WedGrandma Jones
2007Alternate EndingsMomShort film
2008'Madam
2009Bob FunkMrs. June Funk
2009My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done?Mrs. Joan McCullum
2013Wrong CopsDonna
2013'The WardenShort film
2014Blind MaliceNanna
2014The JudgeMrs. Anita Blackwell
2014The Makings of YouMargareta.k.a Never My Love
Also producer
2015Only ChildDelores
2015RosemontJosephine
2019PolaroidLena Sable

YearTitleRoleNotes
1978'Widow CumminsTV movie
1979Concrete CowboysMrs. Kate BarnabyEpisode: "Concrete Cowboys"
1979Freedom RoadRuth LaitTV movie
1980CBS Afternoon PlayhouseEpisode: "Lost in Death Valley"
1980Blinded by the LightTV movie
1981East of EdenMrs. Catherine AmesTV miniseries
1981Hart to HartEthylEpisode: "A Couple of Harts"
1982'Kathryne BakerTV movie
1983Tales of the Gold MonkeyDr. ClouetEpisode: "Last Chance Louie"
1983M.A.D.D.: Mothers Against Drunk DriversSilvie Alice KohlerTV movie
1983Cagney & LaceyAdeleEpisode: "Affirmative Action"
1984My Mother's Secret LifeMaggie RyanTV movie
1984Knots LandingChambermaidEpisode: "Negotiations"
1984'Flossie HughesTV movie
1984Paper DollsCathyEpisode: "1.8"
1985ABC Afterschool SpecialMrs. LintonEpisode: "One Too Many"
1985Santa BarbaraTheda Bassett17 episodes
1985North Beach and RawhideHearings OfficerTV movie
1985Shadow ChasersMary KomatarEpisode: "Shadow Chasers: Part 1"
1986Hill Street BluesTerry SylvestriEpisode: "Das Blues"
Episode: "Scales of Justice"
1986Cagney & LaceyEva SikorskiEpisode: "Model Citizens"
1987Falcon CrestMabel BurtonEpisode: "When the Bough Breaks"
Episode: "The Cradle Will Fall"
1987MistressDeanieTV movie
1988'Mrs. BarrisEpisode: "Ties That Bind"
1988My Father, My SonMouzaTV movie
1988ShooterSister MarieTV movie
1988Empty NestEva BarrettEpisode: "Pilot"
1989The Ryan White StoryGloria WhiteTV movie
1989UnsubAlmaEpisode: "White Bone Demon"
1989'PsychologistTV movie
1989MoonlightingEpisode: "In 'N Outlaws"
1990Tales from the CryptMrs. ColbertEpisode: "The Secret"
1990Hometown Boy Makes GoodHelen GearyTV movie
1990–1991Twin PeaksSarah Palmer13 episodes
1991'GenevieveTV movie
1991Blood TiesThe WomanTV movie
1991Intimate StrangerDana P. AshleyTV movie
1992Freshman DormEpisode: "Pilot"
1992'RubyTV movie
1992SeinfeldMrs. RossEpisode: "The Cheever Letters"
1993Bonds of LoveEmmaTV movie
1993Miracle ChildAdeleine NewberryTV movie
1993'EthelTV movie
1993Banner TimesMommaTV movie
1993Double DeceptionTV movie
1993SirensFemale Store OwnerEpisode: "Keeping the Peace"
1993Angel FallsCuema1 episode
1994'Sandy HenryEpisode: "A Body to Die For: The Aaron Henry Story"
1995Crazy for a KissPearl KinrossTV movie
1995Children of the DustRoseTV movie
1995Under SuspicionLily CassinsEpisode: "Hostage Standoff"
Episode: "Wrongful Shooting"
1995Empty NestScarlettEpisode: "Life Goes On: Part 1"
Episode: "Life Goes On: Part 2"
1995Fallen AngelsVirnaEpisode: "The Black Bargain"
1995NYPD BlueWanda PadzikEpisode: "The Bookie and the Kooky Cookie"
1996'Francie HarperTV movie
1996Second NoahMrs. ChevalEpisode: "Stormy Weather"
1996Murder at My DoorGrandmaTV movie
1996'Retired CIA AgentEpisode: "Touch of the Dead"
1996-1998SeinfeldMrs. Ross4 episodes
1997NYPD BlueMillie BanksEpisode: "A Remington Original"
1997High IncidentEpisode: "Remote Control"
1997Over the TopDollyEpisode: "The Southern Story"
1997'Rose DeMarcoTV movie
1998Dharma & GregNaomiEpisode: "It Takes a Village"
1998HoudiniMrs. WeissTV movie
1998ProfilerMrs. BoudreauxEpisode: "The Sum of Her Parts"
1999'VeronicaEpisode: "S'ain't Valentine's"
2000JesseGrandma RoseEpisode: "Jesse Gives Birth"
2000'IsobelEpisode: "In the Shadow of Two Gunmen: Part II"
2002'JudithEpisode: "The Dead"
2002Sylvia GoodsteinTV movie
2002–2003John DoeYellow Teeth6 episodes
2003CharmedThe CroneEpisode: "Baby's First Demon"
Episode: "Sense and Sense Ability"
2005MediumConnie BuckleyEpisode: "The Other Side of the Tracks"
2006–2011Big LoveLois Henrickson52 episodes
2013The KillingMama Dips3 episodes
2015Ray DonovanMiss Monassian6 episodes
2016OutcastMildred4 episodes
2017Santa Clarita DietMrs. Baković2 episodes
2017Twin PeaksSarah Palmer6 episodes
2018The Alienist Johns Grandmother4 episodes
2019Hot StreetsSenkah Episode: "Super Agent 2"
2019Ballers Enid-