Mariette Hartley was born June 21, 1940 in Weston, Connecticut. She was active in stage plays during her teenage years and trained under the guidance of distinguished actress Eva La Gallienne at Lucille Lortel's White Barn Theater. She also studied at the Repertory Stratford.
She made her big screen debut in the 1962 western film Ride the High Country, where her performance earned her a Most Promising Newcomer nomination at the BAFTA Awards. In 1982, she was nominated for the Best Performance by a Foreign Actress Award at the Genie Awards for her role as Diana Martley in the comedy Improper Channels. Her other film credits includes Marooned, Meet the Santas, Novel Romance, Baggage and Love is a Four Letter Word to name a few.
Mariette Hartley appeared on several TV shows such as
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Peyton Place, Logan's Run,
One Life to Live , Conan and The Love Boat among many others. She won Outstanding Lead Actress at the 1980 Emmy Awards for her portrayal of Dr. Carolyn Field on The Incredible Hulk series. She was also Emmy-nominated for her roles on The Last Hurrah, The Rockford Files, M.A.D.D.: Mothers Against Drunk Drivers and Goodnight, Beantown.
Together with actor James Garner, she did TV commercials for Polaroid Cameras. She was also a spokesperson for Eddie Z's blinds and drapery and for See Clearly Method.
Mariette Hartley's father committed suicide and this was a great factor in Mariette's decision when she co-founded the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. She has two children named Justine and Sean. Justine is an actress and a singer while Sean is a film school graduate.
Dorothy Spiller is played by Mariette Hartley on FX's drama series
Dirt . The show focuses on DirtNow's editor-in-chief Lucy Spiller, the people around her and the publication of the first ever glossy tabloid. Dorothy is Lucy's mother.