Born March 28, 1948 in Kansas City, Missouri,
Dianne Wiest's childhood ambition was to become a ballerina. During her latter years in high school and after working on stage productions, she decided to switch to acting. She took up a degree in Arts and Sciences at the University of Maryland and graduated in 1969.
Dianne Wiest's Broadway debut was in
Solitaire/Double in 1971. Among the stage productions she was part of were
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Pirates, Ashes, Agamemnon, Memory House, The Seagull and
The Lower Depths to name a few. Her portrayal of the shy and awkward author Elizabeth Barrow Colt in Tina Howe's
The Art of Dining won an Obie Award, a Theatre World Award and the Clarence Derwent Award.
She made her big screen debut on the 1980 comedy drama
It's My Turn, where she portrayed the role of Gail. In 1986, her work on
Hannah and Her Sisters earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She was Oscar nominated for playing Helen Buckman in the comedy film
Parenthood. She won her second Best Supporting Actress Award for her role as Helen Sinclair in
Bullets Over Broadway in 1994. She was seen in the movies
Footloose, Edward Scissorhands, The Lost Boys, The Horse Whisperer, Dan In Real Life, Practical Magic and
I am Sam among many others.
In 2000, she was cast as Nora Lewin on NBC's long-time running crime drama
Law & Order. Her other TV appearances were on
The Tenth Kingdom, The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn and
Not Afraid, Not Afraid.
She was listed as one of the 12 Promising New Actors in the 1985 issue of Screen World. She has no husband but had adopted two children namely Emily and Lily. She currently resides in New York City.
Gina is played by Dianne West on the HBO drama
In Treatment. Gina used to be Paul's professional supervisor. Over the years, she has lost her husband, reached the age of 60, retired her career as a therapist and assumed a new role of being a novel writer. Out of nowhere, Paul suddenly called her and asked for her help. In reconnecting with Paul, she renews their complicated relationship.
(Photo courtesy of HBO)