Award-winning American actress Laurie Metcalf was born on June 16, 1955 in Carbondale, Illinois. Theater was one of her many childhood pursuits, a passion which she eventually brought until her adult life, having been a graduate of a BA in theater from the Illinois State University in 1977. She began her acting career with Chicago theater company Steppenwolf Theater; she won an Obie award in 1984 for her performance in one of their productions, Balm in Gilead.
Metcalf also entered television and film early on. She made her film debut in 1985’s Desperately Seeking Susan, and has since appeared in films such as Miles from Home, Internal Affairs, Blink, Runaway Bride, Fun with Dick and Jane, JFK, Leaving Las Vegas and Scream 2. She also provided her voice for many animated features, including Treasure Planet, Toy Story and Meet the Robinsons. Metcalf also actively appears on different television programs, starting with an episode of The Equalizer in 1986, and eventually followed by roles in 3rd Rock from the Sun, My Boys, Dharma & Greg, Malcolm in the Middle, Monk, Absolutely Fabulous, Grey’s Anatomy, The Big band Theory and Desperate Housewives.
She is, however, best known for her role in the television comedy Roseanne. She plays Jackie Harris, the wacky younger sister of Roseanne Conner (Roseanne Barr), whose life is peppered with her lackluster social life, many unstable relationships and unsuccessful career, but nevertheless manages to serve as a confidant for members of the Connor family. She played the character throughout the show’s run, from 1988 to 1997, and subsequently earned three Emmy awards for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy. She was also in the regular cast of comedies The Norm Show and the short-lived Charlie Lawrence. Metcalf is set to star in the new series Easy Money, where she plays the matriarch of a family of loan sharks.