MASON, Marsha 1942–
(Marcia Mason)

PERSONAL

Born April 3, 1942, in St. Louis, MO; daughter of James Joseph and Jacquelina Helena (maiden name, Rachowsky) Mason; married Gary Campbell (an actor), 1965 (divorced, 1970); married Neil Simon (a playwright), October 25, 1973 (divorced, 1983). Education: Webster College (now Webster University), B.A., speech and drama; also attended Directing Workshop for Women, American Film Institute, Los Angeles, CA. Avocational Interests: Automobile racing, growing medicinal herbs.

Addresses: Agent —William Morris Agency, 151 El Camino Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90212. Manager —Michael Black Management, 5750 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 640, Los Angeles, CA 90036.

Career: Actress and director. Member of the American Conservatory Theatre, San Francisco, CA, and the Los Angeles Theatre Works, Los Angeles, CA; affiliated with the Actors Studio, New York City; American Film Institute, member of board of trustees. Resting in the River (an herbal medicine business), owner, 2001; previously worked as a race car driver, clerk, waitress, and go–go dancer.

Member: Actors' Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, National Council on the Arts.

Awards, Honors: Golden Globe Award, best motion picture actress, and Academy Award nomination, best supporting actress, both 1974, for Cinderella Liberty; Saturn Award, best actress—horror, Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, 1978, for Audrey Rose; Golden Globe Award, best motion picture actress, British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award, best actress, and Academy Award nomination, best actress, 1978, all for The Goodbye Girl; Golden Globe Award nomination, best motion picture actress—drama, 1980, for Promises in the Dark; Academy Award nomination, best actress, and Golden Globe Award nomination, best motion picture actress—musical/comedy, both 1980, for Chapter Two; Academy Award nomination, best actress, 1982, for Only When I Laugh; Emmy Award nominations, outstanding guest actress in a comedy series, 1997, for Frasier; Lifetime Achievement Award, Temecula Valley International Film Festival, 2001; Lifetime Achievement Award, St. Louis International Film Festival, 2002; honorary doctorate in fine and performing arts, Webster University.

CREDITS

Film Appearances:

Hot Rod Hullabaloo, Allied Artists, 1966.

(As Marcia Mason) Marcia Stillwell, Beyond the Law, 1968.

Arlene, Blume in Love, Warner Bros., 1973.

Maggie Paul, Cinderella Liberty, Twentieth Century– Fox, 1973.

Murder by Death, Columbia, 1976.

Janice Templeton, Audrey Rose, United Artists, 1977.

Paula McFadden, The Goodbye Girl (also known as Neil Simon's The Goodbye Girl ), Warner Bros., 1977.

Georgia Merkle, The Cheap Detective (also known as Neil Simon's The Cheap Detective and Snacka om deckare, alltsaa! ), Columbia, 1978.

Jennie MacLaine, Chapter Two, Columbia, 1979.

Dr. Alexandra Kendall, Promises in the Dark, Warner Bros., 1979.

Georgia Hines, Only When I Laugh (also known as It Hurts Only When I Laugh and Neil Simon's Only When I Laugh ), Columbia, 1981.

Nora McPhee, Max Dugan Returns, Twentieth Century– Fox, 1983.

Aggie, Heartbreak Ridge, Warner Bros., 1986.

Janice Morrison, Stella, Buena Vista, 1990.

Polly, Drop Dead Fred, New Line Cinema, 1991.

Senator Gayle Robbins, I Love Trouble, Buena Vista, 1994.

Governor Eleanor Grant, Nick of Time, Paramount, 1995.

Self, Visions of a New World, 1995.

Audrey Hopper, 2 Days in the Valley (also known as Two Days in the Valley ), Metro–Goldwyn–Mayer, 1996.

Mother, Bereft, 2004.

Television Appearances; Series:

Vampire girl, Dark Shadows, NBC, 1969.

Laura Blackburn, Where the Heart Is, CBS, 1971.

Judith Cole, Love of Life, CBS, 1971–1972.

Nurse Marsha Lord, Young Dr. Kildare, syndicated, 1972.

Host, Shortstories, Arts and Entertainment, 1988–1989.

Nora Ruscio, Sibs (also known as Grown–Ups ), ABC, 1991–1992.

Sherry Dempsey, a recurring role, Frasier, NBC, 1997–1998.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

Ethel Gumm, Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows, ABC, 2001.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Title role, Lois Gibbs and the Love Canal, CBS, 1982.

Lois, Surviving (also known as Surviving: A Family in Crisis and Tragedy ), ABC, 1985.

Jennifer Hubbell, Trapped in Silence (also known as Silent Rage ), CBS, 1986.

Millicent Jordan, Dinner at Eight, TNT, 1989.

Jean Cromwell, The Image, HBO, 1990.

Ruth Fraser, Broken Trust (also known as Court of Honor ), TNT, 1995.

Lydia, Dead Aviators (also known as Restless Spirits ), Showtime, 1999.

Television Appearances; Pilots:

Nancy, Wilder Days, ABC, 2000.

Follow the Leeds, Lifetime, 2003.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Roxanne, Cyrano de Bergerac, PBS, 1974.

Herself, The Making of "The Goodbye Girl," 1977.

The American Film Institute Salute to Henry Fonda, CBS, 1978.

Host (with others), Oscar's Best Actors, ABC, 1978.

Variety '77—The Year in Entertainment, CBS, 1978.

The Good Doctor, PBS, 1979.

The All–Star Party for Clint Eastwood, 1986.

The Clinic, 1987.

From the Heart … The First International Very Special Arts Festival, NBC, 1989.

"Neil Simon: Not Just for Laughs" (also known as "Simply Simon: A Neil Simon Retrospective" and "Neil Simon: Simply Simon"), American Masters, PBS, 1989.

TGIF Comedy Preview, ABC, 1991.

Narrator, "The Power of Water," National Geographic Specials, PBS, 1993.

"Clint Eastwood—The Man from Malpaso," Crazy about the Movies, Cinemax, 1993.

Herself, Intimate Portrait: Marsha Mason, Lifetime, 1998.

Herself, AFI's 100 Years … 100 Stars, CBS, 1999.

Interviewee, "Neil Simon: The People's Playwright," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 1999.

Narrator, Intimate Portrait: Jane Alexander, Lifetime, 1999.

Interviewee, Shirley MacLaine: This Time Around, Arts and Entertainment, 2000.

Interviewee, Matthew Broderick, Arts and Entertainment, 2001.

Also appeared in Brewsie and Willie.

Television Appearances; Awards Presentations:

Presenter, The 58th Annual Academy Awards Presentation, 1986.

The Golden Globe Awards, 1987.

The Third Annual American Comedy Awards, ABC, 1989.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Herself, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, 1980.

Courtney Woods, Hothouse, ABC, 1988.

Lilith Bigelow, "The Egg and I," The Education of Max Bickford, CBS, 2002.

Suburban Sleuths, 2003.

Television Work; Specials:

Director, "Little Miss Perfect," CBS Schoolbreak Special, CBS, 1987.

Television Work; Episodic:

Director, Frasier, NBC, 1997.

Stage Appearances:

Botticelli's Springtime, Cactus Flower, Royale Theatre, New York City, 1965.

Bobby, The Deer Park, Theatre de Lys, New York City, 1967.

Joanna Dibble, It's Called the Sugar Plum, Astor Place Theatre, New York City, 1968.

The Indian Wants the Bronx, 1968.

Penelope Ryan, Happy Birthday, Wanda June, Theatre de Lys, 1970.

Private Lives, American Conservatory Theatre, San Francisco, CA, 1971.

You Can't Take It with You, American Conservatory Theatre, 1972.

The Merchant of Venice, American Conservatory Theatre, 1972.

Lady Anne, Richard III, New York Shakespeare Festival, Mitzi E. Newhouse Theatre, New York City, 1972.

Cyrano de Bergerac, American Conservatory Theatre Company, 1972.

The Crucible, American Conservatory Theatre Company, 1972.

A Doll's House, American Conservatory Theatre Company, 1972.

The Good Doctor, Eugene O'Neill Theatre, New York City, 1973.

The Heiress, Los Angeles, CA, 1975.

Title role, Mary Stuart, Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, 1981.

Viola, Twelfth Night, Old Globe Theatre, San Diego, CA, 1983.

Kate, Old Times, Roundabout Theatre, New York City, 1983.

Florence Aadland, The Big Love, New York Theatre Workshop, Perry Street Theatre, New York City, 1988.

Melissa Gardner, Love Letters, Promenade Theatre, New York City, 1989.

Petra, Lake No Bottom, Second Stage Theatre, New York City, 1990.

Escape from Happiness, Naked Angels, New York City, 1994.

Selena Goodall, Amazing Grace, reading in Seattle, WA, produced at Pittsburgh Public Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA, 1995, later at Theatre Four, New York City, 1998, also produced in London.

Maxine Faulk, The Night of the Iguana, Criterion Center, New York City, then Roundabout Theatre, both 1996.

House, Long Island, NY, 1998.

The Prisoner of Second Avenue, London, 1999.

Wintertime, McCarter Theater, Princeton, New Jersey, 2003.

Adam's Rib, Skirball Cultural Center, L.A. Theatre Works, Los Angeles, 2003.

Also appeared in The Vagina Monologues, Westside Theatre (Downstairs), New York City.

Major Tours:

Cactus Flower, U.S. cities, 1968.

Stage Work:

Director, Juno's Swans, Second Stage Theatre, 1987.

Also directed a production of Heaven Can Wait.

Radio Appearances:

Performer in radio plays with the Los Angeles Theatre Works, Los Angeles.

RECORDINGS

Videos:

Herself, Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows—A Behind–the–Scenes Look (documentary), 2002.

Taped Readings:

(With others) The Prisoner of Second Avenue by Neil Simon, L.A. Theatre Works, 2001.

WRITINGS

Autobiography:

Journey: A Personal Odyssey, Simon & Schuster, 2000, Thorndike Press, 2001.

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals:

People Weekly, October 23, 2000, p. 57.