WINNINGHAM, Mare 1959–

(Sharon Shamus)

PERSONAL

Full name, Mary Megan Winningham; born May 16, 1959, in Phoenix, AZ; raised in California; daughter of two educators; married A. Martinez (an actor; divorced); married William Mapel (a television technical advisor; some sources spell surname Maple; marriage ended); children: Riley Sam, Paddy, Jack Walter, Calla Louise, Hap Atticus. Education: Attended California State University, Northridge.

Addresses: Agent—IFA Talent Agency, 8730 Sunset Blvd., Suite 490, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

Career: Actress. Also a singer, songwriter, and recording artist of contemporary folk music.

Awards, Honors: Emmy Award, outstanding supporting actress in a limited series or special, 1980, for Amber Waves; Genie Award nomination, best performance by a foreign actress, Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, 1983, for Threshold; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding lead actress in a miniseries or special, 1986, for "Love Is Never Silent," Hallmark Hall of Fame; Independent Spirit Award nomination, best supporting female, Independent Features Project/West, 1990, for Miracle Mile; Annual CableACE Award nomination, best actress in a movie or miniseries, National Cable Television Association, 1994, for Better Off Dead; Independent Spirit Award, best supporting actress, Academy Award nomination, best supporting actress, and Screen Actors Guild Award nomination, outstanding performance by a female in a supporting role, all 1996, for Georgia; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding supporting actress in a miniseries or special, 1996, for "The Boys Next Door," Hallmark Hall of Fame; Emmy Award, Golden Globe Award nomination, and Golden Satellite Award nomination, International Press Academy, all best supporting actress in a television series, miniseries, or movie, and Screen Actors Guild Award nomination, outstanding performance by a female actor in a television movie or miniseries, all 1998, for George Wallace; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding guest actress in a drama series, 2004, for Law & Order: Special Victims Unit; Daytime Emmy Award nomination, outstanding performer in a children, youth, or family special, 2004, for The Maldonado Miracle.

CREDITS

Film Appearances:

Modena Dandridge, One Trick Pony, Warner Bros., 1980.

Carol Severance, Threshold, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1981.

Wendy Beamish, St. Elmo's Fire, Columbia, 1985.

Pat, Nobody's Fool, Island, 1986.

Brenda Carlucci, Made in Heaven, Lorimar, 1987.

Candy, Shy People, Cannon, 1987.

Dr. Emily Carson, Turner & Hooch, Buena Vista, 1989.

Julie Peters, Miracle Mile, Hemdale, 1989.

Dawn, Hard Promises, Columbia, 1991.

Lois Simmons, The War, Universal, 1994.

Mattie Blaylock, Wyatt Earp, Warner Bros., 1994.

Singer, Teresa's Tattoo (also known as Natural Selection), Vidmark Entertainment, 1994.

Title role, Georgia, Miramax, 1995.

Aunt Mamie Nash, The Adventures of Ociee Nash, Flying Zebra Films, 2002.

Layla Mullich, Dandelion, Ballistic Media Group/Ruth Pictures, 2004.

Mary, Graduation, Blueline Films, 2006.

Television Appearances; Series:

Nettie Peters, The Young Pioneers, ABC, 1977–78.

Dottie Shaw, The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire (also known as The Brotherhood of Poland, N.H.), CBS, 2003.

Lynne Young, Clubhouse, CBS, 2004.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

Studs Lonigan, NBC, 1979.

Justine O'Neill, The Thorn Birds, ABC, 1983.

Mary Wilkes, Intruders (also known as They Are among Us), CBS, 1992.

Chandi Heffner, Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke, CBS, 1999.

Martha "Patsy" Jefferson Randolph, Sally Hemings: An American Scandal (also known as The Memoirs of Sally Hemings), CBS, 2000.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Janice Gallitzin, Special Olympics (also known as A Special Kind of Love), CBS, 1978.

Jenny Flowers, The Death of Ocean View Park, ABC, 1979.

Chris, The Women's Room, ABC, 1980.

Marlene Burkhardt, Amber Waves, ABC, 1980.

Michele "Micki" Johansen, Off the Minnesota Strip, ABC, 1980.

Libby Bellow, Freedom, ABC, 1981.

Locksley Claitor, A Few Days in Weasel Creek, CBS, 1981.

Kate Bradshaw, Missing Children: A Mother's Story, CBS, 1982.

Bootsie, Single Bars, Single Women, ABC, 1984.

Helen Keller, Helen Keller: The Miracle Continues, syndicated, 1984.

Annie, A Winner Never Quits, ABC, 1986.

Mary Frances Beaudine/Julia, Who Is Julia?, CBS, 1986.

Ethel Hollars Lee, Eye on the Sparrow, NBC, 1987.

Theresa Johnson, God Bless the Child (also known as Lo choix tragique), ABC, 1988.

Kim Paris, True Betrayal (also known as The Kim Paris Story and Love and Lies), ABC, 1990.

Nicole Rougeron, Crossing to Freedom (also known as The Pied Piper and The Red Piper), CBS, 1990.

Jamie Hurd, Fatal Exposure, USA Network, 1991.

Prudence Crandall, She Stood Alone (also known as A Mighty Fortress), NBC, 1991.

Faye, Those Secrets, ABC, 1992.

Kit Kellner, Better Off Dead, Lifetime, 1993.

Dana, Betrayed by Love (also known as The Susan Daniels Smith Murder), ABC, 1994.

Judy Parma, Letter to My Killer, USA Network, 1995.

Elaine Hodges, The Deliverance of Elaine (also known as Pen Pals), CBS, 1996.

Catherine Braverton, Bad Day on the Block (also known as The Fireman and Under Pressure), HBO, 1997.

Lurleen Wallace, George Wallace, TNT, 1997.

Catherine "Cath" Begley, Little Girl Fly Away (also known as The Poet), CBS, 1998.

Kyle Clay, Everything That Rises, TNT, 1998.

Dr. Nina Moss, Sharing the Secret, CBS, 2000.

Jennifer "Jen" Bradley, Snap Decision, Lifetime, 2001.

Ginny, True Confessions, The Disney Channel, 2002.

Maisie, The Maldonado Miracle, Showtime, 2003.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Nettie Peters, A Young Pioneer's Christmas, ABC, 1976.

Beth, "One Too Many," ABC Afterschool Specials, CBS, 1985.

Margaret Ryder, "Love Is Never Silent," Hallmark Hall of Fame, NBC, 1985.

Marta, Sexual Healing, Showtime, 1993.

Sheila, "The Boys Next Door," Hallmark Hall of Fame, CBS, 1996.

Martha, "The Magic of Ordinary Days," Hallmark Hall of Fame, CBS, 2005.

Television Appearances; Awards Presentations:

The 68th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 1996.

The Fourth Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as Screen Actors Guild Fourth Annual Awards), TNT, 1998.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

(As Sharon Shamus) The Gong Show, syndicated, 1976.

Linda, "Battered Teachers," Police Woman, NBC, 1978.

Joey Carston, "Ninety Pounds of Trouble," Starsky and Hutch, ABC, 1979.

"Button, Button," The Twilight Zone, CBS, 1986.

Sarah, "The Baby Video," Mad about You (also known as Loved by You), NBC, 1997.

Sarah, "The New Friend," Mad about You (also known as Loved by You), NBC, 1997.

Dr. Amanda Lee, "Good Luck, Ruth Johnson," ER (also known as Emergency Room), NBC, 1998.

Dr. Amanda Lee, "Hazed and Confused," ER (also known as Emergency Room), NBC, 1998.

Dr. Amanda Lee, "The Miracle Worker," ER (also known as Emergency Room), NBC, 1998.

Dr. Amanda Lee, "Nobody Doesn't Like Amanda Lee," ER (also known as Emergency Room), NBC, 1999.

Kate Morris, "Still Life," Night Visions, Fox, 2001.

Eileen Piper, "The Plan," Six Feet Under, HBO, 2002.

Maggie, "The Bells of St. Peters," Touched by an Angel, CBS, 2002.

Sandra Blaine, "Manic," Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (also known as Law & Order: SVU and Special Victims Unit), NBC, 2003.

Appeared in episodes of other series, including Family, ABC; and James at 15 (also known as James at 16), NBC.

Television Appearances; Pilots:

Nettie Peters, Young Pioneers, 1976.

Aggie Modgelewsky, Steeltown, CBS, 1979.

Dottie Shaw, The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire (also known as The Brotherhood of Poland, N.H.), CBS, 2003.

Lynne Young, Clubhouse, CBS, 2004.

Stage Appearances:

Hansel and Gretel, Teenage Drama Workshop, California State University, c. 1971.

Gilly Brown, The Genius, Center Theatre Group, Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, 1984.

The mother, Side Man, Pasadena Playhouse, Pasadena, CA, 2001.

Appeared in other productions, including productions of the Los Angeles Free Shakespeare Company.

RECORDINGS

Albums:

What Might Be, Bay Cities Records, 1992.

Georgia (film soundtrack recording), Discovery Records, 1996.

Red and Brown, 1996.

Lonesomers, 1998.

WRITINGS

Albums:

What Might Be, Bay Cities Records, 1992.

(With others) Georgia (film soundtrack recording), Discovery Records, 1996.

Red and Brown, 1996.

Lonesomers, 1998.

Music Videos:

John Parr, "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)," 1985.

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals:

Celebrity Sleuth, Volume 3, issue 1, 1989, pp. 60-61; Volume 10, issue 2, 1996, pp. 26-27.

Entertainment Weekly, December 8, 1995.

New York Times, December 3, 1995.