Frances Fisher

FRANCES FISHER was born in Milford-On-Sea, England; and spent her itinerant childhood in Columbia, Canada, France, Brazil, Turkey, Italy and in various locations around the U.S., which undoubtedly provided fodder for her thespian career. After graduating high school in Orange, Texas, Fisher cut her teeth acting in Tennessee Williams and Robert Bolt plays at Orange Community Theater. She also apprenticed at the Barter Theatre in Virginia before moving to New York City where her career quickly blossomed.

She went on to star in over 30 theatrical productions both regionally and Off Broadway, including "Fool for Love", "Desire Under the Elms", "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", "Orpheus Descending" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream". During this time she studied with Stella Adler and is one of the last three students selected by Lee Strasberg to become a member of the renowned Actors' Studio. Fisher earned a Drama-Logue Award for Best Ensemble Cast in the world premiere of Caryl Churchill's "Three More Sleepless Nights".

Fisher began to build her film career with roles in Tough Guys Don't Dance, Babyfever, Patty Hearst and Female Perversions. She then added starring roles opposite Clint Eastwood in the Academy Award-winning Unforgiven and True Crime to her burgeoning resume. Fisher next starred in the Warner Bros. offbeat comedy The Big Tease opposite Craig Ferguson and The Rising Place for director Tom Rice, which was the Grand Prize winner of the 2001 Malibu Film Festival. The versatile actress is perhaps best known for her memorable performance as Kate Winslet's mother in Titanic, which garnered her a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination as part of Best Ensemble Cast, while the film went on to receive 11 Academy Awards.

In addition to her thriving movie career, Fisher has had many notable television roles. She starred as Lucille Ball in "Lucy & Desi: Before the Laughter", and as Janet Bouvier in "Jackie O: A Life Story", both of which were CBS productions. She recurred on the CBS comedy series "Becker" as Ted Danson's love interest and on "Titus" for FOX. Fisher also co-starred alongside Jennifer Love Hewitt in "The Audrey Hepburn Story" for ABC.

Fisher then starred in the 2002 Sundance Film Festival selection Blue Car for Miramax and writer-director Karen Moncrieff and co-starred as a lawyer in the Dreamworks feature House of Sand & Fog opposite Sir Ben Kingsley and Jennifer Connelly. Frances also starred opposite Rob Lowe as a series regular on the NBC drama "Lyons Den".

Fisher earned rave reviews for her stand-out performance opposite Julianne Moore & Pierce Brosnan in the New Line feature Laws of Attraction and a co-starring role opposite Sir Ben Kingsley & Annette Bening in the HBO/Killer Films feature Mrs. Harris. She was seen on the big screen in Universal Pictures The Kingdom opposite Jamie Foxx and directed by Peter Berg, Dan Ireland's Jolene and Paul Haggis' In the Valley of Elah with Tommy Lee Jones. While on the small screen she has recurring roles on "The Shield" and "Eureka".

© Screen Gems (Sony)