Trivia: Silly, adorable comedian Michael Showalter was born in New Jersey and attended Brown University in Rhode Island. During the late '80s, he joined a New York-based comedy troupe which formed the basis for a hilarious sketch-comedy show called The State. Although many episodes were created, only 26 aired on MTV. After the show ended, he joined up with co-stars David Wain and Michael Ian Black to form a new comedy troupe named Stella. Originally only a stage show in New York City, Stella has broadened to include short films, tours, and other such creative projects. Also on-stage, he wrote the play Sex, a.k.a. Wieners and Boobs, which has been produced in both New York and L.A. Showalter made his film debut in 1998 with small roles in the comedies Safe Men and Chocolate for Breakfast, but he may be best known as one of the brains behind the summer camp spoof Wet Hot American Summer. Showalter co-wrote the script and played both the lovable main character Coop and the old-timer emcee Alan Shemper. Starring many folks from The State, the film developed a healthy life on home video despite a meager theatrical release. After a few short-lived TV projects, he played small film roles in Kissing Jessica Stein, M. Night Shyamalan's Signs, and Operation Midnight Climax. He was also be seen in an episodes of HBO's Sex and the City and VH1's I Love the 80s. Projects for 2004 include voice work on Bill Plympton's animated feature Hair High.

Trivia: Possessing the kind of elegant screen beauty that often draws comparisons to a Breakfast at Tiffany's-era Audrey Hepburn, actress Elizabeth Banks' onscreen career has been steadily rising since the up-and-coming actress won the Young Hollywood Award for "Exciting New Face" back in 2003. With roles in such notable Hollywood hits as the Spider-Man films and Seabiscuit, Banks has not only had the pleasure of sharing the screen with hot-property actor Tobey Maguire multiple times, but has also been nominated -- alongside Maguire, Jeff Bridges, William H. Macy, and Gary Stevens -- for an "Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture" award by the Screen Actors Guild for her performance in the latter. The Pittsfield, MA, native got her first taste of fame when nominated Harvest Queen in her hometown's annual fall celebration, and in the years that followed, Banks would receive her bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania and go on to pursue her graduate degree at the American Conservatory Theater. In 1998, Banks made her feature debut in the controversial addiction drama Surrender Dorothy, with subsequent small-screen roles in Third Watch and Sex and the City only serving to contribute to her rapidly growing profile in film and television. Of course, a move from New York to Los Angeles also may have had something to due with her landing more film roles, and though she would appear under her real name, Elizabeth Mitchell, in the 2000 action thriller Shaft, she soon had to change her name to avoid conflict with another actress who had already established a career under that surname. Undaunted, Banks forged on with roles in the cult comedy Wet Hot American Summer and the romantic drama Ordinary Sinner in 2001, with a supporting performance as Betty Brant in the 2002 box-office smash Spider-Man providing her most substantial onscreen performance to date. With roles opposite Madonna in Swept Away and Leonardo DiCaprio in Catch Me If You Can, it was obvious that Banks' career was on the rise, but it was her winning performance in Seabiscuit that truly put her on the map. Though the Screen Actors Guild award that the she and the cast were nominated for would ultimately go to the cast of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, it was obvious to all who had been following her career that Banks was only at the beginning of her Hollywood ascent. In 2003, Banks appeared in the drama The Trade before reprising her role as Betty Brant for Spider-Man 2, and with increasingly prominent roles in Heights, The Sisters, and The Baxter scheduled through 2005, audiences could rest assured that they would be seeing plenty more of Banks in the years to come.By the time Banks turned in a standout supporting role as a bookstore employee who may hold the means of solving The 40 Year Old Virgin's titular dilemma in the 2005 Steve Carell hit, it seemed that she was an actress capable of brightening most any screen. A substantial role as a small-town trophy wife in director James Gunn's comic-frightener Slither found Banks having noticable fun in front of the cameras, with a pair of appearances on the popular television medical comedy Scrubs preceding a more serious-minded turn in the inspirational 2006 sports drama Invincible.2008 was a very busy year for Banks in which she continued to build her career as a comedic presence in films as varied as Role Models, Meet Dave, and Kevin Smith's Zack and Miri Make a Porno, and was also allowed to stretch her dramatic wings as Laura Bush in Oliver Stone's biopic W. In 2009 she first played the role of a conservative television commentator who becomes a romantic partner for Alec Baldwin's character on the award-winning sitcom 30 Rock, a role she would return to intermittently for the next few years. In 2011 she co-starred in the comedy Our Idiot Brother, and in 2012 she had a supporting part in the phenomenally successful adaptation of The Hunger Games.

Trivia: As semi-reformed bad girl Jennifer Lindley on Dawson's Creek, actress Michelle Williams garnered a certain type of notoriety unavailable to her more morality-inclined co-stars. In spite of this notoriety--or perhaps because of it--the role provided Williams with a wealth of opportunities, making her one of the foremost teen stars of the late 1990s. Born September 9, 1980 in small-town Kalispell, Montana and raised there until she was ten, Williams started acting after her family moved to San Diego. Beginning with roles in community theatre productions, she was soon shuttling back and forth to Los Angeles for auditions. Williams made her film debut in 1994 with Lassie, and then had a small but memorable part as the young version of the nubile and bloodthirsty alien in Species (1995). After the dismal and virtually unseen Timemaster (1995), Williams moved on to more auspicious fare with Jocelyn Moorhouse's A Thousand Acres (1997). Williams was cast as Michelle Pfeiffer's daughter, and the film's small-town setting must have given her some context for her next role, that of Jenn in Dawson's Creek. The show, which premiered in January of 1998, gave Williams her break-out role, and in short time she was besieged with movie offers and a stream of interviews.Williams' first film to exploit her newfound Dawson's fame was Halloween: H2O (1998), in which she starred opposite Jamie Lee Curtis. The film opened to poor reviews but a strong box office performance, and paved the way for her to star in future films, including 1999's thoroughly weird political satire Dick. The film, which looks at the Watergate scandal from the point of view of two teenage girls (played by Williams and Kirsten Dunst), provided Williams with a chance to expand her range beyond the constraints of her Dawson's Creek character. As the new millennium began, Williams found herself more and more comfortable exploring independent film, participating in smaller but often extremely influential projects like Perfume (2001), The Station Agent (2003) and Prozac Nation (2003). In 2005, Williams signed on to appear in the groundbreaking Ang Lee film Brokeback Mountain. The critical acclaim surrounding the movie was overwhelming, bringing Williams a new level of notoriety. Her popularity was also bolstered when the public learned that she and costar Heath Ledger had become involved during filming. The two became engaged and had a daughter together, Matilda, in 2005, and though they would later separate in 2007, they remained close for the well being of their daughter. Tragically, Ledger was found dead of an accidental overdose the following year. The heartbreaking loss for both Williams and her daughter forced the actress to deal with additional public scrutiny at a time when she was most vulnerable, but she coped with the grief as best she could, by investing more energy in her work. In 2008 alone she would appear in numerous films, including the drama Incendiary with Ewan McGregor and the highly anticipated Charlie Kaufman directorial debut Synecdoche, New York.Williams persisted in working with very good directors, as well as indie helmers who could offer her challenging work. She earned strong reviews for her starring role in Kelly Reichardt's Wendy and Lucy, and they worked together again on the western Meek's Cutoff. In addition, she worked with Martin Scorsese in his adaptation of Shutter Island.She also continued to earn awards for a steady string of impressive work including Blue Valentine, where her work as the female half of a failing marriage scored her Oscar, Golden Globe, and Independent Spirit nominations for Best Actress. Then in 2011 she took on the challenge of playing Marilyn Monroe in My Week With Marilyn, and was rewarded with rave reviews as well as Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild nominations for Best Actress.

Trivia: With his handsome looks and playful demeanor, Justin Theroux made a memorable feature debut as a determined revolutionary in the successful indie film I Shot Andy Warhol.A graduate of Bennington College who was born and raised in Washington, D.C., Theroux later relocated to New York to pursue a career in the visual arts before stumbling across acting and immersing himself in the stage. Gaining momentum in off-Broadway plays before making the leap to features, Theroux made appearances in such popular television shows as Sex and the City and Ally McBeal while gravitating toward the big screen in Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion (1997), American Psycho, and eccentric director David Lynch's Mullholland Drive. After appearing in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle and the dud Duplex, Theroux appeared in a couple of episodes of the critically respected HBO series Six Feet Under. Over the next couple of years he combined little independent projects like The Baxter and Strangers with Candy with more high-profile films like Michael Mann's Miami Vice. He reteamed with David Lynch for Inland Empire alongside other former Lynch collaborators Laura Dern, and Hayy Dean Stanton. He played Jesus in the religious-themed comedy The Ten, and in 2008 he co-wrote Ben Stiller's Hollywood satire Tropic Thunder, which led to an assignment writing the hit sequel Iron Man 2. In 2012 he co-starred in Wanderlust opposite Jennifer Aniston who he ended up in a high-profile relationship with. That same year he had a screenwriting credit on the hair-metal musical Rock of Ages. Theroux next starred in the bleak HBO drama The Leftovers and wrote the screenplay for Zoolander 2.

Trivia: Though best known for his work in screen comedies, actor Zak Orth felt at home in a surprisingly diverse array of genres including earnest drama. An Illinois native and the son of a piano teacher and opera singer, Orth began his acting career on the New York-area stage, with plum roles in productions including Suburbia (1994), Misalliance (1997), and The Eros Trilogy (1999), but concurrently branched off into film, landing one of his first A-list parts with a bit role in the Frank Oz-directed comedy In & Out (1997). Orth then traveled to the other end of the emotional spectrum with a small role in Scott Hicks' sincere historical drama Snow Falling on Cedars (1999), and landed supporting roles in the teen-oriented comedies Loser and Down to You ( both 2000).Beginning in 2001, Orth commenced a longstanding association with the cast members of the MTV sketch comedy program The State, appearing in their big-screen outings Wet Hot American Summer (2001), The Baxter (2005), and The Ten (2007). Supporting roles in two additional features -- the comedies Melinda and Melinda (2004) and Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) witnessed Orth collaborating with maestro Woody Allen.

Trivia: Straight-faced and well-groomed comedian Michael Ian Black is probably best known as a cast member and writer for the sketch comedy show The State, which aired for three years on MTV and was canceled after an unsuccessful switch to CBS. He later contributed to the book State by State With The State and joined three other cast members to write and star in the European satire Viva Variety on Comedy Central. He played '80s-obsessed crooner Johnny Bluejeans, sidekick to Mr. Laupin (Thomas Lennon) and the former Mrs. Laupin (Kerri Kenney). When the show ended in 1997, Black teamed with State members David Wain and Michael Showalter to form the comedy troupe Stella, which has since had a continual run on-stage in New York. After a few TV guest appearances and commercials (such as the voice of the Pets.com sock puppet), he appeared on the short-lived VH1 sketch show Random Play. He tried a few other unsuccessful TV pilots before appearing in the never-released independent film Big Helium Dog and the straight-to-video movie The Bogus Witch Project. His made his film debut with the role of McKinley in the satire Wet Hot American Summer, directed by Wain and starring Showalter. In 2000, Black joined the cast of NBC's comedy-drama Ed in the role of Phil Stubbs, the manager of Stuckeybowl. The next year, he hosted the Candid Camera-style NBC series Spy TV. In 2003, he contributed his deadpan humor to VH1's I Love the '80s: Strikes Back. In 2005 he reunited with fellow State alums for the short-lived sketch comedy show Stella, and he continued to act in various State related projects like The Ten and Wanderlust, and teamed yet again with Michael Showalter for the comedy series Michael and Michael Have Issues.

Trivia: Standing four feet five inches tall, actor Peter Dinklage has had a prolific career both on-stage and in film. After graduating from college in Vermont, he studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London and the Welsh School of Music and Drama in Wales. He worked in several productions off-Broadway and wrote his own play entitled Frog. He made his film debut in Tom DiCillo's 1995 independent comedy Living in Oblivion as the dwarf in the dream sequence. He then appeared in Safe Men, Bullet, Never Again, and Just a Kiss before returning to independent comedies. In 2001 he had a substantial role in Michel Gondry's Human Nature, written by Charlie Kaufman. In 2002, he played Binky, the sidekick to the clown Bananas played by Steve Buscemi in Alexandre Rockwell's 13 Moons. His first starring film role was in Tom McCarthy's The Station Agent as Finbar McBride, a lonely misfit who shacks up in an abandoned railway depot. Also starring Patricia Clarkson and Bobby Cannavale, the film won festival acclaim at Sundance. In 2003, Dinklage can be seen in both the Lincoln Center production of Toulouse Lautrec and the Jon Favreau holiday comedy Elf starring Will Ferrell. After a supporting role in The Baxter found Dinklage appearing in one of the year's most off-beat romantic comedies, and the sci fi television series Threshold afforded him the opportunity to appear alongside Star Trek: The Next Generation star Brent Spiner, Dinklage would next share the screen with the most popular canine in film and television history in the 2006 family-oriented adventure Lassie. In 2005, Dinklage took on a starring role in Threshold, a short-lived science fiction series from CBS, and joined the cast of filmmaker Michael Showalter's comedy The Baxter, in which he played a wedding planner. The following year the actor would make waves in Ryan Murphy's highly sexed drama Nip/Tuck. After appearing in a variety of television roles (including a stint playing himself on HBO's popular series entourage) Dinklage once again teamed with HBO to join the cast of Game of Thrones. This proved a fateful decision on his part, as the adaptation of George R. R. Martin's popular series of novels would become wildly successful, in no small part due to Dinklage's portrayal of Tyrion Lannister, the "imp" whose political savvy and brilliant mind allow him to thrive in a world that is less than kind to those it perceives as physically limited. The role led to an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, and a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Series, Miniseries or Television Film in 2012.

Trivia: Displaying the type of understated, dark-eyed good looks that make him a natural candidate for an art house pinup, Paul Rudd impressed filmgoers throughout the latter half of the 1990s with his talent for turning in performances marked by thoughtful insight and an unassuming charisma. Since his turn as Alicia Silverstone's endearingly self-righteous stepbrother in the 1995 film Clueless, Rudd has enjoyed a sort of low-key fame that has allowed him to branch out both in film and on the stage.The son of British-born parents, Rudd came into the world via Passaic, NJ, on April 6, 1969. Because of his father's job in the airline industry, Rudd and his family traveled a great deal, eventually settling in Kansas City, KS. After graduating from high school, Rudd attended the University of Kansas, where he majored in theater. Following his graduation, he was accepted as a student at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts/West in Los Angeles. His studies there led to a three-month theater workshop at Oxford University's British Drama Academy, where he was tutored by the producer and editor Michael Kahn. During his time in England, Rudd also co-produced the Globe Theatre's Bloody Poetry, in which he starred as the poet Percy Shelley, and then performed the title role of Hamlet, in a production directed by Ben Kingsley. Back in the States, Rudd made his television debut in 1992, in the series Sisters. As Ashley Judd's boyfriend Kirbie Philby, Rudd stayed with the show until 1995. During this time, he also appeared in other television productions, including the short-lived series Wild Oats (1994). In 1995, he made his big-screen debut in Amy Heckerling's Clueless, a film that met with a lavish dose of unanticipated success. Although much of the limelight was reserved for the film's star Alicia Silverstone, Rudd also received a fair amount of press, as well as the adulation of a new generation of fans who warmed to the actor's unconventional appeal. The same year, he played the lead in the sixth Halloween installment, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers. The year 1996 proved to be one of hits and misses, as it included his leading part in the straight-to-video Overnight Delivery, co-starring Reese Witherspoon, and the highly successful William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet, in which he played against type as the arrogant Dave Paris. The same year, Rudd starred in the obscure but critically praised Canadian independent The Size of Watermelons, before going on to make the equally obscure, critically trashed The Locusts (1997). Theatrically, however, 1997 provided positive experience in the form of a Broadway production of Alfred Uhry's The Last Night of Ballyhoo, in which Rudd had a lead role. There were further positive experiences for Rudd in 1998, as in addition to his principal role in the well-received The Object of My Affection, he starred in the high-profile Lincoln Center production of Twelfth Night, which co-starred Helen Hunt and was directed by Nicholas Hytner, his Object director. Rudd continued his theater work the following year, with Neil LaBute's Bash, an off-Broadway show that also featured Calista Flockhart and Ron Eldard. In addition, he had a starring role in 200 Cigarettes, a film remarkable for both its enviable ensemble cast (including Christina Ricci, Ben Affleck, and Martha Plimpton) and the overwhelmingly desultory reviews it received. However, even the most savage of critics were able to single out Rudd for praise, further reflecting the actor's ability to make a favorable impression in even the most unfavorable of films.After a turn as Nick Caraway in a made-for-television adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, Rudd showed off his ability pull off broad-comedy in the largely improvised 2001 parody film Wet Hot American Summer. He changed gears considerably for his next project, The Shape of Things which saw him reteam with director LaBute.In 2004, Rudd again flexed his skills as a comedic scene-stealer with a supporting role in the 70s-era Will Ferrell vehicle Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. Keenly aware that he was very much on to a good thing, Rudd kept the laughs coming in Tennis, Anyone...? and The Baxter before hitting yet another comedy homerun in the 2005 Steve Carrell comedy The 40 Year Old Virgin. The movie moved Rudd several notches up on the radar of comedy fans, and he followed it up with memorable turns in many more laugh-fests over the coming years, including Knocked Up in 2007, Forgetting Sarah Marshall in 2008, Role Models in 2009, and I Love You, Man in 2009. Having made himself a favorite comic actor in the industry, Rudd was soon able to pick and choose increasingly perfect roles for his style, starring in 2010's Dinner for Schmucks with Steve Carrell in 2010, and Our Idiot Brother with Zooey Deschanel in 2011. The following year, on the heels of the big screen comedy Wanderlust and a recurring role on television's Parks and Recreation, Rudd reprised his role from Knocked Up in writer/director Judd Apatow's semi-sequel This is 40.

Trivia: New Jersey native Haviland Morris is best known to many audiences as Caroline in the '80s teen classic Sixteen Candles. An accomplished Broadway actress, Morris' forays into screen acting were intermittent, appearing in films like Gremlins 2 and Home Alone 3 and on shows like Sex and the City and Law & Order between stage roles.

Trivia: As part of the editing, writing, performing, directing, and production team of The State, David Wain has helped refurbish the kind of comedy that demands an acquired taste. Wain began his long-term creative partnerships with Michael Showalter and Michael Ian Black as one of the creators of the popular series, which aired on MTV in the mid-'90s and developed a devoted fan base through its two-year onscreen duration.A native of the Cleveland area, Wain was born on August 1, 1969, in Shaker Heights, OH, where he lived until he relocated to New York City to attend film school at N.Y.U. In 1991, he directed a short film entitled Aisle Six, which screened at the Sundance Film Festival two years later. Collaborations with Showalter and Black continued since The State, adding numerous television writing, directing, and performance credits to Wain's resumé, in addition to his contributions to live New York nightclub productions of a show called Stella. In 2000, Wain made small-role appearances in Edward Norton's Keeping the Faith and Spike Lee's Bamboozled.Wain made his feature-length directorial debut in 2001 with Wet Hot American Summer (co-written by Wain and Showalter), a satirical comedy reflective of '80s coming-of-age flicks and summer camp which featured David Hyde Pierce, Janeane Garofalo, Molly Shannon, Paul Rudd, Marguerite Moreau, and others. The film's comedic style caused mixed critical reactions, and box-office success was stifled in part by distribution limitations. However, State and other absurdist comedy fans lucky enough to find it in their local theaters were struck delirious by the feature, which was infused with former State actors and bizarre, self-aware humor.

Trivia: Began his career performing stand-up comedy in New York City clubs, while also writing and acting in short films. In addition to his comic work, has also appeared in Law & Order: Criminal Intent and indie dramas like Thirteen Conversations About One Thing and The Believer, both released in 2001. Made his big-screen debut in 2001's Wet Hot American Summer. Has written and produced several online series, including Horrible People and Hot Sluts, as well as acted in the online and TV satirical series Children's Hospital. Is the head writer for Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.

Trivia: As a fresh-faced college kid, Joe Lo Truglio probably never guessed that joining the sketch comedy troupe The State would eventually lead to a successful career in TV and movies. But when the New York-based group got its own show on MTV in 1993, Lo Truglio and the group's 10 other members gained a foothold in the media that they would all build on for years to come. Drawing on influences like Monty Python and Kids in the Hall, The State's bizarre brand of comedy struck a chord with audiences, and even after the show ended its run in 1995, many members of the group would find new projects together and with up-and-coming names in comedy. Lo Truglio went on to appear in a wide variety of projects, like The Station Agent, Hitch, The Sarah Silverman Program, Pineapple Express, and Superbad. He also collaborated with his castmates from The State for a number of comedic projects, like 2001's summer camp satire Wet Hot American Summer and for the popular Cops spoof Reno 911!

Trivia: Actress Sarah Drew projected an amiable, down-to-earth quality that served her perfectly in Middle American, girl-next-door roles. An East Coast native, Drew grew up in a conservative evangelical household as the daughter of a Connecticut-based Presbyterian minister. She actually commenced work in the entertainment industry before she finished high school by voicing the character of Stacy on MTV's popular animated sitcom Daria from 1998-2002, and in the meantime received her formal education at the University of Virginia, marrying almost immediately after graduation. Within the following two years Drew began signing for supporting roles in features and series. Some of the more memorable included a portrayal of Ed Harris' daughter in the disability-themed inspirational drama Radio (2003), a brief but funny one-scene turn as a girlfriend lovestruck by another man in the Michael Showalter comedy The Baxter (2004), and -- on a higher profile note -- a multiseason portrayal of Hannah, a shy Colorado high schooler with a terminally ill father, on the third and fourth seasons of the popular television series Everwood. In 2007, Drew signed for a supporting role in director Desmond Nakano's racially themed period sports drama American Pastime. She had a recurring role on Mad Men, playing Sal Romano's clueless wife, before joining the regular cast of Grey's Anatomy, playing Dr. April Kepner.

Trivia: Handsome, dark-haired comedian Ken Marino is one member of the sketch-comedy troupe The State that seems to have broken off from the group in favor of a career in television sitcoms. Born in Long Island, he studied at the Lee Strasberg Institute and N.Y.U. before working in touring companies and off-Broadway plays. In the early '90s, he joined up with the gang that would become The State, the hilarious comedy show that aired on MTV from 1994-1995. His good looks and memorable characters (the Talking Hormone and Louie, the guy who's gonna dip his balls in it) earned him many admiring fans. After the show's cancellation, he was cast in the NBC sitcom Men Behaving Badly. (Starring Rob Schneider and Ron Eldard, the short-lived show was an Americanized version of a popular, long-running British series.) Several guest-starring appearances followed, leading to a recurring role as Professor Wilder on the WB's teen drama Dawson's Creek.Marino made his film debut with a small role in Gattaca, which was followed by several poorly distributed independent comedies (Love Happens, Carlo's Wake, and 101 Ways [The Things a Girl Will Do to Keep Her Volvo]). He also had supporting roles in the more mainstream romantic comedies Tortilla Soup and Joe Somebody. In 2001, he reunited many other members of The State for the teen satire Wet Hot American Summer as sexually desperate camp counselor Victor. Back on NBC, he starred as young San Francisco lawyer Miles Lawton in the series First Years, another short-lived Americanized version of a popular, long-running British TV series. When the show was canceled after a month, he starred in the NBC sitcom Leap of Faith as magazine reporter Andy, best friend of the titular Faith (Sarah Paulson). When this show was canceled after a month, he went back to guest-starring roles on shows like Las Vegas and Rock Me Baby. Projects for 2004 include a leading role in the independent romantic comedy feature Love for Rent opposite Colombian actress Angie Cepeda.In 2006 he made his feature screenwriting debut with Diggers, and followed that up the next year with the script for The Ten, and had his biggest success to date the year after that with his screenplay for Role Models. He was a regular on the short-lived but highly-respected sitcom Party Down, and in 2012 he wrote and had a superb supporting part in the comedy Wanderlust.

Trivia: Clint Eastwood fans will have no difficulty remembering the inimitable Audrie J. Neenan; she played the violent, irascible, foul-mouthed lesbian (Ray Parkins) who confronts Dirty Harry in a bar in the fourth Harry vehicle, Sudden Impact. In truth, this role represented something of an extreme for Neenan, though she did come to specialize almost exclusively in portrayals of outspoken female characters with a marked level of dominance and authority, such as judges, policewomen, and authoritative maternal types. A performer with an extensive background in stage training, Neenan juggled cinematic and theatrical assignments; additional features on her resumé include Somewhere in Time (1980), Funny Farm (1988) (as the waitress who serves Chevy Chase a rather nasty surprise), and See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989) (as a policewoman determined to get a headshot of Gene Wilder). On television, Neenan contributed to series including Ally McBeal and Law & Order (in a number of guest appearances as different judges). In 2008, Neenan lent a supporting role to the John Patrick Shanley-directed sexual abuse drama Doubt, starring Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman.