Elizabeth Marvel is a famous American stage, film and television actress. She started working professionally as an actress in off-Broadway plays in the 1990s. After her stint on stage, she played powerful female roles as detective, lawyer and president. Most notably, she played Attorney General Heather Dunbar in the TV series “House of Cards”, and appeared in a 2008 film by the Coen brothers titled “Burn After Reading”, as well as many other films.

Early life and education

Born on November 27, 1969 in Orange County in the sunny state of California, Elizabeth Allen grew up in Mohnton, Pennsylvania.

She was a Deadhead high school student who went to explore London where she saw a lot of theatre. One afternoon, with nothing to do and a cheap ticket in hand, she went to see a play, “A Touch of the Poet”. Elizabeth sat in the fifth row, mesmerized by this play by Eugene O’Neill, but especially by Vanessa Redgrave’s portrayal. It was a revelation to her. From then on, she got her professional job as a stage actress along with Garland Wright. Michael Langham and other performers at the Stratford Festival. She was educated at Interlochen Arts Academy and Julliard School.

Career

It was at the 1992 Stratford Festival in Canada when Elizabeth appeared as Isabella. The play was ‘Maat voor Maat’. To boot, she has won four Obie awards for professional stage acting. First in 1998 for her role as a performer in “Therese Raquin” and “Misalliance”. Also in 2000 for her portrayal of Blanche Dubois in Tennessee William’s play, “A Streetcar Named Desire” and more recently in 2005 in “Hedda Gabler”. Most recently in 2009, she was recognized for her outstanding performance in “Fifty Words” as Jan, and was nominated for a Drama Desk Award.

Beginning in early 2000 and through 2004, she played Nancy Parras on the series “The District” for four seasons and 88 episodes. She continued her TV appearances as a guest or in recurring roles, most notably in “Lights Out”, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”, “30 Rock”, “The Good Wife” and others.

Directed by the Coen brothers, Elizabeth appeared as Sandy Pfarrer in the movie “Burn After Reading” in 2008, and then as Matthie Ross in “True Grit” in 2010. Her other notable film work was in “The Bourne Legacy” as Dr. Connie Dowd, as Mrs. Jolly in “Lincoln” and in “Hyde Park on Hudson” as Missy.

Alongside John Benjamin Hickey, Elizabeth was cast in the family drama “Blink” as the female lead, Helen Trask. Most recently, she played Heather Dunbar in Netflix’s political drama, ‘House of Cards’ (2014-18). For the sixth and seventh seasons of Homeland since 2017, she is cast as President Elizabeth Keane. In an interview, she was placed in the league of Viola Davis and Allison Janney, to name a few. Marvel is proud to be labeled a character actress and says she didn’t have to worry about the issue of age and weight, which most public characters face all the time.

Measure for measure, Burn After Reading and House of Cards

Elizabeth Marvel’s first professional acting job played Isabella, in “Measure for Measure”, William Shakespeare’s comedy play. She became an understudy, “Masha”, at the Lyceum Theater for her Broadway debut in the play “The Seagull”. She played Duchesse de la Tremoulle in the 1993 play ‘Saint Joan’, Brook Wyeth in 2013 in ‘Other Desert Cities’ and as Goneril in ‘King Lear’ in 2019 at the Cort Theatre. Joel and Ethane Coen wrote and directed the 2008 film “Burn After Reading”. Elizabeth played the character Sandy Pfarrer in this black comedy crime film.

Although the film received mixed critical reception, it received nominations for the BAFTA Awards and Golden Globes. Other well-known actors in the film were George Clooney, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton and Brad Pitt. Based on a novel by Michael Dobbs and made for television web Netflix by Beau Willimon, “House of Cards” is an American political thriller adapted from a 1990 miniseries of the same title. In this series, Marvel played Heather Dunbar, a US Attorney and Solicitor General, who goes up against main character Frank Underwood played by Kevin Spacey, who turned 46^e President of the United States in seasons three to five.

The 13-episode first season of “House of Cards” was first streamed on February 1, 2013. The series received positive reviews and garnered several award nominations.

Net value

Elizabeth Marvel has appeared in about nine plays and more than 20 TV shows and movies. Her net worth is estimated to be more than $1 million as of early 2020. She has been married since September 2004 to William ‘Bill’ Camp, an actor who is known for playing supporting roles in the 2012 movie “Lincoln” and the movie “12 Years a Slave” from 2013. ”. They have a son, Silas Camp.

Physical characteristics and style

Elizabeth Marvel is considered more of a character actress than a public persona. Standing just over six feet tall, she is known for playing strong, independent female leads. She has piercing brown eyes with a serious look that exudes a no-nonsense attitude. She has long brown hair. She has a well chiseled face and a tightly clenched jaw. These characteristics, along with a strong presence, have made her the tough lawyer and intelligent president personality. Gray skirts, navy blue suits and white collared blouses or corporate attire suit her female leads very well, but outdoors she wears soft pastels to dark brights.