Marsha Mason
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Bibliography
Notes
"Neil [Simon] was considered our greatest [living playwright] at the time [of their marriage]. Maybe he still is; I don't know. But anyway, he was hugely successful, and I just kind of got folded into that. And in some ways, he protected me, but in other ways, I wasn't fully able to step out, you know? He didn't want me to go away so much. The work that we did together was great, and I don't regret it, but what I am saying is that I didn't get an opportunity to explore some other areas that were offered to me early on. I took what I might call a U-turn." --Marsha Mason quoted in In Theater, March 20, 1998.
A racing aficionado, Mason finished second in her division in 1993 in her car of choice--a Mazda RX-7. Asked "What's the highest speed you ever clocked?", she replied: "Well, in one instance, not a regular race but a special race--where we were on more or less a straightaway in a real big souped-up Mustang--we were in excess of 200 mph. In a normal type of race, it was about 180 mph." --Marsha Mason to Daily News, March 17, 1996.
Biography
Brunette leading lady Marsha Mason made her Broadway debut in "Cactus Flower" (1965) and soon after landed in her first feature film, the low-budget actioner "Hot Rod Hullabaloo" (1966). For the next several years, she appeared in stage productions on and off Broadway as well as played a recurring role on the daytime drama "Love of Life" (CBS). The early 1970s found her at San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre, where she acted in such classics as "The Merchant of Venice," "Cyrano de Bergerac" and "A Doll's House" (all 1972) before coming into her own as a film actress in 1973. That watershed year saw her first as one of George Segal's girlfriends in "Blume in Love" and then opposite James Caan as a hooker with an illegitimate black son in the earthy but touching "Cinderella Liberty," for which she earned her first Best Actress Oscar nomination. She also returned to Broadway that year in Neil Simon's "The Good Doctor." Although the show was not successful, Mason won the playwright's heart and they married.
Mason starred in Robert Wise's supernatural thriller "Audrey Rose" (1977) before beginning to act almost exclusively in movies with Simon scripts (five in all). Three of them ("The Goodbye Girl" 1977, "Chapter Two" 1979 and "Only When I Laugh" 1981) brought Best Actress Oscar nods for her somewhat harried, defensive but ultimately vulnerable urban "Everywoman" persona and they remain her best-known work. Since the break-up of their marriage, Mason has kept a lower profile, preferring to exercise her passion for racing cars in national competitions. Although she did star opposite Clint Eastwood in "Heartbreak Ridge" (1986), she has done mostly supporting turns in movies like "I Love Trouble" (1994) and "Nick of Time" (1995). In addition to NYC stage appearances in "Night of the Iguana" (1996) and as a convicted murderer facing death in Michael Cristofer's "Amazing Grace" (1998), Mason had the recurring role as the blowzy, declasse girlfriend of Martin Crane on NBC's "Frasier," reuniting her with her "Dinner at Eight" (TNT, 1989) co-star John Mahoney.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Director (Special)
Cast (Special)
Cast (Short)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1965
Broadway debut, "Cactus Flower"
1966
Film debut in "Hot Rod Hullabaloo"
1967
Landed role in Norman Mailer's Off-Broadway play "The Deer Park"
1972
Portrayed Nurse Marsha Lord in syndicated TV series "Young Dr Kildaire"
1973
Received first of four Best Actress Oscar nominations for "Cinderella Liberty", co-starring James Caan
1973
Appeared on Broadway in Neil Simon's "The Good Doctor"; later married the playwright
1974
Appeared in the PBS "Great Performances" production of "Cyrano de Bergerac"
1977
Starred in Robert Wise's reincarnation thriller "Audrey Rose"
1977
First feature role in a film with a Neil Simon screenplay, "The Goodbye Girl"; earned Best Actress Oscar nomination
1979
Reunited with James Caan in "Chapter Two", adapted by Simon from his stage play; third Academy Award nomination as Best Actress
1981
Earned fourth Best Actress Oscar nomination as an alcoholic actress in "Only When I Laugh"
1982
Last of five feature film collaborations with husband-screenwriter Neil Simon, "Max Dugan Returns"
1982
Network TV movie debut in "Lois Gibbs and the Love Canal" (CSB)
1986
Directed "Juno's Swans" at NYC's Second Stage Theatre
1986
Acted opposite Clint Eastwood, playing his foul-mouthed ex-wife struggling to survive by pushing drinks in a town bar, in "Heartbreak Ridge"
1987
TV directorial debut, the "CBS Schoolbreak Special" entitled "Little Miss Perfect"
1989
Appeared in the TNT remake of "Dinner at Eight"; cast opposite John Mahoney
1991
Starred in short-lived ABC-TV series, "Sibs" (also known as "Grown-Ups")
1995
Played Governor Eleanor Grant, the target of assassination, in "Nick of Time", starring Johnny Depp
1996
Appeared in the feature film "2 Days in the Valley"
1996
Returned to NYC stage in Tennessee Williams' "Night of the Iguana"
1997
Had recurring role of Sherry, the blowsy girlfriend of Martin Crane (John Mahoney), on NBC sitcom "Frasier"
1998
Reteamed with Richard Dreyfuss on stage in "House", produced on Long Island, New York
1999
Co-starred with Dreyfuss in London production of Neil Simon's play "The Prisoner of Second Avenue"
2001
Cast as Ethel Gumm in the ABC miniseries "Me and My Shadows: Life With Judy Garland", based on Lorna Luft's memoir
2005
Cast as Mr. Darcy's mother in "Bride and Prejudice" Gurinder Chadha's Bollywood update of Jane Austen's classic tale
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Family
Companions
Bibliography
Notes
"Neil [Simon] was considered our greatest [living playwright] at the time [of their marriage]. Maybe he still is; I don't know. But anyway, he was hugely successful, and I just kind of got folded into that. And in some ways, he protected me, but in other ways, I wasn't fully able to step out, you know? He didn't want me to go away so much. The work that we did together was great, and I don't regret it, but what I am saying is that I didn't get an opportunity to explore some other areas that were offered to me early on. I took what I might call a U-turn." --Marsha Mason quoted in In Theater, March 20, 1998.
A racing aficionado, Mason finished second in her division in 1993 in her car of choice--a Mazda RX-7. Asked "What's the highest speed you ever clocked?", she replied: "Well, in one instance, not a regular race but a special race--where we were on more or less a straightaway in a real big souped-up Mustang--we were in excess of 200 mph. In a normal type of race, it was about 180 mph." --Marsha Mason to Daily News, March 17, 1996.
