Karen Sillas
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
A cool, confident-looking blonde with evocative, glamorous eyes and a clefted, jutting chin, Karen Sillas began a collaboration with filmmaker Hal Hartley when she performed in his student thesis film, "Kid" (1985), while the two attended SUNY-Purchase. Moving to New York City, she studied at the Actors Studio and appeared in such Studio productions as "Miss Julie," "The Cherry Orchard" and "Rasputin" before making her feature debut in a small role as the no-nonsense Nurse Paine in Hartley's striking "Trust" (1990). Sillas continued her affiliation with the director, playing a more prominent part as a lonely cafe owner who becomes involved with two very different brothers in his intriguing "Simple Men" (1992), and made a cameo appearance in Hartley's feature version of "Flirt" (1994). Her search for offbeat parts to spotlight her pensive seriousness and skill at conveying an edgy toughness tinged with vulnerability led her to portray a struggling artist in Dierdre Fishel's "Risk" (1993).
Sillas was a well-kept secret of the independent film community until Tom Noonan's "What Happened Was . . ." (1993) blew her anonymity. The head of CBS casting saw the intense two-character film about a first date at the 1994 Sundance Festival (where it won the Grand Jury Prize) and immediately wanted her as the star of the network's new cop series "Under Suspicion" (1994-95). Sillas was right at home, comparing the atmosphere of the Oregon-based "Suspicion" to that of an independent film, and though it lasted only a season, she drew nothing but raves for her tight-lipped, tight-skirted detective Rose Phillips. Since then she has starred in two miniseries, "Peter Benchley's 'The Beast'" (NBC, 1996) and "Night Sins" (CBS, 1997), acted opposite Gary Cole in the ABC movie "Lies He Told" (also 1997). On the big screen, Sillas essayed a lesbian psychiatrist in "Female Perversions" (1996) and attempted a change of pace breezy turn as Steven Weber's no-nonsense girlfriend in Larry David's uneven black comedy "Sour Grapes" (1998).
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1984
Acted in director Hal Hartley's short film, "Kid", the thesis film he made at SUNY Purchase; first collaboration with Hartley
1990
Earliest TV appearances include a guest spot on the NBC police drama series "True Blue"
1990
Feature debut in a small role in Hartley's "Trust"
1992
First prominent role in a feature film, "Simple Men", directed by Hartley; billed third, Silas received an Indepent Spirit Award nomination as Best Supporting Actress
1993
First feature lead, "What Happened Was..."; first created the role on stage; also provided some of the film's financing
1994
First TV series as a regular, "Under Suspicion", a CBS police detective drama, with Sillas in the leading role of Rose 'Phil' Phillips
1994
Made cameo appearance in Hartley's feature "Flirt"
1996
Co-starred with Tilda Swinton and Amy Madigan in "Female Perversions"
1996
Starred opposite William Petersen in NBC miniseries "Peter Benchley's 'The Beast'"
1997
Portrayed Dr Hannah Garrison in CBS miniseries "Night Sins"; featured alongside Hartley regular Martin Donovan
1997
Acted opposite Gary Cole in the ABC movie "Lies He Told"
1998
Filmed pilot, "The Repair Shop" (CBS), executive produced by Mark Frost, Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal and directed by Philip Noyce
1998
Appeared in the John Hughes-scripted drama "Reach the Rock"
1998
Played the part of Joan in Larry David's balck comedy "Sour Grapes"
Companions
