Constance Shulman

Constance Shulman (born Constance Ann Shulman on April 4, 1958) is an American actress whose career spans stage, film, and television. A native of Johnson City, Tennessee, she grew up as one of seven children in a Jewish‑American family that had recently moved from Fall River, Massachusetts. Her parents, Herbert Lipner Shulman and his wife, instilled a love of literature and performance, and her grandmother, Judge Sadie Lipner Shulman, served as a strong female role model. After earning a double bachelor’s degree in speech and theater from the University of Tennessee in 1980, Shulman relocated to New York City to study at the Circle in the Square Theatre School. She made a notable theatrical breakthrough in 1987 when she originated the role of Annelle in the first Off‑Broadway production of Steel Magnolias, a performance that marked the beginning of a steady stream of stage work. In the late 1980s and early 1990s she transitioned to screen work, debuting in the comedy Fletch Lives (1989) and landing supporting parts in Lost Angels (1989), Men Don't Leave (1990) and the beloved Fried Green Tomatoes (1991). Shulman achieved widespread recognition as the voice of Patti Mayonnaise on the animated sitcom Doug (1991‑1999) and later in Doug’s 1st Movie (1999). Her television career also included memorable guest spots and regular roles in short‑lived sitcoms such as The Faculty and the unaired Heavens to Betsy. After a brief hiatus to raise her two children, she returned to prominence as Yoga Jones in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black (2013‑2017), earning three consecutive Screen Actors Guild Awards as part of the ensemble. Recent years have seen Shulman continue her stage success with acclaimed Off‑Broadway and Broadway productions, including Barbecue, Bobbie Clearly, and The Rose Tattoo, while also appearing in independent films like Giving Birth to a Butterfly and Strawberry Mansion, and taking on recurring roles in Search Party and The Curse.