Donna Lynne Champlin

Donna Lynne Champlin is an American actress, dancer, and singer whose career spans over three decades, beginning with her Broadway debut in 1993 after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University with a BFA in musical theatre. Born on January 21, 1971, in Rochester, New York, she was raised by a technical writer mother and a scientist father, fostering an early love for the performing arts through voice, piano, flute, theatre, and competitive dance. While at Carnegie Mellon, she earned the prestigious Princess Grace Foundation Award in Theatre and studied Shakespeare and Chekhov at the University of Oxford as an Advanced Acting Scholar, experiences that sharpened her versatility on stage. Champlin’s early professional work included starring as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz with the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, and she quickly accumulated a diverse résumé with roles in Very Warm for May, By Jeeves, Hollywood Arms, and Sweeney Todd, earning an Obie Award in 2007 for her performance in The Dark at the Top of the Stairs. Beyond the theatre, she became widely recognized for her television work, most notably as Paula Proctor on The CW’s Crazy Ex‑Girlfriend from 2015 to 2019, a role that garnered a Gracie Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2019. Her screen credits also include guest appearances on Law & Order, The Good Wife, The Good Fight, The Good Doctor, and the Showtime series The First Lady. In film, she appeared in The Dark Half and contributed to multiple Tony Award broadcasts. Champlin is also an accomplished recording artist, releasing the solo album Old Friends, and a celebrated one‑woman show titled Finishing the Hat. She shares her expertise by teaching acting at Carnegie Mellon, the University of Hartford, and New York University. Married to actor Andrew Arrow since 2010, the couple lives in New York City with their son, balancing performance with philanthropy for organizations such as JDRF and The Actors Fund.