Lynn Cohen

Lynn Harriette Cohen (née Kay; August 10, 1933 – February 14, 2020) was an American actress celebrated for her roles in film, television, and theater. Best known for her portrayal of Magda in the HBO series Sex and the City, a role she reprised in the 2008 and 2010 spinoff films, Cohen also made her mark with performances in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and The Vigil. Born into a Jewish family in Kansas City, Missouri, she started her acting career in regional theater after studying at the University of Wisconsin and Northwestern University.

In the 1970s, Cohen began appearing in Off-Broadway productions, earning nominations for Drama League Award and Lucille Lortel Awards. She was notable in productions like Hamlet with Kevin Kline and Macbeth with Liev Schreiber. Her Broadway appearances include Orpheus Descending with Vanessa Redgrave and Ivanov with Kevin Kline. Among her remarkable film roles was a 1993 appearance in the comedy Manhattan Murder Mystery. During her career from 1993 to 2006, she played Judge Elizabeth Mizener in NBC drama series Law & Order, guest-starred in NYPD Blue, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Blue Bloods, and had a recurring role on Damages. From 2000 to 2004, Cohen played the recurring role of Magda in HBO comedy series Sex and the City and later reprised the role in film adaptations of the series. She also notably portrayed Golda Meir in Munich (2005).