Maura Tierney

Maura Therese Tierney, an American actress born on February 3rd, 1965, is best known for her roles on prominent television shows including NewsRadio (1995–1999), ER (1999–2009), and The Affair (2014–2019), the latter of which earned her a Golden Globe. She's appeared in a variety of movies such as Primal Fear (1996), Liar Liar (1997), and The Iron Claw (2023). Tierney began her acting career in 1987 after moving to Los Angeles and obtaining a role in Disney's made-for-TV film Student Exchange. Her big breakout was in the sitcom NewsRadio and later ER, where she played the role of Abby Lockhart, which eventually earned Tierney an Emmy nomination. Even after over a decade active in ER, she continued to pursue diverse roles, including a 2002 film Insomnia directed by Christopher Nolan. She achieved acclaim for playing a Lady Macbeth–like character in Scotland, Pa., a part written specifically for her.

Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, Tierney is of Irish-American Catholic descent, and her early interest in drama paved her path to an acting career. Her father, Joseph M. Tierney, was a well-known Boston politician. She attended academies renowned for their drama education, and she continued her studies at New York University. Despite health challenges fighting breast cancer in 2009 which led her to leave the cast of Parenthood, Tierney returned to stage play in 2010 once she completed her treatment. In recent years, she joined prominent films like Beautiful Boy (2018) alongside Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet, and she graced stage productions such as the West Coast premiere of Jen Silverman's play Witch. In 2020, Tierney joined production of American Rust and Your Honor.