Olympia Dukakis -- an actress, director, producer, teacher, activist and most
recently, author with her best-selling memoir ASK ME AGAIN TOMORROW. She
received an Academy Award in the Best Supporting Actress category, the New York
Film Critics Award, the Los Angeles Film Critics Award and the Golden Globe
Award for her work in the Norman Jewison film MOONSTRUCK.
Theatre:
Dukakis has received two OBIE Awards, for Bertolt Brecht's A MAN'S A MAN, and
Christopher Durang's THE MARRIAGE OF BETTE AND BOO at Joseph Papp's Public
Theatre. Other notable appearances at the Public include Sam Shepard's CURSE
OF THE STARVING CLASS, TITUS ANDRONICUS, ELECTRA, and PEER GYNT.
Dukakis made her London debut in 1999 on stage at the Royal National Theatre in
Martin Sherman's one-woman play, ROSE, to rave reviews, followed by the world
premiere of Timberlake Wertenbaker's CREDIBLE WITNESS at London's Royal Court
Theatre. She appeared on British television (BBC) in a made-for-TV movie A LIFE
FOR A LIFE (BAFTA nomination) and on BBC Radio starring in HECUBA.
On Broadway, Dukakis opened ROSE in the Spring of 2000. In 2004, Dukakis
starred as Clytemnestra in AGAMEMNON. She also performed at A.C.T. in THE
MOTHER (World Premiere) by Gorky adapted by Constance Congdon.
As a founding member and Producing Artistic Director of the Whole Theatre in
Montclair, New Jersey for 19 years (1971-1990), she directed and appeared in
many productions, winning accolades time and again. In 1992, Olympia Dukakis
became the recipient of the New Jersey Governor's Walt Whitman Creative Arts
Award. She is also a founding member of the Actor's Company and the Charles
Playhouse, both in Boston.
Dukakis has appeared in over 130 productions Off-Broadway and regionally, at
venues including A.C.T., Shakespeare in the Park, Studio Arena in Albany,
American Place Theatre, APA Phoenix, Circle Rep and the Williamstown Summer
Theatre Festival where she also served as Associate Director. Dukakis taught
Acting in the graduate school at New York University for fifteen years and
currently teaches master classes at various universities and colleges
throughout the country.
Film:
Feature films to be released include THREE NEEDLES (shot in S. Africa) and THE
LIBRARIAN. Recent films include the highly acclaimed THE EVENT, THE INTENDED
(shot in Malaysia and directed by Kristian Levring), THE GREAT NEW WONDERFUL
and THE THING ABOUT MY FOLKS with Paul Reiser.
Other feature films include MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS with Richard Dreyfus, Woody
Allen's MIGHTY APRODITE, and I LOVE TROUBLE with Nick Nolte and Julia Roberts.
Audiences continue to seek out videos of THE CEMETARY CLUB, STEEL MAGNOLIAS
directed by Herbert Ross, DAD co-starring Jack Lemmon, and LOOK WHO'S TALKING
I, II, & III with John Travolta and Kirstie Alley.
Television:
Dukakis co-starred in LAST OF THE BLOND BOMBSHELLS with Judy Dench for HBO and
in LADIES AND THE CHAMP with Marion Ross for ABC. One of her favorite
projects, TALES OF THE CITY, a 6-hour mini-series based on the novel by
Armistead Maupin, was a controversial blockbuster for PBS. She went on to star
in the sequels MORE TALES OF THE CITY and FURTHER TALES OF THE CITY (Showtime)
for which she earned Emmy, Screen Actors Guild and BAFTA nominations.
She starred with Frank Sinatra in YOUNG AT HEART on CBS (Emmy nomination).
Other TV movie projects include STRANGE RELATIONS, SCATTERING DAD, A CENTURY OF
WOMEN, a 6-hour mini-series for TBS, FIRE IN THE DARK for CBS, LUCKY DAY
co-starring Amy Madigan for ABC for which she received an Emmy nomination, THE
LAST ACT IS A SOLO for which she received an ACE Award, and SINATRA, a
mini-series for CBS in which Dukakis portrayed Frank Sinatra's mother and was
nominated for an Emmy.
Community & Personal:
Dukakis actively participated in first cousin Michael Dukakis' presidential
campaign in 1988. She is a founding member of Voices of Earth, The National
Museum of Women in the Arts, and a member of several outstanding organizations
including Survivors of Torture, Broadway Cares, NOW, Women in Film, Congress of
Racial Equality, and Amnesty International. She continues to be a popular
speaker at women's expos and conferences throughout the United States and has
participated in nationwide awareness campaigns on the issues of domestic abuse,
osteoporosis, senior services, and cholesterol.
Dukakis lives in New York City with her husband, actor Louis Zorich. They have
three children, Christina, Peter and Stefan and three grandchildren Isabella,
Sofia and Luka.
*In partnership with...Fischer Ross
