Mother of actress Lilly McDowell (b. 1981) and producer/director Charlie McDowell (b. 1983)
A notable patron of the arts who has set up exhibits in the past, her husband actor Ted Danson sculpts as a sideline.
Returned to old high school in North Little Rock, Arkansas, April 2002, to teach drama workshops to students, fulfilling promise made to parents of teenager Thea Leopoulos, who was killed in a traffic accident in 2001.
Referred to multiple times on "Stargate SG-1" (1997) as the heartthrob of Colonel Jack O'Neill, played by Richard Dean Anderson.
Her "Joan of Arcadia" (2003) co-star Michael Welch played a younger version of Colonel Jack O'Neill in "Stargate SG-1" (1997) episode #7.3, "Fragile Balance".
In both Time After Time (1979) and Back to the Future Part III (1990) she played the love interest of a time traveller who later became one herself. In the former, she was from the time traveller's future and in the latter, she was from his past.
Shares a birthday with Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil, her The Trumpet of the Swan (2001) co-star Seth Green, James Dean and Ethan Phillips.
Played Jason Ritter's mother in "Joan of Arcadia" (2003). Her husband Ted Danson played Ritter's father in Mumford (1999).
Has appeared with Christopher Lloyd in three different films: Goin' South (1978), Back to the Future Part III (1990) and Wish You Were Dead (2002).
Is the third of 4 consecutive winners of the Best Supporting Actress Oscar to have the initials "M.S.". The others are: Maggie Smith - California Suite (1978), Meryl Streep - Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), and Maureen Stapleton - Reds (1981).
Mary Steenburgen Detailed Biography
Mary Steenburgen (born February 8, 1953) is an American actress of partially Dutch descent. Steenburgen was born in Newport, Arkansas and moved to New York City in 1972 to study acting.
Steenburgen was married to Malcolm McDowell for ten years, but is currently married to actor Ted Danson. She won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the 1980 film Melvin and Howard. She played Clara Clayton in Back to the Future Part III (1990), a role which her children, fans of the Back to the Future movies, convinced her to play (she even reprised the role by providing the character's voice in the franchise's animated series). She also had a role in the 1979 film Time After Time. In both films, she played the love interest of a time traveller. She also starred in the sitcom Ink and the television miniseries of Gulliver's Travels with her husband Danson.
She is a close personal friend of former first lady and New York Senator Hilary Clinton.
