Patricia Clarkson

December 29, 1959.

New Orleans, Louisana.

Patricia Clarkson studied drama at the presigious School of Drama at Yale University.

A long respected character actress, Patricia Clarkson caught the media eye with the role of a washed-up, drug-addicted German actress whose lesbian lover pulls away from her in Lisa Cholodenko's "High Art."

Clarkson is the gaughter of New Orleans, LA councilwoman Jackie Clarkson. She is also the youngest of five sisters.

After 15 years in the business, Patrica Clarkson's career is finally taking off. An exceptional fact, considering the actress in her early forties. "I went through a lull in my early 30s, oddly, but hey, in my late 30s, things took off," Clarkson said with a snap of the fingers, talking to the press at Sundance. Clarkson was the talk of the indie festival, winning a special jury award for oustanding performance.

In 2003, Clarkson had roles in four high profile films at Sundance: "The Safety of Objects" "All the Real Girls," "Pieces of April" and the art-house hit "The Station Agent." News media proclaimed her the new indie queen: a title formally bequeathed to Sundance regular Parker Posey.

In 2002, Clarkson won the National Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting actress for Todd Haynes' "Far From Heaven." She also appears in Lars Von Trier's "Dogville." She also won an Emmy nomination for a guest role in "Six Feet Under."

Though not a household name, Clarkson has made an impression in numerous films including "The Green Mile," "The Pledge," "The Untouchables" and "High Art." Upcoming roles include "Miracle" with Kurt Russell and "Dying Gaul" where Clarkson will star opposite her current beau Campbell Scott.