An American actress and  children's book author. Throughout her career she has been nominated for four Oscars, six Golden Globes, three BAFTAs and nine Screen Actors Guild Awards. She began to appear in supporting roles in films during the early 1990s, in films such as The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and The Fugitive. Her performance in Boogie Nights (1997) brought her widespread attention and nominations for several major awards. Her success continued with films such as The Big Lebowski (1998), The End of the Affair (1999) and Magnolia (1999). She was acclaimed for her portrayal of a betrayed wife in Far from Heaven (2002). The same year she was also nominated for several awards as best supporting actress for her work in The Hours.