Elizabeth Marvel (born November 27, 1969) is an American actress. Her more prominent roles include Det. Nancy Parras on The District, Solicitor General Heather Dunbar on House of Cards, and President Elizabeth Keane on Homeland. Film roles include Burn After Reading, Synecdoche, New York, True Grit, Lincoln (alongside husband Bill Camp), The Meyerowitz Stories, and Disclosure Day. She also had a recurring role in season 2 of the FX series Fargo and the Netflix miniseries Unbelievable. She also played "The Major" in the series Manifest, and has recurred as defense attorney Rita Calhoun on multiple episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit between 2012 and 2025.
Early life and education Marvel was born in Los Angeles, California, and was raised in Mohnton, Pennsylvania. She trained at the Interlochen Arts Academy, and then the Juilliard School.
Career Since the early 1990s she has appeared in off-Broadway plays.
Marvel appeared in many stage productions throughout her career. Her first professional role was as Isabella in Measure for Measure at Canada's Stratford Festival in 1992. She has won Obie Awards for her work in Thérèse Raquin and Misalliance (1998), A Streetcar Named Desire (2000) and Hedda Gabler (2005). She returned to the role she originated Off-Broadway of Brooke Wyeth in Other Desert Cities, which was played by Rachel Griffiths in its Broadway premiere. In 2009, for her performance in Fifty Words, she was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play.
Marvel first gained widespread attention on television, with her four seasons playing the regular role of Nancy Parras in the CBS series The District (2000–04). She played a variety of guest and recurring roles on Lights Out, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Nurse Jackie, Person of Interest, 30 Rock, The Good Wife, and The Newsroom.
In film, Marvel has appeared in Burn After Reading (2008), directed by the Coen brothers, and in True Grit (2010), as the adult Mattie Ross. She appeared in The Bourne Legacy (2012), Lincoln (2012), and Hyde Park on Hudson (2012).
In 2009 she played Louisa May Alcott in scenes from the writer's life in the documentary profile "Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind 'Little Women'" that aired on the PBS series American Masters.
In 2013, she was cast as lead in the CW family drama pilot Blink, opposite John Benjamin Hickey. She was noted for portraying Heather Dunbar in Netflix's political drama House of Cards. In 2016, she was cast as President-elect Elizabeth Keane for the sixth and seventh seasons of Showtime drama series Homeland.
Personal life Marvel married actor Bill Camp on September 4, 2004. The couple have one child, a son born in 2007. Marvel revealed on Live with Kelly and Ryan on October 16, 2020, that she has been living with her family on a farm in Vermont.
Theatre +YearTitleRoleTheaterNotes1992The SeagullUnderstudy - MashaBroadway - Lyceum1993Saint JoanDuchesse de la Tremoulle, Understudy - JoanBroadway - Lyceum1996Taking SidesEmmi StraubeBroadway - Brooks Atkinson1997An American DaughterQuincy QuinceBroadway - Cort2000Lydie BreezeLydie BreezeBroadway - New York Theatre Workshop2005SeascapeSarahBroadway - Booth2008Top GirlsMarleneBroadway - Biltmore2012Other Desert CitiesBrooke WyethBroadway - BoothReplacement2013PicnicRosemary SydneyBroadway - American Airlines2019King LearGonerilBroadway - Cort2022Long Day's Journey into NightMary TyroneOff-Broadway - Minetta Lane Theatre2023Sabbath's TheaterDrenka, and othersOff-Broadway - The Pershing Square Signature Center2025Five Models in Ruins, 1981RobertaOff-Broadway - Lincoln Center2026The DinosaursJoanOff-Broadway - Playwrights Horizons
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2000 Ten Hundred Kings Caroline Shepard 2005 The Dying Gaul Kelli Cartonis 2008 The Guitar Ma Wilder Pretty Bird Tonya Honeycutt Synecdoche, New York Warehouse Realtor Burn After Reading Sandy Pfarrer 2009 A Dog Year Margo The Other Woman Pia aka Love and Other Impossible Pursuits (UK title) 2010 Holy Rollers Elka Gold Goldstar, Ohio Edie Deyarmin Short film True Grit 40-year-old Mattie Ross Narrator 2011 Somewhere Tonight Martha 2012 The Bourne Legacy Dr. Connie Dowd Hyde Park on Hudson Missy Living in the Age of Surveillance Alicia Corwin Lincoln Mrs. Jolly 2014 A Most Violent Year Mrs. Rose 2015 Aloha Natalie Consumed Connie Conway Peacock Killer Sheriff Short film 2016 Happy Baby Theo's Mom The Congressman Rae Blanchard The Phenom June Epland 2017 Easy Living Abby Gifted Gloria Davis The Meyerowitz Stories Jean 2018 The Land of Steady Habits Sophie Ashford 2019 Native Son Mrs. Dalton Swallow Katherine Conrad Dark Waters Dr. Karen Frank (voice) All the Little Things We Kill Deb Anderson 2020 News of the World Ella Gannett Being Dead Celice Adkins 2021 With/In: Volume 2 Segment: "In the Air"; also director and writer 2023 The Color Purple Miss Millie 2025 G20 Joanna Worth 2026 Run Amok Nancy Disclosure Day Sister Maura Devoted Post-production The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd Post-production
Television Year Title Role Notes 1997 As the World Turns Photographer Episode: "#1.10590" 1998 Homicide: Life on the Street Amy Marshall Episode: "Abduction" A Will of Their Own Diana Episode: "#1.1" 1999 New York Undercover Eve Flemming Episode: "Catharsis" 2000–2004 The District Officer / Det. Nancy Parras 88 episodes 2001 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Sylvia Moon Episode: "Art" 2005 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Jenny Hendry Episode: "Prisoner" 2007 Kidnapped Madeleine 2 episodes 2008–2009 Law & Order Defense Attorney Grubman 2 episodes 2009 30 Rock Emily Episode: "Jackie Jormp-Jomp" The Good Wife Lauren Chatham Episode: "Home" American Masters Louisa May Alcott Episode: "Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind 'Little Women'" 2009–2010 Nurse Jackie Ginny Flynn 3 episodes 2010 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Dr. Frantz Episode: "Savior" Past Life Lynn Sampels 2 episodes 2011 Lights Out Margaret Leary 9 episodes 2012 The Newsroom Sharon Episode: "We Just Decided To" 2012–2015 Person of Interest Alicia Corwin 7 episodes 2012–2025 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Defense Attorney Rita Calhoun 15 episodes 2013 King & Maxwell Kelly Nelson Episode: "Pilot" Betrayal Janet Episode: "...Nice Photos" Blink Helen Trask Unsold TV pilot White Collar Dr. Mara Summers Episode: "Controlling Interest" Elementary Cassandra Walker Episode: "Tremors" 2014–2016 House of Cards Heather Dunbar 23 episodes 2015 Fargo Constance Heck 5 episodes 2017–2018 Homeland President Elizabeth Keane 24 episodes 2019 Unbelievable Judith 4 episodes 2019–2020 Manifest Kathryn Fitz / The Major 8 episodes 2020 Helstrom Victoria Helstrom / Kthara 10 episodes 2022 The Dropout Noel Holmes 6 episodes 2023 Mrs. Davis Celeste Abbot 5 episodes Love & Death Jackie Ponder 4 episodes 2024 Presumed Innocent Lorraine Horgan 6 episodes 2024–2026 Law & Order Defense Attorney Rita Calhoun2 episodes
Awards and nominations Year Association Category Nominated work Result 2009 Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Actress in a Play Fifty Words 2016 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series House of Cards 2018 Gracie Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Homeland 2021 Critics' Choice Super Awards Best Actress in a Superhero Series Helstrom
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