Ann Dowd (born January 30, 1956) is an American actress. She decided to become an actress while a premed student at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. She graduated in 1978 and went on to study at The Theatre School at DePaul University. In 1993 she won the Clarence Derwent Award for her performance in the play Candida. She has appeared in television shows including House, The X-Files, Third Watch and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Films Dowd has appeared in include Lorenzo's Oil, Philadelphia, Apt Pupil, Garden State and Flags of Our Fathers.

Filmography

• The Testaments — Aunt Lydia Clements, Producer
• 2025The Friend — Marjorie
• 2023The Exorcist: Believer — Nurse Ann Brooks
• 2022Family Squares — Judith
• 2022The Independent — Patricia Turnball
• 2021Enemy of the People
• Hacks — Alien
• 2021Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes — Edna Garrett
• 2021Mass — Linda
• Teenage Euthanasia
• 2020Cowboys — Faith
• 2020Rebecca — Mrs. Van Hopper
• 2020Speed of Life — June
• 2019Henrietta Bulkowski — Narrator
• Lambs of God — Sister Margarita
• The Other Two — Paula Davies
• 2018A Kid Like Jake — Catherine
• 2018American Animals — Betty Jean 'BJ' Gooch
• 2018Hereditary — Joan
• 2018Nancy — Betty
• 2018Tyrel — Silvia
• 2017Hedgehog — Joan
• The Handmaid's Tale — Aunt Lydia Clements
• 2016Captain Fantastic — Abigail Bertrang
• 2016Collateral Beauty — Sally Price
• 2016Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer — Carol Raskin
• Quarry — Naomi
• Search Party — Paula Jo
• 2016The Great & The Small — Dupre
• 2015Our Brand Is Crisis — Nell
• 2015Wildlike — Jeanie
• 2014Big Driver — Ramona
• Olive Kitteridge — Bonnie Newton
• 2014St. Vincent — Shirley
• 2014The Discoverers — Patti
• 2014The Drop — Dottie
• The Leftovers — Patti Levin
• True Detective — Betty Childress
• 2013Gimme Shelter — Kathy
• Masters of Sex — Estabrooks Masters
• 2013Side Effects — Mrs. Taylor
• 2012Bachelorette — Victoria Archer
• 2012Compliance — Sandra
• 2011Coming Up Roses — Lynne
• 2011Lost Revolution — Glenn
• 2011The Art of Getting By — Mrs. Grimes
• Louie — Sister Carson
• 2009Taking Chance — Gretchen
• 2009The Informant! — Kate Medford
• 2009The Toe Tactic — Honey Woman
• 2008Familiar Strangers — Dottie Worthington
• 2008Marley & Me — Dr. Platt
• 2008The Babysitters — Tammy Lyner
• 2007Alice Upside Down — Aunt Sally
• 2007Gardener of Eden — Ma Harris
• 2007Goodbye Baby — Terri
• 2007I Believe in America — Glenn
• 2007The Living Wake — Librarian
• 2006Flags of Our Fathers — Mrs. Strank
• 2006Saving Shiloh — Louise Preston
• 2006The Notorious Bettie Page — Edna Page
• American Dad! — Miss Macadoo (voice)
• Law & Order: Trial by Jury — Karen Ames
• 2005The Thing About My Folks — Linda
• 2004Garden State — Olivia
• 2004Homework — Mother
• House — Mother Superior
• 2004The Forgotten — Eileen the Accountant
• The Jury
• 2004The Manchurian Candidate — Congresswoman Beckett
• 2003Lucy — DeDe
• 2001Amy & Isabelle — Lenora
• Law & Order: Criminal Intent — Laurie Manotti
• The Division — Sarah
• 2000Baby — Ms. Minifred
• Family Law
• Freaks and Geeks — Cookie Kelly
• Judging Amy — Mrs. Schleewee
• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — Louise Durning, Sally Wilkens
• Providence — Mary
• 1999Shiloh 2: Shiloh Season — Louise Preston
• Third Watch — Sgt. Beth Markham
• 1998Apt Pupil — Monica Bowden
• 1997All Over Me — Anne
• Nothing Sacred — Sister Mo
• 1996Shiloh — Louise Preston
• 1995Bushwhacked — Mrs. Patterson
• 1995Kingfish: A Story of Huey P. Long — Rose Long
• Chicago Hope — Eleanor Robertson
• 1994It Could Happen to You — Carol
• Touched by an Angel — Paula Dardenne
• 1993Philadelphia — Jill Beckett
• The X-Files — Mrs. Reed
• 1992Lorenzo's Oil — Pediatrician
• 1990Green Card — Peggy
• Law & Order — Dorothy Baxter, Teresa Franz, Dr. Beth Allison, Patricia Smith
• The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd — Nurse Courtney
• 1985First Steps — Debby
• North and South — Maureen
• Poor Boy
• The Undertaker's Children — Johanna Hall

Appearances as themselves (3)

• The Late Show with Stephen Colbert — Self - Guest
• Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen — Self - Guest
• Jimmy Kimmel Live! — Self - Guest