Dianne Wiest Biography, Family & Relatives

Dianne Evelyn Wiest is a two-time ‘Emmy’ and ‘Academy Award’ winner from the United States. She is most recognized for her motherly performances in films such as “Parenthood,” “Edward Scissorhands,” and “The Birdcage.” She was born and raised in the United States, where she began dancing as a toddler and later studied theater.

Dianne traveled to several locations with theater groups. Wiest began her career in theater, but she now performs seamlessly on stage, in films, and on television. Similarly, she has received recognition for her playing abilities in a variety of genres, including drama and comedy. She is regarded as an underappreciated, yet versatile performer capable of portraying a wide range of characters and emotions. Wiest’s efforts have earned her numerous nominations and awards.

Dianne Wiest Early Life

Dianne Wiest was born in Kansas City, Missouri, on March 2, 1948. Her father, Bernard John Wiest, was a college dean from Pennsylvania. He had previously worked as a mental social worker for the United States Army. He has Croatian and German ancestors. Wiest’s mother, Anne Steward (née Keddie), was a nurse from Fife, Scotland. Dianne’s parents met in Algiers before marrying in Naples. Greg and Don Wiest are her two brothers.

She went to ‘Nurnberg American High School.’ She wanted to be a ballerina since she was a child. However, she decided to study theater in high school.
She received her bachelor’s degree in arts and sciences from the ‘University of Maryland’ in 1969. She went on tour with a Shakespearean troupe after her third semester at university.

Career

Dianne’s acting career began in the 1970s with a theater performance. In 1970, she was an understudy in “Happy Birthday, Wanda June.”
In 1971, she made her ‘Broadway’ debut in Robert Anderson’s ‘Solitaire.’ She worked on the ‘Arena Stage’ in Washington DC for four years, playing leading roles in plays such as ‘The Lower Depths’ by Maxim Gorky and ‘Heartbreak House’ by George Bernard Shaw.

Wiest made her television debut in 1975 with the television film ‘The Madness of God.’ Around the same period, she toured the Soviet Union with the ‘Arena Stage (1976).’ She played lead roles in several plays, including “Pirates” and “A History of the American Film.”

She got three ‘Off-Broadway’ theatrical awards between 1979 and 1980 for her outstanding performance in ‘The Art of Dining.’ She wrote this as one of two plays for Tina Howe, the other being ‘Museum.’
Her debut appearance on the big screen was in the 1980 picture ‘It’s My Turn.’ She later appeared in the film ‘I’m Dancing as Fast as I Can.’ During the 1980s and 1990s, she appeared in five Woody Allen films, two of which, ‘Hannah and Her Sisters’ (1987) and ‘Bullets Over Broadway’ (1995), earned her ‘Academy Awards’ for ‘Best Supporting Actress.’

Her well-received film performances and the range of parts she received limited the amount of time she could spend to her stage career.

Height, Weight & Physical Stats

Dianne Wiest Education

• Qualification: Degree in Arts and Sciences
• School: Nurnberg American High School
• College: The University of Maryland

Family & Relatives

Dianne Wiest- Major Works

Tina Howe’s ‘The Art of Dining’ (1978-1980) was the theater play that garnered her acclaim and prizes. Other notable plays in which she played a starring role included ‘The Dybbuk,’ ‘Heartbreak House,’ ‘Ashes,’ and ‘Othello’ (1982).
‘Hannah & Her Sisters’ (1986), ‘Bullets Over Broadway’ (1994), ‘The Birdcage’ (1996), ‘A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints’ (2006), and ‘Synecdoche, New York’ (2008) were the films that earned her numerous major prizes. ‘Road to Avonlea’ (1997), ‘The Blackwater Lightship’ (2004), and ‘In Treatment’ (2008-2009) were some of her notable TV series.

For her roles in ‘Independence Day’ (1983), ‘Radio Days’ (1987), ‘Parenthood’ (1989), ‘Edward Scissorhands’ (1990), ‘Practical Magic’ (1998), and ‘Rabbit Hole’ (2010), she got numerous nominations. She was also nominated for her roles in television films and programs such as ‘The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn’ (1999), ‘Law & Order’ (2000-2002), and ‘In Treatment’ (2008-2009).

Movies List

Awards & Achievements

‘Elizabeth Colt,’ her critically lauded depiction of an author in Tina Howe’s play ‘The Art of Dining,’ Wiest received three awards: the ‘Obie Award’ in 1980, the ‘Theater World Award’ in 1979-1980, and the ‘Clarence Derwent Award’ in 1980.
Wiest received the ‘Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress’ for her unforgettable performance as the slightly neurotic, aspiring performer ‘Holly’ in Woody Allen’s 1986 film ‘Hannah & Her Sisters.’ Several other accolades were bestowed upon her for the same part, including the ‘Boston Society of Film Critics Award,’ the ‘Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award,’ the ‘National Board of Review Award,’ the ‘National Society of Film Critics Award,’ and the ‘New York Film Critics Circle Award.’

Her portrayal of ‘Helen Sinclair,’ a narcissist actress past her prime, in Woody Allen’s 1994 film ‘Bullets Over Broadway,’ helped her win her second ‘Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress,’ the ‘Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress—Motion Picture,’ and the ‘Screen Actors Guild Award.’ This role also earned her the ‘American Comedy Award,’ the ‘Chicago Film Critics Association Award,’ the ‘Independent Spirit Award,’ the ‘Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award,’ the ‘Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award,’ the ‘National Society of Film Critics Award,’ the ‘New York Film Critics Circle Award,’ and the ‘Society of Texas Film Critics Award.’

Personal Life

Trivia