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Judith Lee Ivey (born September 4, 1951) is an American actress and theatre director. She twice won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play: for Steaming (1981) and Hurlyburly (1984). She also received Best Actress In A Play nomination for Park Your Car in Harvard Yard (1992) and another Best Featured Actress in a Play nomination for The Heiress. Ivey made her big screen debut playing the female lead role in the 1984 romantic comedy film, The Lonely Guy. She later appeared in the comedy films The Woman in Red (1984), Compromising Positions (1985), Brighton Beach Memoirs (1986), Sister, Sister (1987), and the drama films The Devil's Advocate (1997) and Women Talking (2022), for which she received critical acclaim. On television, Ivey played the leading role in the NBC sitcom Down Home (1990-91), and played Bonnie Jean "BJ" Poteet during the final season of CBS sitcom Designing Women (1992-93). For her role in the television film What the Deaf Man Heard (1997), she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie.
From 1965 to 1968, she attended Union High School through tenth grade in Dowagiac, Michigan. Judith Ivey biodata, theh-p.com; accessed September 3, 2015. She graduated from Marion High School in Marion, Illinois, in 1970, and then attended John A. Logan College, Southern Illinois University (Carbondale), and Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois.
She portrayed Amanda in The Glass Menagerie at the Long Wharf Theatre and reprised the role in March 2010 at the Roundabout Theatre in New York,Isherwood, Charles. "Theater Review;'The Glass Menagerie'", nytimes.com, March 25, 2010. as well as the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. She received the Lucille Lortel Award for Best Actress for that portrayal. Ivey portrayed Ann Landers in the solo play The Lady with All the Answers at the Cherry Lane Theatre (off-Broadway) in October 2009.Isherwood, Charles. "Dear Ann Landers: What’s a Girl to Do Now?" The New York Times, October 15, 2009. She was nominated for Best Solo Performance for the Lucille Lortel Award and Drama Desk Award. In 2016, she returned to the Cherry Lane Theatre in Israel Horovitz's play Out of the Mouths of Babes with Estelle Parsons, directed by Barnet Kellman.
Ivey has appeared in numerous films, including Brighton Beach Memoirs, Miles from Home, Compromising Positions, Harry & Son, The Woman in Red, Sister, Sister, In Country, Hello Again, The Lonely Guy, There Goes the Neighborhood, The Devil's Advocate, What Alice Found, and Flags of Our Fathers.
Despite a long history of theater and film performances, Ivey often is associated with the role of B.J. Poteet in the final season of Designing Women. She appeared on Will & Grace as the mother of Leo Markus and appeared on Grey's Anatomy, Person of Interest, White Collar, Nurse Jackie, Big Love, and .
Ivey had lead role of Kate McCrorey in the two-season series Down Home (1990–1991), set in a Texas coastal town. This was followed by lead roles in single season series The 5 Mrs. Buchanans (1994-1995, "Alexandria Buchanan"), and Dave Chappelle's Buddies (1996, "Maureen DeMoss"). Ivey was also in the 1985 TV remake of The Long Hot Summer, in the role of Noel Varner (Joanne Woodward's role in the 1958 film version). The miniseries also starred Jason Robards and Don Johnson. Ivey was nominated for an Emmy for her performance in What the Deaf Man Heard, a Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation. She also provided the voice of Eleanor Sherman in the animated series The Critic. Ivey appeared in the television miniseries Rose Red (with a screenplay by Stephen King) as Cathy, one of the psychics investigating a haunted house.
| + !Year !Title !Role !Notes | |||
| 1984 | The Lonely Guy | Iris | |
| 1984 | Harry & Son | Sally | |
| 1984 | The Woman in Red | Didi Pierce | |
| 1985 | Compromising Positions | Nancy Miller | |
| 1986 | Brighton Beach Memoirs | Blanche | |
| 1987 | Sister, Sister | Charlotte Bonnard | |
| 1987 | Hello Again | Zelda | |
| 1988 | Miles from Home | Frances | |
| 1989 | In Country | Anita | |
| 1990 | Everybody Wins | Connie | |
| 1990 | Love Hurts | Susan Volcheck | |
| 1990 | Alice | Gossiping Matron | uncredited |
| 1992 | There Goes the Neighborhood | Peedi Rutledge | |
| 1997 | Washington Square | Aunt Elizabeth Almond | |
| 1997 | The Devil's Advocate | Mrs. Alice Lomax | |
| 1997 | A Life Less Ordinary | Celine's Mom | |
| 1998 | Without Limits | Barbara Bowerman | |
| 1999 | Mystery, Alaska | Joanne Burns | |
| 1999 | The Stand-In | Mrs. Rosensweig | |
| 2003 | What Alice Found | Sandra | |
| 2006 | Sweet Tornado DVD Extras | Margo Jones | direct-to-video |
| 2006 | Flags of Our Fathers | Belle Block | |
| 2010 | The Glass Menagerie | Amanda Wingfield | direct-to-video |
| 2011 | A Bird of the Air | Eleanor Reeves | |
| 2014 | Big Stone Gap | Nan MacChesney | |
| 2017 | Cortez | Sandy | |
| 2018 | The Bit Player | Betty Shannon | documentary |
| 2020 | Through the Glass Darkly | Mama Carmichael | |
| 2022 | Women Talking | Agata Friesen | Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Female Actor in a Canadian Film AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Supporting Actress Independent Spirit Robert Altman AwardNational Board of Review Award for Best Cast Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Cast St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture |
| 1980 | Search for Tomorrow | Marilyn | 3 episodes |
| 1982 | American Playhouse | Louise | Episode: "The Shady Hill Kidnapping" |
| 1982 | Cagney & Lacey | Gwen | Episode: "Mr. Lonelyhearts" |
| 1983 | Dixie: Changing Habits | Sister Margaret | TV movie |
| 1984 | Piaf | Madeline | |
| 1985 | The Long Hot Summer | Noel Varner | |
| 1987 | We Are the Children | Brenda Hayes | |
| 1990 | Decoration Day | Terry Novis | |
| 1990–1991 | Down Home | Kate McCrorey | 19 episodes |
| 1992 | Her Final Fury: Betty Broderick, the Last Chapter | Dist. Atty. Kerry Wells | TV movie |
| 1992 | Do Not Bring That Python in the House | Mrs. Miller | |
| 1992–1993 | Designing Women | B.J. Poteet | 22 episodes |
| 1993 | Frogs! | Passionatta | TV movie |
| 1993 | Frasier | Lorraine (voice only) | Episode: "I Hate Frasier Crane" |
| 1993 | CBS Schoolbreak Special | Counselor | Episode: "Other Mothers" |
| 1994 | Duckman | Mother Mirabelle | Episode: "T.V. or Not to Be" |
| 1994 | On Promised Land | Olivia | TV movie |
| 1994–1995 | The 5 Mrs. Buchanans | Alexandria Buchanan | 17 episodes |
| 1994–1995 | The Critic | Eleanor Sherman | 23 episodes |
| 1995 | Laura McCormick | TV movie | |
| 1996 | Buddies | Maureen DeMoss | 14 episodes |
| 1996 | The Summer of Ben Tyler | Narrator | TV movie |
| 1997 | What the Deaf Man Heard | Lucille | Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie |
| 1999 | Half a Dozen Babies | Doris Stauffer | TV movie |
| 2002 | Rose Red | Cathy Kramer | 3 episodes |
| 2002 | Will & Grace | Eleanor Markus | |
| 2003 | Queens Supreme | Susan Kelly | Episode: "Mad About You" |
| 2005 | Related | Bob's Mom | Episode: "Have Yourself a Sorelli Little Christmas" |
| 2005, 2013 | Alice Parker / Jenny's Attorney | 2 episodes | |
| 2007 | Pictures of Hollis Woods | Beatrice Gilcrest | TV movie |
| 2009 | Nurse Jackie | Paula | Episode: "Tiny Bubbles" |
| 2010 | Past Life | Laney | 2 episodes |
| 2010 | The Whole Truth | Bernadette Peale | Episode: "Liars" |
| 2011 | Big Love | Renee Clayton | Episode: "D.I.V.O.R.C.E." |
| 2011 | Grey's Anatomy | Barbara Robbins | Episode: "White Wedding" |
| 2012 | Person of Interest | Sharon | Episode: "Many Happy Returns" |
| 2012 | White Collar | Ellen Parker | 5 episodes |
| 2012 | Modern Love | Molly McElvane | TV movie |
| 2013 | Assistance | Susan Johnson | |
| 2014 | Elementary | Ruth Colville | Episode: "The Many Mouths of Aaron Colville" |
| 2016 | The Family | Mrs. Asher | 4 episodes |
| 2017 | Bloodline | Belle's Mother | Episode: "Part 27" |
| 2018 | Instinct | Social Worker Sheila | Episode: "Tribal" |
| 2019 | New Amsterdam | Dr. Virginia Stauton | 4 episodes |
| 2024 | Sweet Magnolias | Bonnie Townsend | 4 episodes |
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