Rebecca Pidgeon - Biography

From the adorably quirky Ann in State and Main, to a sister seeking justice in The Winslow Boy, to the tightly wound risk taker in The Spanish Prisoner, Rebecca Pidgeon has portrayed a wide range of multifaceted characters in both film, television and on the stage. In addition to the aforementioned films directed by David Mamet and also including Heist, starring alongside Gene Hackman, Pidgeon appeared alongside Helen Mirren, Bruce Willis and Morgan Freeman in Red for director Robert Schwentke.

Pidgeon was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to British parents, Elaine R. (Simpson), a yoga teacher, and Carl R. Pidgeon, a professor then teaching at MIT. She spent much of her childhood in Edinburgh, Scotland. Her paternal grandmother's sister was visual artist Olga Lehmann, and Rebecca's ancestry is English, as well as Scottish, German, and French.

Pidgeon's television credits include Phil Spector for HBO, opposite Al Pacino and Jesse Stone: Sea Change for CBS, opposite Tom Selleck. She had recurring roles on the hit series The Unit for CBS and The Shield for F/X and played a regular role on In Justice for ABC. Rebecca did memorable turns in Uncle Vanya for The BBC and in Samuel Beckett's Catastrophe, opposite Sir John Gielgud and Harold Pinter for Channel 4.

Pidgeon played 'Deeny' in The Old Neighborhood on Broadway and 'Claire' in Boston Marriage at The Geffen Playhouse. She originated the role of 'Carol' in Oleanna Off-Broadway, which had it's World Premiere at The Orpheum Theatre. The character was described by one critic as "Mamet's most fully realized female character...a mousy, confused cipher". As a member of The Royal National Theatre in London, Rebecca received stellar notices for her work in Speed-the-Plow and The Changeling. She is also a member of The Atlantic Theatre Company, where she starred in Dangerous Corner. Rebecca is a graduate of London's prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

In addition to her accomplished career as an actress, Pidgeon is a singer/songwriter, whose latest album Slingshot has been nominated for a Grammy Award.

Rebecca is married to playwright/director David Mamet. Her children are Noah and Clara Mamet, an actress, and actress Zosia Mamet is her stepdaughter. Rebecca is a convert to Judaism.