Mimi Kennedy

Early life

Kennedy was born in Rochester, New York, the daughter of Nancy Helen (née Colgan) and Daniel Gerald Kennedy. She got her start in theater with the Rochester Community Players, appearing in Agatha Christie's Spider Web in October 1960 when she was 12 years old. She was raised in Rochester, where she graduated in 1966 from Our Lady of Mercy High School. In the 1970s she was in a musical production, Rhinegold, featuring songs by her friend Jim Steinman. She attended Smith College.

Career

Kennedy began her career appearing in the Broadway musical Grease, and in 1977 landed a part in the short-lived NBC variety series 3 Girls 3, with Debbie Allen and Ellen Foley. She later played the role of Stockard Channing's sister, character name Victoria, in the short-lived CBS sitcom, Stockard Channing in Just Friends (1979), and was a regular on The Big Show (1980). During the 1980s, she starred in a number of short-lived sitcoms, including The Two of Us (1981–82), Spencer (1984-85), and Family Man (1988). She also co-starred in the sitcom Joe's Life (1993).

After starring in several unsuccessful sitcoms, Kennedy made her dramatic turn with a supporting role in the critically acclaimed ABC drama series, Homefront. The series ran from 1991 to 1993. She later was a regular on The WB prime time soap opera, Savannah (1996–97), playing the rich socialite mother of Shannon Sturges' character. After the series was canceled, she was cast in another Aaron Spelling-produced soap, Pacific Palisades. This series also was canceled after a single season. In 1997, Kennedy returned to comedy roles playing Dharma's mother, Abby O'Neil, on the ABC sitcom, Dharma & Greg (1997-2002).

During the 2000s, Kennedy had many guest-starring roles on television, appearing on Grey's Anatomy, House, ER, Scandal, In Plain Sight, Drop Dead Diva, and Veep. She also had a number of supporting film roles, appearing in Man in the Chair, In the Loop, Due Date, Midnight in Paris and The Five-Year Engagement. In 2013, Kennedy joined the cast of the CBS sitcom Mom playing Marjorie, the twelve-step sponsor of the lead characters. She received Critics' Choice Television Award nomination for her performance on the show. She upped to series regular as of second season.

Personal life

Kennedy and her husband, Larry Dilg, were matched by the first known computer dating program "Operation Match" in 1966. They wed in 1978 and have two children.

Kennedy is involved in several progressive activist causes, including Progressive Democrats of America for which she serves as Chairperson of the Board. Her mid-life memoir, Taken To The Stage: The Education of an Actress, was published by Smith&Kraus in 1996 with praise from advice columnist Abigail "Dear Abby" Van Buren and playwright Wendy Wasserstein, who called it "one of the great theatrical memoirs."

Kennedy is a signatory to the 9/11 Truth Statement. She was a charter member of Artists United to Win Without War and a leading supporter of Dennis Kucinich’s anti-war presidential campaign in 2004. Kennedy has worked on human rights, environmental and labour issues.