Mary McDonnell

April 28, 1952 (age 74) Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, USA

Mary Eileen McDonnell (born April 28, 1952) is an American film, stage, and television actress. She received Academy Award nominations for her roles as Stands With A Fist in Dances With Wolves and May-Alice Culhane in Passion Fish. McDonnell is well known for her performances as President Laura Roslin in Battlestar Galactica, First Lady Marilyn Whitmore in Independence Day, and Rose in Donnie Darko. She was featured as Captain Sharon Raydor during seasons 5–7 of the TNT series The Closer and starred as Commander Sharon Raydor in the spin-off series Major Crimes on the same network. In 2023, she played Madeleine Usher in the miniseries The Fall of the House of Usher on Netflix. Description above from the Wikipedia article Mary McDonnell, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Her titles like Independence Day, Donnie Darko, and Dances with Wolves - her biggest roles first.
Last updated: August 19, 2026

Watched: 0/43

Weighted avg: 6.93 /10

1

1

Independence Day

1996July 1996 by Roland Emmerich

Supporting as Marilyn Whitmore

Supporting as Marilyn Whitmore

6.49 Good-
2

2

Donnie Darko

2001January 2001 by Richard Kelly

Supporting as Rose Darko

Supporting as Rose Darko

7.43 Excellent--
3

3

Dances with Wolves

1990November 1990 by Kevin Costner

Starring as Stands With A Fist

Starring as Stands With A Fist

7.51 Excellent-
4

4

Scream 4

2011April 2011 by Wes Craven

Minor role as Kate Roberts

Minor role as Kate Roberts

6.02 Okay++
5

5

Battlestar Galactica

2004–2009 by Glen A. Larson

Starring as Laura Roslin

Starring as Laura Roslin

7.52 Excellent-
6

6

The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf

2021August 2021 by Han Kwang Il

Starring as Lady Zerbst (voice)

Starring as Lady Zerbst (voice)

7.01 Good++
7

7

Battlestar Galactica

2003 by Ronald D. Moore

Starring as President Laura Roslin

Starring as President Laura Roslin

7.48 Excellent-
8

8

Margin Call

2011September 2011 by J.C. Chandor

Minor role as Mary Rogers

Minor role as Mary Rogers

6.43 Good-
9

9

The Fall of the House of Usher

2023 by Mike Flanagan

Starring as Madeline Usher

Starring as Madeline Usher

6.68 Good
10

10

Sneakers

1992September 1992 by Phil Alden Robinson

Minor role as Liz

Minor role as Liz

6.47 Good-
11

11

Major Crimes

2012–2018 by James Duff

Lead role as Captain Sharon Raydor

Lead role as Captain Sharon Raydor

6.39 Good-
12

12

Battlestar Galactica: Razor

2007November 2007 by Félix Alcalá

Supporting as President Laura Roslin

Supporting as President Laura Roslin

6.71 Good
13

13

12 Angry Men

1998May 1998 by William Friedkin

Minor role as Judge

Minor role as Judge

7.22 Excellent--
14

14

Blue Chips

1994February 1994 by William Friedkin

Starring as Jenny

Starring as Jenny

5.70 Okay+
15

15

Grand Canyon

1991December 1991 by Lawrence Kasdan

Supporting as Claire

Supporting as Claire

5.97 Okay++
16

16

The Closer

2005–2012 by James Duff

Minor role as Captain Sharon Raydor

Minor role as Captain Sharon Raydor

6.97 Good+
17

17

Matewan

1987August 1987 by John Sayles

Starring as Elma Radnor

Starring as Elma Radnor

6.72 Good
18

18

Passion Fish

1992December 1992 by John Sayles

Lead role as May-Alice Culhane

Lead role as May-Alice Culhane

6.35 Good-
19

19

Mumford

1999September 1999 by Lawrence Kasdan

Supporting as Althea Brockett

Supporting as Althea Brockett

6.05 Okay++
20

20

Broke

2025June 2025 by Carlyle Eubank

Supporting as Kathy Brandywine

Supporting as Kathy Brandywine

6.35 Good-
21

21

A Father's Choice

2000January 2000 by Christopher Cain

Starring as Susan Shaw

Starring as Susan Shaw

5.49 Okay
22

22

Tiger Warsaw

1988May 1988 by Amin Q. Chaudhri

Supporting as Paula Warsaw

Supporting as Paula Warsaw

5.63 Okay
23

23

For All Time

2000October 2000 by Steven Schachter

Starring as Laura Brown

Starring as Laura Brown

5.98 Okay++
24

24

Evidence of Blood

1998April 1998 by Andrew Mondshein

Starring as Dora Overton

Starring as Dora Overton

6.04 Okay++
25

25

Woman Undone

1996February 1996 by Evelyn Purcell

Lead role as Teri Hansen

Lead role as Teri Hansen

Needs more reviews
26

26

Replacing Dad

1999March 1999 by Joyce Chopra

Lead role as Linda Marsh

Lead role as Linda Marsh

Needs more reviews
27

27

E/R

1984–1985

Starring as Eve Sheridan

Starring as Eve Sheridan

5.76 Okay+
28

28

Nola

2003January 2003 by Alan Hruska

Supporting as Margaret Langworthy

Supporting as Margaret Langworthy

6.08 Okay++
29

29

Two Voices

1997June 1997 by Peter Levin

Lead role as Sybil Goldrich

Lead role as Sybil Goldrich

Needs more reviews
30

30

Independence Day: The ID4 Invasion

1996June 1996 by Thomas C. Grane

Supporting as Self

Supporting as Self

6.04 Okay++
31

31

The Locket

2002December 2002 by Karen Arthur

Supporting as Helen Staples

Supporting as Helen Staples

5.74 Okay+
32

32

Behind the Mask

1999February 1999 by Tom McLoughlin

Starring as Mary Shushan

Starring as Mary Shushan

Needs more reviews
33

33

The American Clock

1993January 1993 by Bob Clark

Starring as Rose Baumler

Starring as Rose Baumler

Needs more reviews
34

34

You Can Thank Me Later

1998September 1998 by Shimon Dotan

Starring as Diane

Starring as Diane

Needs more reviews
35

35

Ryan Caulfield: Year One

1999 by Kevin Fox

Lead role as Rachel Caulfield

Lead role as Rachel Caulfield

Needs more reviews
36

36

Twelve Dates 'Til Christmas

2025 by Erin Rodman

Supporting as Delilah

Supporting as Delilah

Needs more reviews
37

37

High Society

1995–1996

Starring as Dott Emerson

Starring as Dott Emerson

Needs more reviews
38

38

Money on the Side

1982September 1982 by Robert L. Collins

Minor role as Terri

Minor role as Terri

Needs more reviews
39

39

Courage

1986September 1986 by Jeremy Kagan

Supporting as Gabriella Estrada

Supporting as Gabriella Estrada

Needs more reviews
40

40

Dances with Wolves: The Creation of an Epic

2003May 2003 by J.M. Kenny

Supporting as Self

Supporting as Self

Needs more reviews
41

41

The Making of 'Dances with Wolves'

1990November 1990 by Jack Leustig

Minor role as Herself

Minor role as Herself

Needs more reviews
42

42

Hostile Makeover

2009June 2009 by Jerry Ciccoritti

Minor role as Rose Smithsonian

Minor role as Rose Smithsonian

Needs more reviews
43

43

VisionQuest

Airing since 2026 by Terry Matalas

Minor role

Minor role

Needs more reviews