Connie Ray

{{short description|American actress and playwright (born 1956)}}

{{Infobox person

| image =

| caption =

| birth_name = Constance Ray

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1956|07|10}}

| birth_place = Hillsborough, North Carolina, U.S.

| occupation = Actress, playwright

| years_active = 1991–present

}}

Constance Ray (born July 10, 1956) is an American actress and playwright. Among her highest-profile appearances are Thank You for Smoking (2006) and Stuart Little (1999), and the television drama ER (1997). She also appeared in Ice Princess (2005) and on George Lopez (2002).

Biography

Constance Ray was one of three children born to Betty Jean (Edmonds) and Shelton Ray and raised on the family's dairy farm in Orange County, North Carolina. At the age of ten, Ray wrote a play with her brother Lester for a 4-H club talent show that went on to win at county and district competitions.{{cite news |last1=Broili |first1=Susan |title='About Schmidt' ... he's not a great kisser|work=Chapel Hill Herald|date=3 Jan 2003|quote=[Connie] and brother Lester would show cows from their Twin Branch Farm in 4-H shows, but always wanted to be in the 4-H talent show. So one year, they wrote and starred in a play about two old ladies who rode skateboards - "and we won!" Ray recalled. Their performance won in the Orange County 4-H division, and then took the district competition when they performed at Memorial Hall.}} She went on to study dance at East Carolina University and earned a Master of Fine Arts at Ohio University.{{cite news |last1=Buck |first1=Jerry |title=Connie Ray Still Great on 'Home'|work=Chicago Sun-Times|date=12 Mar 1993|quote=Ray studied dance at East Carolina University and got her master's degree at Ohio University. She also studied dance with Twyla Tharp at American University in Washington and with Merce Cunningham.}}

Ray wrote the bluegrass gospel musicals Smoke On The Mountain, which opened off-Broadway in 1990, Sanders Family Christmas (1999),{{cite news |last1=Holmes |first1=Cecile |title=A country kind of Christmas|work=Houston Chronicle|date=4 Dec 1999|quote=As a sequel to Smoke On the Mountain, Sanders Family Christmas . . . is currently being produced in about 30 theaters in cities including Nashville, Cincinnati and Seattle.}} and Smoke on the Mountain Homecoming (2006), three of the most produced musicals in the United States for the last 20 years.{{cite news |last1=Stein |first1=Jerry |title=Gospel-tinged 'Smoke' comes back for a sequel|work=Cincinnati Post|date=8 Nov 1999|quote=Since its premiere in 1988, "Smoke on the Mountain" has become one of the most frequently produced musicals in the U.S.}}[http://www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com/shows_s/smokeonthemountain.html Smoke on the Mountain]

Filmography

=Film=

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" \| Notes
rowspan=3\|1996 \|A Very Brady Sequel \|Flight Attendant \|
Space Jam \|Owner's Girlfriend \|
My Fellow Americans \|Genny \|
1997 \|Speed 2: Cruise Control \|Fran Fisher \|
1998 \|Hope Floats \|Bobbi-Claire Patterson \|
rowspan=2\|1999 \|Idle Hands \|Mrs. Tobias \|
Stuart Little \|Aunt Tina \|
2000 \|Lost Souls \|Mother \|
rowspan=2\|2002 \|The Time Machine \|Teacher \|
About Schmidt \|Vicki Rusk \|
2003 \|How to Deal \|Marion Smith \|
2004 \|Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius \|Clara Jones \|
rowspan=2\|2005 \|Ice Princess \|Mrs. Fletcher \|
Thank You for Smoking \|Pearl \|
rowspan=2\|2006 \|Flourish \|Wendy Covner \|
Flags of Our Fathers \|Mrs. Sousley \|
2007 \|Welcome to Paradise \|Patsy Nellis \|
2022 \|American Reject \|Bonnie \|

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

rowspan=3|1996

|A Very Brady Sequel

|Flight Attendant

Space Jam

|Owner's Girlfriend

My Fellow Americans

|Genny

1997

|Speed 2: Cruise Control

|Fran Fisher

1998

|Hope Floats

|Bobbi-Claire Patterson

rowspan=2|1999

|Idle Hands

|Mrs. Tobias

Stuart Little

|Aunt Tina

2000

|Lost Souls

|Mother

rowspan=2|2002

|The Time Machine

|Teacher

About Schmidt

|Vicki Rusk

2003

|How to Deal

|Marion Smith

2004

|Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius

|Clara Jones

rowspan=2|2005

|Ice Princess

|Mrs. Fletcher

Thank You for Smoking

|Pearl

rowspan=2|2006

|Flourish

|Wendy Covner

Flags of Our Fathers

|Mrs. Sousley

2007

|Welcome to Paradise

|Patsy Nellis

2022

|American Reject

|Bonnie

=Television=

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" \| Notes
1991 \|Harry and the Hendersons \|Ginger Higgs \|Episode: "Harry Goes Ape"
1991–1993 \|The Torkelsons/Almost Home \|Millicent Torkelson \|Main role
1992 \|Quantum Leap \|Carol Pruitt \|Episode: "Killin' Time"
1993 \|L.A. Law \|Philomena Bannister \|Episode: "Leap of Faith"
rowspan=2\|1995 \|Murphy Brown \|Ms. Howard \|Episode: "Murphy's Law"
Never Say Never: The Deirdre Hall Story \|Shane \|TV movie
rowspan=2\|1996 \|Coach \|Mary Luba \|Episode: "Nice Guys Get Cut"
Dream On \|Mandy \|Episode: "Second Time Aground"
rowspan=3\|1997 \|Touched by an Angel \|Sandra Mills \|Episode: "The Road Home: Part 1"
Promised Land \|Sandra Mills \|Episode: "The Road Home: Part 2"
ER \|Glenda \|Episode: "Friendly Fire"
1998 \|The Pretender \|Episode: "Red Rock Jarod" \|Marilyn Miller
rowspan=2\|1999 \|Veronica's Closet \|Jan Schaefer \|Episode: "Veronica's Big Homecoming"
It's Like, You Know... \|Beverly \|Episode: "Two Days in the Valley"
2000 \|Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane \|Betty \|Episode: "The Feud"
rowspan=3\|2002 \|Andy Richter Controls the Universe \|Lorie \|Episode: "Wedding"
Providence \|Hazel \|Episodes: "All the King's Men", "Gotcha", "Out of Control"
George Lopez \|Debbie \|Episode: "No Free Launch"
2003 \|Less than Perfect \|Nona \|Episode: "High Maintenance"
2005–2006 \|Still Standing \|Joy \|Episodes: "Still Bill Vol. 1", "Still Deceitful"
2006 \|Twenty Good Years \|Susan \|Episode: "John's Old Lady"
2007 \|My Name Is Earl \|Mrs. Clevenger \|Episode: "Burn Victim"
rowspan=2\|2008 \|Greek \|Norma \|Episode: "47 Hours and 11 Minutes"
Worst Week \|Sheila \|Episodes: "The Cake", "The Wedding"
rowspan=2\|2011 \|Justified \|Mrs. Reasoner \|Episode: "Blaze of Glory"
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit \|Biological Mother \|Episode; "Double Strands"
2011–2013 \|The Big C \|Connie Schuler \|Episodes: "The Little c", "What's Your Story?", "Quality of Life", "The Finale"
2012 \|Hart of Dixie \|Mrs. Beaudry \|Episode: "Walkin' After Midnight"
2013 & 2017 \|Blue Bloods \|Ruth / Ann Harris \|Episodes: "Lost and Found" & "Ghosts of the Past"
2014–2015 \|Grey's Anatomy \|Karen Kepner \|Episodes: "Don't Let's Start" & "The Bed's Too Big Without You"
rowspan=2\|2017 \|The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel \|Mrs. Winters \|Episode: "Mrs. X at the Gaslight"
Kick Me, I'm Christian \|Betsy Rafferty \|Unsold TV pilot
2018 \|The Good Fight \|Mrs. Honeycutt \|Episode: "Day 443"
2019 \|Kim Possible \|Nana Possible \|TV movie

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

1991

|Harry and the Hendersons

|Ginger Higgs

|Episode: "Harry Goes Ape"

1991–1993

|The Torkelsons/Almost Home

|Millicent Torkelson

|Main role

1992

|Quantum Leap

|Carol Pruitt

|Episode: "Killin' Time"

1993

|L.A. Law

|Philomena Bannister

|Episode: "Leap of Faith"

rowspan=2|1995

|Murphy Brown

|Ms. Howard

|Episode: "Murphy's Law"

Never Say Never: The Deirdre Hall Story

|Shane

|TV movie

rowspan=2|1996

|Coach

|Mary Luba

|Episode: "Nice Guys Get Cut"

Dream On

|Mandy

|Episode: "Second Time Aground"

rowspan=3|1997

|Touched by an Angel

|Sandra Mills

|Episode: "The Road Home: Part 1"

Promised Land

|Sandra Mills

|Episode: "The Road Home: Part 2"

|Glenda

|Episode: "Friendly Fire"

1998

|The Pretender

|Episode: "Red Rock Jarod"

|Marilyn Miller

rowspan=2|1999

|Veronica's Closet

|Jan Schaefer

|Episode: "Veronica's Big Homecoming"

It's Like, You Know...

|Beverly

|Episode: "Two Days in the Valley"

2000

|Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane

|Betty

|Episode: "The Feud"

rowspan=3|2002

|Andy Richter Controls the Universe

|Lorie

|Episode: "Wedding"

Providence

|Hazel

|Episodes: "All the King's Men", "Gotcha", "Out of Control"

George Lopez

|Debbie

|Episode: "No Free Launch"

2003

|Less than Perfect

|Nona

|Episode: "High Maintenance"

2005–2006

|Still Standing

|Joy

|Episodes: "Still Bill Vol. 1", "Still Deceitful"

2006

|Twenty Good Years

|Susan

|Episode: "John's Old Lady"

2007

|My Name Is Earl

|Mrs. Clevenger

|Episode: "Burn Victim"

rowspan=2|2008

|Greek

|Norma

|Episode: "47 Hours and 11 Minutes"

Worst Week

|Sheila

|Episodes: "The Cake", "The Wedding"

rowspan=2|2011

|Justified

|Mrs. Reasoner

|Episode: "Blaze of Glory"

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

|Biological Mother

|Episode; "Double Strands"

2011–2013

|The Big C

|Connie Schuler

|Episodes: "The Little c", "What's Your Story?", "Quality of Life", "The Finale"

2012

|Hart of Dixie

|Mrs. Beaudry

|Episode: "Walkin' After Midnight"

2013 & 2017

|Blue Bloods

|Ruth / Ann Harris

|Episodes: "Lost and Found" & "Ghosts of the Past"

2014–2015

|Grey's Anatomy

|Karen Kepner

|Episodes: "Don't Let's Start" & "The Bed's Too Big Without You"

rowspan=2|2017

|The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

|Mrs. Winters

|Episode: "Mrs. X at the Gaslight"

Kick Me, I'm Christian

|Betsy Rafferty

|Unsold TV pilot

2018

|The Good Fight

|Mrs. Honeycutt

|Episode: "Day 443"

2019

|Kim Possible

|Nana Possible

|TV movie

=Theater=

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! Theater
1988 \|The Heidi Chronicles \| \|
1990 \|Smoke on the Mountain \|June Sanders \|Lamb's Theatre
2010 \|Next Fall \|Arlene \|Helen Hayes Theatre
2013 \|Hands on a Hardbody \|Cindy Barnes \|Brooks Atkinson Theatre

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! Theater

1988

|The Heidi Chronicles

1990

|Smoke on the Mountain

|June Sanders

|Lamb's Theatre

2010