Ellen Adair
{{Short description|American actress}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| image = Ellen_Adair.jpg
|caption= Adair attending the 2023 FrightFest
| imagesize =
| name = Ellen Adair
| birth_name = Ellen Adair Glassie
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1988|04|02}}ElCinema. "Ellen Adair." Accessed June 20, 2025. https://elcinema.com/en/person/2205557/.
| birth_place = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| death_date =
| death_place =
| occupation = Actor
| education = Boston University (BA)
| yearsactive = 2006 – present
| spouse = {{marriage|Eric Gilde
|2013|}}
| father = Henry Glassie
| mother = Kathleen A. Foster
}}
Ellen Adair is an American actor and writer, best known for playing Bess McTeer on season 2 of the USA anthology series The SinnerSarkar, Barnana. “Bess Is a Woman with a Backbone: Ellen Adair on ‘The Sinner’ Season 2 and Much More.” MEAWW, updated September 3, 2018. https://meaww.com/the-sinner-season-2-ellen-adair-says-acting-is-like-taking-care-of-someone-relatable. and Janet Bayne on season 7 of the Showtime series Homeland.Stewart, Vaughn. “Ellen Adair Takes Life in Her Own Hands.” Cool America Magazine, November 16, 2021. https://coolamericamag.com/ellen-adair/. She has had starring roles in multiple horror films, including Trick (2019), Cryptid (2022), and Herd (2023).Miska, Brad. “Ellen Adair Shambles to Zombie Horror ‘Herd’; Exclusive Poster Art.” Bloody Disgusting, March 31, 2022. https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3709275/ellen-adair-shambles-to-zombie-horror-herd-exclusive-poster-art/. For the later film, Awards Radar included Adair's portrayal of Jamie Miler among their "Best Horror Performances of 2023."Hamer, Robert. “Sunday Scaries Interview: Ellen Adair on How ‘Herd’ Reflects the Best and Worst of Humanity.” Awards Radar, October 15, 2023. https://awardsradar.com/2023/10/15/sunday-scaries-interview-ellen-adair-on-how-herd-reflects-the-best-and-worst-of-humanity/.
A veteran stage performer, Adair has appeared in the cult hit Sleep No More at The McKittrick Hotel, as well as numerous productions with Shakespeare Theatre Company, American Shakespeare Center, and Commonwealth Shakespeare Company.The Actors Center. “Ellen Adair.” The Actors Center, accessed June 19, 2025. https://theactorscenter.org/bio/ellen-adair/. Adair identifies as non-binary and uses she/they pronouns.The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales. “Ep302 – Ellen Adair: Rosalind Is My Gender Identity.” January 2, 2024. In The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales. Broadway Podcast Network. https://broadwaypodcastnetwork.com/podcasts/the-theatre-podcast-with-alan-seales/ep302-ellen-adair-rosalind-is-my-gender-identity/330
Early life and education
Ellen Adair was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Kathleen A. Foster, an Art Historian, and Henry Glassie, a Folklorist and Ethnomusicologist. Growing up, their parents' fieldwork resulted in the family living many different places.Veasey, Matt. “10 Questions With Ellen Adair.” The Bell (Matt Veasey), May 9, 2020. https://mattveasey.com/2020/05/09/philadelphia-phillies-10-questions-with-ellen-adair/.
Adair earned a BA in English from Boston University, and spent an erasmus year at the University of Oxford. During their time in Boston they began to work professionally as an actor.Noelle. “Interview: Ellen Adair Talks ‘The Sinner’ Season 2 Finale – Exclusive.” Pop City Life, September 21, 2018. https://popcitylife.com/2018/09/21/interview-ellen-adair-talks-sinner-season-2-finale/.
Career
Adair made her professional stage debut in 2005 as Thomasina in Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia at The Publick Theatre in Boston, earning an IRNE Award nomination for Best Actress.The State of Shakespeare. “About Ellen Adair.” The State of Shakespeare. Accessed June 19, 2025. https://www.stateofshakespeare.com/TSS/Ellen_Adair.html. Over the next four years, she would prove a fixture in Boston theatre, appearing in numerous productions with Huntington Theatre Company, Lyric Stage Boston, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, Actors' Shakespeare Project, SpeakEasy Stage Company, and New Repertory Theatre.About the Artists. “Ellen Adair.” About the Artists. Accessed June 19, 2025. https://www.abouttheartists.com/artists/270871-ellen-adair.
In 2006 Adair made their television debut as a guest star on the Showtime crime series Brotherhood.IMDb. Brotherhood: “Matthew 22:10.” Season 1, Episode 11. Directed by Ed Bianchi. Written by Blake Masters and Henry Bromell. 53 min. Showtime, September 24, 2006. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0532780/fullcredits/. From 2009-2010 she appeared as Nurse Gretchen Taylor on the long-running CBS soap opera As the World Turns.Block, Michael. “Spotlight On... Ellen Adair.” Theater in the Now, February 29, 2016. https://www.theaterinthenow.com/2016/02/spotlight-onellen-adair.html. Adair's breakthrough role came in 2015, when they were cast as ADA Bridget Saltire in the NBC miniseries The Slap.TV Guide. “The Slap - Full Cast & Crew.” TV Guide. Accessed June 19, 2025. https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/the-slap/cast/1030571949/. In 2017 Adair appeared in season 2 of the Showtime series Billions.TV Guide. “Billions - Full Cast & Crew.” TV Guide. Accessed June 19, 2025. https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/billions/cast/1000601182/. Their character Graff was a portfolio manager at Axe Capital, and an employee of Damien Lewis's character Bobby Axelrod. The following year, Adair had a recurring arc as antagonist Janet Bayne on season 7 of the Showtime series Homeland.TV Guide. “Homeland - Full Cast & Crew.” TV Guide. Accessed June 19, 2025. https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/homeland/cast/1030528064/. Later that same year Adair appeared as Bess McTeer on season 2 of the USA anthology series The Sinner.TV Guide. “The Sinner - Full Cast & Crew.” TV Guide. Accessed June 19, 2025. https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/the-sinner/cast/1000706882/.
Adair made her film debut as Jen in the 2013 horror film The Unwanted.Rotten Tomatoes. “The Unwanted (2014).” Rotten Tomatoes. Accessed June 19, 2025. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_unwanted_2014. In 2019 she starred opposite Omar Epps in the slasher film Trick.Rotten Tomatoes. “Trick (2019).” Rotten Tomatoes. Accessed June 19, 2025. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/trick_2019. In 2022 Adair appeared the independent drama film Love and Communication, which explores parenting a young child on the autism spectrum.Rotten Tomatoes. “Love and Communication (2022).” Rotten Tomatoes. Accessed June 19, 2025. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/love_and_communication. In 2023 she starred in the horror films CryptidRotten Tomatoes. “Cryptid (2022).” Rotten Tomatoes. Accessed June 19, 2025. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cryptid. and Herd.Rotten Tomatoes. “Herd (2023).” Rotten Tomatoes. Accessed June 19, 2025. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/herd_2023. For the later film, Awards Daily included Adair among their "Best Horror Performances of 2023."Hamer, Robert. “Sunday Scaries Interview: Ellen Adair on How ‘Herd’ Reflects the Best and Worst of Humanity.” Awards Radar, October 15, 2023. https://awardsradar.com/2023/10/15/sunday-scaries-interview-ellen-adair-on-how-herd-reflects-the-best-and-worst-of-humanity/.
In addition to acting, Adair is also a published poet and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize.Whyte, Thomas. “Ellen Adair : Part One.” poetry mini interviews, March 29, 2021. https://poetryminiinterviews.com/2021/03/ellen-adair-part-one.html. Her debut poetry collection Curtain Speech was published by Pen & Anvil Press in 2015.Pen and Anvil Press. Curtain Speech. By Ellen Adair. First privately printed 2015; published January–December 2018 (published broadly Dec. 2018). Accessed June 19, 2025. https://penandanvil.com/curtain-speech-by-ellen-adair/.
Personal life
In 2013 Adair married fellow actor Eric Gilde, with whom they co-founded Happy Few Theatre Company. They live together in Jackson Heights, Queens.Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. “Five Questions with the Real‑Life Married Couple of Constellations.” Repertory Theatre of St. Louis News & Updates, January 31, 2017. https://www.repstl.org/news/detail/five-questions-with-the-real-life-married-couple-of-constellations.
Adair is vocal fan of the Philadelphia Phillies, and regularly appears as a sports analyst on the MLB Network’s Off Base. She has also appeared on Hot Stove, MLB Now, and MLB Central.MLB.com. “Ellen Adair Joins Hot Stove.” Los Angeles Dodgers – MLB.com, November 10, 2021. https://www.mlb.com/dodgers/video/ellen-adair-joins-hot-stove.
Acting Credits
=Film=
=Television=
class="wikitable sortable" |
Year
! Title ! Role ! Notes ! class=unsortable|Ref. |
---|
2006
|Jamie Finnerty |Episode: "Matthew 22:10" |
2007-2009
|Various |3 episodes |
2009-2010
|Gretchen Taylor |Recurring, |
2010
|Sister Mary Johnson |Episode: "A Nation Reborn" |
2014
|Lady Pharmacist |Episode: "Nancy Wood" |
2015
|Veep |Wallace |2 episodes |
2015
|ADA Bridget Saltire |Miniseries, |
2016
|Reporter |2 episodes |
2016
|Nicole |Episode: "Paranoid" |
2017
|Graff |6 episodes |
2018
|Janet Bayne |5 episodes |
2018
|Bess McTeer |Main role, |
2018
|Internal Affairs Detective Jane |Episode: "Goodnight, Sweet Prince" |
2018
|Amy Whittaker |Episode: "Thirty Percent Slight of Hand" |
2019
|Fiona Novak |Episode: "The One Where a Nazi Gets Punched" |
2019-2021
|Bull |ADA Glover |3 episodes |
2020
|Karla Monroe |Episode: "Waiting for Monroe" |
2022
|Emma Trillay |Episode: "The Ferryman" |
2022
|FBI |Olivia Blake |Episode: "Face Off" |
2024
|Dr. Angela Jeffers |Episode: "On the Ledge" |
2024
|Jocelyn Mosley |Episode: "Missing While Gabi Mosley" |
2024-2025
|Mary Katherine Trempley |2 episodes |
=Web Series=
class="wikitable sortable" |
Year
! Title ! Role ! Notes ! class=unsortable|Ref. |
---|
2016
|Detroit, I Love You |Iris |Maine role, |IMDb. Detroit, I Love You. 2016. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5946770/fullcredits/. |
2018
|Roommating |Vivian |Maine role, |IMDb. Roommating. 2018. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8479482/fullcredits/. |
2021
|Joyland |Karen Lapidus |Maine role, |IMDb. Joyland. 2021–2022. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14347300/fullcredits/. |
=Video games=
class="wikitable sortable" |
Year
! Title ! Role ! Notes ! class=unsortable|Ref. |
---|
2018
| Additional voices |
=Audio books=
class="wikitable sortable" |
Year
! Title ! Author ! Publisher ! class=unsortable|Ref. |
---|
2023
| Why We Love Baseball |
2024
| Jen Besser and Shana Feste |
2024 |
2024
| Charlie Hustle |
=Stage=
class="wikitable sortable" |
Year
! Title ! Role ! Playwright ! Venue ! class=unsortable|Ref. |
---|
2005
| Arcadia | Thomasina | The Publick Theatre |
2005
| Luce | The Publick Theatre |
2005
| Carol Mulroney (u/s) |
2005
| Devanaughn Theatre |
2006
| Gladys/Girl |
2006
| Diana |
2006
| Lady Lettice | The Publick Theatre |
2006
| Izzy (u/s) |
2007
| Raina |
2007 |
2007
| Macbeth | |
2008
| Portia |
2008
| Henry V | Katherine/Boy |
2008
| Bianca |
2008
| |
2008 |
2009
| Philotis |
2009
| The Playboy of the Western World | Sara Tansey |
2009
| The Yellow Leaf | Charles Morley |
2010
| Jenny Hill |
2010
| The Playboy of the Western World | Margaret Flaherty |
2010
| Romeo and Hamlet | Juliet | R. Jonathan Chapman & Kevin Stefan |
2010
| Helena |
2011
| Emily Vernon |
2011
| Ismay |
2011
| Mary |
2012
| Christina |
2012
| Marie Antoinette: The Color of Flesh | Joel Gross |
2012
| Victor Frange Presents Gas! | Smokey | Georg Kaiser & Dan O’Neil |
2013
| Ryan Landry's "M" | The Woman |
2013
| Silvia |
2013
| Mollie Ralston |
2014
| Rosalind | TheaterLab, |
2014
| Amanda/Sybil (u/s) |
2014
| Special Guest Performer |
2014-2015
| Imogen (u/s) | Theatre for a New Audience / Barrow Street Theatre, Off-Broadway |
2015
| The Importance of Being Earnest | Gwendolyn Fairfax |
2016
| the goodbye room | Bex | Eric Gilde | Shetler Studios, |
2017
| Marianne |
2017
| Sara Meade/Doris |
Awards
class="wikitable sortable"
!Year !Association !Category !Work !Result !class=unsortable| Ref. |
2006
| Best Actress | Arcadia | {{nominated}} | |
2011
| BroadwayWorld Regional Awards | Best Actress in a Play |{{nominated}} | |
2012
| BroadwayWorld Regional Awards | Best Actress in a Play |{{nominated}} | |
2015
| Best Ensmeble | {{nominated}} | |
2015
| Best Play | {{nominated}} | |