Stephanie Kurtzuba
{{short description|American actress}}
{{Infobox person
|name = Stephanie Kurtzuba
|image = Stephanie Kurtzuba 2019.jpg
|caption = Kurtzuba at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival
|birth_name =
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1972|03|20}}
|birth_place = Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
|nationality = American
|alma_mater = NYU Tisch School of the Arts
|occupation = Actress
|years_active = 2003–present
|boards =
|spouse = {{Marriage|Joshua Coakley|2005}}
|children = 2
|parents =
|signature =
|website = {{URL|http://www.stephaniekurtzuba.com/|stephaniekurtzuba.com}}
}}
Stephanie Kurtzuba (born March 20, 1972) is an American film, television, and theater actress. She is best known for her roles in the films The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), Annie (2014), and The Irishman (2019), and on television in recurring roles on The Good Wife and Blue Bloods.
Early life and education
Kurtzuba was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, where she graduated from Omaha Central High School.Leo Adam Biga, [https://www.omahamagazine.com/2016/08/08/302963/stephanie-kurtzuba "From Bowling Alley, to Broadway, and Back,"] Omaha Magazine, August 8, 2016. Retrieved January 20, 2022 Growing up, she performed in local theater productions, with her first role at the age of 10 as an orphan pickpocket in the musical Oliver, and won the Miss Nebraska Pre-Teen pageant.Bob Fischbach, [https://omaha.com/entertainment/central-grad-annie-wolf-of-wall-street-actress-also-co/article_557f6ed2-5e87-5587-a7f7-dbf94ed93dfc.html "Central grad, 'Annie,' 'Wolf of Wall Street' actress also co-owns Omaha bowling alley,"] Omaha World-Herald, December 23, 2014. Retrieved January 20, 2022 She briefly attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she studied journalism, before being accepted to New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where she earned an acting degree.
Career
=Theater=
After graduating, she spent time performing in experimental off-off-Broadway productions, before going into commercial theater. Her first Broadway show was as part of a backup trio to Hugh Jackman in The Boy from Oz in 2003.Ben Brantley, [https://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/17/movies/theater-review-flash-of-70-s-sequins.html "Flash Of 70's Sequins,"] New York Times, October 17, 2003. As a member of the original Broadway casts of Mary Poppins in 2006 and Billy Elliot the Musical in 2008, she performed at the 2007 and 2009 Tony Awards. Her Off-Broadway credits include the 2018 revival of Stephen Adly Guirgis' Our Lady of 121st St., directed by Phylicia Rashad for Signature Theatre,{{cite web |last1=Scheck |first1=Frank |title='Our Lady of 121st Street': Theater Review |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/lady-121st-street-theater-review-1113486/ |website=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=January 20, 2022 |date=May 20, 2018}} The Joys of Sex, directed by Jeremy Dobrish for Variety Arts Theater,{{cite web |last1=Stasio |first1=Marilyn |title=The Joys of Sex |url=https://variety.com/2004/legit/reviews/the-joys-of-sex-1200533314/ |website=Variety |access-date=January 20, 2022 |date=May 18, 2004}} and Bat Boy: The Musical, directed by Scott Schwartz at the Union Square Theatre.{{Cite web|url=http://www.iobdb.com/Production/72|title = Bat Boy: The Musical}}
=Film=
Kurtzuba portrayed Mrs. Kovacevic, a social services clerk with a Russian accent, in the 2014 film adaptation of Annie. Her performance was praised in the Los Angeles TimesBetsy Sharkey, [http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-annie-review-20141219-column.html? "An 'Annie' without the expected sunshine, spirit or energy,"] Los Angeles Times, December 18, 2014. and Variety.Ronnie Scheib, [https://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/film-review-annie-1201377921/ "Film Review: 'Annie',"] Variety, December 14, 2014. She is featured on the song "I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here" on the Annie soundtrack album.Halee Makhan, [http://thesource.com/2014/10/23/annie-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-is-set-to-drop-on-november-17th/ "'Annie: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack' is Set to Drop on November 17,"] The Source, October 23, 2014. In The Wolf of Wall Street, directed by Martin Scorsese, she played Kimmie Belzer, a single mom hired by Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) and the only female stockbroker at the company.Corinna Clendenen, [https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-wolf-of-wall-street-s_b_4548269 "The Wolf of Wall Street – Saint or Sinner?"] HuffPost, January 6, 2014. Retrieved January 20, 2022 In the Scorsese Netflix film The Irishman, starring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, she portrays Irene, the wife of De Niro's character.[https://2paragraphs.com/2018/01/who-is-wealthy-widow-rebecca-lexington-on-bull-stephanie-kurtzuba/ "Who Is Wealthy Widow Rebecca Lexington on 'Bull'? Stephanie Kurtzuba,"] 2paragraphs, January 23, 2018. She also appeared in Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close and Away We Go opposite John Krasinski.
=Television=
Kurtzuba had recurring roles as Olivia on The Good Wife on CBS, as Sergeant (and later Captain) Paula McNichols on Blue Bloods, as cult member Sabrina on The Leftovers on HBO, and on the Paramount Network miniseries Waco. She has also appeared on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit on NBC, Elementary on CBS, and Bull on CBS.
Personal life
Kurtzuba married Joshua Coakley in 2005. They met when Kurtzuba was performing in a show at the Alley Theatre in Houston, and Coakley was working on the show in the props department. They live in New York City and have two sons.
Kurtzuba co-owns West Lanes Bowling Center in Omaha with her father and two siblings. Her maternal grandparents built the bowling alley in 1955.
Kurtzuba is also a model and has been the spokesperson for Red Baron Pizza since 2017.
Filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role |
|---|
| 2004
| style="text-align:left;"| Knots | style="text-align:left;"| Sheila |
| 2008
| style="text-align:left;"| Parting Words | style="text-align:left;"| Brenda Turko |
| 2009
| style="text-align:left;"| Away We Go | style="text-align:left;"| Performance Mom |
| 2011
| style="text-align:left;"| Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close | style="text-align:left;"| Elaine Black |
| 2013
| style="text-align:left;"| The Wolf of Wall Street | style="text-align:left;"| Kimmie Belzer |
| rowspan=2|2014
| style="text-align:left;"| Before I Disappear | style="text-align:left;"| Blonde Woman |
| style="text-align:left;"| Annie
| style="text-align:left;"| Mrs. Kovacevic |
| 2018
| style="text-align:left;"| To Dust | style="text-align:left;"| Receptionist |
| rowspan=2 |2019
| style="text-align:left;"| Bad Education | style="text-align:left;| Carol Schweitzer |
| style="text-align:left;"| The Irishman
| style="text-align:left;"| Irene Sheeran |
| rowspan=2 |2023
| style="text-align:left;"| The Machine | style="text-align:left;"| LeeAnn Kreischer |
| style="text-align:left;"| Fish Out of Water
| style="text-align:left;"| Brenda |
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 2004
| style="text-align:left;"| Law & Order | style="text-align:left;"| Janet | style="text-align:left;"| Episode: The Brotherhood" |
| rowspan=2|2006
| style="text-align:left;"| Related | style="text-align:left;"| Waitress | style="text-align:left;"| Episode: "His Name Is Ruth" |
| style="text-align:left;"| Numb3rs
| style="text-align:left;"| Publicist | style="text-align:left;"| Episode: "All's Fair" |
| style="text-align:center;"|2010–2014
| style="text-align:left;"| The Good Wife | style="text-align:left;"| Olivia Suconik | style="text-align:left;"| 4 episodes |
| rowspan=2|2013
| style="text-align:left;"| Elementary | style="text-align:left;"| Eileen Rourke | style="text-align:left;"| Episode: "Risk Management" |
| style="text-align:left;"| Do No Harm
| style="text-align:left;"| Nadia Cross | style="text-align:left;"| Episode: "Six Feet Deep" |
| rowspan=2|2014
| style="text-align:left;"| The Leftovers | style="text-align:left;"| Sabrina | style="text-align:left;"| 2 episodes |
| style="text-align:left;"| Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
| style="text-align:left;"| Joan Harris | style="text-align:left;"| Episode: "Glasgowman's Wrath" |
| 2016
| style="text-align:left;"| Chicago P.D. | style="text-align:left;"| Detective Ricci | style="text-align:left;"| Episode: "The Silos" |
| 2017
| style="text-align:left;"| #MotherJudger | style="text-align:left;"| Deb | style="text-align:left;"| Web series |
| rowspan=3|2018
| style="text-align:left;"| Bull | style="text-align:left;"| Rebecca Lexington | style="text-align:left;"| Episode: "Kill Shot" |
| style="text-align:left;"| Waco
| style="text-align:left;"| Carol Noesner | style="text-align:left;"| Miniseries; 3 episodes |
| The Good Cop
|Evelyn |Episode: "Will Cora Get Married?" |
| rowspan=2|2019
|Desiree Villareal |Episode: "An Offer" |
| The Good Fight
|Olivia Suconik |Episode: "The One Where Diane and Liz Topple Democracy" |
| 2019–2024
| style="text-align:left;"| Blue Bloods | style="text-align:left;"| Sergeant/Captain Paula McNichols | style="text-align:left;"| Recurring |
| 2020
| style="text-align:left;"| Grey's Anatomy | style="text-align:left;"| Opal | style="text-align:left;"| 2 episodes |
| rowspan=2 |2021
| style="text-align:left;"| Station 19 | style="text-align:left;"| Opal | style="text-align:left;"| Episode: "Train in Vain" |
| style="text-align:left;"|Dynasty
| style="text-align:left;"| Katie Loftland | style="text-align:left;"| 2 episodes |
| rowspan=2 |2021
| style="text-align:left;"|The Blacklist | style="text-align:left;"| Eva Mason | style="text-align:left;"| Episode: "Eva Mason (No. 181)" |
| style="text-align:left;"|The Watcher
| style="text-align:left;"| Helen Graff | style="text-align:left;"| Episode: "Götterdämmerung" |
| 2022–2023
| style="text-align:left;"|Tulsa King | style="text-align:left;"| Clara Truisi | style="text-align:left;"| Recurring |
| TBA
| style="text-align:left;"|Your Friends and Neighbors | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Upcoming series |
=Theatre=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 2001
|Shelly (u/s) |Off-Broadway |
| 2003–2004
| style="text-align:left;"| The Boy from Oz | style="text-align:left;"| Trio member / Ensemble | style="text-align:left;"| Broadway |
| 2004
| The Joys of Sex |Stephs Nolton/Gladys/Brandi |Off-Broadway |
| 2004–2005
| Newsical |Performer |Off-Broadway |
| 2005
| A Mother, A Daughter, and A Gun |Eleanor/Cheryl |Off-Broadway |
| 2006–2007
| style="text-align:left;"| Mary Poppins | style="text-align:left;"| Swing | style="text-align:left;"| Broadway |
| 2008–2009
| style="text-align:left;"| Billy Elliot the Musical | style="text-align:left;"| Lesley / Dancer / Ensemble | style="text-align:left;"| Broadway |
| 2018
| Our Lady of 121st Street |Marcia |Off-Broadway |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.stephaniekurtzuba.com/ Official website]
- {{IMDb name|1368866}}
- {{IBDB name|114576}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kurtzuba, Stephanie}}
Category:American people of Polish descent
Category:University of Nebraska–Lincoln alumni
Category:Tisch School of the Arts alumni
Category:Actresses from Omaha, Nebraska
Category:American film actresses
Category:American television actresses
Category:American stage actresses