Christine Ebersole brings precision to supporting parts, while her stage work makes fuller use of her voice and movement. We value her screen appearances, with one reservation: they seldom give us much time in her company.
Fi1m perspective
In Is This Thing On? (2025), Christine Ebersole and Ciarán Hinds get a handful of scenes as Marilyn and Jan, and both are good in them. Bradley Cooper’s film belongs chiefly to Arnett and Dern, and Ebersole’s contribution is modest and useful. Her film work has largely meant supporting parts, approached with precision and attention to character. We rate that dependability, while recognising that these brief appearances offer a limited view of what she can do.
Her early screen work included Tootsie (1982) and the part of Katerina Cavalieri in Miloš Forman’s Amadeus (1984). We found Amadeus painfully involving because F. Murray Abraham makes envy so understandable. Its music and central rivalry are the reasons to see it, and our enthusiasm for the film should not be mistaken for a claim that Ebersole carries it. Looking only at those early film credits would miss the larger opportunities her stage work gave her.
The 42nd Street revival (2001), in which she played Dorothy Brock, marked her return to stage prominence. Grey Gardens (2006) then gave her both Edith Bouvier Beale and Little Edie Beale, with changes of voice, movement and manner doing the work alongside costume. Her singing can move between operetta soprano, jazz and Broadway belt, with timbres and accents suited to a character. Cabaret work with accompanist Billy Stritch gives that vocal flexibility another use, combining songs with storytelling and comedy.
Later film parts include Leah Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) and Lucille Doolittle in Licorice Pizza (2021). Those appearances continue a supporting screen career alongside the more expansive stage and cabaret work. A dependable actor cannot make a soft script sharper simply by being present, and Is This Thing On? remains a qualified recommendation. See it for the ensemble, but do not expect a handful of Ebersole scenes to give the full measure of her acting.
Biography
Christine Ebersole is an American actress, singer and comedian. She was born on 21 February 1953 in Winnetka, Illinois, and trained at MacMurray College and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
She made her Broadway debut in 1975 and won Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Musical for her performances in the 2001 revival of 42nd Street and the 2007 production of Grey Gardens. Her film credits include Amadeus (1984), Tootsie (1982), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) and Licorice Pizza (2021). On television she has appeared in Bob Hearts Abishola and provided the voice of White Diamond in Steven Universe.
In 2025 she played Marilyn in the film Is This Thing On?.
