Nora Dunn (born April 29, 1952) is an American actress, comedian and writer. She first garnered popularity during her tenure as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 1985 to 1990. Following her departure from SNL, she played Dr. Reynolds in The Nanny from 1998 to 1999, and she had a recurring role as Muriel in Home Economics from 2021 to 2022.
Early life
Dunn was born in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of Margaret (née East), a nurse, and John Dunn, a musician and poet. She has two brothers, actor Kevin Dunn and Michael Dunn, a high school history teacher and football coach, as well as one sister, Cathy Zimmerman. She was raised in a Catholic family, and has Irish, English, Scottish and German ancestry. Three Kings (1999), What Planet Are You From? (2000), What's the Worst That Could Happen? (2001), Zoolander (2001), Max Keeble's Big Move (2001), Bruce Almighty (2003), Runaway Jury (2003), The Hebrew Hammer (2003), Love for Rent (2005), Pineapple Express (2008), My Suicide (2009), LOL (2012), Entourage (2015) and The Lost Husband (2020).
In 2014, Dunn began appearing in a series of commercials for Clorox. She has also been a storytelling contributor to Chicago's Under the Gun Theater.
Dunn directed the American Theater Company's production of Augusta in Chicago in 2008.
Personal life
Dunn is a fan of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League.
Filmography
Television
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
!Year
!Title
!Role
!Notes
|-
|1985–1990
|Saturday Night Live
|Herself/Various
|88 episodes
|-
|1991
|Get a Life
|Irma
|Episode: "Prisoner of Love"
|-
|1992
|Civil Wars
|Madeline Lobell
|Episode: "The Old Man and the 'C'"
|-
|1993
|Basic Values: Sex, Shock & Censorship in the 90's
|
|TV movie
|-
|1993–1996
|Sisters
|Norma Lear
|24 episodes
|-
|1994
|Shake, Rattle and Rock!
|Margo
|TV movie
|-
|1996
|The Nanny
|Mrs. Richardson
|Episode: "The Bird's Nest"
|-
| rowspan="4" |1997
|I Am Weasel
|Bearded Girl/Lady Fan #1
|Voice role; Episode: "Deep Sea Tour"
|-
|Cybill
|Dr. Walker
|Episode: "Regarding Henry"
|-
|Extreme Ghostbusters
|Lilith
|Voice role; Episode: "A Temporary Insanity"
|-
|Everybody Loves Raymond
|Helen
|Episode: "The Letter"
|-
| rowspan="3" |1998
|George and Leo
|Dean Shirley Martin
|Episode: "The Bongos"
|-
|Pinky and the Brain
|Precious
|Episode: "Brainwashed: Part 3 - Wash Harder"
|-
|The X-Files
|JoAnne Fletcher
|2 episodes
|-
|1998–1999
|The Nanny
|Dr. Reynolds
|7 episodes
|-
|1998–2000
|Histeria!
|Lydia Karaoke/Various
|26 episodes
|-
|1999
|The Wild Thornberrys
|Various
|Voice role; 2 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" |2000
| Chicken Soup for the Soul
|Mrs. Shaw
|Episode: "The Mustang and the Tutor"
|-
|Futurama
|Morgan Proctor
|Episode: "How Hermes Requisitioned His Groove Back"
|-
| rowspan="3" |2001
|The Chronicle
|Dr. Gorham
|Episode: "Only the Young Die Good"
|-
|Weakest Link
|Herself
|Contestant
Episodes: "Comedians Special"
|-
|Curb Your Enthusiasm
|CBS Executive
|Episode: "The Massage"
|-
|2002
|The Outer Limits
|Laura Sinclair
|Episode: "Dark Child"
|-
| rowspan="3" |2003
|Knee High P.I.
|Margery
|TV movie
|-
|Just Shoot Me!
|Naomi
|Episode: "Strange Bedfellows"
|-
|CSI: Miami
|Kidnap Executive Rhonda
|Episode: "Extreme"
|-
|2004
|Wild Card
|Sammie
|Episode: "Slam Dunk Funk"
|-
| rowspan="4" |2005
|See Arnold Run
|Arianna Huffington
|TV movie
|-
|LAX
|
|Episode: "Senator's Daughter"
|-
|Amber Frey: Witness for the Prosecution
|Gloria Allred
|TV movie
|-
|Stacked
|Lynn
|Episode: "Heavy Meddle"
|-
| rowspan="2" |2006
|Law & Order
|Rosalie Schaffner
|Episode: "Home Sweet"
|-
|Three Moons Over Milford
|Michelle Graybar
|9 episodes
|-
|2006–2007
|Shark
|Gretchen Curbow
|2 episodes
|-
|2006–2011
|Entourage
|Dr. Marcus
|6 episodes
|-
|2007–2008
|Boston Legal
|Attorney Cynthia Rhodes
|2 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" |2008
|Aliens in America
|Sandy Shermer
|Episode: "Smutty Books"
|-
|Numbers
|Susan Stone
|Episode: "Jack of All Trades"
|-
| rowspan="5" |2009
|Criminal Minds
|Lauren
|Episode: "Pleasure Is My Business"
|-
|Pushing Daisies
|Blanche Ramora
|Episode: "Kerpulnk'"
|-
|Samantha Who?
|Cheryl Hainstock
|Episode: "The Dream Job"
|-
|It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
|Donna
|Episode: "The Gang Gives Frank an Intervention"
|-
|As Told by Ginger
|Coach Candace/Philbert
|Voice role
2 episodes
|-
| rowspan="3" |2010
|Private Practice
|Dr. Geraldine Ginsberg
|Episode: "Eyes Wide Open"
|-
|Psych
|Eve Asher
|Episode: "In Plain Fright"
|-
|The Defenders
|Amber Max
|Episode: "Nevada v. Dennis"
|-
|2011
|Harry's Law
|Judge Sandra Killiam
|Episode: "Last Dance"
|-
|2012
|Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23
|Joyce Berman
|Episode: "Parent Trap"
|-
| rowspan="2" |2013
|The Neighbors
|Linda
|Episode: "The Gingerbread Man"
|-
|Franklin & Bash
|Judge Clemons
|Episode: "By the Numbers"
|-
|2013–2014
|Bones
|Tess Brown
|2 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" |2014
|Hot in Cleveland
|Elizabeth/Victoria
|Episode: "Playmates"
|-
|Mulaney
|Patty Mulaney
|Episode: "In the Name of the Mother, and the Son and the Holy Andre"
|-
|2014–2015
|Sirens
|Bridget
|2 episodes
|-
|2015
|Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce
|Amanda
|Episode: "Rule #3: Don't Stand in the Doorway"
|-
| rowspan="2" |2015–2016
|Best Friends Whenever
|Janet Smythe
|6 episodes
|-
|New Girl
|Louise Schmidt
|4 episodes
|-
| rowspan="3" |2016
|Life in Pieces
|Carol
|Episode: "CryTunes Divorce Tablet Ring"
|-
|*Loosely Exactly Nicole
|Nora McNab
|Episode: "Danny Boom"
|-
|Grace and Frankie
|Dr. Rossmore
|Episode: "The Wish"
|-
|2016–2022
|Chicago Med
|Dr. Richardson
|10 episodes
|-
|2016–2017
|Graves
|Laura Wolf
|2 episodes
|-
| rowspan="3" |2017
|2 Broke Girls
|Teresa
|2 episodes
|-
|Chicago P.D.
|Dr. Richardson
|Episode: "Army of One"
|-
|Worst Cooks in America
|Herself
|Contestant - Third Place
|-
|2017–2019
|How to Get Away with Murder
|Judge Lily Nanjani
|2 episodes
|-
| rowspan="3" |2018
|The Librarians
|Janet Hedge
|Episode: "And a Town Called Feud"
|-
|Detroiters
|Sue
|Episode: "Trevor"
|-
|The Boss Baby: Back in Business
|Gigi
|Voice role;10 episodes
|-
|2019
|Liza on Demand
|Claudine
|Episode: "Maximum Occupancy"
|-
|2021
|The Big Leap
|Gina
|5 episodes
|-
|2021–2022
|Home Economics
|Muriel
|11 episodes
|-
|2022
|DMZ
|Oona
|2 episodes
|}
Film
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
!Year
!Title
!Role
|-
|1988
|Working Girl
|Ginny
|-
|1989
|How I Got into College
|Francine Bauer
|-
|1990
|Miami Blues
|Ellita Sanchez
|-
|1991
|Stepping Out
|Pam
|-
|1992
|Passion Fish
|Ti-Marie Robichaux
|-
|1993
|Born Yesterday
|Cynthia Screiber
|-
|1994
|I Love Trouble
|Lindy
|-
|1995
|The Last Supper
|Sheriff Alice Stanley
|-
| rowspan="3" |1998
|Bulworth
|Missy Berliner
|-
|Air Bud: Golden Receiver
|Natalya
|-
|The Thin Pink Line
|Sandy Delongpre
|-
| rowspan="2" |1999
|Drop Dead Gorgeous
|Colleen Douglas
|-
|Three Kings
|Adriana Cruz
|-
|2000
|What Planet Are You From?
|Madeline
|-
| rowspan="4" |2001
|Heartbreakers
|Miss Madress
|-
|What's the Worst That Could Happen?
|Lutetia Fairbanks
|-
|Zoolander
|British Designer
|-
|Max Keeble's Big Move
|Lily Keeble
|-
| rowspan="2" |2002
|Cherish
|Bell
|-
|Storm Watch
|Rose Chase
|-
| rowspan="5" |2003
|Die, Mommie, Die!
|Shatzi Van Allen
|-
|The Hebrew Hammer
|Mrs. Carver
|-
|Bruce Almighty
|Ally Loman
|-
|Out of Time
|Dr. Donovan
|-
|Runaway Jury
|Stella Hulic
|-
| rowspan="3" |2004
|November
|Dr. Fayn
|-
|Paper Cut
|Katherine
|-
|Laws of Attraction
|Judge Abramovitz
|-
| rowspan="3" |2005
|The Civilization of Maxwell Bright
|Mary Jane
|-
|Love for Rent
|Helen Bauman
|-
|The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio
|Girl Group Member
|-
| rowspan="3" |2006
|The Darwin Awards
|Mrs. Pearlman
|-
|Pucked
|Leona
|-
|Southland Tales
|Cyndi Pinziki
|-
|2008
|Pineapple Express
|Shannon
|-
| rowspan="3" |2009
|The Answer Man
|Terry Fraser
|-
|Archie's Final Project
|Gretchen Williams
|-
|It's Complicated
|Sally
|-
| rowspan="3" |2012
|LOL
|Emily's Mom
|-
|3, 2, 1... Frankie Go Boom
|Mom (Karen)
|-
|The Guilt Trip
|Amy
|-
| rowspan="2" |2015
|Entourage
|Dr. Marcus
|-
|A Light Beneath Their Feet
|Dr. Krolly
|-
| rowspan="4" |2018
|Dude
|Rosa
|-
|Canal Street
|Marge Sudermill
|-
|Tag
|Lina Malloy
|-
|The Oath
|Eleanor
|-
|2019
|Boy Genius
|Selma Ally
|-
|2020
|The Lost Husband
|Jean
|-
|2021
|Together Together
|Adele
|-
| 2022
| The Hater
| Genie
|}