Bonnie Hunt
 |
Bonnie Hunt | |
|---|---|
 Hunt with her mother Alice at the 2010 Daytime Emmy Awards | |
| Born | Bonnie Lynne Hunt September 22, 1961 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Notre Dame High School for Girls |
| Occupation(s) | Stand-up comedian, actress, director, producer, writer, host, voice artist, comedian |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Spouse |
John Murphy
(m. 1988; div. 2006) |
| Parent(s) | Robert Edward Hunt Alice E. Hunt |
Bonnie Lynne Hunt (born September 22, 1961)[1] is an American stand-up comedian, actress, director, producer, writer, host, voice artist and comedian who has appeared in films, such as Rain Man, Beethoven, Beethoven's 2nd, Jumanji, Jerry Maguire, The Green Mile, Cheaper by the Dozen, and Cheaper by the Dozen 2. Hunt has done voice work in A Bug's Life, Monsters, Inc., Cars, Toy Story 3, Cars 2, Monsters University, and Zootopia. Hunt has starred in Grand and Davis Rules, as well as creating, producing, writing, and starring in The Building, Bonnie, and Life with Bonnie. From 2008-2010, she hosted The Bonnie Hunt Show.
Early life
Hunt was born Bonnie Lynne Hunt on September 22, 1961, in Chicago, to Robert Edward Hunt, an electrician, and Alice E. Hunt (née Jatczak), a homemaker.[2] Her father was of Irish and Belgian ancestry and her mother is of Polish descent.[3][4][5] She has three older brothers named Patrick, Kevin, and Tom, two older sisters named Cathy and Carol, and a younger sister named Mary.
She was educated in Catholic schools and attended St. Ferdinand Grammar School and Notre Dame High School for Girls in Chicago.
In 1982, Hunt worked as an oncology nurse at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. In 1984, she co-founded an improvisational comedy troupe called An Impulsive Thing with Holly Wortell, Andy Miller, and John Gripentrog. Hunt also performed as a member of Chicago's world-famous the Second City, joining in 1986.
Career
In 1990, Hunt portrayed Carol Anne Smithson in Grand. She refused to become a cast member of Saturday Night Live because the series' producers generally frowned on her preferred improvisational style.[6] In 1992, she was offered the part of B. J. Poteet, a replacement for Julia Duffy, on Designing Women.[6] Instead, she chose to co-star in Davis Rules.
In 1993, Hunt teamed with good friend David Letterman to produce The Building. The series was also filmed live; mistakes, accidents, and forgotten lines were often left in the aired episode.[citation needed] In 1995, Hunt and Letterman reteamed with The Bonnie Hunt Show (later retitled Bonnie), which featured many of the same cast members as The Building and the same loose style. The show was praised by critics, but was canceled after 11 of the 13 episodes produced were aired. In 2002, Hunt returned to television with Life with Bonnie. Her role on the series earned her a 2004 Emmy nomination (which was her first). Despite fair ratings, the series was canceled in its second season. Hunt announced on Live with Regis and Kelly that ABC had offered her another sitcom, in which she would have portrayed a divorced detective. This pilot titled Let Go (also known as Crimes and Dating) was not picked up for the fall 2006 schedule.
She directed, co-wrote, and co-starred in Return to Me. It was filmed in her Chicago neighborhood and included bit parts for a number of her relatives. The film, which received a positive reception from critics,[7] was largely influenced by Hunt's blue-collar Catholic upbringing in Chicago.[8]
Hunt portrayed Alice Newton in Beethoven and Beethoven's 2nd, Sarah Whittle/Madam Serena in Jumanji, and Kate Baker in Cheaper by the Dozen and Cheaper by the Dozen 2. She portrayed the sister of Renée Zellweger's character in Jerry Maguire and Jan Edgecomb in The Green Mile. She portrayed Grace Bellamy in Loggerheads. She has provided her voice for a total of six Pixar films: A Bug's Life as Rosie, Monsters, Inc. as Ms. Flint, Cars and Cars 2 as Sally Carrera, Toy Story 3 as Dolly, and Monsters University as Karen Graves. In addition, Hunt received a writing credit on Cars, reprised her role as Sally in Cars 2, and voiced Bonnie Hopps in Walt Disney Animation Studios' film, Zootopia, which marked her first non-Pixar animated film.
The Bonnie Hunt Show
In 2007, Hunt taped a pilot episode for Telepictures. The pilot was approved and the talk show was created. The Bonnie Hunt Show premiered on Monday, September 8, 2008. The set design was a tribute to Dean Martin and on the walls are pictures of historic television personalities, as well as Hunt's family members. The series was inspired by the format of Live with Regis and Kelly, with the host and guests often interacting with the audience. Many of the series' staffers were longtime friends of Hunt's from Chicago. The series typically started with an opening monologue followed by guest interviews and games played with the audience. Hunt's mother Alice often appeared in webcasts from her home in Chicago. A characteristic of the show was Hunt's over-the-top faux indignation at non-PG language, after which she would enjoy the double entendre-drenched material she had pretended to poo-poo. The Bonnie Hunt Show taped in Culver City, California, and was viewed in 17 of the top 20 US television markets in the United States. In its first year, The Bonnie Hunt Show was nominated for three Daytime Emmy Awards, for opening theme, hairstyle, and makeup. It won the Gracie Award for "Outstanding Talk Show" in 2009. In 2010, Hunt was nominated for "Outstanding Talk Show Host" at the Daytime Emmy Awards. The final episode aired on May 26, 2010.
Personal life
In 1988, Hunt married investment banker John Murphy. However, during her appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman on June 6, 2006, she mentioned that she was single again, implying that Murphy and she had divorced.
Hunt's hometown is Chicago, Illinois.[9] She is a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, having not missed an opening day at Wrigley Field since 1977. She is a supporter of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, of which she is an honorary board member.[10]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Rain Man | Sally Dibbs | |
| 1992 | Beethoven | Alice Newton | |
| 1993 | Dave | White House Tour Guide | |
| Beethoven's 2nd | Alice Newton | ||
| 1994 | Only You | Kate Corvatch | |
| 1995 | Now and Then | Mrs. DeWitt | |
| Jumanji | Sarah Whittle / Madam Serena | Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress | |
| 1996 | Getting Away with Murder | Dr. Gail Holland | |
| Jerry Maguire | Laurel Boyd | ||
| 1998 | A Bug's Life | Rosie | Voice |
| Kissing a Fool | Linda Streicher | ||
| 1999 | Random Hearts | Wendy Judd | |
| The Green Mile | Jan Edgecomb | Nominated – Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Supporting Actress – Drama | |
| 2000 | Return to Me | Megan Dayton | Also director and writer |
| 2001 | Monsters, Inc. | Ms. Flint | Voice |
| 2002 | Stolen Summer | Margaret O'Malley | Limited release |
| 2003 | Cheaper by the Dozen | Kate Baker | |
| 2005 | Cheaper by the Dozen 2 | Kate Baker | |
| Loggerheads | Grace | ||
| 2006 | I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With | Stella Lewis | |
| Cars | Sally Carrera | Voice | |
| 2010 | Toy Story 3 | Dolly | Voice |
| 2011 | Hawaiian Vacation | Dolly | Voice |
| Cars 2 | Sally Carrera | Voice | |
| 2013 | Monsters University | Karen Graves | Voice |
| 2016 | Zootopia | Bonnie Hopps | Voice |
| 2017 | Cars 3[11] | Sally Carrera | Voice |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | American Playhouse | Foxtrot Dancer | Episode: "Under the Biltmore Clock" |
| 1990 | Grand | Carol Anne Smithson | Main role |
| 1991–92 | Davis Rules | Gwen Davis | Main role 18 episodes |
| 1993 | The Building | Bonnie Kennedy | Lead role Also creator, executive producer, writer |
| 1995–96 | Bonnie | Bonnie Kelly | Also producer, writer Viewers for Quality Television Founder's Award (1996) |
| 1997 | Wheel of Fortune | Herself | |
| 2002–04 | Life with Bonnie | Bonnie Molloy | Also creator, director, executive producer Nominated: TCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy (2003), Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy (2003 / 2004), Satellite Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy (2003 / 2004), Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (2004) |
| 2006 | Let Go | Director (film) | |
| 2008–10 | The Bonnie Hunt Show | Herself / Host | Also executive producer, writer Nominated – Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host (2010) |
| 2010 | The Life & Times of Tim | Gabe's Mother | Voice Episodes: "Nagging Blonde / Tim and the Elephant" |
| 2013–present | Sofia the First | Aunt Tilly | Voice Recurring role |
| 2013 | Call Me Crazy: A Five Film | Director (film) Episode: "Eddie" segment | |
| 2014–present | Cars Toons: Tales From Radiator Springs | Sally Carrera | Voice Recurring role |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Cars | Sally Carrera | Voice |
| 2007 | Cars Mater-National Championship | Sally Carrera | Voice |
| 2009 | Cars Race-O-Rama | Sally Carrera | Voice |
References
- ^ "About Bonnie Hunt (1961– )". MovieActors.com
- ^ "Bonnie Hunt Biography". Film Reference. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
- ^ Bonnie Hunt, host; Jared Padalecki, guest (February 10, 2009). "Episode". The Bonnie Hunt Show.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ Grahnke, Lon (April 14, 1992). "Hunt draws on improv talents for 'Davis' role". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 43. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
- ^ "Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: Genealogy Report: Descendants of Joannis Backes". Familytreemaker.genealogy.com. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
- ^ a b Collins, Scott (August 31, 2008). "Hunt ready to take on daytime". Chicago Tribune. p. 10. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
- ^ "Return to Me". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
- ^ Stack, Peter (April 2, 2000). "Hunt's Full Heart". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
- ^ Reiss, Dawn (April 17, 2009). "Teamin Up with Bonnie Hunt". The Saturday Evening Post. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
- ^ "Honorary Board". TheMMRF.org. Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
- ^ http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2016/05/30/sneak-peek-exclusive-cars-3-new-character-cruz-ramirez/84981778/?hootPostID=15e4821211580d8c480a7f4ec7f520ef
External links
- Bonnie Hunt at IMDb
- 1961 births
- Living people
- American screenwriters
- American nurses
- American voice actresses
- American comedians
- American film actresses
- American television actresses
- American video game actresses
- American film directors
- American television directors
- American television producers
- American television talk show hosts
- American television writers
- American women comedians
- American women film directors
- Women television directors
- American women screenwriters
- Women television writers
- Actresses from Chicago, Illinois
- 20th-century American actresses
- 21st-century American actresses