Mary Willa “Mamie” Gummer is an American actress known for her impressive work in television, films, and theatrical productions. As the eldest daughter of the renowned actress Meryl Streep, Gummer has followed in her mother’s footsteps and made a name for herself in the acting industry. From her early start as a child artist in one of her mother’s films to her notable performances in big-screen flicks such as ‘The Hoax’ and ‘Cake’, Gummer has proven her talent and versatility. She has also excelled in the world of theater, earning nominations and awards for her brilliant stage performances. Gummer’s television credits include roles in popular series like ‘The Good Wife’ and ‘Emily Owens, M.D.’, showcasing her range as an actress. With her impressive body of work, Gummer continues to captivate audiences across various mediums.
Quick Facts
- Also Known As: Mary Willa Gummer
- Age: 40 Years, 40 Year Old Females
- Family:
- Spouse/Ex-: Benjamin Walker (m. 2011–2013)
- Father: Don Gummer
- Mother: Meryl Streep
- Siblings: Grace Gummer, Henry Wolfe, Louisa Gummer
- Born Country: United States
- Height: 5’8″ (173 cm), 5’8″ Females
- Ancestry: German American, British American, Irish American
- U.S. State: New Yorkers
- Education: Northwestern University
Childhood & Early Life
Mamie Gummer was born on August 3, 1983 in New York City, New York, US, to famous Hollywood actress, Meryl Streep, and her sculptor husband, Don Gummer. She has an elder brother, Henry Wolfe Gummer, a musician and two younger sisters, Grace Gummer, who again followed her mother and older sister into acting, and Loiisa Gummer, a model. She was raised in Salisbury, Connecticut, and studied in the ‘Miss Porter’s School’ located in Farmington, Connecticut. Thereafter, she graduated from the ‘Kent School’ located in Kent, Connecticut. She and her siblings stayed in Los Angeles for five years. In 2005, she completed her graduation from the ‘Northwestern University’ majoring in theatre and communications.
Career
Her initial appearance in films happened as a child artist featuring as Annie Forman in the 1986 American blockbuster comedy-drama ‘Heartburn’ starring her mother and Jack Nicholson. She was credited as Natalie Stern in it to dodge media curiosity. She received positive review from ‘New York Times’.
While attending ‘Northwestern University’, she featured in three Northwestern University Theater productions, namely ‘The Laramie Project’ (2003), ‘12 Volt Heart’ (2004) and ‘The House of Blue Leaves’ (2004). She also portrayed the role of a ‘Hostess’ in the 2003 short film ‘Reservations’.
Her off-Broadway debut happened following her graduation when she played Lucy in the premiere of Noah Haidle’s ‘Mr. Marmalade’. The title character in the film was played by Michael C. Hall. ‘Mr. Marmalade’, staged at ‘Laura Pels Theatre’ in New York City from 2005 to 2006, earned her the ‘Theatre World Award’ as Best Supporting Actress in 2006. That year, she worked in two films, ‘Hoax’ and ‘The Devil Wears Prada’, although her scene in the later was finally deleted.
Her portrayal as Erica in ‘The Water’s Edge’ that was staged at the ‘Second Stage Theatre’ in New York City in 2006 garnered her ‘Lucille Lortel Award’ nomination in 2007.
The Lajos Koltai directed 2007 American drama film ‘Evening’ saw Gummer playing younger version of the character Lila Wittenborn, the later version of which was played by her mother. That year she also featured in a short film called ‘All Saints Day’.
She portrayed Sophie Tuckerman in 2007 theatrical production of the Lillian Hellman play ‘The Autumn Garden’ that was staged at the ‘Williamstown Theatre Festival’. That year, she also performed in ‘Desdemona: A Play about a Handkerchief’ staged at Playwrights Horizons Mainstage Theatre.
Making her mark in both films and theatre, she forayed into TV. In 2008, she featured as Sally Smith Adams in 3 episodes of the Golden Globe and Emmy awards winning HBO TV miniseries ‘John Adams’. The series chronicled political life of US President John Adams played by actor Paul Giamatti.
Her Broadway debut happened in 2008 with Tony Award nominated revival of ‘Les liaisons dangereuses’ produced by ‘Roundabout Theatre Company’ and premiered on May 1 at the ‘American Airlines Theatre’. She played Cécile de Volanges in it featuring with Laura Linney and Ben Daniels among others.
In 2008, she appeared as Bess in the play ‘Hunting and Gathering’ at the Primary Stages, in New York City; as Jeanie Burgess in the war drama flick ‘Stop-Loss’; and as Julie Corleone in the independent flick ‘The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond’.
In 2009, she featured as Tisha in the comedy-drama flick ‘Taking Woodstock’ and in the starring role of Ruth in romantic comedy film ‘The Lightkeepers’. That year she also played Sonya in the play ‘Uncle Vanya’ that was staged at the Classic Stage Company in New York City.
Her brilliant performance in ‘Uncle Vanya’ earned her a nomination for ‘Lucille Lortel Award’ in the category of ‘Outstanding Featured Actress’.
On February 2, 2010, she guest appeared as Nancy Crozier in the first season of the American legal and political drama ‘The Good Wife’ in its 13th episode titled ‘Bad’. Her role recurred in the second season of the series in two of its episodes namely ‘Cleaning House’ and ‘Getting Off’.
The 2010 released American psychological horror film ‘The Ward’ saw her playing the starring role of Emily. She then went on to feature in other films like ‘The Lifeguard’ (2013), ‘Side Effects’ (2013), ‘Cake’ (2014) and ‘The End of the Tour’ (2015).
She remained one of the main cast members playing Dr. Mina Minard in the ABC medical drama series ‘Off the Map’ that aired from January 12, 2011 to April 6, 2011. In April 2011, she featured in the Off-Broadway production of ‘The School For Lies’ along with Alison Fraser and Hamish Linklater.
One of her notable TV series is the American medical drama ‘Emily Owens, M.D’ that premiered on CW on October 16, 2012. Gummer played the title role of Emily Owens in all the 13 episodes of the series that earned her much appreciation.
She also featured in other TV series such as ‘A Gifted Man’ (2011), ‘The Big C’ (2012), ‘Elementary’ (2014) and ‘Manhattan’ (2015). She played Helen Sabine on the Franco-British web-TV drama series ‘The Collection’ that premiered on September 2, 2016.
She also played reel-life daughter of her mother in the American comedy-drama film ‘Ricki and the Flash’ where the two portrayed the characters of Julie Brummel and Linda Brummel / Ricki Rendazzo respectively. The film that released on August 7, 2015 did well at the box-office.
She was nominated for ‘Drama Desk Award’ for ‘Outstanding Actress in a Play’ for portraying the role of Jess from October to December 2015 in the play ‘Ugly Lies the Bone’ that was staged at the Roundabout Theatre in New York City.
Personal Life & Legacy
She met actor Benjamin Walker after the two were cast in the Broadway production of ‘Les Liasions Dangereuses’ in 2008. The two dated for a while and got engaged in October 2009. They then tied the knot in July 2011 at Gummer’s parents’ home in Connecticut. The couple stayed in Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York City. It was announced in March 2013 that the two have mutually separated and are planning for a divorce.
She is associated with different charities like the ‘Nomi Network’ and the ‘Women’s Refugee Commission’.
As of May 2017, her estimated net worth is around $15 million.