Dianne Wiest

Dianne Wiest (also credited as Diane Wiest; born March 28, 1948, in Kansas City, Missouri) is an American screen and stage actress celebrated for her intelligent warmth and quietly commanding presence. Across film and television, she has built a career defined by nuanced supporting turns that often become a story’s emotional center.

Wiest is a two-time Academy Award winner for Best Supporting Actress, honored for her performances in Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) and Bullets Over Broadway (1994), and she also earned a Golden Globe for the latter. Her acclaimed television work includes Emmy wins for Road to Avonlea and In Treatment, underscoring her range from period drama to modern psychological storytelling.

Audiences also recognize Wiest from a wide span of popular films, including Edward Scissorhands (as Peg), The Lost Boys (as Lucy Emerson), Footloose (as Vi Moore), and The Birdcage (as Louise Keeley). She received an additional Oscar nomination for Parenthood, and later standout roles include The Horse Whisperer, I Am Sam, and Synecdoche, New York, confirming her status as one of American acting’s most reliable scene-stealers.