Alison Martin

Wikipedia

Alison Martin
Alison Martin "green" carpet for Favor at Dances with Films Festival June 10, 2013
BornSeptember 8
New York City
EducationBoston College
OccupationActress/Writer
Years active1987–present
SpouseDan Hagen
ChildrenEm J. and Brady J.

Alison Martin is an American character actress, writer and producer who has appeared on television, film, in podcasts and onstage. She is, along with Jean Trebek, the editor and co-founder of the podcast and online magazine insidewink. Martin made her Broadway debut playing opposite Nathan Lane in Neil Simon's Laughter on the 23rd Floor and traveled cross country on the national tour.[1] Martin won an Emmy Award for acting in the children's television series A Likely Story for which she both wrote and acted. She garnered a second Emmy nomination for the Lifetime Channel series The World According to Us for which again she both wrote and acted.

Early life

Martin was born on September 8 in the Bronx borough of New York City, the only child Joseph G. Martin and Josephine DiLorenzo, both journalists who met and married while working at the New York Daily News.

Joseph G. Martin had a career that spanned more than 45 years. As a reporter for the New York Daily News, he won nearly every possible honor for reporting: a Selurians Award (1950); two George Polk Awards (1952 and 1973) and a Newspaper Guild Page One Award (1956).[2] In 1959, Martin won a Pulitzer Prize for international reporting for a 10-part series co-written with Philip Santori on Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista.[3] The piece predicted the fall of Batista months before it happened and was called “prophetic journalism” by the Pulitzer committee. Martin also served as New York Deputy Police Commissioner for public relations from 1965 to 1968.[2]

Josephine DiLorenzo was raised in the Bronx. A highly gifted student, she graduated high school at 15 and entered Hunter College at 16 years of age. She got a job as one of the first female copyboys at the New York Daily News, working her way up to a reporter. Besides Daily News stories, DiLorenzo wrote celebrity interviews, including in-depth talks with Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor. After becoming a stay-at-home Mom, DiLorenzo continued writing a weekly column for the Daily News titled “Trips and Treats.”[4]

Following her graduation from Ursuline Highschool in the Bronx, Martin attended Boston College, graduating summa cum laude with a degree in Broadcast Communications and Theater. While at Boston College, she co-founded America's second oldest collegiate improv comedy troupe called My Mother's Fleabag which boasts a slew of celebrity alumni such as Amy Poehler.[5]

Career

[6]

Television

Martin has starred in hundreds of commercials, two of which she improvised that went on to win Clio Awards. She has also made more than forty recurring and guest star appearances in shows including How to Get Away with Murder, The Big Bang Theory, Code Black, American Princess, There's... Johnny!, Grace & Frankie, and The Office.

Film

Martin's film appearances include Soul Survivor, The Year of Spectacular Men, Four Christmases, Sleepover, and Blades of Glory. She is also best known on the Comic-Con trail for her work in Larry Blamire's Trail of the Screaming Forehead and The Lost Skeleton Returns Again.

Theater

Martin began her theater career in Boston, performing in America's longest running comedy, Shear Madness. In New York, Martin appeared Off-Broadway in original productions of works by Peter Tolan, David Ives and David Mamet. Martin made her Broadway debut opposite Nathan Lane in Neil Simon's Laughter on the 23rd Floor, later continuing with the national tour of the show. Martin is a member of The Echo Theater Company in Los Angeles, most recently performing the role of Soccer Mom in the company's 2019 LA Drama Critics Circle winning production of The Wolves.[7]

Podcasts

Martin is currently co-host of the insidewink podcast along with Jean Trebek. Martin also produced and performed in The Audio Adventurebook of Big Dan Frater which won the Gold Nick Danger Mark Time award as best comedy album in 2015.[8]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1986Life Is a BanquetJoanna MarsonTV movie
1993The Perfect WomanHerselfShort film
2004SleepoverGabby's Friend
2005I'm Not GayHerselfShort film
2007Blades of GloryFemale Judge in Stockholm
Trail of the Screaming HeadMillie Healey
2008Four ChristmasesChurchgoer
The Lost Skeleton Returns AgainChinfa, Queen of the Cantaloupe People
2009Dark and Stormy NightMrs. Cupcupboard
2013It's a Frame-Up!Symona BonifaceShort film
FavorPinback
Code BlackJudge Lily Taniston
2014A Zombie Next DoorMargeShort film
AudreyTootsie Palmer
2017The Year of Spectactular MenMarg
2020RxRCarolShort film
Soul SurvivorKarenShort film
2022Mind ThiefNorma
2024Tricks Can Go WrongDiane
Familiar TouchJoan
Rock and Doris (try to) Write a MovieMrs. Dumont

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1987-1995A Likely StoryAlison the Librarian
1990Wish You Were HereJeanEpisode: "French Riviera"
1994-1996Law & OrderMiss Dawkins/Dr. Florence Sanders2 episodes
1995Girls' Night OutHerself
1996Party of FiveWomanEpisode: "Poor Subsitutes"
Grace Under FireMrs. StraumanEpisode: "Positively Hateful"
TowniesMrs. HammrickEpisode: "Faith, Hope, & Charity"
19977th HeavenTeacherEpisode: "I Hate You"
1997-1998Mad About YouMuriel3 episodes
1998The Naked TruthBonnieEpisode: "Day of the Locos"
CybillAlisonEpisode: "Don Gianni"
SeinfeldLucyEpisode: "The Puerto Rican Day"
Oh BabyNora2 episodes
The PracticeMrs. BlairEpisode: "Rhyme and Reason"
1999Katie JoplinLanaEpisode: "Charcoaled Gray"
Chicago HopeAntonia CarverEpisode: "Upstairs, Downstairs"
MaggieSharon2 episodes
Judging AmyMrs. Angela CompsonEpisode: "Witch Hunt"
2000Freaks and GeeksKatey DesarioEpisode: "Noshing and Moshing"
2002Lizzie McGuireRoberta GordonEpisode: "Gordo's Bar Mitzvah"
ProvidenceEpisode: "Limbo"
PhillyAdele FosterEpisode: "Mojo Rising"
NYPD BlueTess BarryEpisode: "Meat Me in the Park"
2003Without a TraceMrs. SawyerEpisode: "Sons and Daughters"
2005Will & GraceGabbyEpisode: "Sour Balls"
Jack & BobbyHerselfEpisode: "A Child of God"
ERMrs. KendrickEpisode: "Dream House"
2007SharkJudge Rita Bardos2 episodes
Tales from the PubJane Weldon/Caroline/Ruth Hammond3 episodes
2009Terminator: The Sarah Connor ChroniclesMolly MalloyEpisode: "Ourselves Alone"
The OfficeHerselfEpisode: "Company Picnic"
2011Desperate HousewivesDr. Lippman3 episodes
Harry's LawElaine ListerEpisode: "Head Games"
2014The MentalistMrs. MacyEpisode: " II Tavolo Bianco"
2015The Audio Adventurebook of Big Dan Frater, Vol. 1Millie Healey
Mad MenViolaEpisode: "Severance"
The ExesDorothyEpisode: "Gone Girls"
2015-2017Grace & FrankieJudy2 episodes
2016JoJoHeadHerself4 episodes
2017The Young and the RestlessLinda1 episode
Hanazuki: Full of TreasuresChicken Plant4 episodes
There's... Johnny!Lorraine Klavin3 episodes
2018Code BlackJudge Lily TanistonEpisode: "The Business of Saving Lives"
The Big Bang TheoryAndreaEpisode: "The Planetarium Collision"
2019American PrincessAlma Quaid2 episodes
How to Get Away with MurderMs. MaloneyEpisode: "I'm the Murderer"
2020The Audio Adventurebook of Big Dan Fater, Vol. 2Millie Healey5 episodes
2021PEN15SandraEpisode: "Bat Mitzvah"
2021-2022General HospitalProfessor Kahn4 episodes
2022All RiseMorgan GoodwinEpisode: "Truth Hurts"
2023I Think You Should Leave with Tim RobinsonCamEpisode: "When I First Thought of This You Didn't Even Have Hands Up There: You Were Just Walking Straight Up The Wall"

Audio

YearTitleRoleNotes
2015Damn Dirty GeeksHerselfEpisode: "Funny Business with Big Dan Frater"

[6]

References

  1. "Playbill". Playbill.com. Playbill Inc. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  2. 1 2 "New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  3. "Pulitzer Prize Winners". The Pulitzer Prizes. Columbia University. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  4. "What's New Marilyn". Daily News. Ancestry. 16 January 1955. p. 278. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  5. "Boston College Magazine". bcm.bc.edu. Trustees of Boston College. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  6. 1 2 "Breakdown Express". breakdownexpress.com. Breakdown Services Ltd. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  7. "LA Drama Critics Circle Award". LA Drama Critics Circle. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  8. "Mark Time Awards". Mark Time Awards. Retrieved 15 August 2020.