M A R Y . C. M c C O R M A C K

The following feature story appeared in the campus publication MOSAIC in January, 1998.

Mary C. McCormack '91

Shining in the light of the big and small screens
Mary C. McCormack '91, apprehensive at the prospect of shooting her first on-screen role (as a firefighter in the 1995 movie "Back Fire!," a spoof of the movie "Backdraft"), introduced herself to her co-star in her first scene, saying "Please be gentle. . . . This is my first time on camera." The legendary Robert Mitchum, who died last year, replied to the fledgling actress's plea, saying, "Kid, it gets better than this, let me tell you."

Mitchum was right. McCormack has since had major roles on the critically acclaimed television series "Murder One" and in film as the wife of controversial radio personality Howard Stern. After graduating from Trinity, McCormack moved to New York City where, when she wasn't waiting tables, she took her first formal acting lessons at the William Esper Studio. She appeared in several off-off-Broadway plays before landing the part in the movie with Mitchum in 1994. "He was terrific to me--flirting and funny," she recalls. "For an actor, working with him was an unbelievable opportunity."

Another opportunity that would lead to greater exposure was close at hand. After winning a small role in the 1994 remake of the classic "Miracle on 34th Street" and a guest appearance on NBC's "Law & Order," McCormack in 1995 won the part of tough defense attorney Justine Appleton on "Murder One" Although felled by poor ratings this season, "Murder One" earned "Best Cancelled Show" honors in TV Guide's "Best of '97" issue.

A fantastic part for a woman
In 1996, during the television series' summer hiatus, McCormack had yet another opportunity to display her talent. She was cast in the role of Allison, the wife of radio "shock jock" Howard Stern, in the film "Private Parts." "The first time I listened to his show, he was painting a woman's breasts like Easter eggs," she says incredulously. After some initial misgivings, she read the script and thought, "This is an interesting little movie and a fantastic part for a woman."

She was particularly interested in her character's reaction to the development of Stern's public persona, but part of her interest in doing the movie derived from Stern himself. "When I first met Howard, he was humble, and quiet, and self-effacing, and he wanted to learn about acting," she says. "I think when he gets on the air his eyes roll back into his head and he can¹t be accountable," she jokes. In real life, McCormack claims, Stern and his wife more closely resemble a quiet couple from the suburbs.

McCormack knows about suburban life. She grew up in Plainfield, NJ, where ‹ before eventually trying her hand at community theater ‹ she performed and sang at home for her parents and brother, William '96, who is also an actor, and older sister, Bridget '88. McCormack followed her older sister's lead not only in the choice of college but also in conducting herself as a defense attorney ‹ on screen in her "Murder One" role. Formerly a criminal defense attorney for the Legal Aid Society in New York, Bridget is now a professor of law at Yale School of Law.

Performing arts and studio arts and more
While at Trinity, she majored in comparative arts and developed a new interest--painting-- while continuing with her interest in the performing arts. But she sampled other disciplines, too. Her most memorable course was a first-year seminar with Ellsworth Morton Tracy Lecturer and Professor of Religion Frank Kirkpatrick, "Religion and the Shaping of American Foreign and Economic Policy." "We read things from Thomas Aquinas to Habits of the Heart. It was the first time in my life that I had ever thought about responsibility as a member of the human race. I remember being so excited to go to class. Professor Kirkpatrick is patient and brilliant!"

During her years at Trinity, McCormack was active in musical theater and in The Pipes. Her interest in theater drew her to Associate Professor of Theater Arthur Feinsod's class in playwriting. "He helped me to fall in love with theater and to respect plays and playwrights. He's just fabulous." Feinsod remembers that McCormack chose a rather unusual subject for her play in that class--a woman who undergoes a gynecological exam. "It was a very bold and courageous play," he recalls. Feinsod also advised McCormack on her senior thesis, a children's book that she both wrote and illustrated. "She is a multi-talented lady," he says.

Currently McCormack is putting her talents to work in Vancouver, BC, where she is filming a new movie for Walt Disney Pictures in which she plays the wife of hockey-playing sheriff Russell Crowe in a small Alaskan town swept by hockey fever.

And although McCormack's experience with Robert Mitchum is far behind her, she still remembers some advice that he gave her while filming a dimly lit scene in the movie "Back Fire!" "Hey kid! Cut yourself a break and get out of the shadows and into the light," he challenged her. McCormack is having no trouble heeding his advice.

­ Suzanne Zack