Biography
Who is Blythe Danner?
Early life and education
Blythe Danner was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her father, Harry Earl Danner, worked as a bank executive. She grew up with a brother named Harry, a sister, and a maternal half-brother. Her family heritage includes Pennsylvania Dutch, Irish, and English ancestry. One paternal great-grandmother came from Barbados, and her maternal grandmother was an immigrant from Germany.
Blythe attended George School, which is a Quaker high school in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. She graduated from the school in 1960. Later, she attended Bard College to pursue her education.
Stage and early career
Blythe Danner began her acting career with roles in the 1967 musical Mata Hari and a 1968 production of Summertree. She performed in Cyrano de Bergerac on Broadway in 1968. In 1969, she appeared in The Miser and earned a Theatre World Award. She won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her role in Butterflies Are Free from 1970.
She appeared in the 1972 film 1776 as Martha Jefferson. That same year, she played Janice Benedict in a Columbo episode called Etude in Black. While filming that episode, she was five months pregnant with Gwyneth Paltrow. She also starred in To Kill a Clown alongside Alan Alda in 1972.
Film and television success
Blythe played Dina Byrnes in the Meet the Parents film series starting in 2000. This included sequels Meet the Fockers in 2004 and Little Fockers in 2010. A fourth movie in the series is set for release on November 25, 2026. She also worked with Woody Allen in the movies Another Woman, Alice, and Husbands and Wives.
On television, she played Marilyn Truman on Will and Grace between 2001 and 2006. She also starred as Izzy Huffstodt in the show Huff from 2004 to 2006. This role earned her two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Other film roles include The Great Santini and The Prince of Tides.
Activism and personal life
Blythe Danner has spent over 30 years working on recycling and conservation. She served on the board of the Environmental Media Association and the Environmental Advocates of New York. In 2011, she joined the group Moms Clean Air Force to fight air pollution. She received the EMA Board of Directors Ongoing Commitment Award in 2002.
She was married to Bruce Paltrow, a director and producer. They had two children, Jake and Gwyneth Paltrow. After Bruce died of oral cancer in 2002, she supported the Oral Cancer Foundation. She filmed a public service announcement in 2005 to encourage early detection of the disease.
Birthday and age
Blythe Danner was born on February 3, 1943, which makes Blythe 83 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aquarius sign. Blythe shares the date with 27 other famous people.
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