Julianna Margulies reshaped the landscape of American television by anchoring two of the most critically acclaimed and enduring drama series in broadcast history. Born in Spring Valley, New York, on June 8, 1966, she spent her nomadic childhood moving between France, England, and the United States. Before establishing herself as a powerhouse actress with multiple Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild awards, she earned a Bachelor of Arts from Sarah Lawrence College in 1989, focusing on theater, art history, and English. Her professional journey offers a masterclass in longevity, careful career choices, and the power of complex character portrayals.
Best known for her defining television turns as Nurse Carol Hathaway on NBC's ER and attorney Alicia Florrick on CBS's The Good Wife, Margulies carved out a distinct niche playing intelligent, resilient women navigating high-pressure environments. Her work spans network television, streaming prestige dramas, off-Broadway theater, and a published memoir. Rather than fading into the background after breakout success, she continually reinvented her career across three decades, securing her place as a true television icon.
The Breakthrough: ER and Carol Hathaway
Margulies launched her professional on-screen career with a minor role in the 1991 action film Out for Justice, followed by guest spots on procedural staples like Law & Order and Murder, She Wrote. Her fortunes shifted permanently in 1994 when she was cast as head nurse Carol Hathaway in the pilot of a gritty medical drama called ER.
In the original script, Hathaway's character attempted suicide in the pilot and was written to die. However, test audiences responded so intensely to Margulies' performance and her chemistry with co-star George Clooney that producers rewrote the narrative. Hathaway survived, and Margulies became a central pillar of the show for six seasons, earning her first Primetime Emmy Award in 1995 alongside multiple Screen Actors Guild awards.
Transitioning Beyond the Hospital
Deciding not to get typecast in medical procedurals, Margulies made the bold choice to leave ER in 2000. She spent the subsequent decade diversifying her resume:
- Stepped onto the stage in off-Broadway productions, including The Vagina Monologues.
- Starred as Morgaine in the TNT fantasy miniseries The Mists of Avalon (2001).
- Took on a memorable four-episode arc as a high-priced call girl in HBO's The Sopranos (2006–2007).
- Produced and starred as a brash criminal defense attorney in the short-lived legal drama Canterbury's Law (2008).
These varied projects kept her sharpening her craft while preparing the groundwork for her next monumental television chapter.
Reinvention: Alicia Florrick and The Good Wife
In 2009, Margulies returned to network television in CBS's The Good Wife as Alicia Florrick, a disgraced politician's wife forced to re-enter the workforce as a litigator after a public sex and corruption scandal. The role demanded immense emotional range, requiring Margulies to portray a woman balancing public humiliation, fierce maternal instincts, and a gradual reclamation of personal power.
The series ran for seven seasons until 2016, cementing critical consensus that Margulies was one of the finest dramatic actresses of her generation. Her work on the show yielded another Golden Globe Award and two more Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. During this period, she also became a producer on the show, exercising creative control over narrative arcs and character development.
Later Career: Streaming and Memoirs
As broadcast television evolved, Margulies transitioned smoothly into cable and streaming platforms. In 2019, she starred as epidemiologist Dr. Nancy Jaax in the National Geographic miniseries The Hot Zone, tracking the terrifying arrival of the Ebola virus in the United States.
Following that, she joined the cast of Apple TV+'s The Morning Show for its second and third seasons as journalist Laura Peterson. Her performance added immediate narrative friction and emotional depth to the newsroom drama.
In 2021, she expanded her creative output into literature by publishing her memoir, Sunshine Girl: An Unexpected Life, which detailed her unconventional upbringing and journey to self-reliance. Continuing her stage work, she returned to Broadway in 2024 to star in Left on Tenth, a play written by Delia Ephron.
Frequently Asked Questions
What awards has Julianna Margulies won?
Margulies holds a historic collection of industry accolades. According to the Television Academy, she has won three Primetime Emmy Awards and accumulated numerous Screen Actors Guild (SAG) awards, making her one of the most decorated television actresses in SAG history. She also won a Golden Globe Award for The Good Wife in 2010 and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2015.
Why did Julianna Margulies leave ER?
After six seasons as Carol Hathaway, Margulies chose to exit ER in 2000 to avoid creative stagnation. She wanted the freedom to explore diverse characters in theater, film, and independent television projects rather than committing to a long-running medical schedule indefinitely.
Is Julianna Margulies married?
Yes. She married attorney Keith Lieberthal in 2007, and the couple has one son together. They reside primarily in Manhattan, maintaining an additional home in Upstate New York.
What was her role in The Morning Show?
Margulies played Laura Peterson, a seasoned, fearless news anchor who joins the network and enters into a high-profile relationship with Bradley Jackson (played by Reese Witherspoon), bringing fresh investigative urgency and emotional complications to the plotlines of seasons two and three.
