Julianna Margulies Wiki: Biography, Age, Net Worth, Husband

Julianna Margulies built a career defined by two monumental television characters that changed the landscape of American drama. Best known for her unforgettable work as nurse Carol Hathaway on ER and defense attorney Alicia Florrick on The Good Wife, she earned widespread critical acclaim, multiple Emmy Awards, and a lasting legacy as one of television's most reliable dramatic leads. Born in Spring Valley, New York, on June 8, 1966, she spent her formative years moving between the United States, France, and England before establishing herself on stage and screen.

With an estimated net worth of $24 million accumulated across decades of high-profile television contracts, film appearances, and theater, Margulies balances a high-profile professional trajectory with a grounded family life alongside her husband. This biography breaks down her early life, physical profile, breakthrough television roles, financial standing, personal life, and answers common questions about her career.

Early Life and Education

Julianna Luisa Margulies was born as the youngest of three daughters to Francesca Gardner, a ballet dancer and eurythmy teacher, and Paul Margulies, a writer, philosopher, and Madison Avenue advertising executive. Because of her parents' lifestyle, her childhood was nomadic. She lived in various parts of New York, England, and France before returning to the United States for her secondary education at alternative institutions like the Green Meadow Waldorf School and the High Mowing School.

She later attended Sarah Lawrence College, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree. During her college years, she participated in several theatrical productions, sparking an interest in professional acting that drove her to move to New York City after graduation to study method acting and audition for theater and television roles.

Physical Profile and Vital Statistics

Audiences frequently search for physical details regarding the actress. Her key measurements and personal metrics include:

• Age: 60 years old (born June 8, 1966).
• Height: 5 feet 6 inches (168 cm).
• Nationality: American.
• Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish descent.
• Zodiac Sign: Gemini.

Career Breakthrough: From ER to The Good Wife

Margulies made her feature film debut in the Steven Seagal action film Out for Justice (1991), but television provided her true breakout moment.

The ER Phenomenon

In 1994, she secured the role of emergency room nurse Carol Hathaway in the pilot episode of NBC's medical drama ER. Originally, her character attempted suicide in the pilot and was not slated to survive. However, test audiences responded so strongly to her performance that producers rewrote the script, turning Carol Hathaway into a central series regular. She starred on the show for six seasons, earning a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in 1995 alongside multiple subsequent nominations for Lead Actress.

Leading The Good Wife

After leaving ER in 2000, Margulies worked across diverse mediums, starring in the TNT miniseries The Mists of Avalon (2001) and appearing in HBO's The Sopranos. Her defining second act arrived in 2009 when she took on the lead role of Alicia Florrick in the CBS legal drama The Good Wife. Playing a disgraced politician's wife forced to return to law to support her family, Margulies won two consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards for Lead Actress, a Golden Globe, and multiple Screen Actors Guild Awards over the show's seven-season run.

Later television credits include dark comedy series Dietland, the National Geographic miniseries The Hot Zone, and Apple TV+'s The Morning Show. In 2024, she returned to Broadway alongside Tom Hanks in the play Left on Tenth.

Net Worth and Earnings

Julianna Margulies holds an estimated net worth of $24 million. Her wealth stems primarily from her extensive television salary history. During the peak seasons of The Good Wife, industry reports estimated her per-episode earnings made her one of the highest-paid dramatic actresses on network television. Additional revenue streams include syndication residuals from ER, film salaries (Snakes on a Plane, The Upside), endorsement deals, and lucrative theater contracts.

Husband, Marriage, and Personal Life

Margulies married attorney Keith Lieberthal on November 10, 2007, in Lenox, Massachusetts. Keith Lieberthal is the son of prominent academic Kenneth Lieberthal. Before her marriage, she was in a long-term relationship with actor Ron Eldard, whom she met in an acting class, lasting from 1991 to 2003.

Julianna and Keith share one son, Kieran Lindsay Lieberthal, born in 2008. The family primarily resides in Manhattan, complemented by a country home in Upstate New York where Margulies maintains a relatively private personal life away from tabloid culture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Julianna Margulies return for the final season of ER?

Yes. After leaving the main cast in 2000, Margulies returned as Carol Hathaway for a guest appearance during the final fifteenth season of ER in 2009, reuniting on screen with George Clooney.

How many Emmy Awards has Julianna Margulies won?

She has won three Primetime Emmy Awards out of ten nominations: one for supporting actress in ER (1995) and two for lead actress in The Good Wife (2011 and 2014).

What is Julianna Margulies' background in theater?

Beyond her extensive television work, Margulies has maintained an active stage career. She has appeared off-Broadway and on Broadway in productions such as The Vagina Monologues, Festen, and the 2024 biographical play Left on Tenth.

Is Julianna Margulies related to any other famous figures?

While she is not directly related to other mainstream actors, her father Paul Margulies was an established writer and advertising executive, and through her marriage, her father-in-law is the noted political scientist and academic Kenneth Lieberthal.