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Michelle Hurst

Michelle Hurst

Actor · Born June 1, 1953 (73) · Brooklyn, New York, USA

Michelle Hurst (born June 1, 1953) is an American actress. She played Miss Claudette Pelage in the first season of the streaming television series Orange Is the New Black.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
June 1, 1953 (73)
From
Brooklyn, New York, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
30 on MovieCove · 33 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 63 days to Oct 26Down 30% in 30 days

What are Michelle Hurst's films like?

Across their 5 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
31%
Self
29%
Survival
18%
Society
14%
Power
4%
Morality
4%
Romantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 5 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 4 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 3 · Intense 1

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 2 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 1 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 1 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 2 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 3 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 1

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 1 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

3 analyzed roles

Usually the Mentor: 2 of 3 analyzed roles.

Mentor
2 of 3
Herald
1 of 3

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
2
Contemplative
2
Bittersweet
3
Warm
1
Melancholic
1
Other
2

How their films linger

Bittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet1
  • Ambiguous3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Michelle Hurst's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 20 of their 30 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Netflix (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Michelle Hurst's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

33 credits, 30 with a MovieCove page.

  • The Trial of the Chicago 7(2020)

    as Housekeeper Jane

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Love Life(2020)

    Show 1 episode · as Headmistress

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • Diggstown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Show 1 episode · as Jojo Carvery

  • Permission(2017)

    as Dr. Bennett

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Coin Heist(2017)

    as Benny's Grandma

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Jean of the Joneses(2016)

    as Daphne

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Chicago Med(2015)

    Show 1 episode · as Beverly MacNeal

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • She Grinds Her Own Coffee (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    as The Lady

  • Broad City(2014)

    Show 1 episode · as Mary

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Orange Is the New Black(2013)

    Show 13 episodes · as Miss Claudette Pelage

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Frances Ha(2012)

    as Theater Manager

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • I Don't Know How She Does It(2011)

    as Nurse

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • All Good Things(2010)

    as Newscaster

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Blue Bloods(2010)

    Show 1 episode · as Councilwoman Collins

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • A Little Help(2010)

    as Eileen

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • The Good Wife(2009)

    Show 1 episode · as Judge Hester James

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Choke(2008)

    as Shapely Nurse

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Sherrybaby(2006)

    as Dorothy Washington

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Poster Boy(2004)

    as Professor Silver

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • In the Cut(2003)

    as Teacher at Frannie's School

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Law & Order: Criminal Intent(2001)

    Show 1 episode · as Audrey

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • Wirey Spindell(1999)

    as Arlene

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Third Watch(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Judge Connie Allen

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Law & Order: Special Victims Unit(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as ACS Social Worker · as Betty Swanson · as Gloria Milton · as Ms. Thwaites · as Vita Weldon

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Stepmom(1998)

    as Nurse

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Sex and the City(1998)

    Show 1 episode · as Nurse

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Office Killer(1997)

    as Kate

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • I Shot Andy Warhol(1996)

    as Nedicks Manager

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Smoke(1995)

    as Aunt Em

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Airheads(1994)

    as Yvonne

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Law & Order(1990)

    Show 1 episode · as Ms. Nevins · as Pizza Lady · as Public Defender · as Simone Adams

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • Born on the Fourth of July(1989)

    as Reporter #2 - Democratic Conventon

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • One Day Home (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Joan

Career shape

Star power in the 91st percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 33 titles, 32 of them dated from 1989 to 2020; peak year 1994.

Biggest box office

Sherrybaby (2006)

$623K worldwide

Highest rated

Sherrybaby (2006)

Midcredits 65th

Most popular right now

Permission (2017)

Film career

19892020

Peak 1994 · back in prominent film roles after a quiet stretch. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting33 of 33: 33 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score70th

By decade

1980s1 · acting1990s9 · acting2000s7 · acting2010s13 · acting2020s2 · acting

Billing

usually 16th · top billed in 0% of 11 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Michelle Hurst's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 50th percentile, the median of all 19; across their 5 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 36th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

36thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Approval · how many liked their films

27thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Reach · how many have seen their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Midcredits score across 30 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up14
  • 50th to 74th7
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

15 of their 30 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser15
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · actor

Wirey Spindell (1999)

93rd percentile spread · 47% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

Midcredits 97th · 89% liked

Reviewers score the acting 70/100 in their films, across 5 reviewed titles; fans 80, detractors 47. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Michelle Hurst work with?

People who share at least 2 of Michelle Hurst's MovieCove titles; François Arnaud shares the most, 2.