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Marian Seldes

Marian Seldes

Actor · Died October 6, 2014, aged 86 · New York City, New York, USA

Marian Hall Seldes was an American actress. A five-time Tony Award nominee, she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for A Delicate Balance in 1967, and received subsequent nominations for Father's Day (1971), Deathtrap (1978–82), Ring Round the Moon (1999), and Dinner at Eight (2002). She also won a Drama Desk Award for Father's Day. Her other Broadway credits include Equus (1974–77), Ivanov (1997), and Deuce (2007). She was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1995 and received the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2010. Description above from the Wikipedia article Marian Seldes, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 23, 1928
Died
October 6, 2014 (aged 86)
From
New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
47 on MovieCove · 89 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 155 days to Oct 26Down 39% in 30 days

What are Marian Seldes' films like?

Across their 21 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Drama8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 74th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 33rd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 69th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
30%
Self
23%
Society
20%
Morality
14%
Survival
6%
Ideas
5%
Power
3%
Family bonds10 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 20 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 10 · Serious 4 · Dark 6

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 14 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 6 · Charged 9 · Intense 5

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

A split, not a type: Steady 9 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 3

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

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 13 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 3

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 11 · Even-paced 9 · Relentless 0

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

Casual 13 · Engaged 6 · Full focus 1

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

Easy watch 6 · Affecting 10 · Heavy 4

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 16 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 2

Roles they play

4 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 2 of 4 analyzed roles.

Ally
2 of 4
Herald
1 of 4
Threshold guardian
1 of 4

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Melancholic
12
Tense
8
Warm
8
Hopeful
10
Joyful
5
Other
17

How their films linger

Hopeful11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy7
  • Bittersweet9
  • Tragic3
  • Ambiguous2

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 Marian Seldes' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 31 of their 47 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Marian Seldes' 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

89 credits, 47 with a MovieCove page; 4 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life(2011)

    as Mabel Billingsly

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • The Extra Man(2010)

    as Vivian Cudlip

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Nurse Jackie(2009)

    Show 1 episode · as Tottie

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • Home (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Peggy

  • The Toe Tactic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Eunice (voice)

  • La fille du régiment(2007)

    as The Duchess of Krakenthorp

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Leatherheads(2008)

    as Clerk

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • The Visitor(2007)

    as Barbara

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • August Rush(2007)

    as The Dean

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Miriam (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    as Mrs. H.T. Miller

  • Suburban Girl(2007)

    as Margaret Paddleford

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Big Day (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • In from the Night(2006)

    as Nora Cantata

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • The Book of Daniel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 1 episode · as Helen

  • Ballets Russes(2005)

    as Narrator

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Clubhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Plainsong(2004)

    as Iva Stearns

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Proteus: A Nineteenth Century Vision (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Narrator (voice)

  • Mona Lisa Smile(2003)

    as Jocelyn Carr

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Hollywood Ending(2002)

    as Alexandra

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Town & Country(2001)

    as Eugenie's Mother

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • A Nero Wolfe Mystery(2001)

    Show 2 episodes · as Louise Grantham Robilotti · as Mrs. Pitcairn

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Duets(2000)

    as Harriet Gahagan

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • 1961 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Abby Hedley

  • If These Walls Could Talk 2(2000)

    as Abby Hedley

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Law & Order: Special Victims Unit(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Peggy Kendall

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • The Haunting(1999)

    as Mrs. Dudley

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Celebrity(1998)

    as Datloff Party Guest

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Sex and the City(1998)

    Show 1 episode · as Mrs. Big

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Affliction(1997)

    as Alma Pittman

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Home Alone 3(1997)

    as Mrs. Hess

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Digging to China(1997)

    as Leah Schroth

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Remember WENN(1996)

    Show 1 episode · as Miss Frye

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Tom and Huck(1995)

    as Widow Douglas

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Clarissa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as Lillian Banion

  • Central Park West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Truman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as Eleanor Roosevelt

  • In the Best of Families: Marriage, Pride & Madness(1994)

    as Justice Susie Sharp

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Frasier(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Betty

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag(1992)

    as Margaret Armstrong

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Good & Evil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 11 episodes · as Charlotte Sandler

  • Law & Order(1990)

    Show 1 episode · as Suzanne

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • Wings(1990)

    Show 1 episode · as Eleanor Kingsbury

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all shows

  • In a Pig's Eye (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    as Mrs. Isabel Purvis

  • Murphy Brown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 1 episode · as Murphy's Aunt Brooke

  • Zits (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Miss Maple

  • Gertrude Stein and a Companion! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Alice B. Toklas

  • Murder, She Wrote(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Lydia Winthrop

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Kate & Allie(1984)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all shows

  • Fingers(1978)

    as Ruth

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Kate McShane (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Secretary

  • Mannix(1967)

    Show 1 episode · as Ida Colby

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • The Star Wagon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    as Marian

  • The Greatest Story Ever Told(1965)

    as Herodias

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Branded (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · as Neela

  • Special for Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Crime and Punishment, U.S.A.(1959)

    as Debbie Cole

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • The Big Fisherman(1959)

    as Arnon

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Rifleman(1958)

    Show 1 episode · as Hazel / The Vision

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • The Texan(1958)

    Show 1 episode · as Cora Laird

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • The Plot to Kill Stalin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Mme. Molotov

  • The Light in the Forest(1958)

    as Kate Owens

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Shirley Temple's Storybook(1958)

    Show 1 episode · as Widow Enga

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows

  • Half Hour to Kill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 1 episode · as Joyce Field

  • Panic Button (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Kate Sullivan

  • The Court of Last Resort(1957)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)

  • Suspicion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Perry Mason(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Mary K. Davis

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • M Squad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Martha Wicklow

  • Have Gun, Will Travel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Christie Smith · as Mollie Stanton

  • The True Story of Jesse James(1957)

    as Rowena Cobb

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • The Young Stranger(1957)

    as Mrs. Morse (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 1 episode · as Alicia Jolland

  • Matinee Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 3 episodes · Actor

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Lydia Brailing

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Gunsmoke (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Mrs. Cullen

  • The Millionaire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Dorothy 'Dot' McAllister

  • Climax! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 1 episode · as Betty

  • The Lonely Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Caroline

  • General Electric Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 2 episodes · as Adelaide Baines · as Leah · as Persis Hughes

  • Omnibus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Show 3 episodes · Actor

  • Hallmark Hall of Fame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as Emily · as Iva Stearns · as Nora Cantata

  • Lux Video Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 1 episode · as Anne · as May

  • Hands of Murder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Studio One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Show 1 episode · as Anna Zeger · as Anna Zenger · as Belle Giles · as Mary Widdicomb

  • The Philco Television Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Show 2 episodes · as Emilia

  • Kraft Television Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    Show 4 episodes · Actor

  • Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse Bernadette Episode (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Louise Soubirous

Career shape

Star power in the 96th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 89 titles, 88 of them dated from 1947 to 2012; peak year 2007.

Biggest box office

The Haunting (1999)

$177M worldwide

Highest rated

The Visitor (2007)

Midcredits 95th

Most popular right now

Home Alone 3 (1997)

Film career

19472012

Peak 2007 · at the high point of their film career. 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.

  • 1957Screen debut· The True Story of Jesse James
  • 2007Career best· August Rush

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting89 of 89: 89 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score67th

By decade

1940s4 · acting1950s28 · acting1960s5 · acting1970s2 · acting1980s6 · acting1990s18 · acting2000s23 · acting2010s2 · acting

Billing

usually 7th · top billed in 0% of 18 roles
5702

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; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Marian Seldes' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 56th percentile, the median of all 30; across their 20 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 60th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

60thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 20

Approval · how many liked their films

64thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 20

Reach · how many have seen their films

84thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 20

Midcredits score across 47 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up16
  • 50th to 74th17
  • 25th to 49th9
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

18 of their 47 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved9
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser18
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed15

Most divisive · actor

Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life (2011)

76th percentile spread · 25% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Visitor (2007)

Midcredits 95th · 85% liked

Reviewers score the acting 69/100 in their films, across 19 reviewed titles; fans 78, detractors 48. 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.

Is Marian Seldes' work okay for kids?

Across up to 8 MovieCove titles with content scores, alcohol & drugs runs lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore6 titles27–56 · median 47 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity8 titles14–69 · median 28 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity6 titles29–60 · median 31 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs5 titles14–36 · median 18 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense6 titles18–67 · median 46 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Marian Seldes work with?

People who share at least 2 of Marian Seldes' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; George Hamilton shares the most, 2.

Actors

Cinematographers