Patricia Arquette

Cast · Director

Born

April 8, 1968 · Chicago, Illinois, USA

Birth name

Patricia T. Arquette

“Actresses are really pressured to look strange and unreal. You're not supposed to age. You always have to look incredibly attractive because that's the way the movie world is.” Patricia Arquette is an American film and television actress and producer. Born into a family of artists, she decided to pursue acting at a young age. She made her debut in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), but gained wider recognition years later for her role as Alabama Whitman in True Romance (1993), written by Quentin Tarantino. During the 1990s and 2000s, she solidified her career with standout roles in films such as Ed Wood (1994), Lost Highway (1997), The Thin Red Line (1998), and Stigmata (1999). On television, she became popular for starring in Medium (2005–2011). Her critical breakthrough came with Boyhood (2014), directed by Richard Linklater and filmed over 12 years, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Throughout her career, she has received three Golden Globe Awards, two Emmy Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Her interpretive versatility and artistic commitment have also earned her accolades from critics and numerous film and television associations. She has received acclaim for her performances in Escape at Dannemora (2018), The Act (2019), and for her portrayal of Harmony Cobel in the psychological sci-fi thriller series Severance. In 2024, she made her directorial debut with Gonzo Girl, a film based on the novel inspired by the world of Hunter S. Thompson, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Patricia Arquette is also an activist committed to gender equity, social justice, and universal access to education, using her voice to promote real change in both the industry and society.