Mary Steenburgen was born of mother Nell, who is a school-board secretary and father Maurice Steenburgen, who is a freight-train conductor at Missouri Pacific Railroad. Mary Steenburgen moved to New York in 1972 and pursued her acting studies at New York's Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre. She worked at Doubleday's while attending her acting classes.
Beginning with her debut movie, Mary Steenburgen the amazing actress has for four consecutive years won or received nominations for awards for her beautiful performances in movies. Mary Steenburgen made her acting debut in 1978 with "Goin' South" which brought her a Golden Globe nomination. Her next movie "Time After Time" {1979}, in which she played the wife of sci-fi author H G Wells, won her a Saturn Award. [Incidentally the role of H G Wells was played by her future husband Malcolm McDowell.] Her third movie "Melvin and Howard" {1980} won an Academy award for her magnificent performance as 'Lynda Dummar'. Again Mary received Golden Globe nomination for her performance in "Ragtime" {1981}.
Mary Steenburgen won Golden Satellite Award for her performance in a recurring role of Helen Girardi in "Joan of Arcadia" {45 episodes: 2003-2005}. This marvelous actress has since appeared in a number of movies such as "One Magic Christmas" {1985}, "Back to the Future Part III" {1990}, "Wish You Were Dead" {2002}, and TV movies like "Tender Is the Night" {1985}, The "Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank" {1988}. She rendered her voice for "Back to the Future" {26 episodes: 1991-1992}.
Mary Steenburgen has married "Time After Time" co-star, Malcolm McDowell on September 29th, 1980. The marriage lasted ten years finally ending in divorce in 1990. They together have a daughter Lilly McDowell born 1981, who is now a beautiful Hollywood actress; and a son Charlie McDowell born 1983, who is a producer-director in Hollywood. She later married her television sitcom "Elf" co-star, Ted Danson on October 7th, 1995.