Johanna Day

Johanna Day
Born1964 (age 61–62)
EducationAmerican Academy of Dramatic Arts
OccupationActress

Johanna Day (born 1964) is an American actress, known for her stage performances. She was nominated for two Tony Awards for her performances in the 2000 play Proof and the 2016 production of the play Sweat.[1] Her other accolades include a Helen Hayes Award and an Obie Award, as well as nominations for a Drama Desk Award, a Drama League Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award and two Lucille Lortel Awards.[2]

Day performed on both Broadway and off-Broadway stage. She made her New York stage debut in 1004 appearing in 3 Postcards by Craig Lucas. Her notable Broadway credits include August: Osage County, You Can't Take It With You and Call Me Izzy. On television she had the recurring roles in All My Children (2002-2003), The Knick (2014-2015) and Madam Secretary (2014-2019).

Early life

Johanna was born in Winchester, Virginia and grew up in Rappahannock County, Virginia. She is the daughter and ninth child of Eileen Mitchell Day of Sperryville and Walter Day of Flint Hill.[3] She graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1984.[4]

Career

In 1994, Day made her off-Broadway debut starring in the Craig Lucas' musical, 3 Postcards.[4] Her Broadway debut was in the 2000 play Proof by David Auburn for which she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play.[5][6][7] Also in 2000, Day made her screen debut appearing in a small role in the film Unbreakable. From 2002 to 2003 she played Marilyn Stafford on the ABC daytime soap opera, All My Children. She later guest-starred on prime time dramas Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order: Trial by Jury, Judging Amy, The Americans and Elementary.

In 2007, Day returned to Broadway replacing Amy Morton in the role of Barbara Fordham on August: Osage County.[8] She appeared with Tracy Letts and Parker Posey in the world premiere of Will Eno's play The Realistic Joneses on April 20, 2012 at the Yale Repertory Theatre.[9] In August 2013 Johanna Day costarred with Reg Rogers in the world premiere of Carly Mensch's play Oblivion at the Westport Country Playhouse.[10] She costarred with Amelia Campbell in Penn State Centre Stage 2013 production of David Lindsay-Abaire's play Good People.[11] From 2014 to 2015 she performed on Broadway revival of You Can't Take It With You.[12]

On television, Day played the recurring role as Admiral Ellen Hill in the CBS political drama series, Madam Secretary from 2014 to 2019 appearing in 28 episodes. She played Eunice Showalter during the second season of period drama The Knick from 2014 to 2015 and in 2018 appeared in the miniseries Escape at Dannemora. She later made appearances in New Amsterdam, The Good Fight and Bull. Her film credits include True Story (2015), The Post (2017) and Save Yourselves! (2020).

In 2017, Day received her second Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play nomination for performance in Sweat by Lynn Nottage.[13] In 2022, she appeared as Marta in Denis Johnson’s play Des Moines that takes place entirely in a kitchen.[14] In 2025 she replaced Jean Smart in the lead role on Call Me Izzy for number of performances.[15]

Credits

Broadway

Off-Broadway

Film

Awards

Johanna Day won the Helen Hayes Award as Leading Actress in a Resident Play for her starring role in the 2006 Arena Stage production of The Rainmaker.[3][19]

In 2000, she was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance in Proof.

In 2008, she was a nominee for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play for her role of Ann in the Second Stage Theatre production of Edward Albee's Peter and Jerry.

In 2014, she won an Obie Award for her performance in Appropriate at the Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre.

In 2017, she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her role in Sweat.

References

  1. ↑ "Johanna Day – Broadway Cast & Staff | IBDB". www.ibdb.com.
  2. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20250119160403/https://www.iobdb.com/CreditableEntity/581
  3. 1 2 Lykes, Richard (2007-05-10). "Helen Hayes Award goes to Johanna Day". Fairfax Times. Archived from the original on 2014-01-03. Retrieved 2014-01-03.
  4. 1 2 "Theater Veteran Johanna Day on the Challenging Performance That Left a Lasting Impact". www.backstage.com. December 5, 2014.
  5. ↑ Hofler, Robert (October 25, 2000). "Proof".
  6. ↑ "Broadway's Proof, of Math, Memories and Mary-Louise Parker, Opens Oct. 24". Playbill.
  7. ↑ "Proof Positive - Nymag". New York Magazine. June 5, 2000.
  8. ↑ "Broadway, August: Osage County: Johanna Day, Michael Milligan, Dee Pelletier and Scott Jaeck all join the cast". New York Theatre Guide. October 19, 2017.
  9. ↑ Hetrick, Adam (2012-04-20). "The Realistic Joneses, With Johanna Day, Tracy Letts and Parker Posey, Premieres at Yale Rep April 20". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2014-01-03. Retrieved 2014-01-03.
  10. ↑ Gates, Anita (2013-08-29). "Accepting a God, and Rejecting Her Parents". The New York Times. Retrieved 2014-01-03.
  11. ↑ Gans, Andrew (2013-06-12). "Johanna Day, R. Ward Duffy and Amelia Campbell Are Good People at Penn State Centre Stage, Starting June 12". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2014-01-03. Retrieved 2014-01-03.
  12. ↑ Peterson, Tyler (July 18, 2014). "Johanna Day, Will Brill, Fran Kranz & More Join Cast of YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU Broadway Revival". BroadwayWorld.com.
  13. ↑ Buchanan, David (May 31, 2017). "Tony Awards spotlight: Johanna Day bravely embodies thorny character Tracey in "Sweat"".
  14. ↑ Scheck, Frank (2022-12-17). "Des Moines: Kitchen Sink Naturalism, Turned on Its Head". New York Stage Review. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  15. ↑ Evans, Greg (July 8, 2025). "Jean Smart Out Of Broadway's 'Call Me Izzy' This Week Due To Knee Injury".
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Artists | Johanna Day". Vineyard Theatre. 2014-01-03. Archived from the original on 2014-01-03. Retrieved 2014-01-03.
  17. ↑ Otten, Ted (November 23, 2012). "Bucks County Playhouse presents stage version of Stephen King's 'Misery'". NJ.com. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Des Moines By Denis Johnson, December 4, 2022 – January 1, 2023". Theatre for a New Audience. 2022-07-26. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
  19. ↑ Markowitz, Joel (2008-05-01). "Chats with Johanna Day and Tim Acito". DC Theatre Scene. Retrieved 2014-01-03.