Minnie Driver first came to the attention of audiences and critics alike in 1995 for her critically acclaimed performance in Circle of Friends, in which she starred with Chris O’Donnell. She went on to earn Oscar and Screen Actors Guild nominations, both in the category of Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role for Miramax’s award-winning feature, Good Will Hunting, directed by Gus Van Sant. In 1998 she was honored with ShoWest’s prestigious Female Star of Tomorrow for her work.
Her film career is not only filled with characters from all over the world but includes diverse choices in both the independent and major film worlds. Among her critically acclaimed performances are the films Take, which premiered at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival, the dark comedy, Grosse Pointe Blank, Return to Me opposite David Duchovny, the feature of Oscar Wilde’s, An Ideal Husband; provided the voice of “Jane” in Walt Disney’s, T
Minnie Driver first came to the attention of audiences and critics alike in 1995 for her critically acclaimed performance in Circle of Friends, in which she starred with Chris O’Donnell. She went on to earn Oscar and Screen Actors Guild nominations, both in the category of Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role for Miramax’s award-winning feature, Good Will Hunting, directed by Gus Van Sant. In 1998 she was honored with ShoWest’s prestigious Female Star of Tomorrow for her work.
Her film career is not only filled with characters from all over the world but includes diverse choices in both the independent and major film worlds. Among her critically acclaimed performances are the films Take, which premiered at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival, the dark comedy, Grosse Pointe Blank, Return to Me opposite David Duchovny, the feature of Oscar Wilde’s, An Ideal Husband; provided the voice of “Jane” in Walt Disney’s, Tarzan; High Heels and Low Lifes; The Governess; Beautiful (which she produced with her sister, Kate for their production company, Two Drivers); Big Night; Ella Enchanted; Sleepers the only female alongside Robert DeNiro, Brad Pitt and Dustin Hoffman, directed by Barry Levinson; Marc Evans’ British musical-comedy, Hunky Dory (opposite Aneurin Barnard); and the British ensemble comedy I Give it a Year.
On the small screen, Driver was last seen starring for three seasons on ABC’s hit comedy, Speechless. The series followed a family with a special-needs child and the challenges they face together. She also made several guest appearances on NBC’s Will & Grace, as fan-favorite “Lorraine Finster."
In 2021, Driver will be seen starring in Sony’s musical Cinderella, written and directed by Kay Cannon and based on the fairy tale of the same name. The film also stars Camilla Cabello, Billy Porter, Pierce Brosnan, James Corden and Idina Menzel.
In 2018, Driver was seen in theaters in Simon Kaijser’s thriller Spinning Man, also starring Pierce Brosnan and Guy Pearce and co-starring in Wilde Wedding with Glenn Close and John Malkovich.
In December 2014, Driver appeared in the two-part, four-hour American television miniseries The Red Tent. Based on the best-selling novel by Anita Diamant, the series tells the story of the twelve tribes of Israel. Also that month, Driver appeared in NBC’s Peter Pan Live! playing the adult version of female lead Wendy Darling in its live staging of the musical.
Driver starred in the Lifetime television movie Return to Zero, a devastating true story of a couple’s attempts to navigate their way through a pregnancy filled with doubt, grief and trepidation. She was nominated for a 2014 Critics’ Choice Television Award and a 2014 Primetime Emmy Award on behalf of her performance in the film.
Driver was also seen in Beyond the Lights from Relativity opposite Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Danny Glover. She played cutthroat “momager” to Mbatha-Raw’s conflicted pop star, Noni Jean. The film opened to strong reviews on November 14, 2014.
In 2011, Driver received the Genie Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as “Mrs. P,” a New York Jewish American princess and the second of Paul Giamatti’s three wives in the film Barney’s Version. Adapted from the 1997 novel written by Canadian author Mordecai Richler, the film also starred Dustin Huffman.
In 2010, Driver starred in Fox Searchlight’s Conviction, which depicted the true story of a woman (Hilary Swank) who devotes her life to freeing her brother from a life sentence for a crime she knows he didn’t commit. Driver, with an unerring Boston cadence, plays “Abra,” Swank’s only friend, who joins the cause. Also in 2010, Driver starred opposite Jimmy Nesbit in the five-part television series, The Deep, which premiered in the UK on August 3, 2010 on the BBC.
Driver appeared as the unforgettable “Dahlia Molloy” on the critically acclaimed FX television series, The Riches. An audience favorite, Driver received an Emmy and Golden Globe nomination for her role. She also made several guest appearances on NBC’s Will & Grace, as “Lorraine Finster,” a critic and fan darling. Her credits also include her role in the five-part thriller set thousands of feet below the arctic ice in BBC’s, The Deep.
Driver, a singer before she became an actress, lent her vocals to the original title track, Learn to be Lonely, written by Andrew Llyod Weber, for the 2004 film version of his Phantom of the Opera, directed by Joel Schumacher. The song, which played over the end credits, was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Oscar in the “Best Original Song” category. She also made an indelible impression as “Carlotta,” the reigning Italian opera house diva, and received critical praise for her performance, including a nomination by the Critics Circle in the Best British Actress in a Supporting Role category.
Driver released her debut album, Everything In My Pocket, in 2004. Driver toured with the Finn Brothers in the UK and headlined her sold-out tour in the United States. In 2007, Driver’s second album, Seastories, was released. The album features performances from Ryan Adams and his band “The Cardinals,” as well as indie queen Liz Phair.
Her latest album, Ask Me to Dance, was released on October 7, 2014. The album features Driver covering a wide array of artists – from Elliott Smith to Neil Young to Frank Sinatra.
On stage, Driver appeared at London’s Comedy Theatre with Matthew Perry and Hank Azaria in David Mamet’s Sexual Perversity in Chicago. The play held the record for the largest box-office advance for a West End show at that time. Other theatrical productions include The Comedy of Errors, The Married Man, School for Scandal and Camino Real.
Driver is also an activist and philanthropist for causes that involve environmental preservation and animal well-being. Driver is repped by CAA, Untitled Entertainment and Morris Yorn.