Known for her countless leading roles in the theatre, as well as on-screen in film and television, Lily Rabe has paved her path as a highly acclaimed, versatile actress.
In Dan Sullivan’s The Merchant of Venice (Broadway, The Public Theater), Rabe played the iconic role of Portia opposite Al Pacino; for her performance, she received Tony, Drama Desk and Drama League nominations. Rabe has also starred in, to rave reviews, recent Shakespeare in the Park productions at The Public of Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It and Cymbeline. Regarding Rabe’s ability to interpret Shakespeare, Oskar Eustis, the Public Theatre’s artistic director, said, “I’m sure Balanchine felt this way when he found certain dancers.”
Rabe made her Broadway debut in Robert Harling’s Steel Magnolias, which garnered her a Drama Desk Award nomination. Other Broadway credits include Seminar, The American Plan, and Heartbreak Ho
Known for her countless leading roles in the theatre, as well as on-screen in film and television, Lily Rabe has paved her path as a highly acclaimed, versatile actress.
In Dan Sullivan’s The Merchant of Venice (Broadway, The Public Theater), Rabe played the iconic role of Portia opposite Al Pacino; for her performance, she received Tony, Drama Desk and Drama League nominations. Rabe has also starred in, to rave reviews, recent Shakespeare in the Park productions at The Public of Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It and Cymbeline. Regarding Rabe’s ability to interpret Shakespeare, Oskar Eustis, the Public Theatre’s artistic director, said, “I’m sure Balanchine felt this way when he found certain dancers.”
Rabe made her Broadway debut in Robert Harling’s Steel Magnolias, which garnered her a Drama Desk Award nomination. Other Broadway credits include Seminar, The American Plan, and Heartbreak House (OCC nomination, Callaway Award).
In the Williamstown Theatre Festival production of Henrik Ibsen’s landmark 1879 drama, A Doll’s House, directed by Sam Gold, Rabe played Nora Helmer. At the Geffen Playhouse, Rabe played the titular role in Neil Labute’s contemporary remake of Miss Julie. Off-Broadway, she could be seen in Crimes of the Heart, Colder Than Here, Proof, and The Crazy Girl.
Most recently, Rabe starred in HBO’s hit limited series The Undoing opposite Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant.
Next up, Rabe leads the ten-episode Amazon Original series, Tell Me Your Secrets, alongside Hamish Linklater and Amy Brenneman. From Bruna Papandrea’s Made Up Stories, Tell Me Your Secrets follows Emma (Rabe), a young woman searching for the truth about her past; motives grow murky, blurring the lines between victim and perpetrator. Rabe will also be seen in Barry Jenkins’ The Underground Railroad.
Via Kill Claudio Productions, Rabe and her producing partner Bettina Barrow are developing The Big D for HBO. The duo’s first feature Sister Aimee premiered at Sundance in 2019, subsequently selling to 1091 Media. Rabe is currently in production on the newest season of Ryan Murphy’s hit anthology series American Horror Story on FX. To date, Rabe has starred in seven seasons of the show and was nominated for a Critics Choice Award for her portrayal of Sister Mary Eunice.
Other acting credits include Annapurna’s Vice, directed by Adam McKay, alongside Amy Adams, Steve Carrell and Christian Bale; Netflix’s Fracture, opposite Sam Worthington; and HBO’s movie The Wizard of Lies, directed by Barry Levinson and starring Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer.
For her performance in Julia Hart’s Miss Stevens, opposite Timothée Chalamet, she was awarded Best Actress at the 2016 SXSW Film Festival. Rabe acts opposite Forest Whitaker in Open Road’s heist thriller film Finding Steve McQueen. Other recent film credits include Alex Ross Perry’s Golden Exits, Blumhouse’s The Veil, Pawn Sacrifice with Tobey Maguire, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Aftermath, and All Good Things opposite Ryan Gosling and Kirsten Dunst.
Rabe is a graduate of Northwestern University.
