Jeannie Berlin
Personal details
  • Born:
    • Birthday: 1949-11-01
    • Born Place: Los Angeles, California, USA
  • Also Known As:

    Jeannie Brette May

Jeannie Berlin

Jeannie Berlin is a venerated American actress and screenwriter whose career is defined by her unique, deadpan delivery and a recent, powerful resurgence in prestige cinema and television. Born Jeannie Brette May on November 1, 1949, in Los Angeles, she is the daughter of the legendary director and comedian Elaine May. Berlin first captured the world's attention with her breakout role as the jilted bride Lila Kolodny in the 1972 classic The Heartbreak Kid, directed by her mother, which earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Despite this early success, she largely stepped away from the spotlight for several decades to focus on writing and stage work, notably making her Broadway debut in the 2005 play After the Night and the Music. Her return to major screen roles in the 2010s sparked a "Berlin-aissance," as she became a favorite of acclaimed directors like Paul Thomas Anderson (Inherent Vice), Woody Allen (Café Society), and Steven Spielberg (The Fabelmans). Television audiences recognize her for her commanding turn as prosecutor Helen Weiss in HBO's The Night Of and her recurring role as the formidable Cyd Peach, head of a news network, in the hit series Succession. As of 2026, she continues to be a staple of high-concept drama, appearing in the independent film This Ordinary Thing and joining the elite ensemble of Maggie Gyllenhaal’s gothic thriller The Bride!.

Person History