Jayne Atkinson

Jayne Atkinson is a British-American performer recognized for her work across stage, television, and film. She is widely known for portraying Karen Hayes in the drama series 24, as well as for her Tony Award-nominated stage roles in The Rainmaker and Enchanted April. Her screen career also features notable recurring television roles, including Catherine Durant in House of Cards, Erin Strauss in Criminal Minds, and Teresa Hurst in Madam Secretary.

Born on February 18, 1959, in Bournemouth, England, Atkinson relocated with her family to the United States in 1968. She spent her upbringing in North Miami Beach, Florida, and completed her high school education at Pine Crest School, where she was chosen as Homecoming Queen in 1977. She pursued higher education at Northwestern University, earning a degree in communications in 1981, and later obtained a Master of Fine Arts from the Yale Drama School in 1985.

Atkinson began her professional career in regional theater before making off-Broadway appearances in 1987, including a role in Bloody Poetry. That same year, she had her Broadway debut in a revival of All My Sons. She subsequently led various stage productions, such as Tru, Henry VIII, and The Art of Success. In 1996, her performance in The Skriker earned her a Drama Desk Award for Best Actress in a Play. Her stage work continued with acclaim, earning a Tony nomination for the 1999 revival of The Rainmaker, followed by Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle recognition for Enchanted April in 2003. She later appeared in the 2009 Broadway production of Blithe Spirit.

In film, Atkinson is well known for her role as foster mother Annie Greenwood in Free Willy and its sequel Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home. Her cinematic credits also include feature films such as Blank Check, The Village, Syriana, and 12 and Holding. Her performance in the television movie Our Town received a Satellite Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Throughout her television career, Atkinson has appeared on numerous series, including A Year in the Life, Parenthood, The X-Files, Law & Order, The Practice, and Gossip Girl. She later held major roles as Secretary of State Catherine Durant in House of Cards and Vice President Teresa Hurst in Madam Secretary.

Atkinson holds dual citizenship in the United Kingdom and the United States. She is married to actor Michel Gill, whom she met in 1989 while co-starring in a theater production of The Heiress. The couple has one son and later shared the screen in House of Cards.