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Dianne Wiest

Dianne Wiest

Actor · Born March 28, 1948 (78) · Kansas City, Missouri, USA

2 Oscars · 2 Primetime Emmys · Golden Globe winner · 4 other major award bodies

Dianne Evelyn Wiest (/wiːst/; born March 28, 1948) is an American actress. She has won two Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress for 1986's Hannah and Her Sisters and 1994's Bullets Over Broadway (both directed by Woody Allen), one Golden Globe Award for Bullets Over Broadway, the 1997 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for Road to Avonlea, and the 2008 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for In Treatment. In addition, she was nominated for an Academy Award for 1989's Parenthood. Other film appearances by Wiest include Footloose (1984), Woody Allen's The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), Radio Days (1987), and September (1987), The Lost Boys (1987), Bright Lights, Big City (1988), Edward Scissorhands (1990), Little Man Tate (1991), The Birdcage (1996), Practical Magic (1998), Dan in Real Life (2007), Synecdoche, New York (2008), Rabbit Hole (2010), The Mule (2018), Let Them All Talk (2020), and I Care a Lot (2020). She also appeared in the television series Law & Order (2000–2002) and the CBS comedy Life in Pieces(2015–2019). Description above from the Wikipedia article Dianne Wiest, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
March 28, 1948 (78)
From
Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
56 on MovieCove · 71 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26

What are Dianne Wiest's films like?

Across their 46 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy21 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 53rd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama15 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Animation2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 64th percentile
: browse their Animation movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 81st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
38%
Self
27%
Morality
11%
Survival
9%
Society
5%
Power
5%
Ideas
4%
Family bonds23 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity10 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love7 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose7 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth8 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 44 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 22 · Serious 9 · Dark 13

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 24 · Stylized 14 · Heightened 6

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 17 · Charged 18 · Intense 9

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 29 · Shifting 11 · Whiplash 4

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 14 · Some laughs 20 · Funny 10

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 27 · Even-paced 15 · Relentless 2

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 24 · Engaged 19 · Full focus 1

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 19 · Affecting 11 · Heavy 14

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 31 · Open-ended 10 · Ambiguous 3

Roles they play

28 analyzed roles

Usually the Mentor: 12 of 28 analyzed roles.

Mentor
12 of 28
Ally
9 of 28
Herald
3 of 28
Shapeshifter
2 of 28
Hero
1 of 28
Shadow
1 of 28
Show the 28 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
19
Melancholic
19
Warm
15
Bittersweet
14
Hopeful
15
Other
44

How their films linger

Hopeful24 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good17 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet18 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 7 with a twist

  • Happy17
  • Bittersweet19
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous9

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Dianne Wiest's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 42 of their 56 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (19).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Dianne Wiest's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

71 credits, 56 with a MovieCove page; 5 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Closing Night(2026)

    as Diane

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Practical Magic 2(2026)

    as Aunt Jet

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Apartment 7A(2024)

    as Minnie Castevet

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Elsbeth(2024)

    Show 1 episode · as Reverend Mother Constance Mary Cabot

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all shows

  • Scene Partners (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    as Meryl Kowalski

  • My Father's Dragon(2022)

    as Iris the Rhinoceros (voice)

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Mayor of Kingstown(2021)

    Show 20 episodes · as Miriam McLusky

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows

  • Only Murders in the Building(2021)

    Show 6 episodes · as Lorraine

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • I Care a Lot(2020)

    as Jennifer Peterson

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Let Them All Talk(2020)

    as Susan

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • The Mule(2018)

    as Mary

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Five Nights in Maine(2015)

    as Lucinda

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Sisters(2015)

    as Deana Ellis

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Rasheeda Speaking (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    as Ileen

  • Life in Pieces(2015)

    Show 79 episodes · as Joan Short

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • The Humbling(2014)

    as Carol

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • The Blacklist(2013)

    Show 1 episode · as Ruth Kipling

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • The Odd Life of Timothy Green(2012)

    as Ms. Bernice Crudstaff

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Darling Companion(2012)

    as Penny

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • The Big Year(2011)

    as Brenda Harris

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Rabbit Hole(2010)

    as Nat

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Rage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Miss Roth

  • Synecdoche, New York(2008)

    as Ellen Bascomb / Millicent Weems

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Passengers(2008)

    as Toni

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • The Return of Jezebel James (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • In Treatment(2008)

    Show 16 episodes · as Dr. Gina Toll

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • Dan in Real Life(2007)

    as Nana

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Dedication(2007)

    as Carol

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints(2006)

    as Dito's Mother

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Robots(2005)

    as Mrs. Copperbottom (voice)

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Category 6: Day of Destruction(2004)

    as Shirley Abbott

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Category 6: Day of Destruction (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Show 2 episodes · as Shirley Abbott, Secretary of Energy

  • The Blackwater Lightship(2004)

    as Lily

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Thank You, Doctor Rey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Elisabeth Beaumont

  • I Am Sam(2001)

    as Annie Cassell

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Law & Order: Criminal Intent(2001)

    Show 1 episode · as Nora Lewin

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • Not Afraid, Not Afraid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Paula

  • The 10th Kingdom(2000)

    Show 5 episodes · as Evil Queen

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • Law & Order: Special Victims Unit(1999)

    Show 2 episodes · as Interim D.A. Nora Lewin

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn(1999)

    as Sarah McClellan

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Practical Magic(1998)

    as Aunt Jet

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Horse Whisperer(1998)

    as Diane Booker

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Drunks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Rachel

  • The Associate(1996)

    as Sally Dugan

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • The Birdcage(1996)

    as Louise Keeley

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Bullets Over Broadway(1994)

    as Helen Sinclair

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Scout(1994)

    as Doctor H. Aaron

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Cops and Robbersons(1994)

    as Helen Robberson

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Little Man Tate(1991)

    as Jane Grierson

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Edward Scissorhands(1990)

    as Peg

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Law & Order(1990)

    Show 48 episodes · as Nora Lewin

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • Cookie(1989)

    as Lenore

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Parenthood(1989)

    as Helen Buckman Lampkin Bowman

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Bright Lights, Big City(1988)

    as Mother

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • September(1987)

    as Stephanie

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • The Lost Boys(1987)

    as Lucy

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Radio Days(1987)

    as Aunt Bea

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Hannah and Her Sisters(1986)

    as Holly

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Purple Rose of Cairo(1985)

    as Emma

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Falling in Love(1984)

    as Isabelle

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Footloose(1984)

    as Vi Moore

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Face of Rage(1983)

    as Rebecca Hammil

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Independence Day (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Nancy Morgan

  • I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can(1982)

    as Julie Addison

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • It's My Turn(1980)

    as Gail

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Out of Our Fathers' House (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Elizabeth Gertrude Stern

  • Zalmen, or The Madness of God (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Nina

  • Great Performances (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · as Elizabeth Gertrude Stern

  • Hallmark Hall of Fame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as Lily

  • Non Compos Mentis (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • This Old Love of Mine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Margo Bannon

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 71 titles, 69 of them dated from 1951 to 2026; peak year 1986.

Biggest box office

Robots (2005)

$263M worldwide

Highest rated

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Practical Magic 2 (2026)

Film career

MilestoneAward winNomination
19512026

Peak 1986 · back in prominent film roles after a quiet stretch. Top draw in 16 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

Show 6 more milestones

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting71 of 71: 71 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score68th

By decade

1950s1 · acting1970s3 · acting1980s14 · acting1990s13 · acting2000s17 · acting2010s11 · acting2020s10 · acting

Billing

usually 4th · top billed in 0% of 41 roles
809095051015

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

2 Oscars, 2 Primetime Emmys, a Golden Globe, 2 Screen Actors Guild Awards and 4 other major awards from 21 major nominations, 1987–2026.

WinNomination
  1. 2026
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
  2. 2009
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television
    • +1 other major body · 1 win
      • Independent Spirit Award, won
  3. 2008
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
  4. 2006
    • Sundance award, won · Dramatic
  5. 2002
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
  6. 2001
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
  7. 1999
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
  8. 1997
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Performance by a Cast
Show 5 earlier years
  1. 1996
    • Sundance award, won
  2. 1995
    • Oscar, won · Best Actress in a Supporting Role
    • Golden Globe, won · Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
    • +1 other major body · 1 win
      • Independent Spirit Award, won · Best Supporting Female
  3. 1990
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Actress in a Supporting Role
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
  4. 1988
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Actress in a Supporting Role
  5. 1987
    • Oscar, won · Best Actress in a Supporting Role
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Dianne Wiest's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 65th percentile, the median of all 46; across their 44 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 62nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

62ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 44

Approval · how many liked their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 44

Reach · how many have seen their films

93rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 44

Midcredits score across 56 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up24
  • 50th to 74th15
  • 25th to 49th11
  • Below 25th6

Shape of the crowd

23 of their 56 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved14
  • Crowd Pleaser23
  • Broadly Agreed6
  • Mixed13

Most divisive · actor

The Face of Rage (1983)

84th percentile spread · 39% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Midcredits 97th · 87% liked

Reviewers score the acting 76/100 in their films, across 44 reviewed titles; fans 83, detractors 50. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Dianne Wiest's work okay for kids?

Across up to 30 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore runs lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore23 titles11–56 · median 33 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity30 titles17–52 · median 30 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity25 titles26–70 · median 43 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs25 titles16–59 · median 31 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense25 titles7–56 · median 37 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Dianne Wiest work with?

People who share at least 2 of Dianne Wiest's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Woody Allen shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles