Next person biography:
Donna Lynne Champlin is a talented actress, known for her roles as Paula Proctor in the CW's Emmy award-winning TV show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Detective Nikki Henry in the Netflix mini-series The Perfect Couple. She received critical acclaim for her performances, with critics praising her as "impeccable", "first rate", and a "deadpan scene-stealer".
Champlin graduated with a High Honors BFA from Carnegie Mellon University, where she was a Princess Grace Foundation award winner and a Presidential Scholar in the Arts. She also received intensive training in Shakespeare and Chekhov at Oxford University on the Advanced Acting Scholarship and The Vira I. Heinz Grant to study abroad.
Her Broadway debut was in 2000 as Mary Jane in James Joyce's The Dead, followed by By Jeeves in 2001 and Hollywood Arms in 2002, where she played the iconic comedienne Carol Burnett. She received critical acclaim for her performances, with critics proclaiming her a "show-stopping star in the making" and describing her as "brilliant", "a triumph", and "a tour de force".
Champlin has also appeared in various TV shows, including Feel the Beat, The First Lady, Another Period, The Good Doctor, The Good Fight, The Good Wife, Submissions Only, Law and Order, Mother's Day, and The View. She has also appeared in numerous films, including Birdman, Downsizing, Yes God Yes, A Secret Promise, The Audition, The Dark Half, and Five Questions.
In addition to her acting career, Champlin is also a talented voice actress, having voiced characters in shows such as Batman: Caped Crusader, Centaurworld, Star Vs the Forces of Evil, and Baby Shark's Big Show! She has also released her own solo debut CD, "Old Friends", which was voted "One of the Best Ten Albums of 2009" and hailed by critics as "brilliant", "a masterpiece", and "breath-taking".
Champlin has received numerous awards and nominations for her performances, including the OBIE Award for her performance in The Dark at The Top of the Stairs and the Drama Desk Award for her performance in Working, The Musical. She has also won the NYMF Award for "Outstanding Performance" for three separate productions.
In addition to her acting and voice acting career, Champlin is also a director, writer, producer, stand-up comedienne, pianist, composer, musical director, and choreographer. She is currently working on a solo symphony concert, a play, and two books, including a humorous non-fiction book inspired by her (mis)adventures in the theatre.
Champlin lives in New York City with her husband, actor Andrew Arrow, and their son, Charlie.
