Maura Tierney, an actress born on February 3, 1965, hails from an upscale Bostonian family, raised in the Hyde Park district. As the eldest child of three, she was born to Pat, a real estate agent, and Joseph M. Tierney, a prosperous politician and city councilman.
Maura initially studied at New York University, but left school prior to graduation to attend the Circle-in-the-Square theater school. She made her stage debut in productions such as "Baby with the Bathwater" and "Danny and the Deep Blue Sea".
In the late 1980s, Maura moved to the West Coast, where she secured minor roles in TV-movies and episodic shows like Growing Pains, Family Ties, and Law & Order. It was during this time that she met her future husband, actor Billy Morrissette, after being fired from the set of an unaired Ralph Macchio series.
Maura's breakthrough came with the comedy series NewsRadio, where she played the role of Lisa Miller, a smart but insecure newswriter. The show ran for several seasons, but ultimately ended due to the tragic death of co-star Phil Hartman.
Maura's success on NewsRadio led to film roles in Liar Liar, Primal Fear, Primary Colors, and Instinct. She also appeared in the thriller Insomnia, the romantic comedy Welcome to Mooseport, and the Paul Rudd dramedy Diggers.
In the 2000s, Maura received critical acclaim for her performance in her husband's feature film Scotland, Pa. She went on to appear in films like Semi-Pro, Baby Mama, and Beautiful Boy, opposite Steve Carell.
Maura also had a long-running role as Abby, a nurse and doctor, on the medical drama series ER, from 1994 to 2009. She has also appeared in recurring roles on Rescue Me, The Good Wife, and The Affair, and co-starred in the short-lived legal drama The Whole Truth.
