Robin Weigert
The Emmy-nominated actress who brought Calamity Jane to raw, unforgettable life on Deadwood.
Robin Weigert is an American television and film actress best known for portraying Calamity Jane on the HBO television series Deadwood (2004–2006). For that role, she received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2004. She reprised the role in Deadwood: The Movie in 2019, which was nominated for 8 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Television Movie.
- Character Portrayed
- Calamity Jane
- Awards Recognition
- Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Se
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Weigert's portrayal of Calamity Jane on Deadwood earned her an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2004. The series ran on HBO from 2004 to 2006. In 2006, she won Hollywood Life magazine's 'Breakthrough of the Year' award. In 2019 she reprised the role in Deadwood: The Movie, which was nominated for 8 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Television Movie. Beyond Deadwood, Weigert played Ally Lowen in Sons of Anarchy (2010–2013), Dr. Amanda Reisman in Big Little Lies (2017–2019), and Abby in Concussion (2013). She also had a small role in HBO's acclaimed miniseries Angels in America in 2003.
In Their Own Story
Weigert's career began in theatre, with Broadway productions of Twelfth Night directed by Nicholas Hytner and Michael Frayn's Noises Off. In the 2010 Signature Theater Company revival of Tony Kushner's Angels in America, directed by Michael Greif, her performance as the Angel was praised as 'full of tenderness and wit' by USA Today. Other theatre credits include Pride's Crossing, A Place at the Table, Hamlet, Arms and the Man, Goodnight Children Everywhere, The Seagull, Madame Melville (Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel Award nominations), and Jon Robin Baitz's Other Desert Cities at the Mark Taper Forum in 2012, directed by Robert Egan. After a decade as a stage actress based in New York City, Weigert moved to Los Angeles and has appeared in various films, television shows and mini-series.
Reader's Guide
Weigert played therapists in the box office hit Smile and opposite Nicole Kidman in the much-lauded HBO TV series Big Little Lies, attorneys in the popular cabler Sons of Anarchy and Jay Roach's biographical drama Bombshell, and strippers in Charlie Kaufman's Synecdoche, New York and Steven Soderbergh's black-and-white period drama The Good German. She was nominated for a Gotham Award for her portrayal of the central character, a housewife turned prostitute, in the award-winning indie Concussion, and was featured prominently in the Hulu miniseries We Were the Lucky Ones in which she plays the matriarch of a Polish Jewish family that survived the Holocaust. Series regular roles include Dietland for AMC with Julianna Margulies, NBC's Life with Damian Lewis, and CBS' Tracker with Justin Hartley. In April 2024, David Canfield featured Weigert in the Vanity Fair 'Always Great' series with an article titled, 'How Robin Weigert Brings Herself to Her Most Indelible Roles'.
Did You Know?
- Robin Weigert was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2004 for her role as Calamity Jane on Deadwood.
- She won Hollywood Life magazine's 'Breakthrough of the Year' award in 2006.
- Weigert earned a Master of Fine Arts from the Graduate Acting Program at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts after graduating from Brandeis University in 1991.
- She was nominated for a Gotham Award for her portrayal of a housewife turned prostitute in the indie film Concussion (2013).
- In 2010, her performance as the Angel in Signature Theater Company's revival of Angels in America was praised as 'full of tenderness and wit' by USA Today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Robin Weigert in the context of Deadwood?
Robin Weigert is an acclaimed actress who portrayed Alma Garret, the proprietress of the Gem Saloon, serving as a moral anchor for the series. Her nuanced performance transformed the character from a former madam into a central figure in the town's political and social evolution.
What role did Robin Weigert's character play in the show?
As Alma Garret, she managed the Gem Saloon while navigating the brutal power dynamics of Deadwood with quiet strength and steely resolve. Her storyline often highlighted the struggle for respectability and stability amidst the town's chaotic lawlessness.
How does Robin Weigert's story conclude in the series?
Alma Garret departs from Deadwood at the end of Season 3, leaving behind her saloon to pursue a quieter life with her husband. Her exit marked a significant shift in the show's landscape as she chose personal peace over the town's ongoing corruption.
Why is Robin Weigert's performance considered important?
Weigert brought a unique blend of vulnerability and complexity to Alma, earning multiple Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress. Her portrayal provided an emotional core that grounded the series' gritty narrative in genuine human connection.
What awards or recognition did Robin Weigert receive for Deadwood?
Her transformative work as Alma Garret garnered widespread critical acclaim and resulted in several nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress. These accolades highlighted her status as a defining talent within the show's ensemble cast.
More in Production & Legacy
Elsewhere in the Deadwood universe
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