text:
Supporting characters on Will & Grace
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
This article describes a work or element of fiction in a primarily in-universe style. Please help rewrite it to explain the fiction more clearly and provide non-fictional perspective. (July 2011) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
This is a list of the supporting or recurring characters and guest stars on the NBC situation comedy Will & Grace, with information on each of them.
Contents
[hide]
1 Supporting characters
1.1 Family members
1.1.1 Grace's family
1.1.2 Will's family
1.1.3 Karen's family
1.1.4 Rosario Inez Consuela Yolanda Salazar
1.1.5 Jack's family
1.2 Friends
1.3 Love interests
1.3.1 Grace
1.3.2 Will
1.3.3 Karen
1.3.4 Jack
1.4 Other supporting characters
2 Guest stars playing one-time characters
3 Guest stars playing themselves
4 References
Supporting characters[edit]
Actor
Character
Seasons
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Leigh-Allyn Baker Ellen
Tom Gallop Rob
Molly Shannon Val Bassett
Debbie Reynolds Bobbi Adler
Steve Paymer Steve
Gregory Hines Ben Doucette
Marshall Manesh Mr. Zamir
Laura Kightlinger Nurse Sheila
Sydney Pollack George Truman
Tim Bagley Larry
Jerry Levine Joe
Lesley Ann Warren Tina
Woody Harrelson Nathan
Leslie Jordan Beverley Leslie
Blythe Danner Marilyn Truman
Eileen Brennan Zandra
Charles C. Stevenson Jr. Smitty
Rip Torn Lionel Banks
Harry Connick, Jr. Dr. Marvin 'Leo' Markus
Minnie Driver Lorraine Finster
Jamie Kaler Gary
Emily Rutherfurd Joanne
Jon Fleming Russell
Bobby Cannavale Vince D'Angelo
Alec Baldwin Malcolm Widmark
Mathew Botuchis Dave
Bernadette Peters Gin
Family members[edit]
Grace's family[edit]
Dr. Marvin "Leo" Markus, portrayed by actor and singer Harry Connick, Jr., is a Jewish doctor and Grace's husband from the fifth season. Leo meets Grace Adler in Central Park while she is on her way to be artificially inseminated with gay best friend Will's baby. After Will finds out that Leo and Grace are dating, they have their biggest fight of the entire series, in which Will tells Grace to move out. Thanks to Jack and Karen's meddling, they forgive each other and Will accepts Grace's relationship. In November, 2002, Grace and Leo are married at a spontaneous group ceremony in Central Park, which was supposed to be broadcast on The Today Show. It was later revealed in the storyline that the ceremony was not legal, but the two officially marry at a ceremony soon after. Leo and Grace's relationship was a constant source of tension between Will and Grace, although they eventually achieved a certain accord with each other - Leo even commenting to Will at one point that he considered himself essentially married to both of them due to his ability to accept their close relationship. Leo's true first name is Marvin, as revealed by his mother at their wedding reception. According to The Nation Magazine, this was the first time in television history that a Jewish protagonist character had married inside the faith.[1] Grace immediately realizes she does not know as much about Leo as she expected. Their marriage fails after less than two years, when Leo reveals that he had a one-night stand while working in Cambodia for Doctors Without Borders. Leo admits his affair to Will first. Will then refuses to help Leo break the news to Grace. After Leo comes clean about his affair, Grace briefly considers continuing their marriage, but quickly decides she wants a divorce. Leo reappears during season eight, a little over a year after the divorce in the storyline, in the episode "Love Is in the Airplane." In the episode, he and Grace have a sexual encounter on an airplane after coincidentally ending up on the same flight to London, though Leo was to continue to Thailand. The result is Grace's pregnancy, as discovered in the season eight episode "The Definition of Marriage". A couple of months later Grace meets Leo, with the intention of telling him that she is pregnant with his baby, but he informs her that he is engaged to another woman, Kate. Consequently, Grace decides not to tell Leo about the pregnancy. In the series finale (May 2006) Leo tells a heavily pregnant Grace that he loves her. Leo has a job as a hospital researcher in Rome, Italy, and this is where Grace gives birth. After one year in Rome, Leo and Grace move back to Brooklyn, New York, where they raise their daughter, Laila, together.
Bobbi Adler, Grace's mother, is played by Debbie Reynolds. Bobbi is an actress and singer, although her performances are generally with the Schenectady Players and involve gender changing roles, in plays such as "Death of a Salesperson", "The Music Person" and "Queen Lear". She has a constant desire to meddle in the love lives of her daughters, is the creator of the Adler family "Told you so" dance, and can always be relied upon to have a song for every occasion. She has, in the past, shown a perfect willingness for Will and Grace to get married.
Martin Adler, Grace's father, is played by Alan Arkin. Portrayed by his family as the stereotypical Jewish patriarch, Martin shows genuine affection for Grace, although remarks he has made suggest Joyce is his favorite. He has been known to pinpoint Grace's flaws without looking up from his Kojak and Baretta reruns.
Janet Adler, Grace's older sister, is played by Geena Davis. Janet lives in a van and designs jewelry. Her nickname for Grace is "Smudge". It is once implied that she has difficulties with her mother. In the episode "Lows in the Mid-Eighties", Will asks if Grace has another sister named Janet, to which Bobbi, Joyce, and Grace quickly answer "No!"
Joyce Adler, Grace's younger sister, is played by Sara Rue. It is suggested that Grace and Joyce had a not too friendly relationship growing up, and that Joyce was formerly a binge eater. She is often hostile to Grace, but one word from Will and she tends to giggle and act girlishly; it appears that she, like Grace before her, has a crush on Will.
Laila Markus, Grace and Leo's daughter, is played by Maria Thayer. Laila was conceived by Leo and Grace on an aircraft, during a period where her parents were divorced. She was going to be raised by Will and Grace, but her parents remarried shortly before her birth. She appears on screen only during the series finale.
Warren, played by Jesse Fremont Allis, is the imaginary son of Grace and Leo in a dream that Grace has during the last episode of season 8. Grace and Will raise 'their' son together.
Will's family[edit]
Vince D'Angelo, played by Bobby Cannavale. An Italian-American police officer, Vince first met Will after giving Karen a ticket for speeding and they started dating after the subsequent hearing. Vince was friends with Joe and Larry and began Will's first long-term relationship in the series' run. Vince broke up with Will, requesting time alone after repeatedly losing his job. He re-encountered Will in season 8 and, during the funeral of Will's father, they acknowledged their mutual feelings, thus rekindling their romance. In the finale, Will and Vince are shown to raise a son, Ben, together.
Marilyn Truman, Will's mother, is played by Blythe Danner. A typical WASP, Marilyn regularly drinks, collects Lladró statues and treats them as if they were her children, and put up with her husband's regular affairs until their ultimate separation. She is not a fan of musical theater – once claiming that Les Misérables was unrealistic because "poor people don't sing that much" – but was impressed with Mamma Mia!. She does not like the jokes Grace and Karen make about Will's sexuality, saying, "Is that a gay joke? I don't like that."
George Truman, Will's father, is played by Sydney Pollack. While he and Will have a close loving relationship, of which both Jack and Grace are envious, it is eventually revealed that he had trouble dealing with telling others of his son's sexuality, initially telling his friends Will was married to Grace. He dies in season 8, only days after having a fight with Will in which he admitted he would rather that Will was not gay.
Sam Truman, Will's brother, is played by John Slattery in season one and Steven Weber in season 8. He had a falling-out with Will over comments Will made about his wife, but reconciled after he had a one-night stand with Grace. He eventually divorced his wife and gained full custody of their two children.
Paul Truman, Will's brother, is played by Jon Tenney. Paul never really came to terms with his brother's sexuality and often behaved like a childish bully, belittling and insulting Will.
Peggy Truman, Paul's wife and Will's sister-in-law, is played by Helen Slater. She was only shown in one episode and came off as waspish and suspicious of Grace's friendly behavior towards her own husband.
Tina, George's mistress, is played by Lesley Ann Warren. She began a relationship with George while he was still married to Marilyn, but was dismayed to learn that George was then seeing his ex-wife behind her back. Ultimately she and Marilyn come to an understanding, that they will share George between them without him knowing what is going on. This arrangement apparently ended not long before George's death.
Jordy Truman, Sam's son and Will's nephew, is played by Reed Alexander. Flamboyant Jordan incenses Will, since Marilyn is incredibly accepting of him even though she was not at first accepting of Will. His nickname is Jordy. He is perceived to be gay by the other characters, although he is still a child, because of his flamboyant nature, love of show tunes and musicals, along with his general disposition.
Casey Truman, Sam's daughter and Will's niece, is played by Kyla Dang. Casey was adopted by Sam and his ex-wife.
Ben Truman, Will and Vince's son, is played by Ben Newmark. Appearing only during the series finale, Ben was apparently born from a surrogate mother using Will's sperm.[2] Upon going to college, he meets and later marries Grace's daughter, Laila.
Karen's family[edit]
Stanley "Stan" Walker, Karen's third husband (little is known about her first two), is a mostly unseen character. He is an obese man, and has worn a toupee since his teens. Stan has two children from a previous marriage to a woman named Kathy. Karen fell in love with him in the 1980s but they didn't marry until 1995. Stan was jailed for tax evasion in season four, and began an affair with a cafeteria worker named Lorraine (played by Minnie Driver), and – after his release in season five – continued the affair, ultimately separating from Karen because of it. He is reported to have died at the end of season five but, at the end of season seven, he reveals to Will that he had faked his own death and is hiding out with the aid of the government. He and Karen reconcile in season 8, but subsequently faced marital difficulties and divorce. Stan's popularity with fast food establishments leads to Pizza Hut taking out a full-page ad in the New York Times to congratulate him on his release from prison; Taco Bell also organize a flyover at his funeral. It is revealed in the series finale that Stan's riches were actually borrowed and that he had no real money of his own.
Mason Walker, Stan's son, is another unseen character. He is known to Karen as "the fat one". During one episode, Karen visits Mason during a swim try-out. She cheers and applauds and has a conversation with him until, at the end, she realizes she has been conversing with the wrong boy and not Mason after all.
Olivia Walker, Stan's daughter, is played by Hallee Hirsh. Although she has had fun times with Karen, such as sticking food to the floor to see how long Mason will spend trying to eat it, she also has problems with her stepmother.
Lois Whitley, Karen's mother, played by Suzanne Pleshette. A con artist who used Karen in her early schemes. They had been estranged for several years when they reconciled in season 4, with the help of Jack.
Virginia "Ginny" Delaney, Karen's sister, played by Bernadette Peters. In 1963, as a child, she was injured in a brutal game of Twister played with Karen.
Barry, Karen's cousin, is played by Dan Futterman. Originally a gay bookish homebody, Karen had Will and Jack bring him out of his shell to become an attractive person whom both Will and Jack fall for.
Sylvia Walker, Karen's mother-in-law, is played by Ellen Albertini Dow. She is a woman that 'strikes fear in her heart-facsimile'. A seemingly kind, but homophobic old woman, Sylvia appears in one episode to accompany Will and Jack to a club. In the beginning neither Will nor Jack wanted to babysit Sylvia, known as "Syl". She had been dumped on them by Karen, who then ditched her. Karen and Syl have a caustic relationship.
Sumner, Karen's nephew, is played by Paul Satterfield. Karen tries to keep him from dating Grace in season 3.
Rosario Inez Consuela Yolanda Salazar[edit]
Karen Walker's put-upon but faithful maid portrayed by actress Shelley Morrison. In 1985, Rosario met Karen Walker at a club, while working as a cigarette lady, and went to work for her as a maid, which was where she was working when the series began in 1998. Rosario and Karen are very close, but their relationship is love-hate. They are notorious for swapping insults. Rosario is just as feisty as Karen, and is one of the few people who manage to go head-to-head with her. A native of El Salvador, Rosario was a school teacher who received a bachelor's degree in clinical psychology from the University of Texas and who almost got a master's degree. She also attended business school. At some point, she moved to the Bronx, presumably while studying business; however, Karen makes a comment that she bought Rosario from Rosario's parents. While there, she also performed with a then-unknown Jennifer Lopez, including a production of "Tea for Two" at the Shalom Retirement Center. At one point, she was also paid to tape pornographic videos for Tommy Lee. Although she had been mentioned by Karen since the pilot episode, Rosario's first appearance was in the season 1 finale. Due to Karen's patronizing tone, we're made to think that Rosario doesn't speak English well. Rosario actually speaks English fluently, albeit with a thick accent, but is an illegal alien. To keep her in the country, Karen has her marry Jack McFarland, her gay friend, to get a green card. The marriage was later terminated at the end of season 2 when Rosario asked for a divorce in order to pursue other romantic interests. However, she maintained a close relationship with Jack (often echoing hers with Karen) and claimed to still think of him as family. In the series finale, Rosario was shown to have lived with Karen and Jack in the years after the show ended, growing older with them and possibly still working for them despite being in a wheelchair (though she states that she is only in the wheelchair due to a sprained ankle).
Jack's family[edit]
Judith McFarland, Jack's mother, is played by Veronica Cartwright. Despite the obvious clues, Judith did not learn about Jack's sexuality until he was 30. She was impregnated with Jack while at a swinger's costume and pool party.
Daniel McFarland, Jack's stepfather, is played by Beau Bridges. Daniel always had trouble relating to Jack, due to his own athleticism and Jack's lack thereof. Despite Jack's statements to the contrary, Daniel is shown to be a caring man who is at least recently trying to reconnect with Jack.
Joe Black, Jack's biological father. Never portrayed on screen, Joe was revealed to have attended a swingers costumed pool party during the 60s, where he was dressed as Richard Nixon. During the party he impregnated Judith, who was dressed as the rear end of a horse. He dies several years before Jack discovers that Daniel McFarland is not his biological father.
Elliott, Jack's son, is played by Michael Angarano. Shortly after learning of his biological father's death, Jack meets Elliott – his biological son created from sperm Jack donated at the age of 17. He is described by Will as, "Polite, sweet, and kind" which, he says, is the reason Karen initially dislikes him. His relationship with Jack is shown to be very close - Jack noting in one episode that he wants to avoid being the kind of father he had as he always regretted the fact that they never really connected. However, they have a brief rift when Elliott prepares to leave for college during the last season.
Bonnie, Elliott's mother, is played by Rosie O'Donnell. Initially, Bonnie did not want Jack to be included in Elliott's life. Bonnie was a lesbian, but was not open about her sexuality to Elliott. She felt jealous that Jack found it easy to be open with Elliott about his sexuality when she did not feel she could be.
Friends[edit]
Rob and Ellen, Will and Grace's close friends, are played by Tom Gallop and Leigh-Allyn Baker. Ellen and Grace were best friends since college, as were Rob and Will, and the two couples regularly played charades and other games during dinner parties. Grace also sleeps with Rob in season one when they were both going through break-ups and felt emotionally vulnerable, a fact that didn't come up until Rob and Ellen's wedding some years later. The couple did get married, however, and have since had three children, the youngest named Roman (which is the name of Debra Messing's real-life son, born in 2004). Rob and Ellen want to separate, so that they could begin dating other people, and they announce their separation at a dinner date with Will and Grace. Grace makes them realize that they had worked at their marriage and they should remain together; and also keenly reminded them that no one else would have them. Rob and Ellen decided to give their marriage another chance.
Joe and Larry are Will, Jack and Grace's close friends, and are played by Jerry Levine and Tim Bagley. A gay couple, once party animals, Joe and Larry adopted a baby girl called Hannah in season three. Karen occasionally refers to them as "Mo and Mary", with "Mo" being a play on the word "Homo".
Val Bassett, a neighbor of Will and Grace, is played by Molly Shannon. Slightly unstable, and alcoholic, Val originally befriends only Will, until Grace eventually discovers some common interests with her. Both of them still consider her unstable, as does Jack, who found her as an uninvited guest in his bedroom. When Grace accidentally attends an AA meeting, she is seen there by Val, who coerces her to stay. Grace pretends to be an alcoholic for the "free food and therapy".
Beverley Leslie, played by Leslie Jordan, is an effeminate and very short "frenemy" of Karen's. Having a wealthy spouse, as Karen does, Karen and Beverley routinely find themselves traveling in the same society circle of the wealthy and elite. Their relationship is that of friends and enemies. Beverley's wife's name is Crystal and is considerably older than he is. His marriage seems to be held together purely out of his love of Crystal's money. Karen, Will, Grace, and Jack see Beverley as a closeted gay man. He is often seen with a younger attractive man named Benji who appears to be his lover, but Beverley tries to pass him off as a "business associate". When Beverley appears on screen he often catches the other characters by surprise. Sometimes his appearance comes after a character says something that could be comically associated with him. For instance, whilst discussing a dessert, Jack says, "I want something small and fruity, with ladyfingers," and Beverley enters. Beverley and Karen often trade insults, as Karen enjoys ridiculing him for his height. Whenever he appears on screen he can usually be heard saying 'Well, Well, Well' in an effeminate way. Crystal later dies and Beverley inherits the fortune. Some years later Karen's husband Stan loses his fortune, putting Karen's extravagant lifestyle in jeopardy. Beverley presumably spends several more years with Benji after Crystal's death, and then begins seeing a reluctant Jack, who only dated Beverley to support Karen's excessive spending habits, as she had done for him for so many years. During the series finale Beverley is swept off a balcony by a strong gust of wind and dies, leaving his estate in his will to Jack.
Rory, Toby, and Josh are friends of Jack who are never seen, but mentioned in various episodes. Early in Season 3 Rory is mentioned as being into Asian men. In Season 4 Josh, Toby and Jack watch a video of Will freezing up on camera talking about Stanley Walker, but Josh and Toby leave before Will gets home.
Love interests[edit]
Grace[edit]
Nathan, played by Woody Harrelson. Nathan is Grace's neighbor in season 3, who becomes her boyfriend. They appear to be a good match, but early in Season 4 he abruptly proposes to her during sex and she becomes distraught at the unromantic nature of his proposal, forcing him to take it back and ask again in a more romantic way. For several days they are awkward around each other and, fearing that their relationship is over, Grace proposes to Nathan who reluctantly refuses and breaks up with her.
Ben Doucette, played by Gregory Hines, is introduced in mid-season 2. Grace sues him after he violates her contract of employment, firing her without reimbursement for expenses she incurred while decorating his house. Although at first he played Grace and Will, who was representing her, he eventually gave her the money voluntarily and hired Will to work at his renowned law firm. Grace and he disliked each other for the rest of the season, until the season finale when Ben showed her his more humane face, when Will invited him to dine with them. They then started a happy, semi-monogamous relationship that lasted for roughly six months, until they broke up early in Season 3 when they realized that they were not in love.
Josh, played by Corey Parker. A sweet, romantic New Age-y man whom Grace dates in season 2. Grace often has issues with him being far too affectionate and nice, to the point of being obnoxious. The two broke up because Jack confessed that he had slept with him.
Nick, played by Edward Burns. A greetings-card writer who falls for Grace when he meets her one Valentine's Day in season 7, after her divorce from Leo. Nick is the first guy Grace starts dating after her divorce with Leo. They decide to break up when he has to go out of the country to work on a screenplay he wrote.
Tom Cassidy, played by Eric Stoltz. An old friend of Grace's, now married, with whom she reunited briefly at the end of season 7. He asks her to help design his and his wife's hotel, yet she still feels chemistry with him and kisses him. She nearly takes it further, but feels guilty and breaks it off with him at the beginning of season 8.
Danny, played by Tom Verica, Grace's long-term boyfriend from roughly 1995–1998, whom she nearly marries in the pilot episode. She realizes, after Will advised her against the marriage, that Danny was too immature for her, and practically leaves him at the altar. They reunite at the end of season 1, much to Will's dismay. Yet again Grace decides that she does not love him and, after roughly a week (one episode), Grace breaks up with him off-screen.
Mark, played by Ken Marino, is another of Grace's partners in Season 3, "Three's a Crowd, Six is a Freakshow". She dumps him because he has 6 toes, although the actual 6th toe was not seen in the episode.
Will[edit]
Barry, played by Dan Futterman. Karen sets up her hopeless cousin Barry with Will, shortly after he comes out. Will and Jack soon undertake a Pygmalion-esque attempt at turning Barry into a more confident gay man, ending when Will falls for Barry though Barry wants to play around before settling down.
James Hanson, played by Taye Diggs. Will meets James at a Manhattan theater and the two have an immediate connection. He later runs into James while on a trip to Los Angeles. James has recently discovered he is going to be deported back to Canada. Grace agreed to marry James so that he can acquire a green card in order to remain in the United States, thus giving James and Will's relationship a chance. However, Will soon discovers James was not who he thought he was, as James began showing himself to be self-centered. Will requests that Grace annul their marriage.
Matthew, played by Patrick Dempsey, is a sports reporter Will meets at a Banana Republic store while trying to help Jack woo him. Jack and Matt have little in common and Will instead finds himself in a relationship with him. They date for a while but Matt's refusal to come out leads to their break-up.
Scott, played by Branden Williams, is Will's 23-year-old date in two episodes in season 3, and works at a local video rental shop. Although they get along well together, Will feels self-conscious about dating Scott, who is quite a bit younger than he is. Will agrees to break it off with Scott if Grace agrees to dump Nathan. Grace agrees and Will breaks up with Scott, though Grace keeps on seeing Nathan.
Diane, played by Mira Sorvino & Lisa Borgnes, is a woman with whom Will has a drunken one-night stand in order to convince himself he was a 100% gay after leaving Grace. She is also one of Leo's exes. Both of these facts make Grace very jealous. Diane states that Will is much better in bed than Leo. Diane was shown briefly (though she had no lines) in the season 3 episode titled "Lows In the Mid-Eighties", but was played by a writer's assistant, Lisa Borgnes.
Claire, played by Megyn Price, is Will's high school friend and girlfriend, the first of the only two women Will has ever dated, the second being Grace. She lives in Paris and asks Will to donate sperm so that she can have a baby, but Will realizes that if he was going to donate sperm he wanted to donate it to Grace.
Michael, played by Chris Potter, is a mostly unseen character and is Will's lover of seven years. When the sitcom first appeared, he and Michael had recently broken up. Michael appears in the episode "Hey La, Hey La, My Ex-Boyfriend's Back", which aired on March 14, 2000. He is mentioned occasionally by Will and Grace, and more than once Will refers to him as the love of his life. In the early seasons of the show Will has a hard time letting him go.
Karen[edit]
Lyle Finster, played by John Cleese. Lyle is the father of Stan's mistress, Lorraine. He becomes Karen's fourth husband for about 20 minutes until the couple realize how little they had in common outside of the bedroom.
Scott Woolley, played by Jeff Goldblum. Wooley is the man who lost to Karen for Student Body President and has spent his life hatching schemes to ruin her. Sadly, his schemes are often poorly thought out and eventually Grace realises that he doesn't hate Karen, he loves her. However, his attempts to woo her are as misguided as his previous ones. Woolley also has a dreadful sense of word-play (i.e. "The Scotty Mammoth", "Beam me up, Woolley"). He also changes his first name when using an alias, whereas most people change their last names.
Lionel Banks, played by Rip Torn. Banks is a bachelor who falls for Karen, under her alias Anastasia Beaverhausen, while Stan is in jail and tempts her into having an affair.
Malcolm Widmark, played by Alec Baldwin. Widmark is a government agent who helps Stan fake his death. He has a brief relationship with Karen before she reconciles with Stan, and Widmark goes on a government mission to Sri Lanka.
Jack[edit]
Stuart Lamarack, played by Dave Foley, is a client of Will's who becomes Jack's longest relationship, until Jack cheats on him.
Jack has countless short-term lovers over the course of the series (and presumably long before and after), although most are never mentioned by name, or mentioned at all; it is constantly assumed, and not always stated, that he has multiple boyfriends in every episode. Due to Jack's promiscuity, and his habit of forgetting his boyfriends' names, it would be literally impossible to list all of his love interests over the course of the show. Will jokes that if he was to avoid every man that Jack has ever slept with, "That would leave me with...women!", Grace jokes that if everyone stopped working for every man that broke his heart "The city would shut down". Jack also comments that he goes on thousands of dates a year.
Other supporting characters[edit]
Lorraine Finster, played by Minnie Driver, is Stan's mistress. She is a slutty prison cafeteria worker (and, it is implied, prostitute) who instantly forms a hatred of Karen. She was Karen's stepdaughter very briefly (for about 20 minutes) when Lyle, her father, marries Karen. Lorraine was unable to attend the wedding due to an aggressive strain of herpes that kept her from flying. According to the episode "The Accidental Tsuris" she was raised as a girl, despite being genetically male or perhaps a hermaphrodite. It is implied she was estranged from her father for several years and may have been born out of wedlock.
Harlin Polk, played by Gary Grubbs, is a major client of Will's in season one who ultimately fires him.
Mrs. Freeman, played by Jo Marie Payton, is an executive assistant at Doucette & Stein, her most commonly uttered phrase is "Mm-hmm" which is often said with sass.
Zandra Zoggin, played by Eileen Brennan, is Jack's crusty acting coach and a chain-smoking former Hollywood star. After Jack takes over her class, Zandra loses her interest in life and ends up in an actor's retirement village.
Dr. Jay Markus, played by Tom Skerritt, is Leo's father and Grace's eventual father-in-law. She meets him during brunch, thinking he is one of Leo's "old friends".
Eleanor Markus, played by Judith Ivey, is Leo's mother and a noted author of three books on theatre; she meets Grace during brunch alongside her husband. She also is the first to tell her new daughter-in-law her son's actual name, Marvin.
Mr. Stein, played by Gene Wilder, is the senior partner at Will's firm, an eccentric man who takes a liking to Will. He refers to Will as "Gay Will," but without at first realising that Will is actually gay. He and Karen are attracted to each other, but nothing comes of it. He is away from the office for some time prior to season 5 due to a mental breakdown and subsequent incarceration in a mental facility; having been referred to in the company letter-head as running "The London Office" in his absence.
Margot, played by Lily Tomlin, is a senior partner at Will's firm, who apparently takes over after Mr. Stein. She is also quite eccentric and sarcastic. She promotes Will to partner.
Dorleen, played by Parker Posey, is Jack's bitchy, chain-smoking boss during his brief tenure at Barneys New York.
Mr. Zamir, played by Marshall Manesh, is an obnoxious tenant in Will and Grace's building, with a tendency to take off his shirt and to steal Will and Grace's newspapers.
Benji, played by Brian A. Setzer, is Beverley Leslie's "business associate" and boytoy.
Joanne, played by Emily Rutherfurd, is a student of Zandra's acting class who becomes a devoted follower of Jack and his "McFarland method".
Russell, played by Jon Fleming, is a handsome, muscular student of Zandra's acting class who is often asked by Jack to take his shirt off when Jack is teaching the "McFarland method".
Julius, played by Neil Vipond, is Bobbi Adler's close friend and a pianist.
Gary, played by Jamie Kaler, is Will's coworker at Doucette and Stein.
Nurse Sheila, played by Laura Kightlinger, is a rather creepy nurse who works at the sperm bank (where Will visits, intending to donate sperm to his high-school friend Claire). She openly admits she is a whore in season 4 (when Will and Grace are planning to have a baby together), and thereafter seems to appear whenever Will goes into a hospital. She is pregnant in season 8 and attends birth-classes alongside Grace. Her brother, a doctor played by guest-star Jack Black (Kightlinger's real-life former boyfriend), claims he would be "tappin' that big time" if they weren't related.
Dave, played by Mathew Botuchis, is the only openly straight worker at OutTV, the gay network where Jack works in the last seasons. Jack is unimpressed with his heterosexuality and instead refers to him as Elizabeth.
Jamie, played by John Ducey, is the station manager at OutTV.
Tim, played by Mark Harelik, is a member of Senior Management at OutTV.
Jimmy, played by Sam Pancake, is a colleague of Jack's at OutTV.
Smitty, played by Charles C. Stevenson Jr, is a bartender who regularly serves Karen at different establishments. She has been known to call other bartenders "Smitty", even when they tell her it isn't their name. If Karen is depressed Smitty will tell her a tragic story about his own life, which she will laugh at thinking it is a joke.
Guest stars playing one-time characters[edit]
Shohreh Aghdashloo, as Pam, an incompetent Iranian hired by Grace who she then fires upon realizing Pam is Jewish and thus she 'doesn't owe (her) anything'.
Rosanna Arquette, as Julie, a masseuse who lives in the same building as Leo and Grace.
Orson Bean, as Professor Joseph Dudley, a gay former literature professor of Will and Grace.
Jason Biggs, as Baby Glenn, a former local celebrity and a guest at Will's auction.
Roscoe Lee Browne, as Linus, owner of a landmark gay bookstore about to be turned into a gym.
Jack Black (uncredited), as Dr. Isaac Hershberg. He examines Karen and is also the brother of the occasionally seen nurse Sheila, played by show writer and Black's girlfriend at the time, Laura Kightlinger.
Richard Chamberlain, as Clyde, an elderly man who Will brings to game night, much to Grace's chagrin
Glenn Close, as Fannie Lieber (a play on celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz), a noted photographer who takes Will and Grace's picture.
Joan Collins, as Helena Barnes, a designer with whom Grace competes for a job, and a nemesis of Karen's.
Macaulay Culkin, as Jason Towne, a lawyer representing Karen in her divorce from Stan.
Tim Curry, as Marion Finster, Lyle Finster's brother.
Matt Damon, as Owen, Jack's heterosexual rival, pretending to be gay to vie for a spot in the Manhattan Gay Men's Chorus.
Kristin Davis, as Nadine, Vince's straight female friend – the same as Grace is to Will.
Ellen DeGeneres, as Sister Louise, a nun to whom Will sells Grace's uncle's old car.
Michael Douglas, as Gavin Hatch, a somewhat closeted gay police detective who becomes attracted to Will and has issues with seeing food stuck in people's teeth.
Christine Ebersole, as Candy Pruitt, another of Karen's rivals.
Edie Falco, as Deirdre, one of a pair of lesbian real-estate "flippers".
Victor Garber, as Peter Bovington, a former actor now working as a doorman.
Andy García, as Milo, a restaurateur, and lover of Karen's, who fails to phone Karen after their date and is confronted by Grace.
Sara Gilbert, as Cheryl who, like Will, is a Barry Manilow fanatic, a.k.a. "fanilow".
Seth Green, as Randall Finn, a former child star.
Clark Gregg, as Cameron, Jack's wealthy boyfriend who becomes Grace's client.
Neil Patrick Harris, as Bill, the leader of a group of so-called "former" lesbians and gays.
Alex Kapp Horner, as Alice Robinson, one of Grace's former classmates.
Peter Jacobson, as Paul Budnik, an overbearing guy who Will dates but is more fond of his dog.
Kathryn Joosten, as the owner to a cabin Grace finds money in.
Stacy Keach, as Wendell Schacter, a former colleague of Jack's who usurps his acting class.
Piper Laurie, as Sharon Timmers, the best friend of Professor Joseph Dudley.
Michele Lee, as Lucille, one of the lesbians who ended up dancing with both Will & Jack.
Hal Linden, as Alan Mills, an elderly gay man who befriends Will and bestows expensive gifts upon him.
Natasha Lyonne, as Gillian, Grace's intern who decides to turn into the spitting image of Karen.
Madonna, as Liz, Karen's roommate.
Lee Majors, as Burt Wolfe, a friend of Grace's father.
Camryn Manheim, as Psychic Sue.
Jason Marsden, as Kim, a friend of Leo's.
Dylan McDermott, as Tom, a boyfriend of Will's who is very closely attached to his elderly mother.
Michael McDonald, as a Don, a student in a cooking class Will takes and dates his brother.
Julian McMahon, guy in an elevator who Grace flirts with.
Demi Moore, as Sissy, Jack's former babysitter.
Nick Offerman, as a plumber that Karen has sex with on Thanksgiving when Stan asks her to be sexually active while he is still in jail.
Sharon Osbourne, as a bartender in No Sex N' in the City.
Peter Paige, as a gay Immigration and Naturalization Service officer whom Jack tries to convince his marriage with Rosario is real.
Scott Patterson, as Grace's former high school crush in "Das Boob".
Sara Paxton, as Melanie, the head cheerleader at Elliot's school.
Luke Perry, as Aaron, a "hot gay nerd" bird-watcher on whom Jack develops a crush.
Jeremy Piven, as Nicholas, Grace's ex. who asks Grace if she wants to join him in a threesome with his current lover.
Chita Rivera, as Lenore, one of the lesbians who ended up dancing with Will & Jack.
Brandon Routh, as Sebastian, a stud whom Alan Mills replaces Will with, after the two have a falling out over Will's misinterpretation of their relationship.
Chloë Sevigny, as Monet, a wealthy bisexual real-estate agent who falls for Will.
Nicollette Sheridan, as Dr. Danielle Morty, a fellow doctor who wanted Leo sexually.
Jamie-Lynn Sigler, as Ro, Vince's lesbian sister.
Britney Spears, as Amber Louise, a conservative Christian and a "hardcore lesbian" as she describes herself, and a co-host to Jack on his talk show.
Wendie Jo Sperber, as April, Grace's short-lived housekeeper.
Sharon Stone, as Georgia Keller, Will and Grace's therapist.
Larry Sullivan, as Robert, Will's ballet dancing boyfriend on the holiday episode "Jingle Balls".
Wanda Sykes, as Cricket, a woman Karen offers to pay to deliver a child for her.
Tamlyn Tomita, as Naomi, half of the couple that takes Will and Grace out all night.
Rip Torn, as Lionel Banks, a man with whom Karen almost cheats on Stan with during his incarceration.
Stuart Townsend, as Edward, Karen's pansexual pastry chef, who ends up "sexing" Will, Karen, and Rosario.
Tracey Ullman, as Anne, the instructor of a couples cooking class that Will, Jack, and Jack's boyfriend Stuart attend.
Steve Valentine, as Kai, half of the couple that takes Will and Grace out all night.
Steven Weber, as Will's brother Sam.
Guest stars playing themselves[edit]
Kevin Bacon
Candice Bergen
Sandra Bernhard
Cher
Katie Couric
John Edward
Jennifer Lopez
Rudy Galindo
Hall & Oates
Deborah Harry
Janet Jackson
Elton John
James Earl Jones
Matt Lauer
Stone Phillips
Josh Lucas
Patti LuPone
Barry Manilow
Martina Navratilova
Bebe Neuwirth
Al Roker
George Takei
Rip Taylor
References[edit]
Jump up ^ Grace Expectations, Entertainment Weekly, November 3, 2003
Jump up ^ Vince says "He's [Ben] looking more like you [Will] everyday" during the Finale.
[hide]
v
t
e
Will & Grace
Characters
Will Truman
Grace Adler
Jack McFarland
Karen Walker
Rosario Salazar
Supporting characters
Seasons
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6
Season 7
Season 8
Season 9
Episodes
"Pilot"
"Grace, Replaced"
"Gypsies, Tramps and Weed"
"A Chorus Lie"
"Fagel Attraction"
"Marry Me a Little, Marry Me a Little More"
"Dolls and Dolls"
"Back Up, Dancer"
"Alive and Schticking"
"Buy, Buy Baby"
"The Finale"
"11 Years Later"
Related
Awards
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Supporting_characters_on_Will_%26_Grace&oldid=803721363"
Categories:
Will & Grace characters
Lists of American sitcom television characters
Lists of minor fictional characters
Lists of American television series characters
Hidden categories:
Articles that need to differentiate between fact and fiction from July 2011
All articles that need to differentiate between fact and fiction
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
Languages
עברית
Edit links
This page was last edited on 4 October 2017, at 05:44.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view

values: mw-page-base noprint

values: mw-head-base noprint

attrs: id class style

values: firstHeading firstHeading en

values: siteSub noprint

values: jump-to-nav mw-jump

values: Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Writing about fiction

value: span

value: small

values: plainlinks metadata ambox ambox-content ambox-in-universe

values:
/wiki/Situation_comedy
mw-redirect
Situation comedy

values:
/wiki/Harry_Connick,_Jr.
mw-redirect
Harry Connick, Jr.

values:
/wiki/Today_(NBC_program)
mw-redirect
Today (NBC program)

values:
/wiki/The_Nation_Magazine
mw-redirect
The Nation Magazine

values:
/wiki/Doctors_Without_Borders
mw-redirect
Doctors Without Borders

values: Jesse Fremont Allis (page does not exist)

values:
/wiki/Musical_theater
mw-redirect
Musical theater

values:
/wiki/New_York_Times
mw-redirect
New York Times

values: Edit section: Rosario Inez Consuela Yolanda Salazar

values:
/wiki/Anastasia_Beaverhausen
mw-redirect
Anastasia Beaverhausen

values: Edit section: Other supporting characters

values: Charles C. Stevenson Jr (page does not exist)

values: Edit section: Guest stars playing one-time characters

values:
/wiki/Jack_Black_(actor)
mw-redirect
Jack Black (actor)

values:
/wiki/Richard_Chamberlain_(actor)
mw-redirect
Richard Chamberlain (actor)

values:
/wiki/Scott_Patterson_(actor)
mw-redirect
Scott Patterson (actor)

values:
/wiki/Steven_Weber
mw-disambig
Steven Weber

values: border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0; border: 0; background:transparent; width:100%;

values: Edit section: Guest stars playing themselves

values:
reflist mw-references-wrap
list-style-type: decimal;

values: List of awards and nominations received by Will & Grace

values: nowraplinks collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner

values: Category:Lists of American sitcom television characters

values: Category:Lists of minor fictional characters

values: Category:Lists of American television series characters

values: Category:Articles that need to differentiate between fact and fiction from July 2011

values: Category:All articles that need to differentiate between fact and fiction

values: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

values: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

values: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

values: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

values: Discussion about the content page [ctrl-alt-t]

values: p-namespaces navigation vectorTabs p-namespaces-label

values:
p-variants
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-variants-label

values: Past revisions of this page [ctrl-alt-h]

values: p-views navigation vectorTabs p-views-label

values:
p-cactions
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-cactions-label

values:
mw-wiki-logo
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page

values:
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page [ctrl-alt-z]
z

values: Featured content – the best of Wikipedia

values: Find background information on current events

values:
/wiki/Special:Random
Load a random article [ctrl-alt-x]
x

values: portal navigation p-navigation p-navigation-label

values: Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia

values: About the project, what you can do, where to find things

values: A list of recent changes in the wiki [ctrl-alt-r]

values: portal navigation p-interaction p-interaction-label

values: A list of all special pages [ctrl-alt-q]

values: Permanent link to this revision of the page

values: Link to connected data repository item [ctrl-alt-g]

values: Printable version of this page [ctrl-alt-p]

values:
uls-settings-trigger
Language settings
0
button
true

values: ויל וגרייס - דמויות משנה – Hebrew

values: /static/images/wikimedia-button-1.5x.png 1.5x, /static/images/wikimedia-button-2x.png 2x

values: /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_132x47.png 1.5x, /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_176x62.png 2x

values:
suggestions
display: none; font-size: 13px;

values: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-Supporting_characters_on_Will_Grace rootpage-Supporting_characters_on_Will_Grace vector-nav-directionality skin-vector action-view


text:
Field of Dreams
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Field of Dreams (disambiguation).
Field of Dreams
Promotional poster by Olga Kaljakin
Directed by
Phil Alden Robinson
Produced by
Lawrence Gordon
Charles Gordon
Screenplay by
Phil Alden Robinson
Based on
Shoeless Joe
by W.P. Kinsella
Starring
Kevin Costner
Amy Madigan
James Earl Jones
Ray Liotta
Burt Lancaster
Music by
James Horner
Cinematography
John Lindley
Edited by
Ian Crafford
Distributed by
Universal Pictures (USA)
TriStar Pictures/Carolco Pictures (International)
Release date
April 21, 1989 (1989-04-21)
Running time
107 minutes[1]
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$15 million[2][3]
Box office
$84.4 million[4]
Field of Dreams is a 1989 American fantasy-drama sports film directed by Phil Alden Robinson, who also wrote the screenplay, adapting W. P. Kinsella's novel Shoeless Joe. It stars Kevin Costner, Amy Madigan, James Earl Jones, Ray Liotta and Burt Lancaster in his final role. It was nominated for three Academy Awards, including for Best Original Score, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture.
In 2017, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[5]
Contents
[hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production
3.1 Casting
3.2 Filming
3.3 Field
3.4 Music
4 Historical connections
5 Release and reception
6 Honors
7 See also
8 References
9 External links
Plot[edit]
Ray Kinsella is a novice Iowa farmer who lives with his wife, Annie, and daughter, Karin. In the opening narration, he explains how he had a troubled relationship with his father, John Kinsella, who had been a devoted baseball fan. While walking through his cornfield one evening, he hears a voice whispering, "If you build it, he will come." He continues hearing this before finally seeing a vision of a baseball diamond in his field. Annie is skeptical, but she allows him to plow the corn under in order to build a baseball field. As he builds, he tells Karin the story of the 1919 Black Sox Scandal. Months pass and nothing happens; his family faces financial ruin until, one night, Karin spots a uniformed man on the field. Ray recognizes him as Shoeless Joe Jackson, a deceased baseball player idolized by John. Thrilled to be able to play baseball again, he asks to bring others to the field to play. He later returns with the seven other players banned as a result of the 1919 scandal.
Ray's brother-in-law, Mark, can't see the players and warns him that he will go bankrupt unless he replants his corn. While in the field, Ray hears the voice again, this time urging him to "ease his pain."
Ray attends a PTA meeting at which the possible banning of books by radical author Terence Mann is discussed. He decides the voice was referring to Mann. He comes across a magazine interview dealing with Mann's childhood dream of playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers. After Ray and Annie both dream about him and Mann attending a baseball game together at Fenway Park, he convinces her that he should seek out Mann. He heads to Boston and persuades a reluctant, embittered Mann to attend a game with him at Fenway Park. While there, he hears the voice again, this time urging him to "go the distance." At the same time, the scoreboard "shows" statistics for a player named Archibald "Moonlight" Graham, who played one game for the New York Giants in 1922, but never had a turn at bat. After the game, Mann eventually admits that he, too, saw it.
Ray and Mann then travel to Chisholm, Minnesota where they learn that Graham had become a doctor and had died sixteen years earlier. During a late night walk, Ray finds himself back in 1972 and encounters the then-living Graham, who states that he had moved on from his baseball career. He also says that the greater disappointment would have been not having a medical career. He declines Ray's invitation to fulfill his dream; however, during the drive back home, Ray picks up a young hitchhiker who introduces himself as Archie Graham. While Archie sleeps, Ray reveals to Mann that John had wanted him to live out his dream of being a baseball star. He stopped playing catch with him after reading one of Mann's books at 14. At 17, he had denounced Shoeless Joe as a criminal to John and that was the reason for the rift between them. Ray expresses regret that he didn't get a chance to make things right before John died. When they arrive back at Ray's farm, they find that enough players have arrived to field two teams. A game is played and Archie finally gets his turn at bat.
The Field of Dreams, Dyersville, Iowa—May 2006
The next morning, Mark returns and demands that Ray sell the farm. Karin says that they will not need to because people will pay to watch the ballgames. Mann agrees, saying that "people will come" in order to relive their childhood innocence. Ray, after much thought, refuses and a frustrated Mark scuffles with him, during which Karin is accidentally knocked off the bleachers. The young Graham runs from the field to help, becoming old Graham, complete with Gladstone bag, the instant he steps off of it, and saves Karin from choking (she had been eating a hot dog when she fell). Ray realizes that Graham sacrificed his young self in order to save her. After reassuring Ray that his true calling was medicine and being commended by the other players, Graham leaves, disappearing into the corn. Suddenly, Mark is able to see the players and urges Ray not to sell the farm.
After the game, Shoeless Joe invites Mann to enter the corn; he accepts and disappears into it. Ray is angry at not being invited, but Shoeless Joe rebukes him: if he really wants a reward for having sacrificed so much, then he had better stay on the field. Shoeless Joe then glances towards a player at home plate, saying "If you build it, he will come." The player then removes his mask, and Ray recognizes him to be John as a young man. Shocked, Ray realizes that "ease his pain" referred to John, and believes that Shoeless Joe was the voice all along; however, Joe implies that the voice was Ray himself. Joe then disappears into the corn.
Ray introduces John to Annie and Karin. As he heads towards the corn, Ray asks him if he wants to play a game of catch. They begin to play and Annie happily watches. Meanwhile, hundreds of cars can be seen approaching the baseball field, fulfilling Karin and Mann's prophecy that people will come to watch baseball.
Cast[edit]
Kevin Costner as Ray Kinsella
Amy Madigan as Annie Kinsella
James Earl Jones as Terence Mann
Timothy Busfield as Mark
Kelly Coffield Park as Dee
Frank Whaley as Archie Graham
Gaby Hoffmann as Karin Kinsella
Dwier Brown as John Kinsella
Fern Persons as Annie's mother
Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe Jackson
Burt Lancaster as Archibald "Moonlight" Graham
Art LaFleur as Chick Gandil
Michael Milhoan as Buck Weaver
Steve Eastin as Eddie Cicotte
Charles Hoyes as Swede Risberg
Ben Affleck as Baseball Fan At Fenway Park
Matt Damon as Baseball Fan At Fenway Park
Production[edit]
Phil Alden Robinson read Shoeless Joe in 1981 and liked it so much that he brought it to producers Lawrence Gordon and Charles Gordon. Lawrence Gordon worked for 20th Century Fox, part of the time as its president, and repeatedly mentioned that the book should be adapted into a film. The studio, however, always turned down the suggestion because they felt the project was too esoteric and noncommercial. Meanwhile, Robinson went ahead with his script, frequently consulting W. P. Kinsella, the book's author, for advice on the adaptation. Lawrence Gordon left Fox in 1986 and started pitching the adaptation to other studios. Universal Studios accepted the project in 1987 and hired USC coach Rod Dedeaux as baseball advisor. Dedeaux brought along World Series champion and USC alumnus Don Buford to coach the actors.[6]
The film was shot using the novel's title; eventually, an executive decision was made to rename it Field of Dreams. Robinson did not like the idea saying he loved Shoeless Joe, and that the new title was better suited for one about dreams deferred. Later, Kinsella told Robinson that his originally chosen title for the book had been The Dream Field and that the title Shoeless Joe had been imposed by the publisher.[7]
Casting[edit]
Robinson and the producers did not originally consider Kevin Costner for the part of Ray because they did not think that he would want to follow Bull Durham with another baseball film. He, however, did end up reading the script and became interested in the project, stating that he felt it would be "this generation's It's a Wonderful Life". Since Robinson's directing debut In the Mood had been a commercial failure, Costner also said that he would help him with the production. Amy Madigan, a fan of the book, joined the cast as Ray's wife, Annie. In the book, the writer Ray seeks out is real-life author J.D. Salinger. When Salinger threatened the production with a lawsuit if his name was used, Robinson decided to rewrite the character as reclusive Terence Mann. He wrote with James Earl Jones in mind because he thought it would be fun to see Ray trying to kidnap such a big man. Robinson had originally envisioned Shoeless Joe Jackson as being played by an actor in his 40s, someone who would be older than Costner and who could thereby act as a father surrogate. Ray Liotta did not fit that criterion, but Robinson thought he would be a better fit for the part because he had the "sense of danger" and ambiguity which Robinson wanted in the character. Burt Lancaster had originally turned down the part of Moonlight Graham, but changed his mind after a friend, who was also a baseball fan, told him that he had to work on the film.[6]
Filming[edit]
Filming began on May 25, 1988. The shooting schedule was built around Costner's availability because he would be leaving in August to film Revenge. Except for some weather delays and other time constraints, production rolled six days a week. The interior scenes were the first ones shot because the cornfield planted by the filmmakers was taking too long to grow. Irrigation had to be used to quickly grow the corn to Costner's height. Primary shot locations were in Dubuque County, Iowa; a farm near Dyersville was used for the Kinsella home; an empty warehouse in Dubuque was used to build various interior sets. Galena, Illinois served as Moonlight Graham's Chisholm, Minnesota.[6] One week was spent on location shots in Boston, most notably Fenway Park.[8]
Robinson, despite having a sufficient budget as well as the cast and crew he wanted, constantly felt tense and depressed during filming. He felt that he was under too much pressure to create an outstanding film, and that he was not doing justice to the original novel. Lawrence Gordon convinced him that the end product would be effective.[6]
During a lunch with the Iowa Chamber of Commerce, Robinson broached his idea of a final scene in which headlights could be seen for miles along the horizon. The Chamber folks replied that it could be done and the shooting of the final scene became a community event. The film crew was hidden on the farm to make sure the aerial shots did not reveal them. Dyersville was then blacked out and local extras drove their vehicles to the field. In order to give the illusion of movement, the drivers were instructed to continuously switch between their low and high beams.
Field[edit]
The baseball field from the film
Scenes of the Kinsella farm were taken on the property of Don Lansing; some of the baseball field scenes were shot on the neighboring farm of Al Ameskamp. Because the shooting schedule was too short for grass to naturally grow, the experts on sod laying responsible for Dodger Stadium and the Rose Bowl were hired to create the baseball field. Part of the process involved painting the turf green. [6]
After shooting, Ameskamp again grew corn on his property; Lansing maintained his as a tourist destination.[6] He did not charge for admission or parking, deriving revenue solely from the souvenir shop. By the film's twentieth anniversary, approximately 65,000 people visited annually.[9] In July, 2010, the farm containing the "Field" was listed as for sale.[10] It was sold on October 31, 2011, to Go The Distance Baseball, LLC, for an undisclosed fee, believed to be around $5.4 million.[11]
Music[edit]
At first, James Horner was unsure if he could work on the film due to scheduling restrictions. Then he watched a rough cut and was so moved that he accepted the job of scoring it. Robinson had created a temp track which was disliked by Universal executives. When the announcement of Horner as composer was made, they felt more positive because they expected a big orchestral score, similar to Horner's work for An American Tail. Horner, in contrast, liked the temporary score, finding it "quiet and kind of ghostly." He decided to follow the idea of the temp track, creating an atmospheric soundtrack which would "focus on the emotions".[6] In addition to Horner's score, portions of several pop songs are heard during the film. They are listed in the following order in the closing credits:
"Crazy", written by Willie Nelson and performed by Beverly D'Angelo
"Daydream", written by John Sebastian and performed by The Lovin' Spoonful
"Jessica", written by Dickey Betts and performed by The Allman Brothers Band
"China Grove", written by Tom Johnston and performed by The Doobie Brothers
"Lotus Blossom", written by Billy Strayhorn and performed by Duke Ellington
Historical connections[edit]
The character played by Burt Lancaster and Frank Whaley, Archibald "Moonlight" Graham, is based on an actual baseball player with the same name. His character is largely true to life except for a few factual liberties taken for artistic reasons. For instance, the real Graham's lone major league game occurred in June 1905,[12] rather than on the final day of the 1922 season. The real Graham also died in 1965, as opposed to 1972 as the film depicts. In the film, Terence Mann interviews a number of people about Graham. The DVD special points out that the facts they gave him were taken from articles written about the real one.
Release and reception[edit]
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (July 2017)
Universal scheduled the film to open in the U.S. on April 21, 1989.It debuted in just a few theaters and was gradually released to more screens so that it would have a spot among the summer blockbusters. It ended up playing until December.[6]
As of June 2017, review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes rates the film 86%, based on 57 reviews with an average score of 7.9 out of 10. The consensus states: "Field of Dreams is sentimental, but in the best way; it's a mix of fairy tale, baseball, and family togetherness."[13]
Honors[edit]
In June 2008, after having polled over 1,500 people in the creative community, AFI revealed its "Ten Top Ten" — the best ten films in ten "classic" American film genres. The film was acknowledged as the sixth best one in the fantasy genre.[14][15]
American Film Institute Lists
AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies—nominated[16]
AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes:
"If you build it, he will come."—#39
AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores—nominated[17]
AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers—#28
AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition)—nominated[18]
AFI's 10 Top 10—#6 Fantasy Film
See also[edit]
Baseball portal
Film in the United States portal
List of ghost films
References[edit]
Jump up ^ "Field of Dreams (1989)". IMDb. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
Jump up ^ Laff at the Movies (April 20, 2012). "Review: "Touchback" Is an Inspiring Drama that Will Make You Smile". Grand Rapids, MI: WOOD-TV. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
Jump up ^ "'Field of Dreams'". JeffCarneyFilms.com. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
Jump up ^ "Box Office Information for 'Field of Dreams'". Box Office Mojo. August 26, 2013.
Jump up ^ "2017 National Film Registry Is More Than a 'Field of Dreams'". Retrieved December 13, 2017.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h "The 'Field of Dreams' Scrapbook". Field of Dreams (DVD). [full citation needed]
Jump up ^ Easton, Nina J. (April 21, 1989). "Diamonds Are Forever : Director Fields the Lost Hopes of Adolescence". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
Jump up ^ "Production Notes". Field of Dreams (DVD). [full citation needed]
Jump up ^ King, Susan (December 15, 2009). "'Field of Dreams' Screens to Mark 20th Anniversary". Los Angeles Times.
Jump up ^ Grossfeld, Stan (July 20, 2010). "Living in a Dream World?". Boston Globe. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
Jump up ^ Wilson, Greg (October 31, 2011). "'Field of Dreams' Iowa Farm Sold for Millions". Chicago: WMAQ-TV. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
Jump up ^ "Moonlight Graham". Retrosheet.org. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
Jump up ^ "'Field of Dreams'". Rotten Tomatoes.
Jump up ^ "AFI Crowns Top 10 Films in 10 Classic Genres" (Press release). American Film Institute. June 17, 2008. Retrieved June 18, 2008 – via ComingSoon.net.
Jump up ^ "Top 10 Fantasy". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on June 19, 2008. Retrieved June 18, 2008.
Jump up ^ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies Nominees" (PDF). American Film Institute. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
Jump up ^ "AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores: Honoring America's Greatest Film Music" (PDF) (Official ballot). American Film Institute. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
Jump up ^ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies" (PDF) (Official ballot) (10th Anniversary ed.). American Film Institute. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
External links[edit]
Wikiquote has quotations related to: Field of Dreams
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Field of Dreams.
Official website
Field of Dreams on IMDb
Field of Dreams at the TCM Movie Database
Field of Dreams at AllMovie
Field of Dreams at Rotten Tomatoes
Field of Dreams at Box Office Mojo
[show]
v
t
e
Films directed by Phil Alden Robinson
In the Mood (1987)
Field of Dreams (1989)
Sneakers (1992)
Freedom Song (2000)
The Sum of All Fears (2002)
The Angriest Man in Brooklyn (2014)
[show]
v
t
e
Black Sox Scandal
Banned players
Eddie Cicotte
Happy Felsch
Chick Gandil
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Fred McMullin
Swede Risberg
Buck Weaver
Lefty Williams
Other figures
Abe Attell
Sleepy Bill Burns
Charles Comiskey
Judge Hugo Friend
Hugh Fullerton
Joe Gedeon
Kid Gleason
Ban Johnson
Kenesaw Mountain Landis
Billy Maharg
Arnold Rothstein
Sport Sullivan
Films
Eight Men Out
Field of Dreams
Miscellaneous
1919 Chicago White Sox season
1919 Cincinnati Reds season
1919 World Series
Curse of the Black Sox
Shoeless Joe (novel)
Book:Black Sox Scandal
[show]
v
t
e
Boston Red Sox
Formerly the Boston Americans
Based in Boston, Massachusetts
Franchise
History
Seasons
Records
No-hitters
Awards
Players
Owners and executives
Managers
Coaches
Captains
Broadcasters
Opening Day starters
First-round draft picks
Logos and uniforms
Hall of Fame
Ballparks
Huntington Avenue Grounds
Braves Field
Fenway Park
Spring training
Venues
Majestic Park
Plant Field
Whittington Park
Riverside Park
Ninth Street Park
Payne Park
Bader Field
Scottsdale Stadium
Chain of Lakes Park
City of Palms Park
JetBlue Park at Fenway South
Culture
Red Sox Nation
Royal Rooters
"Nuf Ced" McGreevy
Curse of the Bambino
Green Monster
Pesky's Pole
Wally the Green Monster
Victoria Snelgrove
"Tessie"
"Dirty Water"
"Sweet Caroline"
"Dream On"
"I'm Shipping Up to Boston"
"Three Little Birds"
Field of Dreams
Good Will Hunting
Fever Pitch
Moneyball
Game 6
The Town
The Jimmy Fund
Yawkey Way
Kenmore Square
Citgo Sign
Golden Outfield
Carl Beane
Sherm Feller
Cheers
Still, We Believe: The Boston Red Sox Movie
Four Days in October
Red Sox Rule
Lore
Cy Young's perfect game
Slaughter's Mad Dash
Babe Ruth's 573-foot home run into Alligator Farm
1948 AL tie-breaker game
The Impossible Dream
Carlton Fisk waves it fair
1978 AL East tie-breaker game
Bill Buckner's error
Aaron Boone's home run
The bloody sock
"Idiots" break the curse
Boston Strong
Rivalries
New York Yankees
Administration
Owners: Fenway Sports Group
John W. Henry
Tom Werner
President and CEO: Sam Kennedy
President of Baseball Operations: Dave Dombrowski
General Manager: Vacant
Manager: Alex Cora
World Series
Championships (8)
1903
1912
1915
1916
1918
2004
2007
2013
League
Pennants (13)
1903
1904
1912
1915
1916
1918
1946
1967
1975
1986
2004
2007
2013
Division championships (9)
1975
1986
1988
1990
1995
2007
2013
2016
2017
Wild card berths (7)
1998
1999
2003
2004
2005
2008
2009
Minor league
affiliates
AAA
Pawtucket Red Sox
AA
Portland Sea Dogs
A Adv.
Salem Red Sox
A
Greenville Drive
Short A
Lowell Spinners
Rookie
GCL Red Sox
DSL Red Sox
Broadcasting
Television
New England Sports Network (NESN)
Radio
WEEI-FM
Radio network affiliates
Broadcasters
Dave O'Brien
Jerry Remy
Joe Castiglione
Tim Neverett
Uri Berenguer
Juan Oscar Baez
[show]
Seasons (118)
1900s
1900 · 1901
1902
1903
1904
1905
1906
1907
1908
1909
1910s
1910
1911
1912
1913
1914
1915
1916
1917
1918
1919
1920s
1920
1921
1922
1923
1924
1925
1926
1927
1928
1929
1930s
1930
1931
1932
1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940s
1940
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
1946
1947
1948
1949
1950s
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960s
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970s
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980s
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990s
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000s
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010s
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Field_of_Dreams&oldid=815245234"
Categories:
1989 films
English-language films
1980s drama films
1980s fantasy films
1980s ghost films
1980s sports films
American baseball films
American drama films
American fantasy films
American films
American ghost films
Culture of Dubuque, Iowa
Films scored by James Horner
Films about families
Films based on Canadian novels
Films based on works by W. P. Kinsella
Films directed by Phil Alden Robinson
Films set in Boston
Films set in Iowa
Films set in Minnesota
Films shot in Illinois
Films shot in Iowa
Films shot in Massachusetts
Sports drama films
Time travel films
Universal Pictures films
United States National Film Registry films
Hidden categories:
Articles needing more detailed references
Use mdy dates from March 2015
Pages using div col without cols and colwidth parameters
Articles to be expanded from July 2017
All articles to be expanded
Articles using small message boxes
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
In other projects
Wikimedia Commons
Wikiquote
Languages
العربية
Български
Català
Deutsch
Español
فارسی
Français
한국어
Հայերեն
Bahasa Indonesia
Italiano
עברית
ქართული
Македонски
Nederlands
日本語
Polski
Português
Русский
Suomi
Svenska
Українська
中文
Edit links
This page was last edited on 13 December 2017, at 17:42.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

key: html

type: local

value: div

attrs: id class

values: mw-page-base noprint

values: mw-head-base noprint

value: a

value: i

attrs: id class lang

values: firstHeading firstHeading en

values: siteSub noprint

values: jump-to-nav mw-jump

attrs: href class title

values:
/wiki/Field_of_Dreams_(disambiguation)
mw-disambig
Field of Dreams (disambiguation)

attrs: role class

values:
note
hatnote navigation-not-searchable

value: th

attrs: colspan class style

value: tr

value: img

attrs: alt src width height class srcset data-file-width data-file-height

attrs: href class

attrs: href title

value: td

attrs: colspan style

attrs: scope style

values:
/wiki/W.P._Kinsella
mw-redirect
W.P. Kinsella

values: Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay

values:
/wiki/Baseball_diamond
mw-redirect
Baseball diamond

values:
/wiki/Brooklyn_Dodgers
mw-redirect
Brooklyn Dodgers

values:
/wiki/New_York_Giants_(MLB)
mw-redirect
New York Giants (MLB)

values: div-col columns column-count column-count-2

values: -moz-column-count: 2; -webkit-column-count: 2; column-count: 2;

values:
/wiki/Universal_Studios
mw-redirect
Universal Studios

values:
/wiki/J.D._Salinger
mw-redirect
J.D. Salinger

attrs: alt src width height srcset data-file-width data-file-height

values: plainlinks metadata ambox mbox-small-left ambox-content

values: display:table-cell;padding:0.2em 0.2em 0.2em 0.3em;vertical-align:middle

values: margin:0.5em 0 0.5em 1em;border:solid #aaa 1px

values:
nofollow
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097351/
external text

values:
nofollow
https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-17-178/
external text

values: A more detailed citation is required. (March 2015)

values:
/wiki/Boston_Globe
mw-redirect
Boston Globe

values:
nofollow
external text
http://www.afi.com/10top10/fantasy.html

values: -moz-column-width: 20em; -webkit-column-width: 20em; column-width: 20em; list-style-type: decimal;

values:
nofollow
external text
http://www.fieldofdreamsmoviesite.com

values:
nofollow
external text
https://www.allmovie.com/movie/v17120

values: nowraplinks collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner

values: List of people banned from Major League Baseball

attrs: alt src title width height srcset data-file-width data-file-height

values:
collapseButton2
#
color: rgb(255, 255, 255);

values: background-color:#0D2B56;color:#FFFFFF;;;background-color:#BD3039;color:#FFFFFF;-moz-box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #0D2B56, inset -2px -2px 0 #0D2B56; -webkit-box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #0D2B56, inset -2px -2px 0 #0D2B56; box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #0D2B56, inset -2px -2px 0 #0D2B56;;;background:none transparent;border:none;-moz-box-shadow:none;-webkit-box-shadow:none;box-shadow:none;

values: List of Boston Red Sox owners and executives

values: List of Boston Red Sox Opening Day starting pitchers

values: List of Boston Red Sox first-round draft picks

values: Logos and uniforms of the Boston Red Sox

values: 1978 American League East tie-breaker game

values: 2003 American League Championship Series

values: 2004 American League Championship Series

values: 1975 American League Championship Series

values: 1986 American League Championship Series

values: 2007 American League Championship Series

values: 2013 American League Championship Series

values: 1988 American League Championship Series

values: 1990 American League Championship Series

values: List of Boston Red Sox minor league affiliates

values:
collapseButton3
#
color: rgb(255, 255, 255);

values: nowraplinks collapsible autocollapse navbox-subgroup

values: nowraplinks hlist collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner

values: Category:Films based on works by W. P. Kinsella

values: Category:Films directed by Phil Alden Robinson

values: Category:United States National Film Registry films

values: Category:Articles needing more detailed references

values: Category:Pages using div col without cols and colwidth parameters

values: Category:Articles to be expanded from July 2017

values: Category:Articles using small message boxes

values: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

values: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

values: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

values: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

values:
/wiki/Field_of_Dreams
View the content page [ctrl-alt-c]
c

values: Discussion about the content page [ctrl-alt-t]

values: p-namespaces navigation vectorTabs p-namespaces-label

values:
p-variants
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-variants-label

values: Past revisions of this page [ctrl-alt-h]

values: p-views navigation vectorTabs p-views-label

values:
p-cactions
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-cactions-label

values:
mw-wiki-logo
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page

values:
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page [ctrl-alt-z]
z

values: Featured content – the best of Wikipedia

values: List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [ctrl-alt-j]

values: Recent changes in pages linked from this page [ctrl-alt-k]

values:
/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard
Upload files [ctrl-alt-u]
u

values: portal navigation p-wikibase-otherprojects p-wikibase-otherprojects-label

values: حقل الأحلام (فيلم) – Arabic

values: Поле на мечтите – Bulgarian

values: سرزمین رؤیاها – Persian

values: Նրա երազանքների դաշտը – Armenian

values: שדה החלומות – Hebrew

values: ოცნებების ველი – Georgian

values: Поле на соништата – Macedonian

values: フィールド・オブ・ドリームス – Japanese

values: Поле его мечты – Russian

values: Поле його мрії – Ukrainian

values: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-Field_of_Dreams rootpage-Field_of_Dreams skin-vector action-view