Biography
Margaret Reed is a classically trained NY theatre actor born in Salinas, CA with a rich resume of theatre, film, sitcom and dramatic television, and voiceovers. She currently recurs in the guest starring role of CIA Director Diana Greene on Queen Latifah's CBS TV series, "The Equalizer." Recent work also includes "Only Murders in the Building" with Steve Martin, Martin Short, Paul Rudd, and Selena Gomez and the Apple TV+ series "Dear Edward" with Connie Britton.
Maggie is no stranger to Dick Wolf's Law & Order and FBI TV universe, most recently playing her 9th role on one of the incarnations of his shows - "FBI: Most Wanted" and her 4th role on "Law & Order: SVU" as Child Psychologist Gretchen Blandon (previously as the recurring defense attorney role, Felicia Chatham.)
Films include the upcoming (2023) "Last Dance With You" starring Carrie Anne Hunt directed by Paul Jenkins of Meta Studios and the John Turturro directed "The Jesus Rolls" opposite Tim Blake Nelson, Bobby Cannavale, and Mr. Turturro.
Other primetime TV roles include the recurring role of Belinda Oliver, U.S. Arms Negotiator on the "The Americans," NBC's "The Blacklist," ABC's "Deception," and CBS' "Limitless" and as Maggie Biederhof to Kate Winslet's "Mildred Pierce" on HBO. An eerily prescient role as the infectious disease doctor on "Bull" (CBS) was filmed February 2020, one month before the COVID-19 lockdown. As Patti LuPone's nosy White neighbor on Ryan Murphy's "Pose" on FX, she "called the cops" on Billy Porter, Sandra Bernhard and friends.
Daytime drama fans know Maggie from her long-running role as the world-traveling kooky character Shannon O'Hara McKechnie on "As The World Turns." SitCom and Trekkie fans cheer her on as Jerry's vengeful ex-date Mary Contardi on the Baby Shower episode of "Seinfeld", Betty White's date's pregnant girlfriend on "The Golden Girls," Blossom's mom on "Blossom," and as Warp Field Theorist Dr. Serova on the "Force of Nature" episode of "Star Trek, TNG".
For her theatre roles, Margaret won the Dramalogue award as Kate Sullivan opposite Kevin Conway's Garfinkle in the L.A. premiere of the play "Other People's Money" and was awarded the NJ Theatre Critics award as Best Supporting Actress for "Dinner with Friends". Off-Broadway highlights include the world-premiere of Samuel Beckett's "Catastrophe" directed by the illustrious Alan Schneider and playing Vivien Leigh and Joan Plowright in Austin Pendleton's "Orson's Shadow" directed by Tony award winner, David Cromer. Maggie also played movie star Masha in a 3-theatre tour in "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike" (Cleveland Play House, GEVA, and the Cape Playhouse). Her most recent Off-Broadway play was as Bess Myerson in Barra Grant's autobiographical play "Miss America's Ugly Daughter." Among her many other theatre credits, Margaret recently played genetics professor Dr. Guzman, in Arun Lakra's award-winning play "Sequence" at the Adirondack Theatre Festival.
Margaret's theatre roots began in John Steinbeck's hometown, the lettuce & rodeo town of Salinas, California, playing a birthing mother in Mr. Steinbeck's play "Burning Bright" performed at his childhood home. Also in Salinas and nearby Monterey, Margaret starred in many musicals and plays. Her creativity continued to be nurtured in NYC and regional theaters after she earned her B.A. in Theatre Arts from the University of California at Santa Cruz and was awarded an M.F.A. from Cornell University where she played Nurse Ratched and Kate to Jimmy Smits' Chief Bromden and Petruchio. She then toured the U.S. in John Houseman's the Acting Company, playing many classical and Shakespearean heroines including Olivia in "Twelfth Night" and Lady Fidget in "A Country Wife."
