Illinois State Society of Washington, DC

Illinois Hall of Fame: Laurie Metcalf

By Mark Rhoads

Laurie Metcalf is a talented and hard-working actress with many stage and TV credits who has also performed in many feature films. In the early 1990s she won three Emmy Awards for her role as Jackie Harris, the sister of Roseanne Barr, in the Roseanne TV series. The show ran nine years from 1988 to 1997.  She was also nominated for Emmys three other times for Roseanne and other TV shows.

Laurie's film roles have run a diverse spectrum from the voice of "Mom" in the animated film Toy Story to a serious role as a police investigator for District Attorney Jim Garrison in Oliver Stone's movie JFK.  (Photo at right copyright 2002 by Mike Guastella of WireImage.com)

Laurie was born in Carbondale, Illinois on June 16, 1955 and she was raised in Edwardsville. He father was the comptroller for Southern Illinois University. She acted in school plays and graduated from Edwardsville High School in 1973 and from Illinois State University in 1977 with a Bachelor of Arts in Theater.

Even before graduation, Laurie joined with many other young Illinois actors who later became famous including her first husband Jeff Perry as well as Terry Kinney and Gary Sinise in helping to launch the early seasons of the Steppenwolf Theater Company in Chicago.  The early ensemble casts included other founders such as John Malkovich, Joan Allen, and John Mahoney.  Laurie is still considered part of that ensemble cast and has performed in more than 30 Steppenwolf productions.

By Mark Rhoads

Laurie Metcalf is a talented and hard-working actress with many stage and TV credits who has also performed in many feature films. In the early 1990s she won three Emmy Awards for her role as Jackie Harris, the sister of Roseanne Barr, in the Roseanne TV series. The show ran nine years from 1988 to 1997.  She was also nominated for Emmys three other times for Roseanne and other TV shows.

Laurie's film roles have run a diverse spectrum from the voice of "Mom" in the animated film Toy Story to a serious role as a police investigator for District Attorney Jim Garrison in Oliver Stone's movie JFK.  (Photo at right copyright 2002 by Mike Guastella of WireImage.com)

Laurie was born in Carbondale, Illinois on June 16, 1955 and she was raised in Edwardsville. He father was the comptroller for Southern Illinois University. She acted in school plays and graduated from Edwardsville High School in 1973 and from Illinois State University in 1977 with a Bachelor of Arts in Theater.

Even before graduation, Laurie joined with many other young Illinois actors who later became famous including her first husband Jeff Perry as well as Terry Kinney and Gary Sinise in helping to launch the early seasons of the Steppenwolf Theater Company in Chicago.  The early ensemble casts included other founders such as John Malkovich, Joan Allen, and John Mahoney.  Laurie is still considered part of that ensemble cast and has performed in more than 30 Steppenwolf productions.

Illinois Hall of Fame: Harrison Ford

Calista Flockhart

By Mark Rhoads

Action movie star Harrison Ford was born in Chicago in 1942.  He grew up in Morton Grove and Park Ridge and graduated from Maine East High School in 1960.  Former First Lady and New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton also graduated from Maine East in 1965 as did pioneer children's TV actor Hugh Brannum (aka "Mr. Green Jeans" on Captain Kangaroo) in 1927.  Harrison Ford's grandfather had worked in vaudeville and his father was an advertising executive and a part-time "voice over" actor who recorded some radio commercials in Chicago.  Harrison attended Ripon College in Wisconsin but did not finish the credits needed for a degree.  After some acting in summer stock plays, Harrison tried hard in the late 1960s to support a family and to make a living as an actor in Hollywood but with limited success.  He quit acting for four years to work as a carpenter before making a successful new start in films in 1973 when George Lucas hired him for a small role as the hot rod driver Bob Falfa in American Grafitti.  His major films have included the Star Wars series, the Indiana Jones movies, Force Ten From Navarone, Patriot Games, Air Force One, and The Fugitive which was filmed almost completely on locations in Chicago and southern Illinois.  He was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for his role as John Book in Witness.  Harrison Ford now lives most of the time in Wyoming when he is not making movies. 

Ford's fiance Calista Flockhart was born in Freeport, Illinois in 1964.  Her father worked for Chicago-based Kraft Foods.  While she considers Freeport her hometown, she also lived in other states before college studies at Rutgers University in New Jersey.  She acted in TV soap operas such as Guiding Light and had some small roles in films such as Quiz Show.  She played the daughter of Illinois-native Gene Hackman in The Bird Cage which also starred Illinois-native Robbin Williams.  Gene Hackman is from Danville and Robbin Williams was born in Chicago.  Calista won the 1998 Golden Globe Award for best comedy address on TV in her role as Ally McBeal.  Since leaving that TV series, Calista has enjoyed success in Chicago, on Broadway, and in other cities in legitimate theater productions.  She won critical good notices for her performance in New York in Tennessee Williams' The Glass Managerie.  Various news wire stories reported on June 19, 2006 that Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart are planning to be married in the fall.

By Mark Rhoads

Action movie star Harrison Ford was born in Chicago in 1942.  He grew up in Morton Grove and Park Ridge and graduated from Maine East High School in 1960.  Former First Lady and New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton also graduated from Maine East in 1965 as did pioneer children's TV actor Hugh Brannum (aka "Mr. Green Jeans" on Captain Kangaroo) in 1927.  Harrison Ford's grandfather had worked in vaudeville and his father was an advertising executive and a part-time "voice over" actor who recorded some radio commercials in Chicago.  Harrison attended Ripon College in Wisconsin but did not finish the credits needed for a degree.  After some acting in summer stock plays, Harrison tried hard in the late 1960s to support a family and to make a living as an actor in Hollywood but with limited success.  He quit acting for four years to work as a carpenter before making a successful new start in films in 1973 when George Lucas hired him for a small role as the hot rod driver Bob Falfa in American Grafitti.  His major films have included the Star Wars series, the Indiana Jones movies, Force Ten From Navarone, Patriot Games, Air Force One, and The Fugitive which was filmed almost completely on locations in Chicago and southern Illinois.  He was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for his role as John Book in Witness.  Harrison Ford now lives most of the time in Wyoming when he is not making movies. 

Ford's fiance Calista Flockhart was born in Freeport, Illinois in 1964.  Her father worked for Chicago-based Kraft Foods.  While she considers Freeport her hometown, she also lived in other states before college studies at Rutgers University in New Jersey.  She acted in TV soap operas such as Guiding Light and had some small roles in films such as Quiz Show.  She played the daughter of Illinois-native Gene Hackman in The Bird Cage which also starred Illinois-native Robbin Williams.  Gene Hackman is from Danville and Robbin Williams was born in Chicago.  Calista won the 1998 Golden Globe Award for best comedy address on TV in her role as Ally McBeal.  Since leaving that TV series, Calista has enjoyed success in Chicago, on Broadway, and in other cities in legitimate theater productions.  She won critical good notices for her performance in New York in Tennessee Williams' The Glass Managerie.  Various news wire stories reported on June 19, 2006 that Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart are planning to be married in the fall.