A tough, no-nonsense blonde of the Barbara Stanwyck school of acting, actress Ellen Barkin made her belated acting debut at the age of 26 in a 1980 New York stage production of "Irish Coffee;" later appearing in the original off-Broadway presentation of "Extremities.” She learned the ropes as a cast member of the soap opera "Search for Tomorrow" before making her feature debut as the unappreciated wife who misfiles her husband's records in Barry Levinson's ensemble film "Diner" (1982). Roles as Robert Duvall's headstrong daughter in "Tender Mercies" and Timothy Hutton's wife in "Daniel" (both
