Auditioned for the High School of the Performing Arts in NYC; accepted at age 15

First stage role in "Irish Coffee" at the Ensemble Studio Theatre

Appeared in the daytime soap, "Search for Tomorrow"

TV-movie debut in "We're Fighting Back" (CBS)

Film acting debut in Barry Levinson's "Diner"

Appeared off-Broadway with Susan Sarandon in the original production of "Extremities"

Acted off-Broadway in "Eden Court": critic Frank Rich said, "If it were really possible to give the kiss of life to a corpse, the actress Ellen Barkin would be the one to do it"

Breakthrough leading role in "The Big Easy"

First role with future husband Gabriel Byrne, "Siesta"

Acted in Walter Hill's "Johnny Handsome"

Starred with Al Pacino in "Sea of Love"

Cast as a man reincarnated in a woman's body in "Switch"

Reteamed with Byrne for Mike Newell's "Into the West", written by Jim Sheridan

Played an opera singer in disappointing "Man Trouble"

Appeared in John Turturro's directing debut, "Mac"

Acted opposite Robert De Niro in "This Boy's Life"

Portrayed Calamity Jane to Jeff Bridges' "Wild Bill"; project reteamed her with director Hill

Second film with De Niro, "The Fan"

Third film with Byrne, Larry Bishop's "Mad Dog Time"

Won an Emmy for her work in ABC-movie "Before Women Had Wings," produced by Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions

Contributed cameo to Terry Gilliam's "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas"

Portrayed the mother of beauty contestant (Kirsten Dunst) in "Drop Dead Gorgeous"

Appeared as Monica Keena's mother in "Crime + Punishment in Suburbia"

Signed to co-star with Ashley Judd and Marisa Tomei in "Someone Like You"

Appeared in the Spike Lee Comedy "She Hate Me"

Plays the mother of a teenager girl who is forced by her parents to have an abortion in "Palindromes" by director Todd Solondz

Cast as a book publisher in Bart Freundlich's "Trust the Man"

Joined the cast of Soderbergh's "Ocean's 13," as Pacino's right-hand woman