Christine Ann Lahti (born April 4, 1950) is an American actress and filmmaker. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the 1984 film Swing Shift. Her other film roles include ...And Justice for All (1979), Housekeeping (1987), Running on Empty (1988), Leaving Normal (1992), and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019). For her directorial debut with the 1995 short film Lieberman in Love, she won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.
Lahti made her Broadway debut in 1980 as a replacement in Loose Ends and went on to star in the Broadway productions of Present Laughter (1982) and The Heidi Chronicles (1989). An eight-time Golden Globe nominee and six-time Emmy Award nominee, she won a Golden Globe for the 1989 TV movie No Place Like Home and won a Golden Globe and an Emmy in 1998 for her role as Kate Austin in the CBS series Chicago Hope (1995–99). She returned to Broadway in 2009 to star in God of Carnage. She has had a number of recurring roles: as Sonya Paxton in the NBC series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2009–11), as Doris McGarrett in the CBS series Hawaii Five-0 (2012–19), as Laurel Hitchin in NBC's The Blacklist (2015–17), as Sheryl Luria in the CBS/Paramount+ series Evil (2019–24), and as Ruby Quinn in the CBS series Fire Country (2025).
Early life and education Lahti was born in Birmingham, Michigan, the daughter of Elizabeth Margaret (née Tabar),Tucsoncitizen.com a painter, homemaker, and nurse, and Paul Theodore Lahti,Orlando Sentinel a surgeon. She has three sisters, Carol, Catherine, and Linda, and two brothers, Paul Jr. and James Lahti. Her paternal grandparents were Finnish immigrants and her maternal grandparents were from Austria-Hungary. Lahti was raised in the Lutheran Church.
Lahti studied Fine Arts at Florida State University and received her bachelor's degree in Drama from the University of Michigan, where she joined Delta Gamma sorority. She studied acting at HB StudioHB Studio Alumni in New York City, as well as completing a two-year professional actor training program at the William Esper Studio for the performing arts in Manhattan.
Career After college, Lahti headed to New York City in 1973, where she worked as a waitress and did commercials. Her breakthrough movie was ...And Justice for All (1979) with Al Pacino. In the film Whose Life Is It Anyway? (1981), starring Richard Dreyfuss and John Cassavetes, she was cast as a physician who grows attached to a paralyzed patient seeking the right to leave the hospital. Later, she was cast in an important role in Running on Empty, a 1988 movie in which she and Judd Hirsch played the parents of a musically promising son; the family went underground to avoid the FBI after the parents had damaged a napalm factory, and they all must periodically move on short notice and assume new identities. She has also focused on television, beginning with her role in the made-for-TV adaptation of The Executioner's Song (1982). She appeared on Broadway in Wendy Wasserstein's seriocomic play, The Heidi Chronicles.
Lahti received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for Swing Shift (1984), and won an Academy Award for Best Short Film, Live Action for Lieberman in Love (1995), in which she starred and also directed. It was adapted from Lieberman in Love, a short story by W. P. Kinsella. Lahti won a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award in 1998 for her role in Chicago Hope. Lahti was in the bathroom when she won the third award and finally came to the stage following an attempt by show producer John Tinker to accept on her behalf and an interruptive riff by Robin Williams. In 1999, she presented with a piece of toilet paper attached to her shoe as an "inside joke" about her previous appearance.
In 2001, her first directorial feature-length film, My First Mister, was released. Starring Leelee Sobieski and Albert Brooks, the movie debuted with good reviews. In DVD commentary she applauds the work of her cast and crew, remarking "[I] was very lucky to have such a wonderful crew..." She said she felt regret that the film was rated R, for language, despairing that the movie might not be viewed by teens who would relate with the characters. Also, Lahti mentioned that she would have liked to have had more time to shoot different perspectives in order to facilitate story arc.
Lahti starred in the executive ADA role on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Sonya Paxton while the character Alexandra Cabot (Stephanie March) was in appeals. She was in the first four episodes of the 11th season and returned for the show's eighth episode, where she clashed with Cabot. Lahti later guest starred in the ninth and 17th episodes of the 12th season, where she reprised her role as Paxton. Her character was murdered in the 17th episode.
She returned to Broadway upon joining the cast of the Tony Award–winning play God of Carnage on November 17, 2009, replacing Marcia Gay Harden. Both actresses had a few special appearances on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. In September 2011, Lahti starred with Morgan Freeman in the Broadway debut of Dustin Lance Black's play, 8—a reenactment of the federal trial that overturned California's Prop 8 ban on same-sex marriage—as Kris Perry. In March 2012, she was featured with Jamie Lee Curtis and Jansen Panettiere at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre. The production was broadcast on YouTube to raise money for the American Foundation for Equal Rights.
Her book of autobiographical essays, titled True Stories From an Unreliable Eyewitness, was published in 2018 by Harper Wave.
In 2020, Lahti appeared as a guest on the Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip marathon fundraiser episode of The George Lucas Talk Show.
Personal life Lahti has been married to television director Thomas Schlamme since September 4, 1983. They have three children. Lahti resides in Los Angeles, California, with her family. She also owns an apartment in Greenwich Village.
In 2004, Lahti took part in a protest against the murders of women in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.
Since May 2005, Lahti has been a contributor at HuffPost.
Performances and works
Film + Year Film Role Notes 1979 ...And Justice for All Gail Packer 1981 Whose Life Is It Anyway? Dr. Clare Scott Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains Aunt Linda 1984 Swing Shift Hazel Zanussi New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting ActressNominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting ActressNominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture 1986 Desert Bloom Rose Chismore Uncredited Just Between Friends Sandy Dunlap 1987 Stacking Kathleen Morgan aka Season of Dreams Housekeeping Sylvie 1988 Running on Empty Annie Pope/Cynthia Manfield Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best ActressNominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama 1989 Miss Firecracker Clara Archer Gross Anatomy Dr. Rachel Woodruff 1990 Funny About Love Meg Lloyd Bergman 1991 The Doctor Anne MacKee 1992 Leaving Normal Darly Peters 1995 Lieberman in Love Shaleen Also directorAcademy Award for Best Live Action Short Film The Four Diamonds Doctor and Queen Raptenahad Hideaway Lindsey 1996 Pie in the Sky Ruby 2001 My First Mister Mall Patron Also director 2003 Out of the Ashes Gisella Perl 2008 Smart People Nancy Yonkers Joe Janice 2009 Obsessed Reese 2010 Flying Lessons Carolyn Conway 2012 Petunia Felicia Petunia Touchback Thelma 2013 Hateship, Loveship Eileen 2015 The Steps Sherry Touched with Fire Sara Safelight Peg 2016 Operator Beth Larsen 2017 Becks Ann 2019 A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Ellen 2025 Bird In Hand Carlotta
Television + Year Title Role Notes 1978 The Harvey Korman Show Maggie Kavanaugh Recurring role, 5 episodes The Last Tenant Carol Television film Dr. Scorpion Tania Reston Television film 1980 The Henderson Monster Dr. Louise Casimir Television film 1981 Wolcott Melinda Marin 4-part British miniseries 1982 The Executioner's Song Brenda Television film 1984 Single Bars, Single Women Elsie Television film 1985 Love Lives On Marylin Television film 1987 Amerika Alethea Milford Television miniseriesNominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television FilmNominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie 1989 No Place Like Home Zan Cooper Television filmGolden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television FilmNominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie 1991 Crazy from the Heart Charlotte Bain Television film 1992 The Fear Inside Meredith Cole Television filmNominated—CableACE Award for Best Actress in a Movie or Miniseries 1994 Frasier Laura (voice) Episode: "Author, Author" 1995–1999 Chicago Hope Dr. Kathryn Austin Main roleGolden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series DramaPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama SeriesSatellite Award for Best Actress – Television Series DramaNominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series DramaNominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (1996–97, 1999)Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series (1996–99)Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (1996–98)Nominated—Viewers for Quality Television Award for Best Actress in a Quality Drama Series 1997 Hope Emma Percy Television film 1999 Judgment Day:The Ellie Nesler Story Ellie Nesler Television film 2000 An American Daughter Lyssa Dent Hughes Television filmNominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film 2001 Ally McBeal Sydney Gale Episode: "Queen Bee" 2002 Women vs. Men Dana Television film The Pilot's Wife Kathryn Lyons Television film 2003 Out of the Ashes Gisella Perl Television film 2004 Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman Rose Television film 2004–2005 Jack & Bobby Grace McCallister Main roleNominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series DramaNominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series 2006 Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip Martha O'Dell 3 episodes 2009 Operating Instructions H. Keller Television film 2009–2011 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Sonya Paxton Recurring role, 7 episodes 2011 The Doctor Emily Campbell Unsold television pilot 2012–2019 Hawaii Five-0 Doris McGarrett Recurring role, 10 episodes 2015 Grace and Frankie Lydia Foster Episode: "The Funeral" 2015–2017 The Blacklist Laurel Hitchin Recurring role, 10 episodes 2015–2016 The Good Wife Andrea Stevens 2 episodes 2017–2018 The Good Fight Andrea Stevens 2 episodes 2019–2024 Evil Sheryl Luria Main roleNominated—Critics' Choice Super Award for Best Actress in a Horror SeriesNominated—Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series 2020 Curb Your Enthusiasm Herself Episode: "Artificial Fruit" 2025 Fire Country Ruby Quinn 1st Episode: "Your Voice in My Head"
Theater + Year Title Role Director(s) Venue 1980 Loose Ends Susan Alan Schneider Circle in the Square Theatre Division Street Dianah Tom Moore Ambassador Theatre 1981 Scenes and Revelations Helena Sheldon Epps Circle in the Square Theatre 1982–83 Present Laughter Joanna Lyppiatt George C. Scott Circle in the Square Theatre 1989–90 The Heidi Chronicles Heidi Holland Daniel Sullivan Plymouth Theatre 2009–10 God of Carnage Veronica Matthew Warchus Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre 2017 Fucking A Hester Smith Jo Bonney Signature Theatre 2018 Gloria: A Life Gloria Steinem Diane Paulus Daryl Roth Theatre 2023 The Smile of Her Herself Robert H. Egan Berkshire Theatre Festival 2026 Mêlisa Annis Marylebone Theatre, London
Published works Lahti, Christine. True Stories from an Unreliable Eyewitness (2018)
Awards and nominations