Phyllis Somerville on AllMovie

For decades, actress Phyllis Somerville checked in as one of Hollywood's most popular character actresses when filling roles for matronly types. Somerville did much of her early work on the theatrical stage, prior to moving into features and television in the early '80s. Some cinematic contributions included small roles in Arthur (1981) and Leap of Faith (1992), while on the small screen, the actress enjoyed multi-episode roles on NYPD Blue and Law & Order. She received heightened exposure with a turn as the mother of a beleaguered sexual predator (Jackie Earle Haley) in Todd Field's Little Children (2006), and in 2008 joined stars Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett in David Fincher's epic-scaled fantasy opus The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.