Mary ‘Mare’ Megan Winningham is an actress and songwriter who has appeared in nearly 100 TV shows and feature films. She began her career in 1976 as a singer, and starred in numerous and diverse film roles before hitting it big as one of the original Brat Pack in Joel Schumacher’s St. Elmo’s Fire (1985) with Emilio Estevez, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, and Ally Sheedy.Mare attended Chatsworth High School with Val Kilmer, James Rekart and Kevin Spacey, but she was bitten by the acting bug much earlier on. She had enjoyed drama and music since primary school, taking a particular interest in the guitar and drums.Since St. Elmo’s Fire (1985), Mare has played some outstanding roles in a number of big films. She starred in the Tom Hanks comedy Turner & Hooch (1989). She has also starred in two feature films with Kevin Costner, The War (1994) and the western Wyatt Earp (1994), the latter directed by Lawrence Kasdan and co-starring Gene Hackman. Mare won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her role opposite Jennifer Jason Leigh in Georgia (1995).Bad Day on the Block (1997) saw her starring opposite Charlie Sheen and she put in a superb performance in Brothers (2009), a war drama co-starring Tobey Maguire and Natalie Portman.Her myriad TV roles include ER (1994), Grey’s Anatomy (2005), and 24 (2001) with Kiefer Sutherland.
Mare Winningham
Movies
Brothers
Before leaving on his second tour in Afghanistan, Marine Captain Sam Cahill, a leader, an athlete, a good husband and father, welcomes his screw-up brother Tommy home from prison. He’d robbed a bank. In country, Sam’s helicopter is shot down and all are presumed dead. Back home, while Sam wastes…
Fun Facts
Mother, with ex-husband William Mapel, of sons Riley Mapel (November 7, 1981-August 14, 2005), Patrick Mapel (b. 1983) and Jack Mapel (b. April 15, 1985), daughter Calla Louise Mapel (b. 1987), and another son, Happy Atticus Mapel (b. September 13, 1988).
Her TV debut at age 16 was on The Gong Show (1976).
She is also a folk singer-songwriter with a couple of albums.
Went to Chatsworth High School in Los Angeles with Val Kilmer and Kevin Spacey. During their senior year, Kevin played von Trapp and Mare played Maria in a school production of "The Sound of Music."" Upon hearing of their Oscar nominations in 1996