Trivia

Baranski has said the most enjoyable film shoots she has done were the "Mamma Mia" films because she could "research" her character over martinis with old friend Meryl Streep after each daily wrap.

Before succeeding on the sitcom Cybill (1995), she had already completed close to 20 years' success in New York theater, both on and off Broadway, garnering wins in all major acting areas (Tony Award, Obie Award, Lortel Award and Drama Desk Award), later winning an Emmy Award as well.

She won her first Tony Award in the Broadway play "The Real Thing", in which she played a woman having an affair with a character played by Jeremy Irons (who also won a Tony Award). Five years later, she appeared in the film Reversal of Fortune (1990), in which she again played a woman having an affair with a character played by Irons, who this time won an Oscar for his performance.

She auditioned for the role of Princess Leia Organa in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), which eventually went to Carrie Fisher.

Has won two Tony Awards as Best Actress (Featured Role - Play): in 1984 for Tom Stoppard's "The Real Thing" and in 1989 for "Rumors". In her acceptance speech for her second Tony Award for the Broadway play "Rumors", she announced that her win made her the 100th person to ever receive an award for working on or appearing in a Neil Simon production in film, television, or theater.

May 28, 1991: Starred in the first production of Terrence McNally's play "Lips Together, Teeth Apart" with Swoosie Kurtz, Nathan Lane and Anthony Heald.

Attended high school at the Villa Maria Motherhouse Complex. At age 19 at the Juilliard School, she was awarded $1,000 for living expenses as "the most hard-working, economically needy student". She later acknowledged spending the money to spend two months in Europe. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Juilliard School (1974).

Connecticut-based, with husband Matthew Cowles. The couple have two daughters: Isabel Cowles (born 1984) and Lily Cowles (born 1987). Baranski and her husband raised their daughters without television, disapproving of the sexual content and violence on the small screen. Lily Cowles is an alumna of Princeton University.

Daughter of Virginia (née Mazurowski) and Lucien Baranski, both of Polish descent. Her father edited a Polish-language newspaper. Her grandparents were theater actors.

In an interview on NPR, she shared that her #1 football loyalty is to her hometown Buffalo Bills, but that she defaults to the New England Patriots if the Bills don't advance.

She appeared in three Christmas films: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), A Bad Moms Christmas (2017) and Christmas on the Square (2020).

Studied acting with Michael Howard in New York City.