Actress who won the 2013 Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Miniseries for her role in the FX series American Horror Story. She also had prominent roles in the films 12 Years a Slave, What Women Want, Serenity, and Martha Marcy May Marlene.
She attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
She was nominated for a 2007 Golden Globe Award for her role on the series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. In 2016, she won an Emmy Award for her portrayal of Marcia Clark on the FX series The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story.
She was in a relationship with actress Cherry Jones from 2005 until 2009. She then began dating actress Holland Taylor in 2015.
She co-starred with Julianne Moore in the 2012 HBO political drama film Game Change.