Women United Luncheon

For nearly five decades, Academy Award and Golden Globe winning actress Mary Steenburgen has delighted audiences with her timeless portrayals of humorous, emotionally complex and relatable characters. She is best known for her work in “Melvin and Howard,” for which she received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar, “Stepbrothers,” “Elf,” “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” and television shows including “The Last Man on Earth,” “Justified,” “Orange is the New Black” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Mary currently stars in the Netflix comedy, “A Man on the Inside.”

In addition to a prolific film and television career, Mary is an award-winning songwriter for Universal Music Publishing Group. She has worked with acclaimed artists such as Tim McGraw, Kate York and Caitlyn Smith. In 2020, Mary partnered with York and Smith to write “Glasgow (No Place Like Home),” for the film Wild Rose. The song received a Critics’ Choice Award in addition to other accolades and nominations.

Mary’s philanthropic efforts include supporting the THEA Foundation, Oceana and Pathway to Kinship, among others. Together with her husband, Ted Danson, Mary cofounded Angels at Risk, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit which provides resources for families affected by drug and alcohol abuse. The couple received the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award at the 2025 Emmy Awards for their extraordinary activism and philanthropic efforts.