an unofficial fansite dedicated to holland taylor
bio courtesy of IMDb and Carolyn Parker
Nickname Penny
Taylor
Mini biography
Holland is the third born (and last) daughter of her mother Virginia
Taylor, and the only child of her father C.Tracy Taylor (an attorney).
She was born in Philadelphia and spent her teen years in nearby Allentown
Pa. where Holland got the nickname "Penny Taylor" because of
her coppery hair color. Holland attended Quaker schools then majored in
drama at Bennington college.
At the age of 22 Holland moved to New York with the desire to become a "great big Broadway star." After fifteen years of "disappointments and near misses" in New York and California Holland was cast as Ruth Dunbar in the sitcom Bosom Buddies with Tom Hanks.
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It was Holland's "breakout" role and it lead to many other TV and film offers including the movie Romancing The Stone as Kathleen Turners book publisher and friend. Holland had hesitated to accept the role but her acting coach and mentor Stella Adler encouraged her not to be so stage minded. In 1992 Holland was still living in Greenwhich Village New York and traveling back and forth between a rented apartment in Hollywood and New York in order to work on both coasts.
Holland has said her first love was the theater but the work for her
in TV and films were better. However Holland said she was dealing with
the back and forthing "less and less well".
In the next few years Holland moved officially to California and in the
last couple of years left her apartment in West Hollywood for her own
home in the Hollywood Hills. Holland won an Emmy in 1999 for her work
in The Practice.She said the recognition of her work means alot "to
have a great part like this at my age is rich, rich, rich". Holland
once said "I always thought I would end up marrying in my 60s".
She is still single.
Trivia
Loves France and has taken French classes to learn the language. She has
also taken lessons in classical French cooking. Has studied Jazz and Tap
dancing and also ballet at the Joffrey (beginging level as of 1978).
Holland has said she is a "once and always student" of acting coach Stella Adler.
Holland has at least 5 nieces and nephews and 1 great niece or nephew.
Among Holland's friends are playwrite A.J (Pete) Gurney, and former co-star Tea Leoni. After their first season of working together on Naked Truth, Leoni said (in answer to the question of who impressed her most of the new people she had met) "I still have to say the coolest person I met was Holland Taylor. She's become my new best friend. We have lots of fun together. She's the hottest ticket in town. I just adore her."
Has never married or had children. Youngest of 3 daughters born to C. Tracy and Virginia Taylor. Sisters, Patricia and Pamela. Attended Bennington College in Vermont. Aunt of Brad Anderson (II)
Personal quotes
On winning the Emmy Holland thanked David E. Kelly "for giving me
a chariot to ride up here on: A woman who puts a flag on the moon for
women over 40. Who can think, who can work, who are successes, who can
cook, and who can COOK!"
On her semi-nude scene on The Practice: "I only wish they had shown me compleatly naked. How hot would that have been"?
From Movieweb.com's "Keeping the Faith"
HOLLAND TAYLOR (Bonnie Rose) recently won an Emmy Award for her recurring
role on ABC’s "The Practice." A veteran of film, television,
and theater, Taylor includes among her film credits "The Truman Show,"
"George of the Jungle," "One Fine Day," and "To
Die For." Ms. Taylor also appeared in "Steal Big, Steal Little,"
"How to Make an American Quilt," "Alice," "She’s
Having a Baby," "Jewel of the Nile," "Key Exchange,"
"The Next Man," "Fame," and "Romancing the Stone,"
starring as Kathleen Turner’s benevolent editor. She made an appearance
in "Next Stop Wonderland" which was enthusiastically received
at the Sundance Film Festival and was directed by her nephew Brad Anderson.
Taylor will soon be seen in the upcoming "Town and Country,"
with Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton, and Jenna Elfman.
On television, Taylor recently starred in "The Naked Truth"
with Tea Leoni. Audiences also remember her as Tom Hanks’ advertising
boss in the comedy series "Bosom Buddies" and as the senator’s
wife in Norman Lear’s "The Powers That Be." Her other television
credits include the telefilms "A Walton Wedding," "Counterfeit
Contessa," "The Case of Dr. Willis," and the miniseries
"In the Best of Families," "Concealed Enemies," and
"People Like Us." Taylor guest-starred on the series "Ally
McBeal," "Something So Right," "Michael Hayes,"
"Veronica’s Closet," and starred in the movie-of-the-week
"Mail to the Chief" with Randy Quaid.
Taylor’s extensive theater credits include numerous Broadway, off-Broadway
and regional productions. Her Broadway debut was in "The Devils"
with Anne Bancroft, and she appeared opposite Alan Bates in "Butley."
Additional credits include "Breakfast with Les and Bess," "Moose
Murders," "Murder Among Friends," "Something Old,
Something New," and "We Interrrupt This Program." She also
performed in the world premieres of "Cocktail Hour," "Drinks
Before Dinner," "Children," "Fashion," and "Colette."
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