Lili Taylor

Lili Taylor

Actress · Artist · Independent Spirit

Biography

Lili Anne Taylor was born on February 20, 1967, in Glencoe, Illinois, the fifth of six children raised in a warm, creative household. Her father, George Park Taylor, ran a hardware store; her mother, Marie, was an artist — a combination that gave Lili both a grounded practicality and a deep appreciation for creative expression.

Growing up in the northern suburbs of Chicago, she described herself as "a bit of a searcher" — curious, thoughtful, and drawn to stories that didn't fit neatly into any box. She graduated from New Trier High School in Winnetka in 1985, a school that also produced Rock Hudson and Ann-Margret, as well as her future collaborator John Cusack.

She went on to study at the Theatre School at DePaul University and the renowned Piven Theatre Workshop in Evanston, Illinois, where she trained alongside John Cusack, Joan Cusack, Aidan Quinn, and Jeremy Piven — a circle of talent that would go on to shape American independent cinema.

At a Glance

Born
February 20, 1967
Birthplace
Glencoe, Illinois
Height
5′ 2″
Education
New Trier High School; DePaul University; Piven Theatre Workshop
Spouse
Nick Flynn
Known For
I Shot Andy Warhol, The Conjuring, Six Feet Under, American Crime
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Career

Lili Taylor came to prominence with supporting roles in Mystic Pizza (1988) alongside Julia Roberts, and Say Anything... (1989). But it was the independent film circuit of the 1990s where she truly made her mark — becoming one of its defining figures through raw, deeply committed performances that other actors simply couldn't replicate.

"Beauty helps you get a job. I could be the best actor ever, but it doesn't matter. I don't do lingerie. I don't do roles that diminish females or tell the same story about the whore with the heart of gold." — Lili Taylor

Her role in Dogfight (1991), directed by Nancy Savoca opposite River Phoenix, was so quietly powerful that critic Danny Peary argued she deserved a Best Actress Academy Award for it. She followed that with Robert Altman's Short Cuts (1993), Household Saints (1993), and her most celebrated performance — portraying radical feminist Valerie Solanas in Mary Harron's I Shot Andy Warhol (1996). That same year, she co-wrote and starred in Girls Town, for which the Sundance Film Festival awarded her its first-ever Special Grand Jury Prize for Acting.

On television, she earned Emmy nominations for her guest role in The X-Files (1998), her recurring role as Lisa Kimmel Fisher in HBO's Six Feet Under (2002–2005), and her lead performance in ABC's anthology drama American Crime (2015–2017). On stage, her Broadway credits include Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters (1997) and Scott McPherson's Marvin's Room (2017).

In recent years she has appeared in Outer Range, Perry Mason, Poker Face, Daredevil: Born Again, and The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, demonstrating a career that continues to grow across every medium.

Filmography

Year Title Role Medium
1988Mystic PizzaJojo BarbozaFilm
1989Say Anything...Corey FloodFilm
1989Born on the Fourth of JulySupportingFilm
1991DogfightRose FennyFilm
1993Household SaintsTeresa SantangeloFilm
1993Short CutsHoney BushFilm
1993RudySupportingFilm
1995The AddictionKathleen ConklinFilm
1996I Shot Andy WarholValerie SolanasFilm
1996Girls TownPattiFilm
1996RansomMaris ConnerFilm
1997Three Sisters (Broadway)IrinaStage
1998The X-Files — "Mind's Eye"Marty GlennTV
1998PeckerRorey WheelerFilm
1999The HauntingTheoFilm
2000High FidelitySarah KendrewFilm
2002Six Feet UnderLisa Kimmel FisherTV
2005FactotumLauraFilm
2009Public EnemiesSheriff Lillian HolleyFilm
2013The ConjuringCarolyn PerronFilm
2015American CrimeAnne BlaineTV
2015Maze Runner: The Scorch TrialsMary CooperFilm
2017To the BoneSusanFilm
2017Marvin's Room (Broadway)LeeStage
2019EliDr. Isabella HornFilm
2021Outer RangeCecilia AbbottTV
2023Perry MasonSupportingTV
2024Poker FaceGuestTV
2025Daredevil: Born AgainSupportingTV
2026The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the ReapingTBAFilm

Personal Life

Family

Lili is married to poet and memoirist Nick Flynn, best known for his memoir Another Bullshit Night in Suck City. Together they have a daughter. She is the fifth of six children and has spoken warmly about her close-knit upbringing in suburban Chicago.

Early Influences

Her mother was an artist and her father ran a hardware store — a combination she credits with giving her both creative curiosity and a grounded work ethic. She trained at the Piven Theatre Workshop alongside John Cusack, Aidan Quinn, and Jeremy Piven.

Community Work

Lili is active in the 52nd Street Project in New York City, an organization that gives inner-city children the opportunity to experience theatre firsthand. It reflects her deep belief in the power of storytelling as a tool for connection and growth.

New York Life

Taylor has long been based in New York City, a city whose independent spirit matches her own. She famously rescued a black pug named Gulliver from the side of a road in upstate New York, and he became a beloved companion.

Awards & Recognition