Keener was born in Miami and raised in Hialeah, Florida, and is the daughter of Evelyn (Jamiel) and Jim Keener, who owned an auto shop. She is of Irish and Lebanese descent. Keener attended Wheaton College in Massachusetts. She began taking acting classes when she was unable to sign up for a photography class. After graduating, Keener managed a McDonalds in New York City before becoming an assistant casting director and soon relocating to Los Angeles.Not long after, Keener told her superior of her aspirations for acting and she landed a one-worded role as a waitress in ¿Qué pasó anoche? (1986). Two years later, she landed a role in a film called Survival Quest (1988), where she met her future husband, Dermot Mulroney. After struggling for years in the industry, Keener landed a role in an independent film, opposite the unknown Brad Pitt, in Johnny Suede (1991). Her ascent in independent film began as she starred in Vivir rodando (1995) and Walking and Talking (Nadie es perfecto) (1996) before her mainstream break with Cómo ser John Malkovich(1999) in 1999, which earned Keener her first Oscar nomination. Since then, Catherine Keener has starred in several critically acclaimed films. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Keener_PerkinsSpouse (1)
Dermot Mulroney (17 November 1990 - 17 December 2007) (divorced) (1 child)
Trade Mark
Often works with Nicole Holofcener and Spike Jonze
Trivia
Attended a Catholic high school, Monsignor Edward Pace High School, Miami, Florida.
Graduated from Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts in 1983.
Graduated from Immaculate Conception in Hialeah, Florida
Grew up in Hialeah, Florida.
Ex-sister-in-law of Kieran Mulroney and Sean Mulroney.
Has been close friends with Brad Pitt since they both starred in 1991's Johnny Suede(1991) together, and they often attend each other's movie premieres.
Older sister of Elizabeth Keener.
Was member of the dramatic jury at the Sundance Film Festival in 1997.
Of Irish and Lebanese descent.
Has worked with director/producer Spike Jonze four times and director Nicole Holofcenerfour times.
Had two movies pushed back from late 2008 to a release in 2009. Both El solista (2009) and Donde viven los monstruos (2009).
Catherine was devastated when famed author Harper Lee, whom she played in Truman Capote (2005), refused to speak with her before filming. The author, who had been celebrated author Truman Capote's best friend since childhood, refused to cooperate with the making of the film. Lee did contact Keener after filming, to tell her that she enjoyed the film.
Good friends with actress Jennifer Aniston.
Catherine shielded a surprised Jennifer Aniston from a reporter on Today (1952). The pair appeared to talk about a movie that they were filming, Amigos con dinero (2006), when the questions started to turn personal on Aniston. The reporter was warned before taping, that all personal topics were "off limits", yet when the interview started, the reporter asked about Jennifer's wedding plans with actor Vince Vaughn. Catherine stepped in, and told the reporter to "back off" and stick to the topic at hand.
Gave birth to her first child at age 40, a son Clyde Mulroney on June 21, 1999. Child's father is her ex-husband, Dermot Mulroney.
Personal Quotes
[on her harshest rejection]: "One director said I just wasn't sexy. It was hard, really hard. I left town for two months with my tail between my legs. But you have to kind of go, okay, maybe I'm not their idea of [sexy], but hell, I can have sex!"
Well, for one thing, I like being a supporting actress. I like to come and go in the film. The interesting characters are very few if you want to be the lead, and they depend on you being beautiful. Since I'm not interested in those parts, the pressure's off, in a way. I'm not cast for my physicality. I find that playing so many characters in so many films is a way to be in the moment.
Luck favors the prepared.
Well, the day I got nominated, I had jury duty, a D.U.I. case. The morning the nominations were announced, I reported to jury duty as scheduled. That was good; it gave me perspective. If you start feeling too important, it's always good to go sit in a jury for a D.U.I. charge.
