Summary
Molly Ephraim (born May 22, 1986)[1] is an American actress who has appeared in films, television, and Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regional theater productions. She is best known for her role as Mandy Baxter on the ABC/Fox sitcom Last Man Standing during its original run (2011–2017) before its move to Fox after its sixth season. Ephraim has also appeared on a number of other TV series, including Brockmire (2017), Halt and Catch Fire (2017), and Casual (2018). Ephraim portrayed Irene Kelly in the Hugh Jackman movie The Front Runner (2018), her second collaboration with her Last Man Standing co-star Kaitlyn Dever. She also appeared on HBO's Perry Mason as Della Street’s lover Hazel Prystock. She plays Maybelle Fox on the Amazon series A League of Their Own.
Molly Ephraim | |
|---|---|
 Ephraim at the premiere of Front Runner, 2018 Toronto Film Festival | |
| Born | May 22, 1986[1] Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Princeton University |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Known for | Last Man Standing Paranormal Activity 2 |
| Spouse |
Evan (m. 2021) |
| Children | 1[2] |
Early life edit
Ephraim was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,[3] and was raised Jewish.[4] She grew up in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Ephraim performed in shows at the Bucks County Playhouse, and in professional productions at the Prince Music Theater and at the Arden Theatre Company in Philadelphia.[5]
In 2008, Ephraim graduated from Princeton University with a B.A. in Religious Studies, after going to Central Bucks East High School.[6] At Princeton she was a member of the Triangle Club and performed in and choreographed various shows for Princeton University Players and Theatre Intime.[5]
Career edit
Theater edit
Ephraim made her Broadway debut as Little Red Riding Hood in the Broadway revival of Into the Woods in 2002, receiving a Drama League Award nomination.[7] She later played Bielke in a Broadway revival of Fiddler on the Roof (2004).[8] Off-Broadway, Ephraim played Rachel Stein in End Days at the Ensemble Studio Theatre in 2009.[9] She played Olive in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at the Barrington Stage Company in 2008, in a remounting of the production with new direction by Jeremy Dobrish, and at the North Shore Music Theatre. In 2010, she played Anne Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank at the Westport Country Playhouse.[10]
In 2015, Ephraim appeared as "Daphna Feygenbaum" in Joshua Harmon's Bad Jews at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.[11]
Film and television edit
Ephraim appeared as a series regular in the role of Mandy Baxter, daughter of series' lead Mike Baxter (portrayed by Tim Allen), on the ABC sitcom Last Man Standing, which premiered on October 11, 2011 and originally ended in March 2017, canceled after six seasons.[12] The series was revived by Fox in May 2018, but Ephraim opted not to return for the show's seventh season, with Molly McCook recast in the role.[13]
Ephraim has appeared on several other television series, including Royal Pains (2009), Law & Order (2008), the Michael J. Fox-produced pilot Hench at Home (2003), the HBO pilot The Wonderful Maladys (2009),[7] and has had recurring roles on Brockmire (2017), Halt and Catch Fire (2017), Casual (2018) and Perry Mason (2020).
Ephraim portrayed Wendy Greenhut in the film College Road Trip (2008)[14] and Ali Rey in the film Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)[15] and the spin-off film Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014).[16][12] Ephraim appeared in a supporting role in the 2018 biographical political drama The Front Runner, portraying Irene Kelly. She also played Gypsy Rose Blanchard's attorney in The Act on Hulu.
As of August 12, 2022, Ephraim plays Maybelle Fox on the Amazon series A League of Their Own.
Personal life edit
Ephraim was married in September 2021. Her husband, Evan, works at a software company. On December 1, 2021, Ephraim gave birth to the couple's first child, daughter Zia.[17]
Filmography edit
Film edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | College Road Trip | Wendy Greenhut | |
| 2010 | Paranormal Activity 2 | Ali Rey | |
| 2014 | Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones | ||
| 2015 | Gravy | Cricket | |
| 2018 | The Front Runner | Irene Kelly | |
| 2021 | Unknown Dimension: The Story of Paranormal Activity | Herself | Documentary film |
Television edit
| Year | Title | Role | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Hench at Home | Ally Hench | Unsold ABC pilot |
| 2008 | Law & Order | Anne-Marie Liscomb | Episode: "Tango" |
| 2009 | Royal Pains | Beth Samuels | Episode: "It's Like Jamais Vu All Over Again" |
| 2010 | The Wonderful Maladys | Emo Girl | Unsold HBO pilot |
| 2011–2017 | Last Man Standing | Mandy Baxter | Main role, 130 episodes |
| 2017 | Brockmire | Bartender | Recurring role, 5 episodes |
| Halt and Catch Fire | Alexa Vonn | Recurring role (season 4), 5 episodes | |
| 2018 | Casual | Jess | 3 episodes |
| 2019 | The Act | Kate | Episode: "Free" |
| Modern Family | Libby | Episode: "Snapped" | |
| 2020 | Perry Mason | Hazel Prystock | Episode: "Chapters 4-8" |
| 2021 | Pretty Smart | Margot Wainwright | Episode: "Did you hear?! Chelsea ran into Margot!" |
| 2022 | Angelyne | Wendy Wallach | 2 episodes |
| A League of Their Own | Maybelle Fox | 8 episodes |
References edit
- ^ a b "Celebrity birthdays for the week of May 22–28". ABC News. May 16, 2022. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
May 22…Actor Molly Ephraim ("Last Man Standing") is 36.
- ^ "Molly Ephraim on Instagram: "Our first attempt at being matching pajama people. Probably our last. Introducing… Zia! Born 12/1/21 and not a fan of cheesy family portraits. Wishing you and yours a very boosted New Year!"".
- ^ "Molly Ephraim Biography". Tvguide.com. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
- ^ Steinberg, Lisa. "Molly Ephraim – Bad Jews" starrymag, June 9, 2015
- ^ a b "Rising star, Questions and answers with actress Molly Ephraim ’08" princeton.edu, March 5, 2008
- ^ Gonzales, Rick. "Molly Ephraim – Is The Last Man Standing Star On Instagram?". giantfreakinrobot.com. Giant Freakin Robot LLC. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
- ^ a b "Molly Ephraim as Mandy Baxter on Last Man Standing". Hallmark Channel. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ^ "Funk, Doyle, Trimm, Hoty, Ephraim and Schwencke Join Roundabout's 'BYE BYE BIRDIE'". Baltimore.broadwayworld.com. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
- ^ "Ensemble Studio's END DAYS Makes Off Broadway Premiere 3/25". Broadwayworld.com. March 5, 2009. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
- ^ Gates, Anita. "Review. In the Attic With Anne Frank" The New York Times, October 8, 2010
- ^ Riefe, Jordan (June 18, 2015). "'Bad Jews': Theater Review". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ a b "Ephraim Biography" tcm.com, retrieved August 24, 2018
- ^ Ausiello, Michael (July 2, 2018). "Last Man Standing Shake-Up: 2 Major Roles Being Recast Ahead of Season 7 (EXCLUSIVE)". TVLine.
- ^ College Road Trip tcm.com, retrieved August 24, 2018
- ^ Paranormal Activity 2 tcm.com, retrieved August 24, 2018
- ^ Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones tcm.com, retrieved August 24, 2018
- ^ Laneri, Raquel (August 6, 2022). "'A League of Their Own' star Molly Ephraim steps up to the plate". New York Post. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
External links edit
- Molly Ephraim at the Internet Broadway Database
- Molly Ephraim at IMDb
| This article is written in American English, which has its own spelling conventions (color, defense, traveled) and some terms that are used in it may be different or absent from other varieties of English. According to the relevant style guide, this should not be changed without broad consensus. |