Mare Winningham, born Mary Megan Winningham on May 16, 1959, in Phoenix, Arizona, is an American actress and singer-songwriter. She grew up in Northridge, California, where her father was a football coach and her mother was an English teacher.

She developed an interest in acting and music at a young age, inspired by an interview she saw on television when she was just five or six years old. She attended Chatsworth High School, where she starred in a production of "The Sound of Music" opposite Kevin Spacey. Her first marriage was to actor A Martinez in the early 1980s, but they divorced after a brief period.

Her career began in 1976 as a singer, and she transitioned to acting in the late 1970s. She gained recognition for her role in the 1985 film "St. Elmo's Fire," which established her as one of the original members of the "Brat Pack."

Over the years, she has appeared in numerous films and TV shows, including "Turner & Hooch" (1989), "The War" (1994), "Georgia" (1995), for which she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and "American Horror Story" (2013-2017).

She has also made a name for herself on Broadway, making her debut in the 2013 revival of "Picnic" and receiving a Tony Award nomination for her role in "Casa Valentina" in 2014.

In addition to her acting career, she is also a talented singer-songwriter. She has released several albums, blending genres like bluegrass, blues, and folk. Her music career has been well-received, and she continues to perform and record music alongside her acting work.

She has been married four times, with her current husband being actor Anthony Edwards, whom she married in 2021. They first met in the 1980s and rekindled their relationship during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Her contributions to both film and music have earned her numerous awards and nominations. She has won two Primetime Emmy Awards and has been nominated for an Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and two Tony Awards. Her versatility and talent have made her a respected figure in the entertainment industry, and she continues to inspire audiences with her work.