Early career In spring 1989, Flockhart made her first television appearance in a minor role in an episode of
Guiding Light as a babysitter. She also appeared in a one-hour afternoon special for
Lifestories: Families in Crisis, playing a teenager battling an eating disorder. Flockhart made her professional debut on the New York stage, appearing in
Beside Herself alongside
Melissa Joan Hart, at the
Circle Repertory Theatre. Two years later, Flockhart appeared in the television movie
Darrow. Though she later appeared in films
Naked in New York (1993) and
Getting In (1994), her first substantial speaking part in a film was in
Quiz Show, directed by
Robert Redford. Flockhart debuted on
Broadway in 1994, as Laura in
The Glass Menagerie. Flockhart received a
Clarence Derwent Award for her performance. In 1995, Flockhart became acquainted with actors such as
Dianne Wiest and
Faye Dunaway when she appeared in the movie
Drunks. In 1996, Flockhart appeared as the daughter of
Dianne Wiest and
Gene Hackman's characters in
The Birdcage. Later that year, Flockhart starred in
Jane Doe as a drug addict, though it was not released until 1999, over three years after filming ended. Throughout that year, she continued to work on Broadway, playing the role of Natasha in
Anton Chekhov's
Three Sisters.
Ally McBeal In 1997, Flockhart was asked to audition for the starring role in
David E. Kelley's
Fox television series
Ally McBeal. Kelley, having heard of Flockhart, wanted her to audition for the contract part. Though she hesitated due to the necessary commitment to the show in a negotiable contract, she was swayed by the script and traveled to
Los Angeles to audition for the part, which she won. She earned a
Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy for the role in 1998 and also nominated in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002. Flockhart also appeared on the June 29, 1998, cover of
Time magazine, placed as the newest iteration in the evolution of
feminism, relating to the ongoing debate about the role depicted by her character. Flockhart starred on the show until it was canceled in 2002.
Brothers & Sisters Flockhart performed in a starring role as
Kitty Walker, opposite
Sally Field,
Rachel Griffiths and
Matthew Rhys, in the critically acclaimed
ABC prime time series
Brothers & Sisters, which premiered in September 2006 in the time slot after
Desperate Housewives. The show was cancelled in May 2011 after running for five years. Flockhart's character was significant throughout the series' first four years, but her appearances were reduced for the 2010–2011 season, coinciding with the departure of TV husband
Rob Lowe.
Other work Flockhart played the role of Helena in ''
A Midsummer Night's Dream'', a 1999 film version of
Shakespeare's play. In 2000, she appeared in
Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her and
Bash: Latter-Day Plays, later accompanying
Eve Ensler to
Kenya in order to protest violence against women, particularly
female genital mutilation. Flockhart also starred in the
off-Broadway production of Ensler's
The Vagina Monologues. In 2004, Flockhart appeared as
Matthew Broderick's deranged girlfriend in
The Last Shot. In the same year, Flockhart traveled to
Spain for the filming of
Fragile, which premiered in September 2005 at the
Venice Film Festival. She was offered the role of
Susan Mayer on
Desperate Housewives but declined, and the role later went to
Teri Hatcher. In 2014, Flockhart appeared in ''
Full Circle's'' second season, as mob boss Ellen. It aired in 2015. This was Flockhart's first acting role in three years, after her hiatus when
Brothers & Sisters ended. In 2015, Flockhart was cast in the television series
Supergirl as
Cat Grant, a "self-made media magnate and founder of CatCo" and boss to Kara (Supergirl's alter ego). The series premiered on October 26, 2015, on
CBS. Due to the network's wish to reduce the show's budget, it was moved to sister network
The CW after its first season, along with a move to filming in Vancouver. Flockhart remained with the show (albeit as a recurring character), despite her previous aversion to working outside Los Angeles. In 2022, she played the role of Martha opposite
Zachary Quinto in
Edward Albee's ''
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' at the
Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. The production was directed by
Gordon Greenberg and also starred
Aimee Carrero and
Graham Phillips. In 2024, Flockhart appeared as
Lee Radziwill in
Capote vs. The Swans, the second season of the anthology series
Feud. Regarding playing Radziwill in an interview with
The New York Times, Flockhart said, "
Truman Capote recognized that she was living in her sister's shadow... and he would say things: 'You're so much prettier. You're so much smarter. You're more interesting. You have better style.' She really needed to hear that. I think it made her really love Truman. He was fun, and she confided in him, like they all did." ==Personal life==