After working in regional theatres, Atkinson appeared
off-Broadway in the
Manhattan Theatre Club's production of
Bloody Poetry in 1987. She made her Broadway debut the same year in a revival of
Arthur Miller's
All My Sons. Subsequently, she landed title roles in more stage productions, which include
Henry VIII,
Tru, and
The Art of Success. She earned a
Drama Desk Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performance in
The Skriker in 1996. Atkinson's work in the
Roundabout Theatre Company's 1999 production of
The Rainmaker earned her a
Tony Award nomination, and her performance in the 2003 play
Enchanted April earned her an
Outer Critics Circle Award, another
Tony Award nomination and a
Drama Desk nomination. In 2009, she starred as Ruth Condomine in a Broadway revival of
Noël Coward's
Blithe Spirit, which co-starred
Rupert Everett,
Christine Ebersole, and
Angela Lansbury. She has appeared in such films as
Free Willy,
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home,
12 and Holding,
Blank Check,
The Village and
Syriana. Her television acting credits include
A Year in the Life,
Parenthood,
The X-Files,
Law & Order,
The Practice,
Criminal Minds,
24,
Gossip Girl and
House of Cards, opposite
Kevin Spacey and husband
Michel Gill. Her performance in the made-for-TV movie
Our Town garnered her a
Satellite Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. ==Personal life==