1997–2003 Greer made her film debut in the horror film
Stricken (1998), as a college student involved in a fatal prank. This was followed by a small role in the Chicago-filmed drama
Kissing a Fool (1998). She was cast in her first major role as Fern Mayo, a nerdy teenager who uncovers her classmates' murder of their friend, in
Darren Stein's black comedy
Jawbreaker (1999). Greer followed this with small parts in the romantic comedy films,
What Women Want (2000) and
The Wedding Planner (2001). She was cast in a 2002 pilot for NBC alongside
Stephen Colbert,
Untitled Ken Finkleman Project (
Imagine Entertainment), based on the Canadian show
The Newsroom from
Ken Finkleman. Colbert portrayed Finkleman and Greer played his sister. She also had a supporting role in
Adaptation (2002).
2004–2010 In 2004, Greer co-starred in the romantic comedy
13 Going on 30, starring
Jennifer Garner as a girl who wakes up one morning as a 30-year-old woman. Greer played Lucy, an untrustworthy fellow editor of Garner's at a fashion magazine where both work. The film was a commercial success, grossing $96.5 million worldwide, and received positive reviews from critics. Greer had a supporting role in
M. Night Shyamalan's thriller film
The Village, about a village whose population lives in fear of creatures inhabiting the woods beyond it. Despite mixed reviews, the film was a success at the box office, grossing $256.7 million worldwide. Greer then played another supporting role in
Jenna Fischer's directorial debut, the comedy
LolliLove, which premiered at the
St. Louis International Film Festival to positive reviews from critics, though it was ultimately released straight-to-DVD. In 2005, Greer first played a female werewolf in
Wes Craven's horror film
Cursed, starring
Christina Ricci and
Jesse Eisenberg. The film was a failure at the box office and was widely panned by critics, with Craven later expressing disappointment in the film. Greer then starred in the comedy-drama
The Great New Wonderful, which depicts the lives of several New Yorkers one year after the
September 11th attacks. In her character's vignette, Greer played a woman struggling to keep her marriage together. The film premiered at the
Tribeca Film Festival to mostly positive reviews. Ty Burr of the
Boston Globe called the film "an actor's playpen", and remarked that "Greer has been stuck so long in goofball supporting roles that she tears into this part – a smart, loving mother frightened of her own son – as if it were prime rib." Following an appearance in the drama
In Memory of My Father, Greer featured in
Cameron Crowe's tragic-romantic comedy
Elizabethtown, starring
Orlando Bloom,
Kirsten Dunst,
Alec Baldwin and
Susan Sarandon. The film premiered at the
Venice International Film Festival and garnered negative reviews from critics. '' in 2008 Following an appearance in
Paul Weitz's comedy
American Dreamz, Greer starred in the comedy-drama
The TV Set (both 2006), as a personal manager to the scriptwriter (
David Duchovny) of a television series. The film premiered at the
Tribeca Film Festival to generally positive reviews from critics. Dana Stevens of
Slate noted that "[...] Judy Greer, an Anne Heche lookalike with Lisa Kudrow's comic timing, nearly steals the movie as Mike's desperately chirpy manager." Greer also starred in the short-lived CBS comedy-drama series
Love Monkey (2006). The following year, Greer made brief appearances in the independent road film
The Go-Getter and the comedy
The Grand (both 2007). During this period, Greer became a frequent guest star for producer
Chuck Lorre, having appeared in his sitcoms
Two and a Half Men (2007–2015),
The Big Bang Theory (2010), and
Mom (2015). In 2008, Greer starred opposite
Zach Galifianakis in the independent satire
Visioneers, and played the best friend of a bridesmaid in the romantic comedy
27 Dresses. The latter film received mostly negative reviews from critics, but was a commercial success, grossing $162.6 million worldwide. Greer played a similar role in the romantic drama
Love Happens (2009), starring
Jennifer Aniston. Greer also took on the leading role in the
ABC sitcom
Miss Guided (2008), in which she played a guidance counselor working at a high school. The series was canceled after one season. That same year, Greer appeared as a
yoga instructor in the "
Get a Mac" advertisements, which also featured
John Hodgman and
Justin Long. Beginning in 2009, Greer has provided the voice of
Cheryl Tunt in the FX animated adult sitcom
Archer, as well as Wendy Park in the
Nick at Nite stop-motion animated sitcom
Glenn Martin, DDS (2009–2011). In 2010, Greer first starred in the comedy
Barry Munday, in which she played a woman who becomes pregnant by a lonely womanizer (
Patrick Wilson). The film premiered at the
South by Southwest Film Festival to mixed reviews. Joe Leydon of
Variety praised Greer's performance, commending the actress for bringing "some welcome emotional truth" to her "almost too convincing" role. Following roles in the family comedy
Marmaduke and the romantic crime comedy ''
Henry's Crime, Greer featured in the comedy-drama Peep World''. She played Laura Meyerwitz, a pregnant wife whose husband (
Michael C. Hall) is revealed to have an addiction to pornography from his brother's thinly veiled novel about their family. The film premiered at the
Toronto International Film Festival, and in spite of largely negative reviews, critics singled out Greer's performance for praise. Both
Manohla Dargis of
The New York Times and Elizabeth Weitzman of the
New York Daily News considered Greer's performance to be the most "genuine" of the cast. Greer also played a supporting role in the romantic comedy-drama
Love & Other Drugs, which was a commercial success, grossing $102.8 million worldwide.
2011–2014 In 2011, Greer first starred in the crime thriller
The Key Man, as the wife of a salesman who becomes involved in an insurance scam. The film premiered at South by Southwest. Though Seth Freilich of
Pajiba considered Greer to be "lovely as always", he felt that she was "underused", and called for the film industry to offer her better roles. Greer starred in
Alexander Payne's film
The Descendants, alongside
George Clooney. Greer played a woman who discovers that her husband had an extramarital affair with the now-comatose wife of the attorney. The film premiered at the
Telluride Film Festival to critical acclaim. Greer herself received particularly strong reviews for her performance; David Thomson of
The New Republic found Greer to be "touching", while Philip Kemp of
Sight & Sound praised Greer for turning "her few brief scenes [...] into a moving portrayal of undeservedly broken trust." For her performance in the film, Greer received nominations for the
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture and the
Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture. That same year, Greer also starred in the comedy-drama
Jeff, Who Lives at Home, directed by brothers
Jay and
Mark Duplass, in which she and
Ed Helms played a couple whose marriage is failing. The film premiered at the
Toronto International Film Festival to positive reviews, with
Roger Ebert of the
Chicago Sun-Times calling it "a whimsical comedy [that depends] on [...] the discontent of Helms and Greer." For her work in both
The Descendants and
Jeff, Who Lives at Home, Greer received the John Cassavetes Award at the
Denver Film Festival, becoming the first female actor to be the recipient of the award. Greer then starred in the short-lived
CBS sitcom
Mad Love, about a group of people in their 30s trying to find love. David Hinckley of
New York Daily News felt that Greer played her role "perfectly" in the series, which was canceled after one season. Greer also hosted an online series of exercise videos titled
Reluctantly Healthy, which was later adapted by
Litton Entertainment as part of their Saturday-morning
One Magnificent Morning block for
The CW. in July 2010 Following a role in the critically panned romantic comedy
Playing for Keeps, starring
Gerard Butler, Greer made her
Broadway debut in
Theresa Rebeck's comedy
Dead Accounts, alongside
Katie Holmes,
Norbert Leo Butz,
Jayne Houdyshell and
Josh Hamilton (both 2012). The play received negative reviews, with
Ben Brantley of
The New York Times criticizing Greer for not "transcend[ing] her character's function as a visitor-from-another-planet plot device." In
Carrie (2013), starring
Chloë Grace Moretz and
Julianne Moore, Greer played
Miss Desjardin, a gym teacher who becomes involved with the titular character (Moretz), a shy high-school student and outcast, who secretly possesses telekinesis. The film, which serves as an adaptation of
Stephen King's 1974 novel of the same name and a re-make of
Brian de Palma's 1976 film, received mixed reviews from critics, who considered it to be an "unnecessary" adaptation. Nevertheless, Michael Phillips of the
Chicago Tribune, who gave the film a positive review, remarked, "The acting's strong; in addition to Moretz and Moore, Judy Greer is a welcome presence in the [...] role of the sympathetic gym instructor." In 2014, Greer first appeared in the supernatural drama film
Jamie Marks Is Dead, about a deceased boy who returns to his friends as a ghost. The film premiered at the
Sundance Film Festival to positive reviews. Greer next portrayed the motion-capture role of the female chimpanzee Cornelia in the science fiction action film
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014). The film received positive reviews and was a success at the box office, grossing $708.8 million worldwide. Greer then played a supporting role in
Jason Reitman's drama
Men, Women & Children, which premiered at the
Toronto International Film Festival. The film was widely panned by critics, with Jason Bailey of
FlavorWire criticizing the plot surrounding Greer's character, a single mother promoting her daughter on a modeling website: "I cannot begin to tell you how effectively this wholly unbelievable thread manages to single-handedly unravel the narrative, but I can assure you that when even Judy Greer can't sell a plot point, it should not be employed." That same year, Greer made her directorial debut with the
AOL short film
Quiet Time, which focuses on how
transcendental meditation can be used for stress relief. In an interview with
Glamour, Greer revealed that she had wanted to venture into directing and contacted AOL herself, which was impressed by her passion for the meditation. Greer also released her first autobiographical collection of essays, titled ''I Don't Know What You Know Me From: Confessions of a Co-Star
, which details her life experiences and career in the film industry. The book received positive reviews; Kirkus Reviews'' noted that "This is not a Hollywood roman à clef; Greer doesn't dish and is amazed by and grateful for her good fortune [...] Greer is an engaging and witty storyteller, at turns wistful (of her beloved hometown, she writes, "Detroit is America's sad family member who can't catch a break") and unsparingly honest ("I used to be more ugly")." Greer starred in the
FX comedy series
Married (2014–2015), in which she and
Nat Faxon played a long-married couple. Willa Paskin of
Slate praised Greer's chemistry with Faxon, referring to them both as "charismatic, jangly, scene-stealing performers."
2015–2018 In 2015, Greer appeared in two major film franchises—
Jurassic World, and the
Marvel Cinematic Universe entry,
Ant-Man. In
Jurassic World, Greer played the mother of two of the film's protagonists, Gray and Zach. The film was a major success at the box-office, grossing $1.670 billion worldwide, and received positive reviews from critics. In
Ant-Man, Greer played the ex-wife of the film's titular hero (
Paul Rudd). The film was also a critical and commercial success, grossing $519.3 million worldwide. Greer subsequently reprised her role in the sequel
Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018). Following a supporting role as
Lily Tomlin's love interest in
Paul Weitz's critically acclaimed comedy-drama
Grandma, Greer took on a leading role in
Jamie Babbit's dark comedy
Addicted to Fresno, in which she and
Natasha Lyonne played sisters who work as housekeepers in a hotel who find themselves in trouble when one of them accidentally kills a guest. While the film itself received largely negative reviews, Greer's performance drew praise from critics. Jason Bailey of
FlavorWire asserted that Greer and Lyonne "anchor [the film] with a priceless good sister/bad sister dynamic [...] Greer, as a bitter burnout, puts a sharp little spin on every line, turning each into a little dagger [...]" Greer also made appearances in the
Walt Disney Studios science-fiction film
Tomorrowland and the comedy
Entourage (both 2015), based on the
HBO television series of the same name. Greer's only releases of 2016 were the little-seen dramas
All We Had and
Ordinary World, neither of which left an impression on critics. That same year, she also provided the voice of Beep in the
Netflix children's animated programs
Ask the StoryBots and
StoryBots Super Songs. Greer's first two films of 2017—the comedy-dramas
Lemon and
Wilson—held their world premieres at the
Sundance Film Festival. Greer then reprised her motion-capture role as Cornelia in the sequel
War for the Planet of the Apes. Like its predecessor, the film was a critical and commercial success, grossing $490.7 million worldwide. After playing the daughter of a widow (
Robert Redford) in the
Netflix drama film
Our Souls at Night, Greer starred in the comedy film
Adventures in Public School, in which she played a mother whose son enters public after years of her homeschooling. The film premiered at the
Toronto International Film Festival, and Greer received praise for her performance. Sherri Linden of
The Hollywood Reporter highlighted Greer's "long-proven down-to-earth magic," while Dennis Harvey of
Variety remarked that "Greer proves a resourceful comedienne, as usual [...]" '' in 2016 That same year, Greer made her feature-film directorial debut in the comedy-drama
A Happening of Monumental Proportions, which depicts one day in the lives of students and staff at a Los Angeles private school. In an interview with
Variety, Greer discussed her motivations towards making the film: "I wanted to tell a story where adults act like kids and kids act like adults [...] As I age I'm noticing that more and more, as we see our kids pointing things out to us that we really should know ourselves, you start to realize that you and your adult friends are king of acting like idiots sometimes. We're regressing, clawing at the walls as if to say, I don't want to grow up." The film stars
Allison Janney,
Katie Holmes,
Bradley Whitford,
Jennifer Garner (Greer's co-star from
13 Going on 30) and rapper
Common, received largely negative reviews from critics. In 2018, Greer first played a supporting role in
Clint Eastwood's biographical film
The 15:17 to Paris, as the mother of U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant
Spencer Stone. As part of an overall negative response, Tim Grierson of
ScreenDaily lamented that Greer and co-star
Jenna Fischer were "trapped playing supportive-parent clichés." Greer followed with
Jim Loach's comedy-drama
Measure of a Man.
Mick LaSalle of the
San Francisco Chronicle felt she was "wasted" in the role of a mother whose teenage son is experiencing bullying. Greer co-starred in the biographical film
Driven, in which she played the wife of a man (
Jason Sudeikis), who gets busted by the
FBI for trying to smuggle
cocaine and subsequently becomes an informant to
John DeLorean of
DeLorean Motor Company (DMC). The film premiered at the
Venice International Film Festival. Guy Lodge of
Variety remarked that Greer was "reliably game in a princess-to-patsy part," while Boyd Van Hoeij of
The Hollywood Reporter felt that Greer was "especially good" in a scene where she finds a wire on her husband. Greer starred with
Jamie Lee Curtis in
Halloween (2018), a direct sequel to
John Carpenter's
original 1978 horror film, in which she played the daughter of
Laurie Strode. The film grossed $255.6 million worldwide, breaking numerous box-office records, most notably for having the second-highest opening weekend in the month of October and for being the highest-grossing film of the franchise.
Halloween was also well received by critics; Eric Kohn of
IndieWire felt that while Greer was "underutilized" in the film, she "nevertheless provides a warm antidote to Curtis' stern resolve", while Jonathan Barkan of
Dread Central considered Greer's role to be "vital" to the story, and that she played it "wonderfully." Several media outlets considered a scene where Greer's character feigns weakness only to lure
Michael Myers and shoot him to be one of the film's highlights. Greer starred in the
Showtime comedy-drama series
Kidding (2018–2020), opposite
Jim Carrey, playing his estranged ex-wife. Karen Han of
Vox credited the show's success partly due to its "uniformly terrific performances, particularly Greer's [...]" Greer has also provided the voice of the titular character, Luna, in the
PBS children's animated television series ''
Let's Go Luna!''.
2019–2022 In 2019, Greer starred in the comedy-drama film
Buffaloed, playing a hairdresser whose daughter (
Zoey Deutch) becomes a debt collector. The film premiered at the
Tribeca Film Festival to positive reviews. Kristy Strouse of
Film Inquiry remarked, "Greer, who has proven to always be counted on in any role, is wonderful", and considered her character's relationship with Deutch's character to be "compelling", while Carla Renata of
The Curvy Film Critic felt that Greer "flips her comedy prowess upside down while tackling a more serious role with verve and power." Greer appeared in
Richard Linklater's comedy-drama film ''
Where'd You Go, Bernadette, starring Cate Blanchett, and the family comedy film Playing with Fire, in which she played the love interest of a commanding officer (John Cena). Neither film was particularly successful with critics nor audiences. For the latter, Steve Davis of the Austin Chronicle'' bemoaned that "As for Greer's turn [...] she's given the dubious honor of reciting its most memorable – and not in a good way – line, one dispensing advice about child-rearing..." In 2020, Greer starred in comedy-drama film
Uncle Frank, about a gay man living in the 1970s who confronts his past. The film premiered at the
Sundance Film Festival to positive reviews. Greer then appeared in the musical romantic comedy
Valley Girl, a remake of the
1983 film of the same name, in which she played Julie Richman's mother, in a role originated by
Colleen Camp. Greer next guest starred in an episode of the
Hulu horror anthology series
Into the Dark. In the episode "Good Boy", Greer took on the lead role of Maggie, a woman who adopts an emotional support dog that murders people who escalate Maggie's anxiety. Matt Donato of
Slashfilm considered it to be one of the "stronger" episodes in the series, praising it for not "shov[ing] [Greer] into an ancillary role", and stated that Greer "sells her character's midlife crisis and eventual lovestruck relationship with Reuben [...] Greer evokes the blackest comedy notes as she tiptoes around police investigations and scolds Reuben for devouring her problems." '' at
Wondercon in 2019 In 2021, Greer starred in the comedy film
Lady of the Manor, alongside
Melanie Lynskey,
Ryan Phillippe and
Justin Long, who made his directorial debut in the film. Greer played Lady Wadsworth, a ghost who resides in a historic mansion, where a drug dealer is employed. The film premiered at the
Gasparilla International Film Festival. Despite critics largely dismissing the comedy, Greer's performance earned praise. Angie Han of
The Hollywood Reporter found Greer's chemistry with Lynskey to be "warm and genuine", while Sarah Bea Milner of
Screen Rant remarked that "Greer plays against type, mainly being the straight character to Lynskey's over-the-top antics [...] Greer imparts a lot of personality on a role that easily could have felt stilted or wooden in less capable hands." Greer next provided the voice of
Martha Washington in
Netflix's adult animated film
America: The Motion Picture, which received negative reviews from critics. Greer reprised her role as Karen Nelson in
Halloween Kills, which takes place the same night as
its predecessor. The film premiered at the
Venice International Film Festival, grossing $131.6 million worldwide. Brian Truitt of
USA Today considered the film to be a step back in the franchise, but was nonetheless impressed by Greer's performance, "with Karen proving herself worthy of the Strode name." Greer's films of 2022,
Three Months,
Family Squares and
Hollywood Stargirl, were released directly to streaming services and were positively received by critics. In the lattermost, Greer played Ana Carraway, the mother of young singer Susan "Stargirl" Carraway, replacing Sara Arrington. Courtney Howard of
Variety commended Greer for bringing "depth and dimension to Ana, providing a nuanced sense of parental guilt in balancing dreams with pragmatic reality." Greer also lent her voice to the
Netflix animated film ''
My Father's Dragon'', which premiered at the
BFI London Film Festival. That same year, Greer played supporting roles in two miniseries,
The Thing About Pam and
The First Lady, receiving praise for both performances. In
The Thing About Pam, Greer portrayed the real-life Leah Askey, the
Lincoln County prosecutor who tried Russ Faria twice for the murder of his wife, Betsy, which was actually committed by neighbor
Pam Hupp (
Renée Zellweger). Liam Matthews of
TVGuide felt that Greer "perfectly played [Askey] with spiteful ineptitude," whereas Gwen Ihnat of
The A.V. Club described Greer's performance as "uncharacteristically wily [...] refusing to admit that she may have fingered the wrong guy and crafting any number of implausible theories to make that accusation stick. The series garnered strong ratings for
NBC, and Greer received a
Hollywood Critics Association award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Broadcast Network or Cable Limited Series. In
Showtime's
The First Lady, Greer replaced
Pamela Adlon as Nancy Howe, the personal confidant of First Lady
Betty Ford (
Michelle Pfeiffer). While the series received mixed reviews, Meghan O'Keefe published an article on
Decider asserting that Greer "[almost] single-handedly" saved the series, further stating that "Greer might be the only actor in the whole cast who is able to make the didactic, obvious dialogue sound natural and fun." Also in 2022, Greer starred in the
Hulu comedy series
Reboot as Bree Marie Jensen, a former sitcom actress who subsequently reprises her role when the series gets rebooted. The series premiered to positive reviews, with Greer receiving high praise for her performance. Tom Long of
The Detroit News remarked that "All the actors are in fine form, but Greer still manages to stand out, building a Bree that's self-involved and silly but still a bit sexy and warm." Carrie Wittmer of
Uproxx commented on how Greer was given the opportunity to play a substantial leading role as opposed to an insignificant supporting role, writing "While Greer's all-consuming warmth and vitality give even the dullest [...] movie a lifeline, Greer is consistently underused, with roles that barely scratch the surface of what she's capable of or roles that almost do but not quite [...] As Bree Marie Jensen, Greer is doing what she does best: being both confident and anxious, fast-talking in her signature high, comforting voice, and bouncing off her co-stars." The series was canceled after one season.
2023–present Greer joined the cast of the
HBO miniseries
White House Plumbers, which depicts the
Watergate scandal. Greer was cast as Fran Liddy, the wife of
G. Gordon Liddy (
Justin Theroux). She starred in Chicago in the play
Another Marriage at the
Steppenwolf Theatre. She was set to star in the sports drama film
Flint Strong, a biographical sports drama based on the life of
Claressa Shields. In 2024, she starred as Grace Bradley in
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, an inspirational comedy based on
the book of the same name. In 2024, it was announced that Greer would play the ex-wife of
Marc Maron in the comedy feature,
In Memoriam. In 2025, Greer appeared with
Owen Wilson and reunited with Maron in the
Apple TV+ series
Stick, playing Amber-Linn, Wilson's supportive ex-wife. In 2026, she performed the lead role of Jessica Lipki in the
dark comedy crime film
Chili Finger. ==Personal life==