Photo: MC1 Chad J. McNeeley, U.S. Navy / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Dianne Wiest, born on March 28, 1948 in Kansas City, Missouri, United States, is a character actor, stage actor and film actor. Dianne Wiest is 78 years old as of 2026. Schooling on record includes Nurnberg American High School and University of Maryland. Recorded honors include Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (1987, 1995), Theatre World Award (1980), Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (2008) and 2 more.
My Take
Dianne Wiest is the gold standard of the character actor: two Academy Awards for two utterly different women, the fragile romantic of Hannah and Her Sisters and the imperious diva of Bullets Over Broadway. What strikes me is how completely she disappears into a role—stage-trained and story-first, she serves the material rather than her own image, which is probably why she has never been a tabloid fixture. Add the Emmys and the Golden Globe and the trophy shelf speaks for itself, but her real legacy is subtler: she made supporting work look like the most interesting job in movies, and generations of actors quietly study her for it.
This take was written by generative AI, one per person, from publicly reported facts (editorial policy). It is a reading of the record, not reporting.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Dianne Wiest
- Name (Japanese)
- ダイアン・ウィースト
- Reading
- だいあん・うぃーすと
- Born
- March 28, 1948 (age 78)
- Origin
- Kansas City, Missouri, United States
- Occupation
- character actor / stage actor / film actor / television actor / actor
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Rat
2. Background
- High school
- Nurnberg American High School
- University
- University of Maryland
Awards & achievements
- 1987 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
- 1995 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
- 1980 Theatre World Award
- 2008 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
- 1997 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
- 1995 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
3. Links
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Dianne Wiest born?
Born March 28, 1948 (age 78).
Where is Dianne Wiest from?
Dianne Wiest is from Kansas City, Missouri, United States.
What does Dianne Wiest do?
Dianne Wiest works as character actor, stage actor, film actor, television actor, actor.
Character actor — see all → · Stage actor — see all → · More people from the United States →