HBO’s newest period drama, The Gilded Age, has premiered with some mixed reviews. However, Christine Baranski as Agnes Van Rhijn is definitely the series’ standout. When it comes to standing out, this is far from Baranski’s first rodeo. Having played roles all over the map on film and television for 40+ years, Baranski seems like she’s still just getting started. From musicals like Mamma Mia to TV dramas like The Good Wife, she has a knack for taking a character and making it memorable and scene-stealing, no matter how small or subtle it may seem. In her decades-long career, Baranski has racked up quite a list of characters we know, love, and remember. These are Christine Baranski’s most iconic film and TV characters, ranked.
9. Stepmother in Into the Woods (2014)
Christine Baranski is a triple threat, and her musical theater credits are as plentiful as her film and TV roles. As a result, she’s a very familiar face for movie musical fans. While her role in the film adaptation of Into the Woods was minor, it was a perfect fit for Baranski. In this role, like in many of her other roles, Baranski has a knack for having a commanding presence paired with a cartoonish whimsy. She seldom plays evil roles, but in the Cinderella portion of this fairytale-cocktail based on the original Grimms’ fairytales, including the stepmother cutting off her daughter’s toes and all, she does. She walks the line between sinister and witchy and charming with her signature grace and humor.
8. Becky Martin-Granger in Addams Family Values (1993)
Baranski’s role in Addams Family Values was also a minor one. Still, as the film has become a lasting cult Halloween classic for decades, Baranski’s role as Becky Martin-Granger, a camp director at Wednesday Addams’ (Christina Ricci) infamous camp, has stood the test of time. Baranski’s comedic timing and flair for campiness (no pun intended) makes her a perfect fit as a regular person amidst a cartoonishly spooky family.
Mary Sunshine in Chicago (2002)
Christine Baranski and the film adaptation of Chicago were a match made in heaven. Not only is Baranski musical theatre royalty, and Chicago’s move to the big screen was a long-awaited musical theatre moment, but Baranski played the role of Mary Sunshine perfectly. Upon being cast, Baranski told Playbill, "they usually get a drag queen to play [Mary Sunshine], so I'm not sure what to make of that." And, while the unorthodox casting change of a woman playing this role did beg questions, it was clear it was the right choice when Baranski’s voice, magnetism, and natural theatricality helped to paint a picture of the ‘20s, women’s tale being told. As is often Baranski’s wheelhouse, even though Mary Sunshine isn’t one of the film’s leads, she shines and steals the spotlight in a way that makes Mary memorable.
Agnes Van Rhijn in The Gilded Age (2022—)
The Gilded Age marks another, though very different, period piece for Baranski. The series’ first season was often dull in its desperate wannabe Downton Abbey-ness, But, Baranski managed to both embody the time period with grace and ease, while standing out as a relatable, funny, and complex character. Baranski mastered the key to making a period piece feel authentic: understanding the time while still marrying it with one’s natural modernity.
Maryann Thorpe in Cybill (1995-1998)
Cybill was a quintessential ‘90s sitcom. Christine Baranski shined as Cybill’s (Cybill Shepherd) fabulous best friend, Maryann Thorpe. Maryann Thorpe paved the way for Baranski’s future of playing the role of the confident, sophisticated, sometimes ruthless woman. Back in 1995, Baranski told The Washington Post, "People seem to really dig this character… Men find her exceedingly funny, and women seem to want to be her.” While Maryann Thorpe is as memorable as Cybill, herself, for another generation, Baranski’s description of Maryann is a pretty perfect way to describe her many characters in the years to follow.
Katherine Archer in The Birdcage (1996)
The Birdcage has become a classic comedy, and Christine Baranski makes a memorable appearance as Katherine Archer, Val’s (Dan Futterman) estranged biological mother. Baranski’s aloof elegance is as present as always in this role. She seems as comfortable as she surely is among theater people, even singing briefly alongside Robin Williams while their characters reminisce about their “first show together.” Baranski plays Katherine with a sophisticated sexuality that she plays so frequently and so well, and once again, she makes a classic character stand out in a classic film.
Diane Lockhart in The Good Wife (2009-2016) & The Good Fight (2017—)
Baranski’s standout run as lawyer, Diane Lockhart, in the CBS drama, The Good Wife, scored her six consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. It also scored her first, and well overdue, TV leading role in her spin-off, The Good Fight. In the spin-off, Baranski reprises her role as the tough but fair Lockhart. The ability to take a supporting character and make it iconic and important enough to spearhead her own show highlights Baranski’s ability to add fun and dynamism to every role she embodies.The Good Fight gives Baranski quite a gamut of material to work with: from facing tragedy to humor to micro-dosing-induced hallucinations, Baranski takes every twist and turn of Lockhart’s life in stride.
Tanya in Mamma Mia! (2008) & Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! (2018)
Mamma Mia! and its sequel have garnered a major cult following. Christine Baranski’s character, Tanya, is certainly no exception. Tanya is 1/3 of “Donna and the Dynamos:” the main character, Donna’s, (Meryl Streep) singing trio that she shares with her two best friends (also including Julie Walters as Rosie.) As is to be expected, Baranski makes Tanya her own. She stands and kills her solo in “Does Your Mother Know” as well as her part in multiple other songs she performs. Of the musicals Baranski appears in, these movies both show off her triple-threat talents better than ever. Baranski’s Tanya plays a major role in making these films fun, campy classics.
Martha May Whovier in How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas is one of the most famous children’s stories in history. The 2000 live-action film adaptation made some controversial choices when adding to and fleshing out the beloved Dr. Seuss story. It’s surprising that a character written specifically for this adaptation and meant to tie into the Grinch’s newly minted backstory would become an important part of the Grinch universe, but Baranski’s Martha May Whovier transcended the film and became a Christmas classic. Martha May is the Grinch’s long-lost (and found) love interest. Giving an ultra-glam, sophisticated Who a believable romance with the Grinch was not an easy task. But, Baranski marries sex appeal with cartoonishness in a way only she can. And, leaning into Baranski’s somewhat Who-like appearance didn’t hurt, either. She made her way into the Christmas zeitgeist with a Baranski-style effortlessness.
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