Who is Marg Helgenberger? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Mary Marg Helgenberger

Age: 66 Years, 66 Year Old Females

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Alan Rosenberg (m. 1989–2010)

father: Hugh Helgenberger

mother: Mary Kay

Actresses American Women

Height: 5'6" (168 cm), 5'6" Females

Ancestry: Irish American, German American

Notable Alumni: University Of Nebraska Kearney

U.S. State: Nebraska

More Facts

education: Northwestern University, University Of Nebraska Kearney

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Career

Mary Helgenberger began her career as a nightly weather presenter at KHGI-TV during her college days. She was spotted by a talent scout while performing in a college production in 1981. Shortly after her graduation, she travelled to New York to audition for roles and begin her acting career. Soon, she landed the role of Siobhan Ryan on the TV show ‘Ryan's Hope’ (1982-1986), receiving positive reviews for her performance. She then appeared as Natalie Thayer on the comedy show ‘Shell Game’ (1987). In the late 1980s, she gave an amazing performance as a savvy prostitute on the drama show ‘China Beach’ (1988-1991), which earned her an Emmy award in 1990.

Marg made her film debut in the horror film ‘After Midnight’ (1989), which was followed by a role in Steven Spielberg's romcom ‘Always’ (1989). During the 1990s, she was seen in many films, including ‘In Sickness and In Health’ (1992), ‘The Cowboy Way’ (1994) and ‘Bad Boys’ (1995). She played the role of a molecular biologist in ‘Species’ (1995), a science-fiction thriller, and later reprised her role in ‘Species II’ (1998). Her other notable films of this period were ‘Fire Down Below’ (1997), Happy Face Murders’ (1999) and ‘Erin Brockovich’ (2000).

Marg’s breakthrough film role was that of chemical exposure victim in ‘Erin Brockovich’. Her outstanding performance in the police procedural series ‘Crime Scene Investigation’ earned her two Emmy awards. The role of glamorous analyst Catherine Willows earned her two Golden Globe nominations as well. In the 2000s, she appeared in many other films, such as ‘In Good Company’ (2004), ‘Mr. Brooks’ (2007) and ‘Columbus Day’ (2008). Her latest TV appearance was on the American cooking competition show ‘Hell's Kitchen’ (2017). She has also worked in the movie ‘A Dog's Journey’, which is slated for a release sometime in 2019.

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Family & Personal Life

Mary Marg Helgenberger was born on November 16, 1958, in Fremont, Nebraska, United States. Her father Hugh Helgenberger was a meat inspector, while her mother Mary Kay worked as a school nurse. They are of German and Irish origins, respectively. Marg has an older sister named Ann and a younger brother named Curt. She grew up in North Bend, Nebraska where she attended ‘North Bend Central High School’. She served as a French horn player for her school’s marching band. She had no aspirations of becoming an actress in her childhood, but developed an interest in acting during her college days. After graduating from high school, she enrolled in the ‘Kearney State College, which is now called the University of Nebraska at Kearney. She then attended the ‘Northwestern University's School of Speech’, Evanston, Illinois, from where she earned a B.S. degree in speech and drama. While performing in a NU campus production in 1981, she was spotted by a talent scout and thus began her acting career.

Marg Helgenberger met Alan Rosenberg on set of ‘Ryan's Hope’ in 1984. The couple got married in 1989 and welcomed a son named Hugh Howard Rosenberg on October 21, 1990. They parted ways in 2010. They have been raising awareness about breast cancer ever since Marg's mother was diagnosed with the disease. After battling breast cancer for 27 years, her mother is now cancer free. They continue to host ‘Marg & Alan Celebrity Weekend’ annually in Omaha since 1999. She also hosts an annual celebrity golf tournament that raises money for breast cancer awareness. Marg has been in a long-term relationship with Alan Finkelstein since 2010. She is an avid reader who has her own book club since 1998.

Marg Helgenberger Biography