Maura Tierney

American actress, well-known for her role in the long-running TV series "ER."

The eldest of three children born to a politician dad and a mom who sold real estate, Tierney left college to try her hand as an actress. She landed parts on the New York stage but moved to California in the late 1980s where she was able to get movie roles. In 1995 her face became well-known to American TV audiences when she starred in the series "News Radio." Her three-year stint in the sitcom led her to more serious roles in movies such as "Primal Fear" in 1996, "Liar, Liar" in 1997, "Primary Colors" in 1998 and "Instinct" in 1999. That same year, 1999, she became a regular on "ER." After the series ended in April 2009 she was scheduled to begin a new series but it was postponed. She announced on July 13, 2009 that she was scheduled to undergo surgery to remove a breast tumor saying the diagnosis is dependent on the surgery results.

She married Billy Morrisette on February 1, 1993 but filed for divorce in 2006.

Her father, Joe Tierney, died of cancer on December 13, 2009.