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Stephanie March

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Stephanie March
March in 2018
Born
Stephanie Caroline March[1]

Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actress
  • Activist
Years active1997–present
Spouse(s)
​
​
(m. 2005; div. 2015)​
[2]
Dan Benton
​
​
(m. 2017)​

Stephanie Caroline March Benton is an American actress and activist. She is known for playing Alexandra Cabot in the NBC crime drama series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2000–2018) and its spinoff media. She is also recognized for her activism towards abuse victims, education, and women's rights.

March has appeared in the films Head of State (2003), Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), Falling for Grace (2006), The Treatment (2006), Jesse Stone: Night Passage (2006), Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009), and Origin (2023). She also executive produced and starred in the independent film The Social Ones (2019). Her continued television roles include Carol Blanton on the Adult Swim miniseries Neon Joe, Werewolf Hunter (2015), Debora Green in the Lifetime film A House on Fire (2021), and Akira on the superhero series Naomi (2022), and Angelica Wyatt in Amazon Prime's miniseries Shelter (2023).

Early life

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March was born in Dallas, Texas, the daughter of John and Laura March, and has a sister, Charlotte.[3] She attended McCulloch Middle School in Highland Park, and Highland Park High School, where Law & Order's Angie Harmon, who played the role of an assistant district attorney on Law & Order, attended concurrently.[4] After her parents' divorce, her mother married Robert Derby.[5]

In 1996, March graduated from Northwestern University,[3] where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority.[6] At Northwestern University, March played Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream in Chicago, where she continued to pursue her stage career.[3]

Career

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Beginnings and Law & Order

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In 1997, March made her screen debut in an episode of the CBS series Early Edition. In 1999, March moved to New York and made her Broadway debut in a production of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman with Brian Dennehy.[7] She later co-starred in the television film based on the play.

March is best known for her role as Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cabot on the NBC crime legal drama series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, who she played as a main character from 2000 to 2003, and reprised in recurring appearances on the show until 2018.[8][9] On landing the role, March told People magazine "I'm not sure that when I got the job, I intended for this to happen, but once I had the job, I became pretty deliberate about it because the subject matter I found disturbing and compelling. It was just not something I could put away when I came home at night from work. So, I became quite deliberate in my choices of how I wanted to participate and how I wanted to use my voice."[10] The character of Cabot and March's work has earned widespread acclaim, and is often considered one of the best characters and acting performances in the Law & Order series.[11][12] In 2003, at the 8th Golden Satellite Awards, she and her Law & Order: Special Victims Unit co-stars were nominated for the Satellite Award for Best Television Series – Drama.[13]

March reprised the role as Cabot, now the Bureau Chief ADA of the homicide bureau, on the short-lived NBC courtroom drama Conviction, which debuted in spring 2006. The show, which saw March in a leading role and was part of the Law & Order universe, was cancelled after one 13-episode season following a negative reception from critics and audiences.[14] Despite this, Entertain your Brain wrote that "... March, she has already proven herself on Special Victims Unit."[15]

Continued film and television work

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In 2003, March made her film debut with a supporting role in the political comedy Head of State opposite Chris Rock. She later appeared in the films Mr. & Mrs. Smith, The Treatment, and Falling for Grace, the latter two romantic comedies. March also appeared in the 2009 film The Invention of Lying as the woman Ricky Gervais's character tells the world will end unless she has sex with him. She later co-starred in the independent films Why Stop Now? and Innocence. In 2007, March performed in the Broadway premiere of Eric Bogosian's Talk Radio, starring Liev Schreiber.[16] She also starred in Howard Korder's off-Broadway play Boy's[17] Life alongside Jason Biggs.[18]

March has guest-starred on 30 Rock, Grey's Anatomy, Rescue Me, and Happy Endings. She was cast as a regular character on the short-lived CBS legal comedy-drama Made in Jersey in 2012, but she left the series after the pilot episode.[19][20] She starred in the 2015 Adult Swim series Neon Joe, Werewolf Hunter.[21] March played the role of Ivanka Trump in the March 2019 Comedy Central TV movie A President Show Documentary: The Fall of Donald Trump. The 22-minute documentary is a comedic portrayal of the aftermath of Trump's imagined loss of the 2020 presidential election.[22]

On March 9, 2019, The Social Ones premiered at the Hammer Theatre Center in San Jose, California, as part of the 2019 Cinequest Film and Creativity Festival. March is a co-executive producer and portrays one of the lead characters.[23][24] Laura Kosann wrote and directed the film, which also features Richard Kind, Jackie Hoffman,[25] Debra Jo Rupp, and Peter Scolari.[26] The film won Cinequest's Audience Award for Best Comedy Feature.[27] The Social Ones is an ensemble mockumentary that satirizes social media culture, including its fixation on likes, selfies, and social media influencers.[24] The film gained additional attention because it was written, produced, and directed entirely by women. In a March 2019 interview, March explained how a mostly women's production team compared to one that is primarily run by men: "We were under budget, on time, wrapped early, had fun, zero on-set drama, zero backstage drama, and wholly supportive of one another- both in front of and behind the camera. I have never experienced such a seamless set. No ego. All warmth (meets organization, meets diligence, meets determination). Moms really should be in charge of more businesses."[24]

In 2021, March signed with Echo Lake Entertainment, for management in all areas.[17] She subsequently appeared in the Lifetime biographical television film A House on Fire, where she played Debora Green, a former doctor and convicted murderer.[28][29] Her performance earned praise from critics and audiences;[30][31] Sayantani Nath of Meaww.com wrote that the actress showed "incredible finesse and brilliance" and further wrote on March's "impressive acting and realistic depiction of Green's mental anguish and struggles."[32]

It was announced that March would join the cast of The CW superhero series Naomi,[33][34] where she was set to play the role of Akira;[35][36] released in 2022, the series earned positive reviews from critics and audiences alike.[37] On auditioning for the role, March told ComicBook.com that "When I auditioned, the role of Akira was described to me as a, quote, "Ripley-inspired intergalactic badass," and I thought, "Well, yeah, I want to do that." ... so far, I hope that's how it's come across. It's certainly been fun to play."[38]

In 2023, March played Binky in Ava DuVernay's acclaimed biographical drama film Origin.[39][40] That year, she also played the role of Angelica Wyatt in the miniseries adaptation of Harlan Coben's Shelter.[41]

Other work

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March co-founded SheSpoke (formerly Rouge), a custom-made cosmetics company, with her business partner Rebecca Perkins in 2013.[42]

Activism and philanthropy

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March is a philanthropist and advocate for international women's rights, focusing on reproductive rights, the right access to education, freedom from sexual violence, and fair legal representation.[43][44] She currently serves on the boards of the Panzi Foundation,[45] OneKid OneWorld,[46] the Whitney Museum of American Art,[47] and The Gotham Film & Media Institute.[48] She is a longtime advocate for Planned Parenthood and previously served on the board of Planned Parenthood Global.[49]

March is a member of the Board of Advisors for the Northwestern University School of Communication.[50] In April 2018, March participated in a variety show fundraiser “A Starry Night” at Northwestern University for the School of Communication. In addition to March, other alumni from the school who participated included Stephen Colbert, Tony Roberts, and Dermot Mulroney.[51][52]

Personal life

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March married celebrity chef Bobby Flay on February 20, 2005.[5] She appeared on four of Flay's Food Network shows—Boy Meets Grill, Grill It! with Bobby Flay, Iron Chef America, and Throwdown with Bobby Flay—as a guest judge. According to media reports, March and Flay separated in March 2015 and their divorce was finalized on July 17, 2015.[2]

March wrote an essay, published in June 2016, that detailed her experience with breast augmentation surgery in 2014 and the subsequent removal of the implants due to infection.[53]

On September 1, 2017, March married businessman Dan Benton in Katonah, New York.[54] She was introduced to Benton, the founder of Andor Capital, by a mutual friend in October 2015, several months after her divorce from celebrity chef Bobby Flay.[55] The couple resides in the West Village in an apartment they bought in 2018.[56]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2003 Focus Room Kim Short film
Head of State Nikki
2005 Mr. & Mrs. Smith Julie
2006 Flannel Pajamas Cathy
The Treatment Julia
Copy That Stephanie Short film
2007 Falling for Grace Kay Douglas
2009 Confessions of a Shopaholic Department Store Manager Scene deleted[citation needed]
The Invention of Lying Blonde
2012 Why Stop Now? Trish
2014 Innocence Natalie Crawford
2019 The Social Ones Miriam Spacelli
2023 Origin Binky

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1997 Early Edition Arlene Episode: "A Bris Is Just a Bris"
2000 Death of a Salesman Miss Forsythe Television film
2000–2018 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Alexandra Cabot Main role (seasons 2–5, 11)
Recurring role (seasons 6, 10, 13, 19)[57]
2005 Jesse Stone: Night Passage Cissy Hathaway Television film
2006 Conviction Alexandra Cabot Main role
30 Rock Gretchen Thomas Episode: "Blind Date"
2007 Grey's Anatomy Jane Episode: "Physical Attraction... Chemical Reaction"
2009 Rescue Me Psychic Episode: "Jimmy"
2012 Made in Jersey Natalie Minka Episode: "Pilot"
2013 Happy Endings Brooke Kerkovich Episode: "Brothas and Sisters"
2015 Neon Joe, Werewolf Hunter Mayor Carol Blanton Recurring role; 5 episodes
2017 The President Show Ivanka Trump 1 episode
2021 Solar Opposites Defense Attorney (voice) Episode: "The Apple Pencil Pro"
A House on Fire Debora Green Lifetime television film
2022 Naomi Akira Recurring role; 6 episodes
2023 Harlan Coben’s Shelter Angelica Wyatt Recurring role; 2 episodes

References

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  1. ^ Stephanie March [@MarchStephanie] (26 February 2014). "@middlenamegame "Caroline"" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  2. ^ a b Bender, Kelli (April 9, 2015). "Bobby Flay and Wife Stephanie March Split". People. Archived from the original on April 12, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c "Stephanie March". TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on October 5, 2012. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
  4. ^ Hepola, Sarah (April 2006). "My Famous Friend". D Magazine. Archived from the original on April 12, 2015. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
  5. ^ a b "Stephanie March, Bobby Flay". The New York Times. February 20, 2005. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved September 5, 2007.
  6. ^ "Notable Thetas > Explore Notable Thetas". Kappa Alpha Theta Heritage. (Requires scrolldown)
  7. ^ Simonson, Robert (January 8, 1999). "Full Cast Announced for Bway's Salesman, Due Jan. 22 at O'Neill". Playbill. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  8. ^ Chonin, Neva (2005-03-23). "With hot 'Law & Order' squad's focus on sex crime, suddenly everybody's watching the detectives". SFGATE. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  9. ^ Ausiello, Michael (2011-07-05). "Law & Order: SVU Scoop: Stephanie March, Diane Neal Heading Back to Court". TVLine. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  10. ^ "Stephanie March Reveals Law & Order: SVU Storyline That Sparked Her Real Life Passion (Exclusive)". Peoplemag. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
  11. ^ Davies, Alex (2021-12-08). "Law and Order SVU's Alexandra Cabot stars lands huge new role following NBC exit". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  12. ^ Rudolph, Ileane (17 April 2018). "Stephanie March Gives the Scoop on Alex Cabot's 'Law & Order: SVU' Return". TV Insider. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  13. ^ "Power of the Dog, Belfast Lead Nominations for IPA Satellite Awards". 2021-12-01. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  14. ^ Adalian, Josef (May 14, 2006). "NBC loses 'Conviction'". Variety. Archived from the original on April 27, 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2015. (Archive link requires scrolldown.)
  15. ^ ""Conviction" Review". www.entertainyourbrain.com. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  16. ^ "Casting Complete for TALK RADIO". BroadwayWorld. January 4, 2007. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  17. ^ a b Grobar, Matt (2021-07-19). "'Law & Order: SVU' Alum Stephanie March Signs With Echo Lake Entertainment For Management". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  18. ^ Isherwood, Charles (October 21, 2008). "Somewhat More Than Boys, a Little Less Than Men". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  19. ^ Hibberd, James (January 17, 2015). "'SVU' costar Stephanie March lands CBS legal drama". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on February 16, 2015. Retrieved February 17, 2015.
  20. ^ Gelman, Vlada (May 23, 2012). "Mason Cook Cast in Mockingbird Lane, Revolution and Made in Jersey Let Andrea Roth and Stephanie March Go". TVLine. Archived from the original on February 21, 2015. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
  21. ^ Mancuso, Vinnie (2015-12-07). "Scott Adsit and Stephanie March on the Absurdity of 'Neon Joe, Werewolf Hunter'". Observer. Retrieved 2019-09-09.
  22. ^ Petski, Denise (2018-09-27). "'President Show' Donald Trump Mockumentary Special Set On Comedy Central". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2019-09-09.
  23. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (2018-05-30). "Richard Kind, Stephanie March, Jackie Hoffman To Star In Indie Comedy 'The Social Ones'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2019-03-31.
  24. ^ a b c Adams, Shura (13 March 2019). "Exclusive: 'The Social Ones' Interview with Stephanie March and Laura and Danielle Kosann". theknockturnal.com. Retrieved 2019-03-31.
  25. ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (2019-01-23). "'The Social Ones' Trailer: Social Media Influencers Get Rightfully Skewered In New Mockumentary". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2019-03-31.
  26. ^ Pizarro, Sal (2019-03-09). "Cinequest: 'The Social Ones' satirizes our social media obsession". The Mercury News. Retrieved 2019-03-31.
  27. ^ "Cinequest 2019 Wrap & Awards | Cinequest". cinequest.org. Archived from the original on 2019-03-31. Retrieved 2019-03-31.
  28. ^ "Lifetime's New True Crime Movie Shines A Light On Mental Illness". Bustle. 13 March 2021. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  29. ^ "A House on Fire". Lifetime. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  30. ^ Moss, Gabrielle (2021-03-14). "Did Lifetime's 'A House On Fire' Just Make Me Relate To A Child Murderer?". The Dipp. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  31. ^ "'A House on Fire' provides fuel for Stephanie March". ONTVtoday. 2021-03-05. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  32. ^ "'A House on Fire' Full Cast List: Meet Stephanie March, Shaun Benson and others from Lifetime's true crime movie". meaww.com. 10 March 2021. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  33. ^ Rosario, Alexandra Del (2021-12-08). "'Naomi': Stephanie March Joins Cast Of The CW Superhero Series As Recurring". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  34. ^ "DC's Naomi Adds Stephanie March to New CW Series". DC. 8 December 2021. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  35. ^ Toby, Mekeisha Madden (2022-02-02). "Naomi's Stephanie March Breaks Down Akira's 'Loaded' Relationships". TVLine. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  36. ^ Lang, Brent (2021-12-07). "Stephanie March Joins Ava DuVernay's 'Naomi' DC Series (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  37. ^ Naomi, retrieved 2022-02-16
  38. ^ "Naomi: Stephanie March Talks Her "Ripley-esque" Character". DC. 9 February 2022. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  39. ^ Gyarkye, Lovia (2023-09-06). "'Origin' Review: Ava DuVernay and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor Turn Isabel Wilkerson's 'Caste' Into a Tender Love Story". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
  40. ^ Seth, Radhika (2023-09-08). "Dispatch From Venice: Ava DuVernay's Origin Is a Rousing Rallying Cry". Vogue. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
  41. ^ "Shelter Adds Missi Pyle, Stephanie March & More To Cast". Deadline. 22 September 2022. Retrieved 2024-08-11.
  42. ^ Ruffner, Zoe (October 30, 2018). "This New Soho Lipstick Bar Will Whip Up Your Perfect Shade of Holiday-Party Red". Vogue. Retrieved 2019-09-03.
  43. ^ March, Stephanie (March 8, 2012). "Stephanie March: The state of Texas vs. its women". The Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved April 12, 2015. (Op-ed)
  44. ^ March, Stephanie (May 2, 2017). "'Law & Order' Star: Trump Team Adding to "Stigma, Shame" of Sexual Assault Survivors (Guest Column)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2019-09-19.
  45. ^ "Stephanie March on the 'Law & Order: SVU' Storyline That Led to Her Real-Life Passion". The Hollywood Reporter. 2024-07-04. Retrieved 2024-08-11.
  46. ^ McCubbin, Tracy (2017-08-30). "One Kid, One World, One Incredible Trip". FathomAway.com. Retrieved 2019-09-03.
  47. ^ "Board of Trustees". whitney.org. Retrieved 2024-08-11.
  48. ^ Gotham (2022-09-16). "GFMI Appoints Four New Members To Its Board of Directors".
  49. ^ "Planned Parenthood Global Welcomes Actress and Advocate Stephanie March". Planned Parenthood. July 21, 2017. Retrieved 2019-09-19.
  50. ^ "Stephanie March (C96) to deliver 2023 SoC Convocation Address". Northwestern University. Retrieved 2024-08-11.
  51. ^ Ihejirika, Maudlyne (25 April 2018). "Just call Northwestern U. 'Hollywood Midwest' after 'A Starry Night' bragfest". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  52. ^ Kulke, Stephanie (22 April 2018). "Stephen Colbert and celebrity alumni spend 'A Starry Night' at Northwestern". Northwestern Now. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  53. ^ March, Stephanie (June 2, 2016). "Why I Got Breast Implants — And Then Had Them Removed". Refinery29. Retrieved June 30, 2016.
  54. ^ McNeil, Liz (September 1, 2017). "Stephanie March Marries Dan Benton". People. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  55. ^ "Actress Stephanie March Marries Dan Benton — and Walks Down the Aisle to the Star Wars Theme!".
  56. ^ Vecsey, Laura (11 January 2018). "Stephanie March and Daniel Benton Score $34M Penthouse | StreetEasy". StreetEasy.
  57. ^ Ausiello, Michael (July 5, 2011). "Law & Order: SVU Scoop: Stephanie March, Diane Neal Heading Back to Court". TVLine. Archived from the original on February 21, 2015. Retrieved March 21, 2012.
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