Rachel Brosnahan (born July 12, 1990) is an American actress. She is best known for playing the title role of an aspiring stand-up comedian in the Amazon Prime Video period comedy series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017–2023), for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award in 2018 and two consecutive Golden Globe Awards in 2018 and 2019. She has also appeared in the political thriller series House of Cards (2013–2015) and the drama series Manhattan (2014–2015).
Brosnahan made her film debut in the horror film The Unborn (2009), and has appeared in films including Beautiful Creatures (2013), Louder Than Bombs (2015), The Finest Hours (2016), Patriots Day (2016), Spies in Disguise (2019), The Courier (2020), and I'm Your Woman (2020). Brosnahan made her Broadway debut in the 2013 revival of the Clifford Odets play The Big Knife. She played Desdemona in the 2016 New York Theatre Workshop production of Othello, and returned to Broadway in the 2023 revival of the Lorraine Hansberry play The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window.
She first appeared on stage in 2009 in Up at Steppenwolf Theatre followed by her Broadway debut in The Big Knife with Roundabout Theatre Company in 2013. In 2016, she played Desdemona in Othello at New York Theatre Workshop opposite David Oyelowo and Daniel Craig.
In 2013, she starred as Rachel Posner in the critically acclaimed Netflix political drama House of Cards with Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright. Although she was initially booked for only two episodes, she caught the eye of showrunner Beau Willimon, and her character was significantly expanded. Her role brought her career prominence, and she received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. In 2016, she appeared in Woody Allen's Amazon series Crisis in Six Scenes with Allen, Elaine May and Miley Cyrus.
Starting in 2017, she appeared as the title character in the Amazon period comedy series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She has said that her exposure to Jewish culture growing up helped prepare her for the role of Midge Maisel, a 1950s Jewish housewife who pursues a career in stand-up comedy when her marriage fails. Her performance has earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series, two Golden Globe Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and two Critics' Choice Television Awards, among other accolades.
After her Emmy Award win, Brosnahan said that The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel resonated with viewers because "the show is equal parts fantasy and reality. It has beautiful clothes, beautiful sets. I think in some ways it's aspirational too. It's about a woman who's reinventing herself after completing the dream she had laid out for herself. Everything falls apart; she finds herself anew. It's never too late to do that. And it's funny and, I think, filled with joy at its core, and that's something we need a lot more of in the world right now."
In 2019, Brosnahan launched the production company Scrap Paper Pictures.
Brosnahan appeared in the drama film The Courier with Benedict Cumberbatch, released in January 2020. In December 2020, Amazon released I'm Your Woman, in which she starred with Arinzé Kene and produced. In 2022, she starred in the western Dead for a Dollar which premiered at the 79th Venice International Film Festival. In 2023, she starred in the revival of Lorraine Hansberry's The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window opposite Oscar Isaac first at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and later produced at the James Earl Jones Theatre on Broadway directed by Anne Kauffman. She received positive reviews for her performance as well as a Drama League Award nomination for Outstanding Distinguished Performer.
In June 2023, it was announced that Brosnahan was cast as Lois Lane in the DC Universe starting with the upcoming film, Superman, from director James Gunn.
Brosnahan made her hosting debut on Saturday Night Live on January 19, 2019, the tenth episode and the first show of New Year 2019 Season 44, with musical guests Greta Van Fleet.
She was previously impersonated on the show by then-current cast member Cecily Strong in the "Oscar Host Auditions" sketch of the December 15, 2018 episode, the ninth episode and Christmas show, hosted by actor Matt Damon, with musical guests Mark Ronson and Miley Cyrus.