Martha Plimpton

Martha Plimpton is an American actress known for her work across film, television, and theater spanning over four decades. Born into a prominent acting family, she began her professional career as a teenager before transitioning to acclaimed adult roles. She made her feature-film debut in Rollover at age ten but gained widespread recognition for her performance as Andy "Mouth" Cohen in the 1985 adventure classic The Goonies. Her subsequent work includes memorable turns in The Mosquito Coast, Running on Empty, and Parenthood.

Plimpton has established herself as a versatile performer with significant achievements in both media formats. She won a Primetime Emmy Award for her guest role on The Good Wife and headlined the Fox sitcom Raising Hope from 2010 to 2014. Her stage career is equally distinguished, featuring three Tony Award nominations for productions like The Coast of Utopia and Pal Joey. As of 2026, she remains active in high-profile projects including HBO's Task and Netflix's The Regime. [edit]

Born Martha Campbell Plimpton in New York City on November 16, 1970, she grew up immersed in the arts as the daughter of actors Keith Carradine and Shelley Plimpton. Her childhood was a blend of normal family life and the demands of a budding acting career. She attended the Professional Children's School in Manhattan, which allowed her to balance education with early professional commitments. While many child stars struggled to transition to adulthood, Plimpton made a deliberate choice to step away from the Hollywood spotlight to focus on her craft.

Her pivotal pre-fame decision involved leaving the trajectory of typical child stardom to pursue serious dramatic work on the stage. This period of focused training and smaller roles laid the groundwork for her later success. She spent years honing her skills in theater before returning to the screen with more mature characters. This shift allowed her to avoid the pitfalls that often affect former child actors and instead build a reputation as a serious, capable artist capable of handling complex emotional material. [edit]

Plimpton's breakthrough arrived with The Goonies in 1985, where her portrayal of the sharp-tongued Mouth became iconic. Following this success, she delivered critically praised performances in The Mosquito Coast (1986) and Running on Empty (1988), the latter earning her a Golden Globe nomination. Her role in Parenthood (1989) further solidified her status as a reliable talent in ensemble casts. Throughout the 1990s, she appeared in films like Beautiful Girls and The Opposite of Sex, showcasing her range beyond the child star image.

Her television career reached new heights with her lead role as Virginia Chance in the sitcom Raising Hope, which ran for four seasons from 2010 to 2014. For this role, she received an Emmy nomination. In 2013, she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her recurring role as Laura Sallers on The Good Wife. More recently, she has taken on roles in HBO's Task and Netflix's The Regime. She continues to return for Season 2 of Task and appears in The Lowdown in 2026. [edit]

Plimpton projects an image of a grounded, intelligent artist who prioritizes quality roles over celebrity status. Her signature style blends casual, bohemian fashion with a polished, intellectual aesthetic that reflects her New York roots. She is widely perceived as a socially conscious figure who uses her platform to advocate for reproductive rights and environmental issues. Unlike many peers from her era, she has maintained a relatively low profile regarding personal scandals, focusing instead on her craft and political engagement. Her presence on social media is active but authentic, sharing updates on work and activism rather than curated lifestyle content. [edit]

iFANN has not yet collected fame data for this person. While she does not hold a specific ranking in the current global charts, her cultural footprint remains strong among fans of 1980s cinema and contemporary television drama. Her legacy is anchored by The Goonies, which introduced her to generations of viewers who still rewatch the film today. Fans often refer to themselves informally as supporters of her early work or simply as enthusiasts of her dramatic range. There is no official fandom name documented in research, but the community is characterized by loyalty to her diverse body of work.

Fan culture around Plimpton includes birthday tributes and charity drives organized in her name, particularly for reproductive rights organizations. She maintains a strong rapport with her audience, often acknowledging their support in interviews and social media posts. Her fans appreciate her transition from child star to respected character actor, viewing her career as a model of longevity and artistic integrity in Hollywood. [edit]

Martha Plimpton is the niece of the late actor Robert Carradine, who passed away in February 2026 at the age of 71. She maintained a close relationship with him throughout his life and publicly mourned his death with deep affection. Plimpton is also a trained singer who has performed in various musical theater productions throughout her career. One of her most celebrated stage moments was her performance in Tom Stoppard's The Coast of Utopia, where she played multiple characters and demonstrated her ability to handle complex, multi-layered roles. She is known for her dedication to political activism, particularly regarding reproductive rights and environmental causes, often using her public platform to support progressive movements. [edit]

She is married to actor Rick Schmidt since October 14, 2000. The couple met in the early 1990s while working on a production and kept their relationship private for several years before marrying. They have two children together: a daughter named Rosalee Jane, born in 2002, and a son named Charlie, born in 2005. The family resides in Brooklyn, New York. Her parents are actors Keith Carradine and Shelley Plimpton. She is part of the larger Carradine acting dynasty, which includes her uncle Robert Carradine and siblings Ever Carradine and the late David Carradine. [edit]

Rick Schmidt, Keith Carradine, Shelley Plimpton, Ever Carradine, Robert Carradine[edit]

Martha Plimpton has been married to actor Rick Schmidt since October 14, 2000. The couple met in the early 1990s while working on a production, though they kept their relationship private for several years before marrying. They have two children together: a daughter named Rosalee Jane, born in 2002, and a son named Charlie, born in 2005. Prior to her marriage to Schmidt, Plimpton had a brief, highly publicized relationship with musician Dave Grohl in the mid-1990s, though details remain sparse compared to her long-term union with Schmidt. As of 2026, Plimpton is happily married to Rick Schmidt, with whom she continues to reside in Brooklyn, New York. [edit]

iFANN currently estimates Martha Plimpton's net worth at approximately $15 million. This figure reflects her decades-long career in Hollywood, earnings from Broadway productions, and strategic real estate investments. A significant portion of her wealth comes from her acting salaries, particularly her long-running role on Raising Hope and recent work in streaming series like Task. She also owns real estate in Brooklyn, having sold a Victorian home for $2.6 million in January 2026 after owning it for many years. Her wealth is managed through steady acting work, production credits, and property holdings rather than high-risk ventures or endorsement deals. [edit]

Martha Plimpton has won one major industry award: the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series in 2013 for her role in The Good Wife. While she has received numerous nominations, including three Tony Award nominations for The Coast of Utopia, Top Girls, and Pal Joey, and an Emmy nomination for Raising Hope, the 2013 Emmy remains her only win from these major ceremonies. She also won the Drama Desk Award and the Outer Critics Circle Award for her performance in Hedda Gabler at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company. [edit]