Editing Martha Plimpton (section)

===1990–2008: Mature roles and Broadway debut ===
[[File:Martha Plimpton (46724873471).jpg|left|thumb|214x214px|Plimpton in 1996]]
Plimpton appeared in the [[Robert De Niro]]-[[Jane Fonda]] 1990 romantic drama ''[[Stanley & Iris]]'' in a supporting role.<ref>[https://www.allmovie.com/movie/stanley-iris-v46459/cast-crew "'Stanley and Iris' Cast"] allmovie.com, accessed March 22, 2015</ref> She also appeared in the 1991 TV movie ''A Woman At War'' in the lead role as [[Helene Moszkiewiez]].<ref>Bleiler, David. [https://books.google.com/books?id=umUefzHmfjMC&dq=Stoltz+%22A+Woman+At+War%22&pg=PA689 ''A Woman At War''] ''TLA Video & DVD Guide 2005: The Discerning Film Lover's Guide'', books.google.com, 2004, Macmillan, p. 689</ref> Plimpton played the starring role of Samantha in the film ''[[Samantha (movie)|Samantha]]'' (1991).<ref>[https://www.allmovie.com/movie/samantha-v42701/cast-crew " 'Samantha' Cast"] allmovie.com, accessed March 22, 2015</ref> She appeared as an activist in the independent film ''[[Inside Monkey Zetterland]]'' released in 1993.<ref>Howe, Desson. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/insidemonkeyzetterlandrhowe_a0b016.htm "'Inside Monkey Zetterland' Review"] ''Washington Post'', December 3, 1993</ref> Plimpton appeared in the television film ''[[Daybreak (1993 film)|Daybreak]]'' (1993, HBO).<ref>Bleiler, David. [https://books.google.com/books?id=qa5_AQAAQBAJ&dq=%22Cuba+Gooding%22+%22Daybreak%22&pg=PT716] ''TLA Film and Video Guide 2000–2001: The Discerning Film Lover's Guide'', books.google.com, 2013, St. Martin's Griffin, {{ISBN|1466859407}}</ref><ref>Hall, Jane. [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-05-02-tv-29948-story.html "A Once and Future Plague: HBO's 'Daybreak' is an allegory that treats AIDS in a political context"] latimes.com, May 2, 1993</ref> She appeared in the Showtime television film ''[[Chantilly Lace (film)|Chantilly Lace]]''.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150402180738/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/121705/Chantilly-Lace/details "''Chantilly Lace'' Cast"] nytimes.com, accessed March 22, 2015</ref> Plimpton had a featured role in the film ''[[Josh and S.A.M.]]'' (1993) as a runaway who takes care of the two boys.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150403040219/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/26541/Josh-and-S-A-M-/details " 'Josh and S.A.M.' Details"] ''The New York Times'', accessed March 22, 2015</ref><ref>Holden, Stephen. [https://www.nytimes.com/movie review?res=9B03E6DD1E3AF937A15752C1A965958260 "'Josh and S A M' (1993) Youngsters on the Run From Painful Realities"] ''The New York Times'', November 24, 1993</ref> She played the lead in ''[[The Beans of Egypt, Maine]]'', based on the [[Carolyn Chute]] novel.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-04-02 |title=The-Beans-of-Egypt-Maine - Trailer - Cast - Showtimes - NYTimes.com |url=http://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/134233/The-Beans-of-Egypt-Maine/overview |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402184239/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/134233/The-Beans-of-Egypt-Maine/overview |url-status=dead |archive-date=2015-04-02 |access-date=2024-11-13 }}</ref> Plimpton also appeared as herself in the independent film by Eric Schaeffer ''My Life's in Turnaround'' (1993), a movie about filmmakers trying to make a movie.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-04-03 |title=My-Life-s-in-Turnaround - Trailer - Cast - Showtimes - NYTimes.com |url=http://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/132255/My-Life-s-in-Turnaround/overview |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403003158/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/132255/My-Life-s-in-Turnaround/overview |url-status=dead |archive-date=2015-04-03 |access-date=2024-11-13 }}</ref> She appeared as a close friend of radical feminist [[Valerie Solanas]] in the film ''[[I Shot Andy Warhol]]'' (1996).<ref>[https://www.allmovie.com/movie/i-shot-andy-warhol-v135526/cast-crew "Cast and Crew"] allmovie.com, accessed March 22, 2015</ref>

In 1997, the [[Showtime Network]] cast Plimpton as the female lead in a television film, ''The Defenders: Payback''. Two more episodes (''The Defenders: Choice of Evils'' and ''The Defenders: Taking the First'') were aired in 1998. This show was a retooling of the classic [[The Defenders (1961 TV series)|television show by the same name]], and the characters were descendants of Lawrence Preston, a role reprised by actor [[E. G. Marshall]]. Plimpton played the granddaughter, M.J. Preston.<ref>[http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/production-begins-on-paramount-network-televisions-the-defenders-payback-the-first-of-a-series-of-two-hour-telefilms-for-showtime-75481757.html "Production Begins on Paramount Network Television's 'The Defenders: Payback,' The First of a Series of Two-Hour Telefilms for Showtime"] prnewswire.com, May 7, (year not shown), accessed March 22, 2015</ref><ref>Rosenberg, Howard. [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-sep-01-ca-27817-story.html "This Time, 'The Defenders' Will Hold Court on Showtime"] latimes.com, September 1, 1997</ref> The intent was to spin the program off as a series, but Marshall died in 1998. The decision was made to not continue production due to Marshall's death.<ref>Erickson, Hal. [https://books.google.com/books?id=RXQNIs12SzQC&dq=Marshall+death+%22The+Defenders%3A+Payback%22&pg=PA84] ''Encyclopedia of Television Law Shows: Factual and Fictional Series About Judges, Lawyers and the Courtroom, 1948–2008'', books.google.com, McFarland, 2009, {{ISBN|0786454520}}, p.85</ref> Plimpton became involved with the [[Steppenwolf Theatre Company]] in Chicago, appearing in ''[[Hedda Gabler]]'' (2001) among others.<ref>[http://www.steppenwolf.org/ensemble/members/details.aspx?id=28 "Steppenwolf Theatre"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071109172032/http://www.steppenwolf.org/ensemble/members/details.aspx?id=28 |date=November 9, 2007 }} company list</ref> She appeared in the [[John Waters (filmmaker)|John Waters]] film ''[[Pecker (film)|Pecker]]'' in 1998. The film received mixed reviews—for example, the ''SF Gate'' reviewer wrote, "...Waters' patented brand of off-color fun is watered down", but wrote that Plimpton's work was "solid".<ref>Beitiks, Edvins. [http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/John-Waters-approaches-mainstream-with-Pecker-3068424.php "John Waters approaches mainstream with 'Pecker'"] sfgate.com, September 25, 1998</ref> The 1999 film ''[[200 Cigarettes]]'' received generally negative reviews, but the AllMovie reviewer wrote of Plimpton: "...woefully underappreciated Martha Plimpton gets laughs as a bundle of neuroses who grows more and more stressed out as people fail to appear for her party..."<ref>[https://www.allmovie.com/movie/200-cigarettes-v176533/review "Review"] allmovie.com, accessed March 22, 2015</ref> In 1999, Plimpton had a recurring role in the sixth season of the [[NBC]] medical drama ''[[ER (TV series)|ER]]'' as Meg Corwyn.

In 2001, Plimpton starred in ''[[The Sleepy Time Gal]]''.<ref>[https://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-sleepy-time-gal-v235053 ''The Sleepy Time Gal''] allmovie.com, accessed March 22, 2015</ref> In 2002, she appeared in the documentary ''[[Searching for Debra Winger]]'' and was nominated for a [[Primetime Emmy Award]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.emmys.com/celebrities/martha-plimpton |title=Martha Plimpton Emmy Nominated |publisher=Emmys.com |date=July 19, 2012}}</ref> for her guest appearance on the television drama ''[[Law & Order: Special Victims Unit]]''. Plimpton was the voice of Miss Crumbles in the 2004 animated film ''[[Hair High]]'' by [[Bill Plympton]].<ref>Genzlinger, Neal. [https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/18/movies/18high.html?_r=0 "Movie Review. 'Hair High'"] ''The New York Times'', October 18, 2006</ref> In 2004, she guest-starred in an episode of ''[[7th Heaven (TV series)|7th Heaven]]''. Plimpton wrote the episode of the show entitled "Red Socks", which aired in 2005.<ref>Hernandez, Ernio. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/wbs-7th-heaven-characters-sing-show-tunes-in-feb.-14-episode-124178 "WB's '7th Heaven' Characters Sing Show Tunes in Feb. 14 Episode"] playbill.com, February 14, 2005</ref> She had a recurring role in the NBC show ''[[Surface (2005 TV series)|Surface]]'' (2005–06).<ref>[http://www.tv.com/shows/surface/cast/ "'Surface' Cast'"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402155324/http://www.tv.com/shows/surface/cast/ |date=April 2, 2015 }} tv.com, accessed March 22, 2015</ref> From October 2006 to May 2007, Plimpton was in the stage play ''[[The Coast of Utopia]]'', a trilogy of plays by Tom Stoppard at [[Lincoln Center]].<ref name=coast>[http://www.playbillvault.com/Show/Detail/13764/The-Coast-of-Utopia "'The Coast of Utopia' Listing"] 
playbillvault.com, accessed March 22, 2015</ref> She won a [[Drama Desk Award]] and was nominated for a [[Tony Award]] for Featured Actress in a Play.<ref name=coast/> From August to September 2007, Plimpton appeared in ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream]]'' in the [[Public Theater]] Shakespeare in the Park production as "Helena".<ref name="playbill.com">Hetrick, Adam. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/plimpton-enos-david-ferguson-are-central-park-dreamers-in-midsummer-opening-143162 "Plimpton, Enos, David, Ferguson Are Central Park Dreamers in 'Midsummer', Opening Aug. 23"] playbill.com, August 23, 2007</ref>

[[File:Martha Plimpton 2009.jpg|thumb|Plimpton attending the [[63rd Tony Awards]], 2009]]

Plimpton co-founded a production company, Everything is Horrible, which has produced short films for the Internet. She received her second nomination for a Tony Award in 2008, Best Performance by a Featured Actress In a Play, for her work in ''[[Top Girls]]'' at the [[Samuel J. Friedman Theatre|Biltmore Theater]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/nominees/index.html |title=– The American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards |publisher=Tonyawards.com}}</ref> In November 2008, Plimpton earned a positive review from [[Ben Brantley]] in ''[[The New York Times]]'' for her role as Gladys Bumps in the [[Roundabout Theatre Company]] production of ''[[Pal Joey (musical)|Pal Joey]]'' on Broadway: "...the ever-daring Ms. Plimpton exudes a been-there, frowzy sensuality that summons a host of hard-bitten dames from 1930s movie melodramas. Leading the nightclub act 'That Terrific Rainbow,' she has the period style down pat and a more than passable voice."<ref>Brantley, Ben. [https://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/19/theater/reviews/19joey.html?em&_r=0 "The Cad! (Dames Could Write a Book)"] ''The New York Times'', December 19, 2008</ref> Plimpton received her third consecutive Tony nomination, for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. She appeared in the 2008 ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' photo issue spread as one of "The Hardest Working Actors In Showbiz". Plimpton said in the write-up, "I went to jury duty the other day, and somebody said, 'You always play drug addicts!' I've played a few on TV, and I imagine because the shows get replayed, it seems like more. But yeah, people tend to see me as this pregnant teenage heroin addict."<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/2008/10/10/hardest-working-actors-showbiz/ |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |title=The Hardest Working Actors in Showbiz – EW.com |access-date=April 15, 2020 |archive-date=January 21, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150121063334/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20232072_2,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2008, Plimpton performed a duet with singer [[Lucy Wainwright Roche]] on Roche's EP ''[[8 More]]'', singing the [[Bruce Springsteen]] song "[[Hungry Heart]]". The two had performed the song in 2008 at Joe's Pub and later in 2008 at the Zipper Factory.<ref>Hetrick, Adam. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/plimpton-and-roche-are-stars-in-the-margin-at-the-zipper-aug.-11-152228 "Plimpton and Roche Are Stars in the Margin at the Zipper Aug. 11"] playbill.com, August 11, 2008</ref> In 2009, Plimpton was profiled by ''The New York Times'' for their "''A Night Out With...''" series, in which Plimpton hosted an evening of poker at The Players.<ref>{{cite news |last=Rothstein |first=Mervyn |date=February 1, 2009 |title=Old Hand, New Hands |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/01/fashion/01Nite.html?scp=1&sq=a%20night%20out%20with%20martha%20plimpton&st=cse}}</ref>