Molly Parker is a Canadian actress, writer and director best known for Deadwood, House of Cards, Lost in Space and the Fox medical drama Doc. She has built a career around demanding roles in film and television.
Quick Facts About Molly Parker
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Molly Parker |
| Born | June 30, 1972 |
| Birthplace | Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada |
| Age | 54 as of September 2026 |
| Profession | Actress, writer, director |
| Known for | Deadwood, House of Cards, Lost in Space, Doc |
| Emmy recognition | 2016 nomination for House of Cards |
| Child | One son |
Parker’s birth date and birthplace are consistently listed by IMDb and the Television Academy, although the Canadian Film Encyclopedia has published a different birth date. Because the strongest currently accessible biographical listings agree on June 30, 1972, that is the date used here.
Who Is Molly Parker?
Molly Parker is an accomplished Canadian screen actress whose work spans independent cinema, prestige television and mainstream streaming productions. She first attracted major critical attention with the 1996 film Kissed, then became widely recognized in the United States for playing Alma Garret on HBO’s acclaimed Western Deadwood.
Her career has never been limited to one type of character. Parker has played politicians, mothers, scientists, doctors and emotionally complicated women, often choosing projects with darker or more unconventional material.
In 2025, she took on another major television role as Dr. Amy Larsen in Fox’s Doc, giving her a new leading role in a network medical drama.
Molly Parker’s Early Life and Acting Career
Parker was born in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, and grew up nearby in Pitt Meadows. According to the Canadian Film Encyclopedia, she was raised by progressive parents on what she has described as a “hippie farm.” She trained in ballet from childhood through her teenage years and studied with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet before turning her attention more seriously toward acting.
An actor uncle helped her get started professionally. Parker began landing television work while still young and later studied at Vancouver’s Gastown Actors Studio under Mel Tuck. Early credits included Canadian television productions and shows filmed in Vancouver, including Neon Rider, The Outer Limits and Highlander.
Her early work gave her a broad foundation, but Kissed became the project that changed the direction of her career.
Breakthrough With Kissed
Parker’s feature-film breakthrough came with Lynne Stopkewich’s Kissed, released in 1996. She played Sandra, a young woman whose fascination with death develops into an unusual and disturbing sexual obsession. The film was based on Barbara Gowdy’s short story “We So Seldom Look on Love.”
The role was challenging and controversial, but Parker’s performance received significant recognition. She won the Genie Award for Best Actress, establishing her as one of Canada’s notable young performers.
She continued working across Canadian and American productions, appearing in films such as The Center of the World, Max, Pure and Nine Lives. Her performance in The Center of the World also earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Female Lead.
Molly Parker in Deadwood
For many American viewers, Parker is most closely associated with Alma Garret in HBO’s Deadwood.
The series debuted in 2004 and was set in the American West during the late 19th century. Parker played Alma, a wealthy widow whose life becomes increasingly complicated after arriving in Deadwood. She remained a major part of the series throughout its three seasons.
The role demonstrated Parker’s ability to carry a character through a long, psychologically layered story. Her work on the show also helped cement her reputation beyond Canadian film and television.
In 2019, she returned to the character for Deadwood: The Movie, which reunited much of the original cast for an HBO continuation of the story.
House of Cards and Her Emmy Nomination
Parker took another major television role when she joined Netflix’s House of Cards as Jacqueline “Jackie” Sharp.
Jackie is a California congresswoman who becomes an important political rival and successor figure within the show’s Washington power structure. Parker’s performance earned her a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series in 2016.
The role was another departure from Alma Garret. Instead of a frontier widow navigating an unstable town, Parker was playing a modern political operator working in one of television’s most ruthless fictional environments.
Other Notable Molly Parker Movies and TV Shows
Parker has maintained a varied filmography rather than relying on one signature type of role.
Her notable credits include Six Feet Under, Swingtown, Dexter, Goliath, Wormwood, Madeline’s Madeline, 1922 and Pieces of a Woman.
She also starred as Maureen Robinson in Netflix’s Lost in Space. The science-fiction series ran for three seasons and followed the Robinson family after they crash-land on an alien planet. Parker played the mother of the family alongside Toby Stephens and the young cast members portraying her children.
In Pieces of a Woman, Parker played the midwife at the center of the film’s courtroom and family conflict. Netflix lists her alongside Vanessa Kirby, Shia LaBeouf, Ellen Burstyn and Sarah Snook in the cast.
Another notable achievement came with the Canadian film Weirdos. Parker won a Canadian Screen Award for her supporting performance in the 2016 film.
Molly Parker as Dr. Amy Larsen in Doc
Parker’s most prominent recent role is Dr. Amy Larsen in Fox’s Doc.
The series premiered in the United States on January 7, 2025. Parker plays a brilliant physician whose life changes after a car accident leaves her without memories of the previous eight years. She must rebuild her professional and personal life while trying to understand the person she had become during those missing years.
The premise gives Parker a particularly demanding acting challenge because the character effectively has to confront two versions of herself: the woman she remembers being and the woman others remember.
Fox has confirmed that Doc Season 3 is scheduled to premiere on September 22, 2026, making the series Parker’s most important current television project as of September 2026.
Has Molly Parker Won Any Awards?
Yes. Parker’s awards history includes major Canadian recognition as well as international nominations.
Her best-known early win was the Genie Award for Best Actress for Kissed. She later won another Canadian Screen Award for her supporting performance in Weirdos. She has also received an Emmy nomination for House of Cards and an Independent Spirit Award nomination for The Center of the World.
Her honors reflect a career that has moved between independent film, Canadian productions and high-profile American television rather than following a single commercial path.
Is Molly Parker Still Acting?
Yes. Molly Parker remains active as an actor and is currently associated with Fox’s Doc. The show’s third season is scheduled for September 22, 2026, with Parker returning as Dr. Amy Larsen.
Her recent career also shows that she continues to move between different types of productions. Alongside television work, her film credits have included projects such as Pieces of a Woman, Jockey and Peter Pan & Wendy.
Molly Parker’s Career in Perspective
What distinguishes Parker’s career is its range. She went from the provocative independent film Kissed to Deadwood, then to political drama in House of Cards, family science fiction in Lost in Space and a lead role in the medical drama Doc.
She has also worked behind the camera. Fox’s biography notes that Parker wrote and directed the short film Bird, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2017.
Rather than becoming identified with a single franchise or genre, Parker has built a career around demanding characters. That variety is a major reason she remains recognizable to audiences across multiple generations of television and film.
FAQs
How old is Molly Parker?
Molly Parker is 54 years old as of September 2026. She was born June 30, 1972, in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada.
What is Molly Parker best known for?
She is particularly known for playing Alma Garret in Deadwood, Jackie Sharp in House of Cards, Maureen Robinson in Lost in Space and Dr. Amy Larsen in Doc.
What happened to Molly Parker’s character in Doc?
In Doc, Parker plays Dr. Amy Larsen, a physician whose car accident causes her to lose memories of the previous eight years. The series follows her efforts to rebuild her life and career while confronting the changes that happened during that period.
Was Molly Parker in Deadwood?
Yes. Parker played Alma Garret throughout all three seasons of HBO’s Deadwood and returned to the role in Deadwood: The Movie in 2019.
Is Molly Parker in Lost in Space?
Yes. Parker played Maureen Robinson in all three seasons of Netflix’s Lost in Space.
Source list
- Molly Parker, TIFF Canadian Film Encyclopedia, Accessed September 13, 2026.
- Molly Parker | Emmy Awards and Nominations, Television Academy, Accessed September 13, 2026.
- Molly Parker | FOXFLASH, FOX, Accessed September 13, 2026.
- Doc | FOXFLASH, FOX, Accessed September 13, 2026.
- Molly Parker, IMDb, Accessed September 13, 2026.
- Lost in Space, Netflix, Accessed September 13, 2026.
- Pieces of a Woman, Netflix, Accessed September 13, 2026.
- Kissed, National Canadian Film Day, Accessed September 13, 2026.
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