# Rachel Brosnahan
**Rachel Brosnahan** is an American actress born in 1990 in [Milwaukee](https://www.edgepedia.org/milwaukee), Wisconsin, best known for playing Miriam "Midge" Maisel on the Prime Video comedy-drama *The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel* (2017–2023) and [Lois Lane](https://www.edgepedia.org/lois-lane) in the 2025 film *Superman*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3014031) • [2](https://www.superman.com/?trk=article-ssr-frontend-pulse_little-text-block) Before those roles, she built her career in television drama, earning an Emmy nomination as Rachel Posner on Netflix's *House of Cards*.[3](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/rachel-brosnahan)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1990, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; raised in Highland Park, Illinois[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3014031) • [4](https://www.biography.com/actors/rachel-brosnahan) |
| Training | BFA in Drama from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, 2012[4](https://www.biography.com/actors/rachel-brosnahan) |
| Breakthrough TV role | Rachel Posner on *House of Cards* (2013–2015); Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, 2015[3](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/rachel-brosnahan) |
| Signature role | Miriam "Midge" Maisel on *The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel* (2017–2023); Emmy win (2018), two Golden Globes (2018, 2019), Critics' Choice Award (2018)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3014031) • [3](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/rachel-brosnahan) |
| Film lead | Lois Lane in James Gunn's *Superman* (2025), opposite David Corenswet[2](https://www.superman.com/?trk=article-ssr-frontend-pulse_little-text-block) |
| Family | Niece of handbag designer Kate Spade; married to actor Jason Ralph[4](https://www.biography.com/actors/rachel-brosnahan) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3014031) |
| Production work | Her company Scrap Paper Pictures signed a first-look deal with Amazon Studios in 2019[5](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Rachel-Brosnahan/) |
## Early life and training
Brosnahan was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the oldest of three children of a British mother and an American father who worked in children's publishing, and was raised from a young age in [Highland Park, Illinois](https://www.edgepedia.org/highland-park-illinois).[4](https://www.biography.com/actors/rachel-brosnahan) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3014031) Her aunt was the handbag designer [Kate Spade](https://www.edgepedia.org/kate-spade).[4](https://www.biography.com/actors/rachel-brosnahan) Her interest in acting grew serious after performing in musicals at Northwood Junior High School; her mother Carol described her to the *Chicago Tribune* as self-motivated from the beginning.[4](https://www.biography.com/actors/rachel-brosnahan) She attended a Broadway bootcamp as a teenager, graduated from Highland Park High School, and finished her education at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts in 2012.[4](https://www.biography.com/actors/rachel-brosnahan)
## Television career
**Early roles.** While still in high school, Brosnahan made her film debut in the [Michael Bay](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-bay)-produced horror film *The Unborn* (2009).[4](https://www.biography.com/actors/rachel-brosnahan) During college she appeared in single episodes of series including *Gossip Girl*, *The Good Wife*, *Grey's Anatomy*, and *In Treatment*, then moved into recurring roles on *The Blacklist*, the short-lived *Black Box*, and *House of Cards*.[3](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/rachel-brosnahan) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3014031)
**House of Cards.** Her part as Rachel Posner, a young sex worker drawn into a political scandal, was originally booked for two episodes and five lines; showrunner [Beau Willimon](https://www.edgepedia.org/beau-willimon) expanded the character after her first appearances, and she stayed with the series from 2013 to 2015.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3014031) The role brought her first Emmy nomination, for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series in 2015, along with a SAG Award nomination for ensemble performance.[3](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/rachel-brosnahan) • [6](https://www.nywift.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/NYWIFT-Muse-Journal-2020-final-spreads4.pdf) She also played Abby Isaacs for two seasons on the [WGN America](https://www.edgepedia.org/wgn-america) drama *Manhattan* (2014–2015).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3014031) • [7](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/rachel-brosnahan/)
## The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
In 2017 Brosnahan took the first leading role of her career as Miriam "Midge" Maisel, a 1958 [Upper West Side](https://www.edgepedia.org/upper-west-side) housewife who turns to standup comedy after her marriage collapses, in [Amy Sherman-Palladino](https://www.edgepedia.org/amy-sherman-palladino)'s Prime Video series.[8](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/rachel-brosnahan-new-chapter-2548/) She had never done standup or improv, so she prepared by frequenting New York comedy clubs to watch first-time performers, and studied comics including [Joan Rivers](https://www.edgepedia.org/joan-rivers), Lenny Bruce, Jean Carroll, Phyllis Diller, Moms Mabley, and Don Rickles.[8](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/rachel-brosnahan-new-chapter-2548/) • [9](https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/a41299204/rachel-brosnahan-marvelous-mrs-maisel-dead-dollar-interview/) Her audition material totaled 15 pages of Sherman-Palladino's rapid-fire dialogue, which she performed while ill during her screen test.[8](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/rachel-brosnahan-new-chapter-2548/)
The performance made her a television lead. She won the [Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series](https://www.edgepedia.org/primetime-emmy-award-for-outstanding-lead-actress-in-a-comedy-series) in 2018 and was nominated in the same category for every subsequent season through 2023, six nominations and one win in total.[3](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/rachel-brosnahan) She also won Golden Globes for Best Actress in a Television Series, Musical or Comedy in 2018 and 2019, and a Critics' Choice Award in 2018.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3014031) • [10](https://goldenglobes.com/person/rachel-brosnahan/) The series ran five seasons, ending in 2023.[10](https://goldenglobes.com/person/rachel-brosnahan/)
## Film and stage work
Brosnahan's film roles include Genevieve Duchannes in the goth-fantasy *Beautiful Creatures* (2013), Jessica Kensky in *Patriots Day* (2016), and leads in Julia Hart's crime drama *I'm Your Woman* (2020), in which she played a 1970s housewife forced to go on the run, the espionage drama *The Courier* (2021) with [Benedict Cumberbatch](https://www.edgepedia.org/benedict-cumberbatch), and the Western *Dead for a Dollar* (2022).[4](https://www.biography.com/actors/rachel-brosnahan) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3014031) • [10](https://goldenglobes.com/person/rachel-brosnahan/) • [11](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/films/features/rachel-brosnahan-interview-im-your-woman-b1775514.html)
On stage, she first appeared in 2009 in *Up* at Steppenwolf Theatre, made her Broadway debut in *The Big Knife* with the Roundabout Theatre Company in 2013, and played [Desdemona](https://www.edgepedia.org/desdemona) in Sam Gold's 2016 off-Broadway *Othello* at New York Theater Workshop opposite [David Oyelowo](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-oyelowo) and [Daniel Craig](https://www.edgepedia.org/daniel-craig).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3014031) She later appeared in the 2023 Broadway revival of *The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window* as Iris Brustein.[5](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Rachel-Brosnahan/)
## Superman and recent work
In 2023 Brosnahan was cast as Lois Lane in *Superman*, the film that launched James Gunn and Peter Safran's new DC Universe; it opened in theaters on July 11, 2025, with David Corenswet as Superman/Clark Kent and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor.[2](https://www.superman.com/?trk=article-ssr-frontend-pulse_little-text-block) • [12](https://press.wbd.com/na/media-release/warner-bros-pictures/james-gunn-helm-warner-bros-pictures-big-screen-epic-superman-legacy-scheduled) Gunn said the chemistry between Corenswet and Brosnahan was evident from the first days of shooting the 12-minute Lois and Clark interview scene.[13](https://time.com/7273166/david-corenswet-superman-interview/) To prepare, Brosnahan interviewed investigative reporters and journalists, and she has described Lois as a capable journalist with strong beliefs about journalistic integrity rather than a "damsel in distress".[14](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rachel-brosnahan-lois-lane-superman/) She is set to reprise the role in the next Superman film, *Man of Tomorrow*, scheduled for 2027.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3014031)
Her other recent and upcoming projects include the thriller *The Amateur* (2025), the Netflix romantic drama *Saturn Return* with Charles Melton and Will Poulter, and a role in the second season of *Presumed Innocent*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3014031) • [15](https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/news/saturn-return-netflix-movie-everything-we-know/) Through her company Scrap Paper Pictures, which signed a first-look deal with Amazon Studios in 2019, she has executive-produced projects including the special *Yearly Departed*, and she is producing a documentary about her late aunt Kate Spade.[5](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Rachel-Brosnahan/) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3014031)
## Personal life
Brosnahan married the actor Jason Ralph; IMDb lists the marriage as beginning June 6, 2016.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3014031) The couple lives in Manhattan.[16](https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/rachel-brosnahan-zo%C3%AB-feldman-manhattan-prewar-apartment) After Kate Spade's death in 2018, Brosnahan fronted the spring campaign for Frances Valentine, the label her aunt had started in 2016, and spoke publicly about honoring her legacy; one of the label's square bags was named "Midge" after her *Maisel* character.[17](https://time.com/5516323/frances-valentine/) In 2018 she also said publicly that she regretted working with Woody Allen on his 2016 Amazon series *Crisis in Six Scenes*, calling the decision the most inconsistent with her values.[18](https://time.com/5106106/woody-allen-dylan-farrow-actors/)
## References
1. [Rachel Brosnahan, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3014031)
2. [Superman, Official Movie Site, Warner Bros.](https://www.superman.com/?trk=article-ssr-frontend-pulse_little-text-block)
3. [Rachel Brosnahan, Emmy Awards and Nominations, Television Academy](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/rachel-brosnahan)
4. [Rachel Brosnahan, Biography.com](https://www.biography.com/actors/rachel-brosnahan)
5. [Rachel Brosnahan, BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Rachel-Brosnahan/)
6. [New York Women in Film & Television, Muse Journal 2020](https://www.nywift.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/NYWIFT-Muse-Journal-2020-final-spreads4.pdf)
7. [Rachel Brosnahan, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/rachel-brosnahan/)
8. [Rachel Brosnahan: A New Chapter, Backstage (June 25, 2020)](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/rachel-brosnahan-new-chapter-2548/)
9. [Rachel Brosnahan on Mrs. Maisel, Husband Jason Ralph, Next Roles, Town & Country](https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/a41299204/rachel-brosnahan-marvelous-mrs-maisel-dead-dollar-interview/)
10. [Rachel Brosnahan, Golden Globes Awards Database](https://goldenglobes.com/person/rachel-brosnahan/)
11. [Rachel Brosnahan interview, The Independent (December 17, 2020)](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/films/features/rachel-brosnahan-interview-im-your-woman-b1775514.html)
12. [James Gunn to Helm "Superman: Legacy," Warner Bros. Pressroom (March 15, 2023)](https://press.wbd.com/na/media-release/warner-bros-pictures/james-gunn-helm-warner-bros-pictures-big-screen-epic-superman-legacy-scheduled)
13. [Meet David Corenswet, the New Superman, Time](https://time.com/7273166/david-corenswet-superman-interview/)
14. [Rachel Brosnahan talks playing Lois Lane in "Superman," CBS News (July 10, 2025)](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rachel-brosnahan-lois-lane-superman/)
15. ['Saturn Return' Romantic Drama Starring Charles Melton & Rachel Brosnahan is Headed to Netflix in 2026, What's on Netflix](https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/news/saturn-return-netflix-movie-everything-we-know/)
16. [Rachel Brosnahan Showcases a Marvelous Manhattan Makeover, Architectural Digest](https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/rachel-brosnahan-zo%C3%AB-feldman-manhattan-prewar-apartment)
17. [Rachel Brosnahan Shares What It Means to Be the Face of Her Aunt Kate Spade's New Collection, Time](https://time.com/5516323/frances-valentine/)
18. [These Actors All Worked With Woody Allen. Now They Regret It, Time](https://time.com/5106106/woody-allen-dylan-farrow-actors/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames Bo to Br*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license