On February 5, 1964 Laura Linney was born to playwright father Romulus Linney and nurse Anne Perse. She spent her childhood fairing between the homes of her parents who split when she was six months old. Thanks to her parents desire that she be exposed to culture, Linney developed a passion for acting. Linney attended Brown's University and then the Julliard School where she studied acting for four years.

Linney's first real acting job was the Tony-winning 1990 play "Six Degrees of Separation." She would go on to play opposite such actors as Richard Gere in "Primal Fear", Clint Eastwood in "Absolute Power", and Jim Carrey in "The Truman Show". Her first appearance in a film was as a teacher in "Lorenzo's Oil" and her first lead was in "Congo". It would be until "You Can Count On Me" that Linney would receive an Oscar Nomination and recognition for her acting ability.

Linney's career has been tough on her private life. In 1995 she married the stage actor David Adkins and after five years of trying to make it work, they divorced. Now Linney is adjusting to single life and concentrating on her career.