Margaret Colin
Margaret Colin (born May 26, 1958) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as White House Communications Director Constance Spano in the sci-fi film Independence Day (1996), the originating performer of character Margo Hughes on As the World Turns (1980–1983), and her recurring role as Eleanor Waldorf in all six seasons of Gossip Girl (2007–2012).
Margaret Colin

PhilipRomanoPhoto · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Name
- Margaret Colin
- Born
- 26 May 1958
- Birthplace
- Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
- Occupation
- Actress
- Nationality
- United States
- Education
- Hofstra University
- Honours
- Theatre World Award
- Languages
- English
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Documentary summary
Margaret Colin (born May 26, 1958) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as White House Communications Director Constance Spano in the sci-fi film Independence Day (1996), the originating performer of character Margo Hughes on As the World Turns (1980–1983), and her recurring role as Eleanor Waldorf in all six seasons of Gossip Girl (2007–2012).
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In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Margaret Colin • Born — 26 May 1958 • Birthplace — Brooklyn, New York, U.S. • Occupation — Actress • Years Active — 1976–present • Children — 2
Early life
Early life
Margaret Colin was born in Brooklyn, New York City, and was raised in Baldwin, New York, on Long Island. She is of Irish descent and was raised in a large Catholic family. She graduated from Baldwin Senior High School in 1976, and after attended Hofstra University.
Career
Career
Colin began her acting career in the soap opera The Edge of Night, playing an heiress and former terrorist. In seven months on that show, her character survived seven murder attempts and ended up marrying her stepbrother. She followed that role with a longer stint on As the World Turns, originating the role of Margo Montgomery, a character that endured nearly 30 years. She has appeared on a number of primetime television shows, starting with Foley Square, Leg Work, and several early episodes of Chicago Hope. She played Lisa Wiseman on the 1999 series Now and Again, with Eric Close and Dennis Haysbert. In 2003, she appeared in an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit titled "Tortured", playing a mother/bakery owner who was later arrested for abetting a murder. From 2007 to 2012, Colin played the recurring role of Eleanor Waldorf, mother of Blair Waldorf, on the teen drama television series Gossip Girl. In the pilot episode, Eleanor was played by One Life to Live actress Florencia Lozano. Colin has also been in a number of films, some of the most well-known including Something Wild (1986), Three Men and a Baby (1987), The Butcher's Wife (1991), Independence Day (1996), The Devil's Own (1997), Unfaithful (2002), and First Daughter (2004). She also appeared in the play Jackie: An American Life, in which she played Jacqueline Kennedy. During her 2003 performance of the English play A Day in the Death of Joe Egg on Broadway, Colin smoked her way through the second half of the show and dedicated the performance to Mayor Michael Bloomberg in defiance of the state's smoking ban. After the play finished its run, she gave up smoking. In 2017, Colin appeared as a recurring character throughout the sixth season of the HBO comedy series Veep, playing fictional CBS News anchor Jane McCabe. Along with her fellow cast members, Colin won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. In 2019, she reprised her role as McCabe in the seventh season premiere of Veep and again in the series finale. Colin performed on Broadway as Mrs. Mullin in the 2018 revival of Carousel.
Personal life
Personal life
Colin met actor Justin Deas when he played her love interest, Tom Hughes, on As the World Turns. They were married in January 1988. The couple have two sons, Sam and Joe, and Colin is stepmother of her husband's daughter from his first marriage. The family moved to Upper Montclair, New Jersey in the late 1990s. She is an anti-abortion activist and was formerly the honorary co-chair of Feminists for Life, an organization opposed to abortion. Colin is an honorary board member of the group Feminists for Nonviolent Choices.
Television
Television
• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1979 — The — Paige Madison — Series regular, daily soap opera • 1980–83 — As the World Turns — Margo Hughes — Series regular, daily soap opera • 1985–86 — Foley Square — Alex Harrigan — Main cast • 1987 — Leg Work — Claire McCarron — Main cast • 1987 — The — Jane Watson — TV movie • 1987 — Warm Hearts, Cold Feet — Amy Webster — TV movie • 1988 — Magnum, P.I. — Connie Northrop — Episode: "Legend of the Lost Art" • 1989 — Traveling Man — Joanna Reath — TV movie • 1990 — Goodnight Sweet Wife: A Murder in Boston — Michelle Caruso — TV movie • 1991–92 — Sibs — Audie Ruscio — Main cast • 1994 — Related by Birth — Audie Ruscio — Television special • 1994 — Chicago Hope — Dr. Karen Antonovich — 5 episodes • 1995 — In the Shadow of Evil — Molly Nostrand — TV movie • 1995 — The Wright Verdicts — Sandy Hamor — Main cast • 1999 — Hit & Run — Joanna Kendall — TV movie • 1999 — Swing Vote — Linda Kirkland — TV movie • 1999–2000 — Now and Again — Lisa Wiseman — Main cast • 2000 — Madigan Men — Vonda Madigan — Episode: "Pilot" • 2001 — Private Lies — Ellen — TV movie • 2001 — The — Elizabeth 'Peachy' Welsh — TV movie • 2001 — The — Madeline Carver — TV movie • 2003 — Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — Mrs. Krug — Episode: "Tortured" • 2004 — Law & Order: Criminal Intent — Dr. Eloise Barnes — Episode: "Shrink-Wrapped" • 2007–12 — Gossip Girl — Eleanor Waldorf — Recurring role (seasons 1–5), guest appearance (season 6) • 2009 — Royal Pains — Lucy Everett — Episode: "Strategic Planning" • 2010 — Law & Order — Mary Markson — Episode: "Four Cops Shot" • 2010 — Medium — Kelly Shuler — Episode: "It's a Wonderful Death" • 2012 — Blue Bloods — Melanie Maines — Episode: "Women with Guns" • 2012 — Nurse Jackie — Trish — 2 episodes • 2013 — The — Rochelle — Episode: "The Seven Day Rule" • 2013 — Elementary — Natalie Gale — Episode: "Blood Is Thicker" • 2014 — Gotham — Taylor Reece — Episode: "Viper" • 2015 — Madam Secretary — Judith Fanning — Season 2 Episode 7: "Catch and Release" • 2017–2019 — Veep — Jane McCabe — Recurring role (season 6), guest appearances (season 7) Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series • 2017–2018 — Shades of Blue — Linda Wozniak — Recurring role (seasons 2–3) • 2019 — The Enemy Within — Evelyn Bell — Episode: "Sequestered" • 2019 — The I-Land — Dr. Stevenson — 2 episodes • 2021 — Chicago Med — Carol Conte — Recurring role (season 6) • 2021, 2023 — Gossip Girl — Eleanor Waldorf — 2 episodes (sequel series) • 2022 — Three Wise Men and a Baby — Barbara Brenner — TV movie • 2024 — Three Wiser Men and a Boy — Barbara Brenner — TV movie • 2025 — Three Wisest Men — Barbara Brenner — TV movie
Identity
Identity
Margaret Colin is established in Bibliothèque nationale de France under 14165660v. Established in Library of Congress under no96063133. Established in FAST under 1530740. Recorded as television actor.

Star of Independence Day
Greg2600 · Margaret Colin

Margaret Colin at Tribeca Film Festival, 2016
greg2600 · Wikimedia Commons
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1958
Margaret Colin was born 26 May 1958.
1998
Margaret Colin received Theatre World Award in 1998.
Film
• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1986 — Pretty in Pink — English Teacher • 1986 — Something Wild — Irene • 1987 — Like Father Like Son — Ginnie Armbruster • 1987 — Three Men and a Baby — Rebecca • 1989 — True Believer — Kitty Greer • 1990 — Martians Go Home — Sara Brody • 1991 — The — Robyn Graves • 1993 — Amos & Andrew — Judy Gillman • 1994 — Terminal Velocity — Joline 'Jo' — Uncredited • 1996 — Independence Day — Constance Spano • 1996 — Milk & Money — Lorraine • 1997 — The — Sheila O'Meara • 1997 — Time to Say Goodbye? — Kristen Hamstra • 1998 — The — Joan Cole • 2002 — Blue Car — Diane • 2002 — Unfaithful — Sally • 2004 — First Daughter — Melanie MacKenzie • 2006 — A — Nan • 2007 — Happenstance — Beth — Short film • 2008 — Deception — Ms. Pomerantz • 2008 — iMurders — Carol Uberoth • 2009 — The — Lana Cobb • 2012 — Camilla Dickinson — Mona Rowan • 2012 — Backwards — Mrs. Brooks • 2014 — Kelly & Cal — Janice • 2014 — You Must Be Joking — Linda Schwartz • 2015 — Stealing Chanel — Constance Borden • 2016 — Equity — Attorney Cahn • 2022 — The Road to Galena — Margaret Kenney
Primary material
Documents and archives
institutional register
- Bibliothèque nationale de France authority file 14165660v
General reference · Bibliothèque nationale de France
- FAST authority file 1530740
General reference · FAST
- GND (German National Library) authority file 1061368939
General reference · GND (German National Library)
- IdRef (French universities) authority file 175262330
General reference · IdRef (French universities)
- ISNI authority file 0000000399308824
General reference · ISNI
- Library of Congress authority file no96063133
General reference · Library of Congress
reference work
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q267001: Margaret Colin
Reputable secondary · Wikimedia Foundation
- “Margaret Colin”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Margaret Colin. Playbill.
- 2.Kaufman, Joanne. A Brooklyn-Born Actress Rediscovers New York. The New York Times. June 23, 2017.
- 3.MSN. Margaret Colin:Biography.
- 4.DeWalt, Kellie. Former Hofstra Student Now a "Gossip Girl". Hofstra Pulse. Hofstra University. 2009.
- 5.New York Post, April 4, 2003
- 6.Screen Actors Guild. Nominees and Recipients for the 24th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. sagawards.com. 21 January 2018.
- 7.Klein, Alvin. Baldwin Girl Finds Camelot (on Broadway). The New York Times. 1998-02-22.
- 8.Feminists for Life. Margaret Colin Says More Risky Abortions Are Not the Answer for Our Daughters…. May 2, 2013.
- 9.Kolko, Cynthia. Actress Margaret Colin featured at feminist event. Democrat and Chronicle. 2015-03-12.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
institutional register
Bibliothèque nationale de France authority file 14165660vBibliothèque nationale de France
Secondary witnessinstitutional register
Secondary witnessinstitutional register
GND (German National Library) authority file 1061368939GND (German National Library)
Secondary witnessinstitutional register
IdRef (French universities) authority file 175262330IdRef (French universities)
Secondary witnessinstitutional register
Secondary witnessinstitutional register
Library of Congress authority file no96063133Library of Congress
Secondary witnessinstitutional register
Secondary witnessreference work
Wikidata, structured authority record Q267001: Margaret ColinWikimedia Foundation
Secondary witness
Every cited source · 9
- 01
Bibliothèque nationale de France authority file 14165660v
institutional register · General reference · Bibliothèque nationale de France
Consult the source - 02
- 03
GND (German National Library) authority file 1061368939
institutional register · General reference · GND (German National Library)
Consult the source - 04
IdRef (French universities) authority file 175262330
institutional register · General reference · IdRef (French universities)
Consult the source - 05
ISNI authority file 0000000399308824
institutional register · General reference · ISNI
Consult the source - 06
Library of Congress authority file no96063133
institutional register · General reference · Library of Congress
Consult the source - 07
- 08
Wikidata, structured authority record Q267001: Margaret Colin
reference work · Reputable secondary · Wikimedia Foundation
Consult the source - 09
“Margaret Colin”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
reference work · Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Consult the source
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 15 August 2026.
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