Two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series represent the peak of Anna Kathryn Gunn’s professional recognition for her portrayal of Skyler White. Born in 1968 in Cleveland, Ohio, she established a career spanning television, film, stage, and voice work after moving to Los Angeles to pursue professional acting following her university studies.
Early Development and Education
Gunn grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she attended the Santa Fe Preparatory School, graduating in 1986. She moved to Evanston, Illinois, to attend the Northwestern University School of Communication, majoring in theater and completing her degree in 1990. Her training included a semester abroad in 1988 at the British American Drama Academy. Following her university years, she relocated to Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles.
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Her initial television credits included an appearance in the Quantum Leap episode 'The Play's the Thing' and roles in Murder One, Seinfeld, and Six Feet Under. Between 1997 and 2002, she held a recurring role as Assistant District Attorney Jean Ward on The Practice. Beyond live action, she provided the voice for the character Ariel throughout the Legacy of Kain video game series between 1996 and 2003. She later appeared as Martha Bullock in the HBO series Deadwood from 2004 to 2006, reprising the role in the 2019 film Deadwood: The Movie.
The Breaking Bad Era
Gunn’s most prominent television role occurred between 2008 and 2013 on the AMC drama series Breaking Bad. Portraying the character Skyler White, she received consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2013 and 2014. In 2013, she contributed an op-ed to The New York Times to discuss public reactions toward her character’s trajectory within the series.
Film and Stage Projects
Her filmography includes roles in Enemy of the State, Red State, Little Red Wagon, and the 2016 financial drama Equity, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival. She also appeared in the 2016 biographical drama Sully and the 2018 film Being Frank. On stage, she starred in the 2014 Off-Broadway production of Sex with Strangers at the Second Stage Theater and appeared as Maxine Faulk in the 2019 production of The Night of the Iguana at the Noël Coward Theater.
Fast facts
- Born: 1968, Cleveland, Ohio
- Citizenship: United States
- Alma mater: Northwestern University School of Communication
- Notable role: Skyler White in Breaking Bad
- Emmy Awards: 2013 and 2014
- Video game voice work: Ariel in Legacy of Kain series
- Off-Broadway work: Sex with Strangers (2014)
Questions readers ask
What is Anna Gunn's most famous television role?
She is widely recognized for her role as Skyler White on the AMC crime drama series Breaking Bad.
Did she win any awards for her acting?
Yes, she won two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2013 and 2014.
Achievements
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series — 2014
- Educated at Northwestern University School of Communication and British American Drama Academy
- Worked as voice actor, film actor and television actor
