Mary-Louise Parker is an actress.
Mary-Louise Parker ( born August 2 , 1964 ) is an American actress and author . In addition to her many films , Parker enjoyed great popularity for her lead role on Showtime 's television series Weeds portraying Nancy Botwin , for which she received the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in 2006 . Parker is also the recipient of the 2001 Tony Award for Best Actress for her performance in the Broadway play Proof . She also starred in When We Rise .