Talia Balsam

Talia Balsam grew up inside the acting profession. Her father, Martin Balsam, was a character actor who won an Academy Award for his performance in A Thousand Clowns, and her mother, Joyce Van Patten, worked steadily on stage and screen as part of the extended Van Patten acting family that included her brother, Dick Van Patten. Her parents' marriage ended in divorce during her childhood, and Balsam spent much of her early life around sets and rehearsals before pursuing acting herself.

She began working in film and television in the late 1970s and built a long career as a dependable character actress. She took guest roles on a wide range of series and appeared in features such as The Super (1991) and The Good Girl (2002), often playing sharp, grounded women in supporting parts.

Her widest recognition came from the AMC drama Mad Men, on which she played Mona Sterling, the former wife of Roger Sterling, in a recurring role across the show's run from 2007 to 2015. The part introduced her to a new generation of viewers and became the role most closely associated with her.

In her personal life, Balsam was married to George Clooney from 1989 to 1993. In 1998 she married the actor John Slattery, who later played Roger Sterling - her character's on-screen ex-husband - on Mad Men; the couple have a son, Harry.

Talia Balsam was born on March 5, 1959 in New York City, New York, United States. In Cardology (Destiny Cards), March 5, 1959 corresponds to the Five of Spades, making the Five of Spades her Birth Card.

In numerology, the name adds another layer to the birth-date profile. The letters of a person’s name are used to explore inner motivation, personality, expression, and the qualities they bring into relationships and everyday life. Explore how her original name Talia Balsam influences her life and personality.