Ellen Burstyn (born Edna Rae Gillooly; December 7, 1932) is an American actress best known for her roles in films of the 1970s, such as The Last Picture Show, The Exorcist, and Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, for which she won an Academy Award.

Her career began in theatre during the late 1950s, and over the next decade included several films and television series. Burstyn is one of the few performers to have won the Triple Crown of Acting. In 2013, she was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame. Her performance in the acclaimed 1971 ensemble drama The Last Picture Show brought her first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination, after which she moved from supporting to leading film and stage roles. Burstyn received a second Academy Award nomination for her lead performance in William Friedkin's classic horror film The Exorcist (1973), and won the Academy Award for Best Actress the following year for her role as a widowed drifter in Martin Scorsese's Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore.

In 1975, she won the Tony Award for her lead performance in the Broadway production of Same Time, Next Year, and received a Golden Globe Award and a fourth Academy Award nomination for her performance in the 1978 film version of the play. Burstyn has worked consistently in film, television, and theatre since then, receiving multiple awards and nominations along the way, including seven additional Golden Globe Award nominations, five Emmy Award nominations (two wins), and two more Academy Award nominations for her performances in the films Resurrection (1980) and Requiem for a Dream (2000).