Jayne Atkinson is the woman behind the vice president on Madam Secretary, but that hasn’t always been the way.
The role of Teresa Hurst is played by Atkinson in the show’s fourth season but was previously played by Jan Maxwell in season three.
Hurst is the former senior Senator of Pennsylvania, who appears to be the driving force behind President Dalton’s win as an independent.
Atkinson is probably best known for her roles in Free Willy from 1993, The Village from 2004, and the television series 24.
She has also had a lot of success on stage, with her work earning her nominations for Broadway’s Tony Award for Best Actress in two plays — her role of Lizzie in The Rainmaker in 2000, and for Lottie Wilton in Enchanted April in 2003.
Back on the smallscreen, Atkinson recently starred in the Netflix hit-series House of Cards, playing Catherine Durant.
Atkinson has also made appearances on Zoo, The Good Wife, Chicago Med, The Walking Dead, Castle Rock, Criminal Minds, The Following, Perception, Blue Bloods, White Collar, Gossip Girl, Law & Order, The Education of Max Bickford, A Year in the Life, and Parenthood.
Atkison is married to Michel Gill. The two tied the knot in the fall of 1998 and they have one child together, Jeremy. Gill also starred on House of Cards, playing President Garrett Walker, and has also worked on Chicago Med, Mr. Robot, and Ray Donovan over the past couple of years.
Jayne Atkinson took over the role as Teresa Hurst after Jan Maxwell tragically passed away in February 2018 due to neoplastic meningitis, something that had developed after her diagnosis with breast cancer in 2006. She was 61 at the time of her death.
The award-nominated actress was also known for her work on Gotham, BrainDead, Billy & Billie, I Am Michael, The Good Wife, The Divide, Gossip Girl, One Life to Live, and All My Children. She also filmed four episodes of Law & Order, playing different characters each time.
Madam Secretary airs Sundays at 10/9c on CBS.