Tess Harper

Tessie Jean Harper (nee Washam) is an American actress best known for her role as Rosa Lee in the dramatic film Tender Mercies.

Biography
Harper was born Tessie Jean Washam on August 15, 1950, at Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, to Rosemary and Ed Washam. Why Harper wanted to be an actress is unknown. What is known is that she was able to graduate from high school in 1968, she performed in several plays while she was enrolled at Arkansas State University-Beebe, and she graduated from what is now known as the Missouri State University with a degree in education. Harper got her first on-screen role in 1983, when she was cast as Lorna Whateley in the made-for-television drama film Kentucky Woman. She got her first major role that same year, when she was cast as young widow Rosa Lee in the critically-acclaimed drama Tender Mercies. Since then, she's appeared in TV shows and movies such as True Detective, Breaking Bad, In Plain Sight, The Perfect Guy, Revenge, Crash, Ghost Whisperer, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Cold Case, and Criminal Minds.

On Criminal Minds
Harper portrayed Dinah Troy, the mother of Congressman Benjamin Troy, whose wife was abducted through her arrangement, in the Season Ten episode Rock Creek Park.

Filmography

 * Aussie Girl (2017) - Dorthea
 * The Perfect Guy (2015) - Mrs. McCarthy
 * Boys on Film 13: Trick & Treat (2015) - Linda
 * Surprise (2015) - Linda
 * Criminal Minds - Rock Creek Park (2015) TV episode - Dinah Troy
 * Hello, My Name Is Frank (2014) - Aunt Flossie
 * Nikki & Nora: The N&N Files - 2 episodes (2014) - Mary Delaney
 * True Detective (2014) - Mrs. Kelly
 * Frank (2014) - Frank's Mom
 * Sunlight Jr. (2013) - Kathleen
 * Straight A's (2013) - Mother
 * The Christmas Heart (2012) - Elizabeth
 * Revenge - 2 episodes (2012) - Carole Miller
 * A Christmas Wish (2011) - Trudy Willis
 * Private Practice (2011) - Augusta King
 * In Plain Sight (2010) - A.U.S.A. Rolly
 * Breaking Bad - 4 episodes (2008-2010) - Mrs. Pinkman
 * Grey's Anatomy (2010) - Pam Nelson
 * Proposition 8 Trial Re-Enactment (2010) - Sandy Stier
 * Crash - 10 episodes (2009) - Wendy Olinville
 * Cold Case (2009) - Sharon Lertola
 * Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2009) - Mrs. Hallander
 * Fatal Secrets (2009) - Naomi
 * Ghost Whisperer (2008) - Ellen Wilkins
 * Judy's Got a Gun (2007) - Susan Lemen
 * Brothers & Sisters (2007) - Beth Ridge
 * Saving Sarah Cain (2007) - Miriam Esh
 * Kiss the Bride (2007) - Barbara
 * No Country for Old Men (2007) - Loretta Bell
 * Without a Trace (2007) - Mrs. Spade
 * Broken (2006) - Clare
 * Broken Bridges (2006) - Dixie Rose Delton
 * Jam (2006) - Ruby
 * Karla (2006) - Molly Czehowicz
 * Jesus, Mary and Joey (2005) - Liz O'Callahan
 * Judging Amy (2005) - Barbara Nissman
 * Loggerheads (2005) - Elizabeth
 * Angel in the Family (2004) - Nelly Tomkins
 * Jack & Bobby - 2 episodes (2004) - Former Vice President Karen Carmichael
 * Lonely Place (2004) - Unknown Character
 * One Tree Hill (2004) - May Scott
 * Studio City (2003) - Linda Little
 * The Division (2003) - Polly Danko
 * No Prom for Cindy (2002) - Cindy's Mom
 * Beyond the Prairie, Part 2: The True Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder (2002) - Older Laura Ingalls Wilder (voice)
 * CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2001) - Julia Barrett
 * Morning (2001) - Margaret
 * The Rising Place (2001) - Rebecca Hodge
 * Touched by an Angel (2000) - Betsy Baxter
 * The In Crowd (2000) - Dr. Amanda Giles
 * Early Edition - 8 episodes (1998-2000) - Lois Hobson
 * Beyond the Prairie: The True Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder (1999) - Narrator/Older Laura Ingalls Wilder
 * Cracker: Mind Over Murder (1997) - Lea Ann Garner
 * The Jackal (1997) - The First Lady
 * Walker, Texas Ranger (1997) - Katie Malloy
 * Gun (1997) - Virginia
 * A Child's Wish (1997) - Joanna Chandler
 * Grace Under Fire (1997) - Joan
 * The Killing Secret (1997) - Tina Decapprio
 * Dirty Laundry (1996) - Beth Greene
 * A Stranger to Love (1996) - Linda Grant
 * The Road to Galveston (1996) - Julia Archer
 * Christy - 19 episodes (1994-1995) - Fairlight Spencer
 * Legend (1995) - Heron Twin #2 (credited as Tesa Harper)
 * Death in Small Doses (1995) - Assistant District Attorney Jerri Sims
 * Christy (1994) - Fairlight Spencer
 * The Hidden Room (1993) - Dede
 * Willing to Kill: The Texas Cheerleader Story (1992) - Verna Heath
 * My New Gun (1992) - Kimmy Hayes
 * The Turning (1992) - Martha Harnish
 * In the Line of Duty: Siege at Marion (1992) - Vickie Singer
 * Pretty Hattie's Baby (1991) - Maya
 * Michael Jackson: Black or White (1991) - Mother
 * The Man in the Moon (1991) - Abigail Trant
 * My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys (1991) - Cheryl
 * Daddy's Dyin'... Who's Got the Will? (1990) - Sara Lee
 * Thirtysomething (1990) - Deborah Weston
 * Incident at Dark River (1989) - Betty McFall
 * Her Alibi (1989) - Sally Blackwood
 * Unconquered (1989) - Mary Flowers
 * Criminal Law (1988) - Detective Stillwell
 * Far North (1988) - Rita
 * Little Girl Lost (1988) - Clara Brady
 * Ishtar (1987) - Willa
 * Daddy (1987) - Ann Burnette
 * L.A. Law (1987) - Patricia M. Pittman
 * Murder, She Wrote (1987) - Irene Rutledge
 * Crimes of the Heart (1986) - Chick Boyle
 * Reckless Disregard (1986) - Meredith Craig
 * The Twilight Zone (1986) - Sarah
 * Promises to Keep (1985) - Gwen Palmer
 * George Burns Comedy Week (1985) - Unknown Character
 * A Summer to Remember (1985) - Jeannie Wyler
 * Flashpoint (1984) - Ellen
 * Celebrity - 3 episodes (1984) - Susan French
 * Silkwood (1983) - Linda Dawson
 * Amityville 3-D (1983) - Nancy Baxter
 * Chiefs - 3 episodes (1983) - Carrie Lee
 * Tender Mercies (1983) - Rosa Lee
 * Starflight: The Plane That Couldn't Land (1983) - Janet Briggs
 * Kentucky Woman (1983) - Lorna Whateley

LINKS
For an up-to-date filmography, see here.