Highland Park's Rachel Brosnahan Wins Golden Globe

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — Highland Park actor Rachel Brosnahan was named best actress in a television musical or comedy series at the Golden Globe Awards Sunday in Los Angeles.

The 27-year-old won the award in her first nomination for her portrayal of the title character in "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel." The Amazon series follows the adventures of 1950s Jewish housewife in the world of Manhattan stand up comedy.

“There are so many women’s stories out there that need and deserve to be told," Brosnahan said, accepting the award. “So as we enter this new year, please let’s continue to hold each other accountable and invest in and make and champion these stories.”

Brosnahan, born in Milwaukee and raised in Highland Park since the age of 4, said growing up on the North Shore left her well prepared to play Miriam "Midge" Maisel.

“When I read the script, it seemed so familiar to me. I think that was a huge part of having grown up in Highland Park. I had been so welcomed into the Jewish culture and community," she told the Chicago Sun-Times in an interview last November.

“I’ve spent more time in a temple than I ever have in a church,” she said in 2014. “I spent so many Shabbat dinners with friends. I’ve probably been to 150 bar mitzvahs.”

Brosnahan first showed a serious passion for acting while in musicals at Northwood Junior High School, her parents told the Chicago Tribune. She saved up baby-sitting money for classes, and at age 16, she met her manager at the Actors Training Center in Wilmette.

The 2008 Highland Park High School alum cited her 2009 experience at the Chicago theater company Steppenwolf's performance of "Up" as a turning point in her decision to pursue a career in acting.

Brosnahan may be best known for her three years on "House of Cards," when she played Rachel Posner, a former prostitute caught up in a political conspiracy.

She said her parents welcomed the chance to watch her in a more light-hearted role.

“My parents have been frequently traumatized by watching me die over and over again. So, they were just thrilled to learn that this was a comedy," she told the Sun-Times.

Midway through her speech Sunday, she briefly interrupted her speech to recognize Oprah Winfrey in the front row, saying, "Hi, Oprah!"

Speaking backstage, she described being suddenly star struck.

"I don’t remember any of it other than Oprah. At which point I forgot everything I was meant to say," said Brosnahan, according to USA Today. "I forgot to thank a lot of people."

_{Top photo: Rachel Brosnahan accepts the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy for “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” during the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California | Getty Images Entertainment | Paul Drinkwater | NBCUniversal via Getty Images}