---
name: "Cynthia Ettinger"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/cynthia-ettinger"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "5 November 1962"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_fi1m_score: 86
updated: "2026-09-16T23:54:27.099687+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Cynthia Ettinger

Actor. Born 5 November 1962 in Edwards Air Force Base, California, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 5 November 1962, Edwards Air Force Base, California, USA
- **Active:** 1991–2004

## Biography

Cynthia Ettinger is an American actress. She was born on 5 November 1962 at Edwards Air Force Base, California.

Ettinger is a long-standing member of the theatre company The Actors' Gang in Los Angeles, where she has served as co-artistic director and master teacher. She made her screen debut in the 1989 film *Martians Go Home* and appeared in *The Silence of the Lambs* (1991). On television she played Rita Sue Dreifuss in the HBO series *Carnivàle* (2003–2005) and had a recurring role as Claudia in *Deadwood* (2006). She was originally cast as Martha Kent in the unaired pilot of *Smallville* (2001) before being replaced.

Other credits include guest roles in *Seinfeld*, *House*, *Grey's Anatomy*, *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit* and *Gilmore Girls*, and film appearances in *Deep Impact* (1998), *Frailty* (2001) and *Thirteen* (2003). Ettinger was married to actor Wally Kurth from 1990 to 1993.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (3)

- *Deadwood* (2004), Fi1m 91, as Claudia — [page](https://film.one/tv/deadwood.md)
- *Carnivàle* (2003), Fi1m 76, as Rita Sue Dreifuss — [page](https://film.one/tv/carnivale.md)
- *The Silence of the Lambs* (1991), Fi1m 91, as Officer Jacobs — [page](https://film.one/film/the-silence-of-the-lambs.md)

## Also known for

- *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit* (1999), Angie Landricks, Evelyn Prichard
- *Deep Impact* (1998), Pretty Woman
- *Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny* (2006), Betty Black
- *Thirteen* (2003), Cynthia
- *Frailty* (2002), Cynthia Harbridge
- *License to Wed* (2007), Macy's Clerk
- *Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman* (1993), Tour Guide
- *Cold Case* (2003), Emily Jacobi

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/cynthia-ettinger