Lynn Cohen

Lynn Harriette Cohen (née Kay; August 10, 1933 – February 14, 2020) was an American actress known for her roles in film, television and theater. She was particularly known for her role as Magda in the HBO series Sex and the City, which she also played in the 2008 film of the same name and its 2010 sequel, as well as for portraying Mags in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Mrs. Litvak in The Vigil.

The daughter of Louis Kay and Bertha Cornsweet Kay, Lynn Harriette Kay was born in Kansas City, Missouri, to a Jewish family. She studied for a year each at the University of Wisconsin and Northwestern University, after which she moved to St. Louis, where she began acting in regional theater.

Cohen began her career in the 1970s appearing in Off-Broadway productions, receiving Drama League Award and Lucille Lortel Awards nominations. Notable credits include Hamlet starring Kevin Kline and Macbeth starring Liev Schreiber. On Broadway, Cohen appeared in Orpheus Descending starring Vanessa Redgrave (1989) and Ivanov, reuniting her with Kevin Kline (1994).

Cohen consistently played powerful, impressive women. Her first notable film role was in the 1993 comedy Manhattan Murder Mystery. From 1993 to 2006, she played Judge Elizabeth Mizener in the NBC drama series Law & Order, appearing in a total of 12 episodes. She also guest-starred on NYPD Blue, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Blue Bloods, and had a recurring role on Damages.

From 2000 to 2004, Cohen had a recurring role as Magda in the HBO comedy series Sex and the City. She reprised her role in the 2008 film of the same name, as well as its 2010 sequel. Cohen also appeared in Munich (2005) as Golda Meir, Vanya on 42nd Street, Synecdoche, New York, Eagle Eye and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

Cohen married Gilbert Frazen in 1957, and he died in 1960. In 1964, she married Ronald Theodore Cohen, and they remained married until her death in 2020. She had one adult child and two grandchildren.

Cohen died on February 14, 2020, in New York at the age of 86.

• Red Dead Redemption (2010, Video Game) – Mrs. Bush (voice)