Elaine Bromka

Elaine Bromka is an American actress born on January 6, 1950 in Montclair, New Jersey, a suburb known for its vibrant arts community. She began her professional career in the early 1980s, quickly establishing herself as a versatile performer capable of moving between stage, screen, and television with equal finesse. Bromka’s early work included appearances in Off‑Broadway productions and small independent films, where she honed a subtle yet powerful acting style that would become her hallmark. In 1989 she achieved mainstream recognition when she portrayed Cindy Russell in the John Hughes comedy Uncle Buck, a role that showcased her comic timing and ability to inhabit relatable, everyday characters. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s she accumulated a rich résumé of guest spots on iconic television series such as Days of Our Lives, The Sopranos, Sex and the City, and ER, each performance adding depth to the shows’ ensembles while cementing her reputation as a reliable character actress.

Beyond screen work, Bromka has earned critical acclaim on Broadway, appearing in productions ranging from the classic The Rose Tattoo to the Pulitzer‑winning I'm Not Rappaport and the Shakespearean tragedy Macbeth. Her commitment to exploring complex female roles led her to co‑write and star in the one‑woman play Lady Bird, Pat & Betty: Tea for Three alongside Eric H. Weinberger, in which she deftly embodied three First Ladies—Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon, and Betty Ford—demonstrating remarkable range and historical insight. In 2011 she returned to film as Gloria in In the Family, followed by parts in Archaeology of a Woman and Theresa Is a Mother, further evidencing her adaptability across genres. For her performance in the television special Catch a Rainbow, Bromka was honored with a New England Emmy Award, underscoring her talent in both dramatic and light‑hearted contexts. Today, with a career spanning over four decades, she continues to act, write, and inspire, contributing to the artistic vitality of both New York’s theatre scene and the broader entertainment industry.