Burton was born in Geneva, Switzerland, the daughter of producer Sybil Burton (née Williams) and actor Richard Burton. She was the stepdaughter of actress Elizabeth Taylor and Jordan Christopher. Burton earned a bachelor's degree in Russian studies and European history from Brown University in 1979. She also studied at Yale University School of Drama in 1983. In 2007, Burton was given an honorary Read more...

Burton's first notable role on Broadway was in a 1982 production of the Noel Coward play Present Laughter, which was directed by George C. Scott. The following year, she appeared in the Broadway production of Doonesbury, playing J.J. Several key roles followed, including roles in Wendy Wasserstein's An American Daughter and Martin McDonagh's The Beauty Queen of Leenane.

In 2002, she portrayed Read more...

Early films of Burton's include Alice in Wonderland, Anne of the Thousand Days, Big Trouble in Little China, The First Wives Club, Life with Mikey and The Ice Storm. Burton has said of these roles that she usually plays "the sweet wife, or the sweet dead wife". Burton has also appeared in a number of roles in independent films.

Burton has been perhaps most prolific in her work on television. Read more...