Seehorn’s Star Shines Bright

Earlier this year, George Mason University alumna Rhea Seehorn, BA Art (Studio) ’94, won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Drama for her performance as Carol Sturka in Pluribus on Apple TV. It was both her first nomination and her first win—an achievement that also marked a milestone for George Mason, as she became our first alum to receive a Golden Globe.

Her recognition at the Golden Globes followed a 2026 Critics Choice Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series, also for Pluribus, adding to a growing list of accolades for her work. 

Seehorn is widely known for her acclaimed portrayal of Kim Wexler in AMC’s Better Call Saul, a role that earned her two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. After years of collaboration, Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul creator Vince Gilligan wrote the role of Carol Sturka specifically for her.

In interviews about Pluribus, Seehorn has often pointed to her time at George Mason as the spark that ignited her passion for acting. On NPR’s Fresh Air, she recalled having to take an elective in the arts outside of her art studio major. She chose to take an acting class with theater professor Lynnie Raybuck.

“This was a hardcore, do-your-homework, script analysis class using practical aesthetics that was developed out of the Atlantic Theater,” Seehorn said. “I just was in love with the fact that if you work really hard and study, you can incrementally get closer and closer to being good at this and hopefully, one day, great at this.”

With that work ethic and other lessons from the class, she entered Washington, D.C.’s vibrant theater community. She began as a volunteer usher at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company before quickly earning roles at Woolly, Arena Stage, and Studio Theatre. Her stage career eventually took her to New York City, where she made her Broadway debut in the 2001 production of Neil Simon’s 45 Seconds from Broadway.

Reflecting on her early years in Washington, D.C., she told Fresh Air: “I think some of the world’s best theater is [there], and watching those performers, I was just like, ‘I have to do this immediately. I have to do this for the rest of my life.’” 

In 2003, Seehorn moved to Hollywood for the ABC sitcom I’m With Her, which ran for one season and helped launch her screen career. 

Seehorn’s journey—from a George Mason art student discovering acting through an elective, to a celebrated performer earning some of television’s highest honors—demonstrates how a foundation of grit and perseverance built at the university can lead to extraordinary creative paths.