Amy Madigan

Madigan is Catholic and "third-generation Irish". Her father, John J. Madigan (1918–2012), was a well-known journalist who worked for Newsweek and provided political commentary on programs such as Meet the Press and Face the Nation. He interviewed a range of political figures, from Richard Nixon to Martin Luther King Jr., and hosted his own show with WBBM (AM). Her mother was Dolores (née Hanlon; 1921–1992), an administrative assistant and amateur actress who performed in community theatre. She has two brothers, Jack and Jim.

Madigan attended Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she earned a B.A. in philosophy. She moved to Los Angeles in 1974. She later studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.