Lea Katherine Thompson (born May 31, 1961) is an American actress and director. She is best known for her 1990s NBC situation comedy Caroline in the **** and her portrayal of Lorraine Baines McFly, Marty McFly's mother, in the Back to the Future trilogy. As a staple in big budget/high profile blockbusters of the 1980's and 90's, other roles include Red Dawn, Howard the Duck, Jaws 3-D, Some Kind of Wonderful, The Beverly Hillbillies and All the Right Moves.