Crista Flanagan

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Crista Flanagan
Born (1976-02-24) February 24, 1976 (age 49)
Education University of Evansville (BFA)
University of California, Irvine (MFA)
Occupation(s)Actress, comedian
Years active2003–present

Crista Flanagan is an American actress, best known for her work as a cast member on the Fox sketch comedy series MADtv from 2005 to 2009, various roles in films made by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, and her recurring role as Lois Sadler on the AMC series Mad Men .

Contents

Early life

Flanagan, a native of Mount Vernon, Illinois, is the daughter of Bonnie Jerdon and David Flanagan. [1] She received a bachelor of science in theatre from the University of Evansville and a master of fine arts from the University of California, Irvine, where she sharpened her theatrical skills in plays including Fool for Love , The Time of Our Life, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof , The Marriage of Figaro , and Oklahoma! . Her extensive background in theater led to the development of Flanagan's one-person show titled But wait…I have Impressions!

Career

MADtv

Flanagan officially joined the cast of MADtv in 2005 as a featured performer, for the 10th season, then became a repertory cast member at the beginning of the following season. Her frequent impersonations were of Alex Hooser, Ellen Pompeo, Heidi Klum, Patricia Arquette (as Allison DuBois from Medium ), Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks, and Miley Cyrus (as herself and as Hannah Montana from the Disney Channel show of the same name).

Crista had a long-standing gag with fellow cast member Bobby Lee, where their behind-the-scenes characters had a love/hate relationship. This relationship can be seen in the "Secret Santa" skit, where Bobby proposes to Crista, to which she replies, "I cannot marry someone I have a restraining order against." This can also be seen in the "Celebrity Triathlon" skit, where Crista slams the door after Bobby asks for her help, and she makes reference to not helping him dig up a dead body, but reluctantly agrees to help him train.

Characters

CharacterSketchSeason of first appearanceCatch phraseNotes
Christie"QVC: Quacker Factory"
Denise"Jazzed for Crafts"
Luann Lockhart"Luann Lockhart, Stand-up Comedian"Season 10, 2005"I recently broke up with my boyfriend, but that's okay because he hit me.!
I went to a party and he said, 'Yuck, I thought I smelled you here.'"
(to the audience) "Will you talk to me?'"
Nippy"Clownin' and Krumpin'"
Sally"Sesame Street"
Peggy Partane"Peggy Partane, the Rollerskating Champ""Dangit!"
Wendy Walker"Three-minute Meal""Just stop that ticking!"
"Okay, let's get this three-minute meal going!"
"Will you stop that clock while I look for my finger?!"

Impressions

After MADtv

After MADtv, Flanagan's most notable television role was the recurring role of Lois Sadler on the drama series Mad Men, [2] on which she appeared for the first three seasons from 2007 to 2009. She has also appeared on Curb Your Enthusiasm , The Practice , and ER , and had a recurring role on You've Got a Friend (TV program) . She partnered up with the team behind Ask a Ninja to create a video podcast called Hope is Emo. Flanagan played the role of Hermione Granger in the 2007 film, Epic Movie . She later appeared as Ugly Betty/Oracle in the "sequel" Meet the Spartans , and in Disaster Movie played Juney, a parody of Juno , and Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus. She also appeared in Seltzer and Friedberg's 2010 project, Vampires Suck , as Eden Sullen. With the release of Best Night Ever in 2013, she became the most recurring actress in Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer films. She posed nude in the August 2010 issue of Playboy . [3] [4] She appeared in an episode of Big Time Rush as an evil producer named Kennedy.

Crista plays the title character in Hope Is Emo, an Internet comedy podcast that satirizes the life of a struggling emo girl named Hope. The series was created by Crista and the Ask a Ninja' team at Beatbox Giant Productions.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2004OutpostSoniaVideo short
2007 Epic Movie Hermione Granger
2008 Meet the Spartans Oracle / Ugly Betty Look-A-Like
2008Other PlansBethShort film
2008 Disaster Movie Juney / Hannah Montana
2010 Vampires Suck Eden
2012Buried TreasureWaitressShort film
2013Happy and You Know ItAlexis
2013 Best Night Ever Janet
2018Doubting ThomasLucy

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2003 ER PamEpisode: "Finders Keepers"
The Practice MarciaEpisode: "Les Is More"
2005 Curb Your Enthusiasm Mrs. Seiderman's NurseEpisode: "The Larry David Sandwich"
2005–2009, 2016 MADtv VariousSeries regular (82 episodes)
2007–2009 Mad Men Lois Sadler Recurring role (9 episodes)
2009 The New Adventures of Old Christine AndreaEpisode: "Honey, I Ran Over the Kid"
2009–2010 Hank DawnEpisodes: "Yard Sale", "Hanksgiving", "Hank's Got a Friend"
2010 Brothers & Sisters Stacy HodgesEpisode: "The Pasadena Primary"
Big Time Rush KennedyEpisode: "Big Time Live"
2011 Cougar Town DestinyEpisode: "Damaged by Love"
2012Beautiful PeopleLisaTV film
2013 Last Man Standing Miss ClevengerEpisode: "The Fight"
2 Broke Girls CatherineEpisode: "And the Kitty Kitty Spank Spank"
Key & Peele MargotEpisode: "3.8"
You're Whole DonnaEpisode: "Lemonade/Fishing/Cupcakes"
Garden ApartmentsCristaTV film
The SticksRita
2013–2014 Hello Ladies MarionRecurring role (4 episodes)
2013–2014 Trophy Wife Ms. WickershamEpisodes: "Russ Bradley Morrison", "The Punisher"
2014 Mom BethEpisode: "Chicken Nuggets and a Triple Homicide"
Dr. BrownGemmaTV film
2015 Marry Me Libby BermanEpisodes: "Test Me", "Friend Me"
Grey's Anatomy AndreaEpisode: "With or Without You"
Workaholics Woman's Studies ProfessorEpisode: "Dorm Daze"
Clipped Rhonda DoyleRecurring role (8 episodes)
Club 5150Angela4 episodes
2016 Love Loud Nasal GirlEpisode: "The Date"
The Grinder Professor DanforthEpisode: "From the Ashes"
2017DisjointedWomanEpisode: "Olivia's S***balls"
2018 Grace and Frankie KatieEpisode: "The Home"
G.P.AJen Holland4 episodes
The News TankKirsten Flannery5 episodes
2019 I'm Sorry MichelleEpisode: "Little House in the Prairie"
The Resident Nurse Sharon ColbyEpisode: "If Not Now, When ?"
2020 Dirty John Dr. Katherine DifrancescaEpisode: "Perception is Reality"

References

  1. SOUTHERN, KRISTEN CATES THE (February 5, 2005). "MOUNT VERNON NATIVE JOINS 'MADTV' CAST".
  2. Thomas, Devon (July 19, 2010). "Crista Flanagan Poses In August Edition of Playboy - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. CBS.
  3. Thomas, Devon (July 20, 2010). "Crista Flanagan Heats Up The Pages of Playboy [Pictures] As "Mad Men" Kicks Off Season 4 - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. CBS. Flanagan, 34, is recreating classic looks of the 1960s in her latest spread for Playboy and she's no stranger to recreations.
  4. Starpulse, "'Mad Men's' Crista Flanagan Gets Naked For Playboy" Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine , July 15, 2010