Gail O'Grady

Last updated
Gail O'Grady
Gail O'Grady (1994).jpg
O'Grady at the 46th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1994
Born
Gail Ann O'Grady

(1963-01-23) January 23, 1963 (age 61) [1]
OccupationActress
Years active1986–present
Spouses
Richard Dasko
(m. 1981;div. 1983)
(m. 1990;div. 1991)
Severin Wunderman
(m. 1991;div. 1992)
Steve Fenton
(m. 1995;div. 1996)
Anthony J. Pellegrino
(m. 1998;div. 2000)
John Stamatakis
(m. 2004;div. 2008)

Gail Ann O'Grady (born January 23, 1963) is an American actress and producer, best known for her roles on television. Her roles include Donna Abandando in the ABC police drama NYPD Blue , and Helen Pryor in the NBC drama series American Dreams . O'Grady is also well known for her lead roles in a number of television movies. She has been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award three times.

Contents

Early life

O'Grady was born in Detroit, Michigan, the daughter of Jim and Jan O'Grady. She was raised in Wheaton, Illinois, and graduated from Wheaton North High School in 1981. She appeared in a few commercials before moving to Los Angeles in 1986. [2]

Career

O'Grady began her career as a model for Montgomery Ward and as an actor in several commercials. [3] In one commercial, she played the neighbor for whom Michael J. Fox's character chases down a Diet Pepsi. In time, she began making guest appearances, often as a villain. [4] She made her big screen debut in the 1988 romantic comedy She's Having a Baby , and later was cast for two episodes on the ABC drama China Beach . She also guest starred on several other shows, and appeared in made for television and independent movies.

Her first major role was as Donna Abandando on the ABC police drama NYPD Blue . O'Grady played the big-haired squad secretary from 1993 to 1996, and for each year received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. [3] Along with the cast, she won Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 1995. [3] O'Grady left the series in 1996, and made a pilot for her own sitcom, The Gail O'Grady Project, but the show was not picked up by any of the networks. [5]

After leaving NYPD Blue, O'Grady began starring in numerous television movies for Lifetime and other networks, including The Three Lives of Karen (1997), Two Voices (1997), Every 9 Seconds (1997), Two of Hearts (1999), Another Woman's Husband (2000), Lip Service (2000), Hostage Negotiator (2001), Hope Ranch (2002), Lucky 7 (2003), Sex and the Single Mom (2003), and More Sex & the Single Mom (2005). [6] Her big screen credits include Celtic Pride (1996), That Old Feeling (1997), Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo (1999) and Walking Across Egypt (1999).

From 2002 to 2005, O'Grady starred as Helen Pryor in the NBC television series American Dreams , which depicted an all-American family living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the 1960s. The series was canceled after three seasons. In Fall 2005, O'Grady was lead actress in the ABC comedy series Hot Properties , which was canceled after 13 episodes. In 2006, she guest starred on Two and a Half Men , and in 2007 had a recurring role on Boston Legal as Gloria Weldon, a judge in a personal relationship with attorney Alan Shore. Also in 2007, she starred in the Hallmark Channel movie All I Want for Christmas. [7]

O'Grady had regular roles on the short-lived CW series Hidden Palms as Karen Hardy in 2007, and on Hellcats , playing Wanda Perkins, the mother of the main character, from 2010 to 2011. In 2008, she had a recurring role on the ABC series Desperate Housewives as Anne Schilling, a woman who is having an affair with the character Porter Scavo (at that point a teenager). [8] She appeared on Monk , CSI: Crime Scene Investigation , The Mentalist , Law & Order: Special Victims Unit , Drop Dead Diva , Hawaii Five-0 , and Castle . [9] [10] From 2014 to 2015, she had a major recurring role as Conrad's first wife on ABC primetime soap opera Revenge , opposite Madeleine Stowe. [11]

In 2019, O'Grady starred in the Lifetime film Identity Theft of a Cheerleader (which was inspired by the identity theft committed by Wendy Brown) as Angie Patterson, the mother of Maiara Walsh's character Vicky Patterson. [12]

Personal life

O'Grady has been married and divorced six times. [5]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1988 She's Having a Baby Laura
1988 Blackout Caroline Boyle
1988 Spellcaster Jackie
1990 Nobody's Perfect Shelly
1996 Celtic Pride Carol O'Hara
1997 That Old Feeling Rowena
1999 Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo Claire
1999 Walking Across Egypt Elaine Rigsbee
2004The Sure Hand of GodMolly Bowser
2004TricksJaneAlso producer
2004Sleep Easy, Hutch RimesOlivia Wise
2008 An American Carol Jane Wagstaffe
2009The House That Jack BuiltHannah
2010CircleDr. Green
2011 ChromeSkull: Laid to Rest 2 Nancy
2014Mothers of the BrideDebra Wolf
2015Justice ServedDr. Helen Florentine
2017LycanMs. Fields
2019Deviant LoveMarlene
2019ManipulatedD.A. Diane Conrad
2021 The Baby Pact Robin Pyle
2022Deadly DrawMelody Anne Stutz

Television films

YearTitleRoleNotes
1987 Billionaire Boys Club JudyNBC Television Movie
1990People Like UsRebecca BaileyNBC Television Movie
1990Parker KaneCindy EllisNBC Television Movie
1991The Hit ManSaraABC Television Movie
1995 She Stood Alone: The Tailhook Scandal Lt. Paula CoughlinABC Television Movie
1995Trial by FirePaulette GillABC Television Movie
1995 Nothing Lasts Forever Dr. Page TaylorCBS Television Movie
1997The Three Lives of KarenKaren Winthrop / Emily Riggs / Cindy LastUSA Network Television Movie
1997Two VoicesKathleen AnnekenLifetime Television Movie
1997 Every 9 Seconds JanetNBC Television Movie
1997Medusa's ChildVivian HenryABC Television Movie
1999 Two of Hearts Molly SaundersFox Family Channel Television Movie
2000Another Woman's HusbandSusan MillerLifetime Television Movie
2000Out of SyncMaggie StanleyVH1 Television Movie
2001Hostage NegotiatorTheresa FoleyUSA Network Television Movie
2002 Hope Ranch June AndersenAnimal Planet Television Movie
2003 Lucky 7 Rachel MyerABC Family Television Movie
2003 Sex and the Single Mom Jess GradwellLifetime Television Movie
2005 More Sex & the Single Mom Jess GradwellLifetime Television Movie
2005 Mayday Anne MetzCBS Television Movie
2007 While the Children Sleep Meghan EastmanLifetime Television Movie
2007All I Want for ChristmasSara ArmstrongHallmark Channel Movie
2009Living Out LoudEmily MarshallHallmark Channel Movie
2010 After the Fall Dr. Susan MilesHallmark Channel Movie
2013Shadow on the MesaMona EastmanHallmark Channel Movie
2013The Minister's Wife (a.k.a. Sins of the Preacher)Susan ParkerLifetime Television Movie
2013The Mystery CruiseAlvirah MeehanHallmark Channel Movie
2015The Right GirlMartha HowardHallmark Channel Movie
2017Love on IceMia LeeHallmark Channel Movie
2019Identity Theft of a CheerleaderAngie PattersonLifetime Television Movie
2022Heart of the MatterGladysHallmark Channel Movie

Television series

YearTitleRoleNotes
1986–1990 Matlock Julia McCullough2 episodes
1987 Werewolf Victim in VWEpisode: "Werewolf"
1988 In the Heat of the Night Pauline SladeEpisode: "Road Kill"
1988 China Beach Georgia LeeEpisodes: "Pilot" and "Chao Ong"
1989 Superboy Victoria LetourEpisode: "Hollywood"
1990 Cheers Laura WaltonEpisode: "Finally!: Part 1"
1990 Anything But Love Episode: "Three Men on a Match"
1990 Hardball Episode: "Prescription for Murder"
1992 Murder, She Wrote Robin DishmanEpisode: "Badge of Honor"
1993 Time Trax KristenEpisode: "Fire and Ice "
1993 Designing Women Kiki Kearney2 episodes
1993 Silk Stalkings Betty Whitburn-MarksEpisode: "Crime of Love"
1993–1996, 1999 NYPD Blue Donna Abandando58 episodes
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (1994–96)
Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (1996–97)
Nominated—Viewers for Quality Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Quality Drama Series
1994 Burke's Law Patricia StoneEpisode: "Who Killed the Anchorman?"
1996 Promised Land Pam RileyEpisode: "The Prodigy"
1996 Space: Above and Beyond Colonel Klingman (uncredited cameo)Episode: "Stardust"
1996The Gail O'Grady ShowGailUnsold TV pilot
2001 Ally McBeal Helena FisherEpisode: "Home Again"
2002–2005 American Dreams Helen Pryor61 episodes
Nominated — Young Artist Award for Most Popular Mom in a Television Series (2004)
2002 Monk Miranda St. Claire2 episodes
2005 Hot Properties Ava Summerlin13 episodes
2006 Two and a Half Men Mandi 2 episodes
2007 Hidden Palms Karen Hardy8 episodes
2007 Monk Lovely RitaEpisode: "Mr. Monk and the Birds and the Bees"
2007 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Mrs. TowneEpisode: "The Case of the Cross-Dressing Carp "
2007 Las Vegas Erin HudsonEpisode: "It's Not Easy Being Green"
2007 Boston Legal Judge Gloria Weldon7 episodes
2007 Cane Senator FinchEpisode: "The Exile"
2008 The Mentalist Juniper TolliverEpisode: "Pilot"
2008 CSI: Miami Dr. Rachel MarshEpisode: "And How Does That Make You Kill?"
2008 Desperate Housewives Anne Schilling4 episodes
2009Empire StateLaurel CochraneUnsold TV pilot
2009 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Ruth WalkerEpisode: "Selfish"
2009 Ghost Whisperer Karen WestenEpisode: "Endless Love"
2009 True Jackson, VP Sophie GirardEpisode: "Back to School"
2009 CSI: NY Millie TaylorEpisode: "Blacklist"
2010 The Forgotten Kerry DenverEpisode: "My John"
2010 Drop Dead Diva Mrs. ThomasEpisode: "Bad Girls"
2010 The Deep End Susan OppenheimUnsold TV pilot
2010–2011 Hellcats Wanda Perkins18 episodes
2011 Memphis Beat Chloe ArcherEpisode: "Ten Little Memphians"
2011 Necessary Roughness Anne MarieEpisode: "Baggage Claim"
2011 Hawaii Five-0 Sharon ArcherEpisode: "Alaheo Pau'ole"
2013 Castle Margo GowerEpisode: "Reality Star Struck"
2013 Rules of Engagement JoanEpisode: "Cupcake"
2013 Major Crimes Anne BrandEpisode: "Boys Will Be Boys"
2013 The Crazy Ones Hannah SharplesEpisode: "Pilot"
2014–2015 Revenge Stevie Grayson11 episodes
2015 Code Black Margaret O'BrienEpisode: "Pre-Existing Conditions"
2016 Fresh Off the Boat HerselfEpisode: "The Taming of the Dads"
2017 Training Day Claire MillstoneEpisode: "Quid Pro Quo"
2017His Wives and DaughtersDonna BanksUnsold TV pilot
2018–2023 Criminal Minds Krystall Richards7 episodes
TBA Duster Charlotte Dean-EllisUpcoming series

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References

  1. "Gail O'Grady | Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos". AllMovie.
  2. Dan Snierson, A Siren of Substance; Entertainment Weekly, October 7, 1994.
  3. 1 2 3 "Gail O'Grady Biography". Tvguide.com. Retrieved 2013-12-11.
  4. Dan Snierson, A Siren of Substance, Entertainment Weekly, October 7, 1994.
  5. 1 2 "Gail O'Grady Biography". Buddytv.com. 1963-01-23. Retrieved 2013-12-11.
  6. "Shows A-Z - more sex and the single mom on lifetime". TheFutonCritic.com. Retrieved 2013-12-11.
  7. "Trio gets 'Christmas' wish". The Hollywood Reporter. 2007-09-25. Retrieved 2013-12-11.
  8. September 04, Michael Ausiello Updated; EDT, 2008 at 11:20 PM. "Exclusive: 'Desperate Housewives' Welcomes Gail O'Grady!". EW.com.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. Matt Richenthal (2012-12-13). "Gail O'Grady to Play Wife of Wall Street on Castle". TV Fanatic. Retrieved 2013-12-11.
  10. Laurel Brown (2013-02-11). "'Castle' interview: Gail O'Grady talks about going full-'Housewives' in 'Reality Star Struck' - Zap2it". Blog.zap2it.com. Archived from the original on 2013-12-13. Retrieved 2013-12-11.
  11. "Revenge Casting Scoop: NYPD Blue Star to Play Conrad's First Wife With Secrets That Will Blow You Away | E! Online UK". Eonline.com. 11 December 2013. Retrieved 2013-12-11.
  12. Curry Reyes, Traciy. "'Identity Theft Of A Cheerleader': Lifetime Movie Based On What True Story?—Wendy Brown Cheerleading Mom Scandal". TV News. Retrieved 11 September 2019.