Lauren Lee Smith | |
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![]() Smith at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival | |
Born | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | June 19, 1980
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1997–present |
Spouse | |
Children | 1 [1] |
Relatives | Myles Ferguson (cousin) [2] |
Lauren Lee Smith (born June 19, 1980 [3] [4] ) is a Canadian actress. She is known for her television roles, including Emma DeLauro in the syndicated science fiction drama Mutant X , Riley Adams in the CBS forensics drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation , police Sergeant Michelle McCluskey in the CTV fantasy drama The Listener and Frankie Drake in the CBC detective series Frankie Drake Mysteries .
Smith was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. [5] When she was 14, her family moved to Los Angeles, California. There, she began a modelling career. [5]
At the age of 19, Smith was cast in the remake of Get Carter . Later that year, Smith was cast in the starring role of Christy Huddleston in the television film Christy: The Movie , [6] and its follow-up two-part miniseries Christy, Choices of the Heart . [7] She starred in the show Mutant X , where she played the character of Emma deLauro from 2001 to 2003.
Throughout the 2000s, she guest-starred in episodes of The Dead Zone , The Twilight Zone , and Blade: The Series , among others. Smith was also a recurring character in the Showtime drama series The L Word , playing sous chef Lara Perkins. In 2005, Smith filmed the sexually explicit movie Lie with Me , [8] where she played the character of Leila. [9] The same year, she was cast in the 2006 romance film The Last Kiss . [10]
In 2006, she had a recurring part on the Canadian drama Intelligence . In early 2007, she played Kath in the CBC miniseries Dragon Boys . The same year, Smith was cast in starring roles in the 2008 thriller film Pathology , [11] and in the 2009 drama film Helen with Ashley Judd. [12]
In 2008, Smith became a series regular in the ninth season on the long-running CBS forensics drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation playing Riley Adams (originally named Bryce Adams), "a smart, flirtatious, and witty non-conformist who entered law enforcement to rebel against her judgmental psychiatrist father", who joins Grissom's team, [13] [14] to fill the void left by the departure of Jorja Fox's Sara Sidle. [15] She and her character did not return for the tenth season.
In 2009 Smith was cast in one of the lead roles in the German television film Hindenburg: The Last Flight by RTL, which aired in February 2011 in Germany [16] and was broadcast by American premium channel Encore in March 2013. [17] In 2010, Smith returned to Canada and joined the cast of the CTV drama series The Listener for its second season. [18] [19]
In 2012, she was cast in the starring role of Grace in the 2013 Canadian comedy film Cinemanovels alongside Jennifer Beals, with whom Smith had previously appeared in The L Word and the 2010 film A Night for Dying Tigers. [20]
In 2014, Smith played government investigator Samantha Krueger on the CBC/Syfy science-fiction miniseries Ascension . [21] In 2015, Smith joined the cast of the CBC drama series This Life , playing Maggie, the sister of the lead character (Torri Higginson) who is suffering from stage four cancer; [22] Smith's portrayal of the character was well received by The Globe and Mail's John Doyle. [23]
In 2017, she was cast in the lead role in the CBC drama series Frankie Drake Mysteries . [24] The series ran for four seasons, [25] and received generally positive reviews from critics. [26] [27] [28] The Globe and Mail wrote that Smith played the role "with glorious oomph". [29]
She has been married to actor Dillon Casey since 2024. She has one daughter born in 2016. [1]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2000 | Get Carter | Girl #2 | |
2005 | Lie with Me | Leila | |
2006 | Art School Confidential | Beat Girl | |
2006 | The Last Kiss | Lisa | |
2006 | One Way | Angelina Sable | |
2007 | Normal | Sherri | |
2007 | Late Fragment | Lea | |
2007 | Trick 'r Treat | Danielle | |
2008 | Pathology | Juliette Bath | |
2008 | An American Carol | Voice of Reason | |
2009 | Helen | Mathilda | |
2010 | A Night for Dying Tigers | Karen | |
2011 | Girl Walks into a Bar | Karen | |
2012 | Three Days in Havana | Grace | |
2013 | Hunting Season | Samantha | |
2013 | Cinemanovels | Grace | |
2014 | If I Stay | Willow | |
2015 | How to Plan an Orgy in a Small Town | Heather Mitchell | |
2017 | The Shape of Water | Elaine | |
2025 | Steal Away | Florence |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1997 | Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction | Michelle Lambert | Episode: "Murder of Roy Hennessey" |
2000 | Homewood P.I. | N/A | Unsold television pilot |
2000 | Dark Angel | Natalie | Episode: Pilot |
2000 | 2gether | Erin | Television film (MTV) |
2000 | 2gether: The Series | Erin Evans | Recurring role, 11 episodes |
2000 | Christy: The Movie | Christy Huddleston | Television film (Pax); aka. Christy: Return to Cutter Gap |
2001 | Christy, Choices of the Heart | Christy Huddleston | Television miniseries (Pax) [note 1] |
2001 | The Wedding Dress | Hannah Pinkham | Television film |
2001–2003 | Mutant X | Emma DeLauro | Main role (seasons 1–2) |
2003 | The Twilight Zone | Eve | Episode: "Sunrise" |
2004 | I Want to Marry Ryan Banks | Lauren | Television film |
2004 | The Survivors Club | Meg Pesaturo | Television film |
2004 | The Dead Zone | Bonnie Gibson | Episode: "Total Awareness" |
2004–2006 | The L Word | Lara Perkins | Recurring role, 20 episodes |
2006 | Blade: The Series | Bethany | Episode: "Hunters" |
2006–2007 | Intelligence | Tina | Recurring role, 10 episodes |
2007 | Dragon Boys | Kath | Television miniseries |
2008–2009 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Riley Adams | Main role (season 9) |
2009 | Anatomy of Hope | Cynthia Morgan | Unsold television pilot |
2009 | Can Openers | Susan | Unsold television pilot [13] |
2009 | CSI: Deadly Intent | Riley Adams | Video game; voice role |
2010 | Psych | Lillian | Episode: "Feet Don't Kill Me Now" |
2011 | Hindenburg: The Last Flight | Jennifer van Zandt | Television film |
2011 | Good Dog | Claire | Main role |
2011–2014 | The Listener | Michelle McCluskey | Main role (seasons 2–5) |
2012 | Good God | Claire | Episode: "One Station Under God" |
2012 | Ring of Fire | Emily Booth | Unsold television pilot |
2014 | Murdoch Mysteries | Elva Gordon | Episode: "Journey to the Centre of Toronto" |
2014 | Saving Hope | Astrid Ray | Episode: "The Other Side of Midnight" |
2014 | Ascension | Samantha Krueger | Television miniseries (SyFy) |
2015–2016 | This Life | Maggie Lawson | Main role; 20 episodes |
2017–2021 | Frankie Drake Mysteries | Frankie Drake | Lead role |
2019 | Hudson and Rex | Gabrielle Bullock | Episode: "S1, Ep. 8, Fast Eddie's, " |
2021 | The Wedding Ring | Kate Sterling | Television film (UPTV) |
2021 | Doomsday Mom: The Lori Vallow Story | Lori Vallow | Television film (Lifetime) |
2022 | Departure | Linda Halley | 4 episodes (season 3) |
Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2002 | Gemini Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series | Mutant X | Nominated | [30] |
2008 | Leo Awards | Best Supporting Performance by a Female in a Feature Length Drama | Normal | Nominated | [31] |
2009 | Leo Awards | Best Supporting Performance by a Female in a Feature Length Drama | Helen | Won | [32] |
2011 | Gemini Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role | The Listener | Nominated | [33] |
2011 | Leo Awards | Best Lead Performance by a Female in a Feature Length Drama | A Night for Dying Tigers | Nominated | [34] |
2014 | Leo Awards | Best Lead Performance by a Female in a Feature Length Drama | Cinemanovels | Won | [35] |
2016 | Leo Awards | Best Supporting Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series | This Life | Won | [36] |
2017 | Canadian Screen Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Series | This Life | Nominated | [37] |
Leo Awards | Best Supporting Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series | This Life | Nominated | [38] |
Lauren Lee Smith turns 29 years old today.
Previously-announced addition Lauren Lee Smith (The L Word) joins the cast in the third episode as new CSI Riley Adams. "She will come in to ostensibly replace Sara Sidle," says Mendelsohn. "She has a very distinct personality... a very wry sense of humor. She doesn't take herself too seriously." Adds Shankar: "This is a person who, unlike the rest of our gang, has not had Grissom as a mentor. So there's a very different relationship between Riley and Grissom."
My engagement went next level with the arrival of Samantha Krueger (Lauren Lee Smith), a government investigator tasked with solving the murder and smoking out Enzmann's secrets. She's a hero to root for.
In a series that took time to find its footing, Lauren Lee Smith was magical from the get-go as Maggie, sister to the main, cancer-plagued character played by Torri Higginson.