Penny Johnson Jerald

Last updated
Penny Johnson Jerald
Penny Johnson Jerald Paleyfest 2012.jpg
Jerald at Paleyfest 2012
Born
Penny Johnson

(1961-03-14) March 14, 1961 (age 63)
Education Juilliard School (BFA)
OccupationActress
Years active1983–present
Spouse
Gralin Jerald
(m. 1982)
Children1

Penny Johnson Jerald (born March 14, 1961) [1] is an American actress. She played Beverly Barnes on the HBO comedy series The Larry Sanders Show , Kasidy Yates on the syndicated science fiction series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , Sherry Palmer on the Fox series 24 , Captain Victoria "Iron" Gates on the ABC comedy-drama series Castle , and Dr. Claire Finn on the Fox/Hulu science-fiction series The Orville , [2] [3] and the voice of Sarafina in The Lion King and its upcoming Mufasa: The Lion King .

Contents

Early life

Johnson was born in Baltimore, Maryland, one of seven siblings. [4] She aspired to be an actress as a child. [4] She first attended Western High School before transferring to Park School of Baltimore. [4] Johnson trained at the Juilliard School, where her classmates in 1982 included Megan Gallagher, Jack Kenny, Jack Stehlin, and Lorraine Toussaint. [5]

Career

Jerald began her career with small guest roles. She made her screen debut on an episode of American Playhouse in 1983. [6] Her first major role on television was Vivian Conway in The Paper Chase from 1984 to 1986. [7] She appeared in General Hospital in 1986 and Do the Right Thing in 1989. She portrayed Virginia "Vicki" Harper on short-lived sitcom Homeroom in 1989. [8] [9]

In 1992, Jerald landed the role of unflappable personal assistant, Beverly Barnes, on The Larry Sanders Show . [10] For her work on Larry Sanders, Jerald received a CableACE Award nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy Series in 1996. [11] Two years later, she earned an NAACP Image Award nomination in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. [12] She continued playing Beverly until the show ended in 1998. [13]

Throughout the 1990s, Jerald guest starred in several television series, including Parker Lewis Can't Lose , Star Trek: The Next Generation , Grace Under Fire , Cosby and Family Law . She appeared as Lavinia in television film Class of '61 [14] and portrayed Lorraine in What's Love Got to Do with It (1993). [15]

Following Larry Sanders, Jerald appeared in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine playing freighter captain Kasidy Yates, the love interest for the series's main character Benjamin Sisko, a recurring role which she played from 1995 to the show's end in 1999. [16] In 1997 she played Laura Simon in the film Absolute Power . She also had a recurring guest role on ER as Lynette Evans from 1998 to 1999. She then appeared as Roscoe Dellums in the Emmy Award–winning TV movie The Color of Friendship . Jerald also guest starred on Frasier , [17] The Practice , Touched by an Angel and The X-Files .

Jerald's most-recognized role came in 2001 when she appeared in the Kiefer Sutherland-led Fox series, 24 , playing Sherry Palmer, the wife of Senator David Palmer. [18] Jerald believed it was the first role to test her acting ability, claiming the majority of her previous characters were "easy-going." [19] She appeared in all but two of the first season episodes and multiple episodes of the second and third seasons. She received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2003 alongside her 24 co-stars. [20]

In 2003, Jerald portrayed Condoleezza Rice in DC 9/11: Time of Crisis , a TV movie about the September 11 attacks in 2001. [21] She reprised the role in the miniseries The Path to 9/11 , which aired September 10–11, 2006. [22]

Jerald also guest-starred on the sitcom Eve , playing Shelly's mother Beverly in four episodes. [23] She portrayed Rebecca Parrish in three episodes of sci-fi series The 4400 in 2007. [24] Jerald had a recurring role on ABC midseason drama October Road for the 2007–08 season.

She made guest appearances on episodes of Tyler Perry's House of Payne . Jerald gave voice to Amanda Waller in animated series Justice League: Gods and Monsters Chronicles in 2015. [25]

Jerald joined the cast of ABC's Castle in its fourth season as the new captain of the 12th Precinct, Victoria "Iron" Gates, replacing Ruben Santiago-Hudson's deceased character Roy Montgomery as captain of the precinct. In 2015, Jerald announced on Twitter that she had been let go from the series, and was herself "saddened" and "surprised" by the news. [3] Regarding Jerald's exit from the series, Castle showrunner Alexi Hawley stated it was "very difficult" writing her out of the series. [26]

She was later cast in the role of Dr. Claire Finn in the Fox/Hulu science-fiction series The Orville . [27] [28] In 2019, Jerald provided the voice of Sarafina in The Lion King , [29] a remake of the 1994 film.

Personal life

She married Gralin Jerald in 1983. [30] Jerald also teaches acting workshops and produces and directs for Outreach Christian Theater Company, which she and her musician husband founded in 1994. [19] The couple have a daughter. [18]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1984 Swing Shift Genevieve
The Hills Have Eyes Part II Sue
The ImpostorMichelle Television film
1985The Grand BabyBetty
1990Goin' to ChicagoDarlene
Kaleidoscope PaulaTelevision film
Night Visions Luanne
1993 Fear of a Black Hat Re-Re
Class of '61 LaviniaTelevision film
What's Love Got to Do with It Lorraine Taylor
Empty Cradle Gail HuddleTelevision film
1994 Molly & Gina Maria
1995AutomaticJulia Rodriguez
1996The Road to GalvestonLaney RooseveltTelevision film
Death BenefitSylvia Guzman
The Writing on the WallGeraldine
1997 Absolute Power Laura Simon
1998 Krippendorf's Tribe Teacher
1999 The Test of Love HopeTelevision film
2000 The Color of Friendship Roscoe Dellums
Deliberate Intent Laura Harmon
2003 DC 9/11: Time of Crisis Condoleezza Rice
2004Secrets of the International Spy MuseumGuest
2005 Rent Bohemian
2015 Justice League: Gods and Monsters President Amanda Waller Voice role
2017MediaJackie JonesTelevision film
2018Parker's AnchorLaurie
2019 The Lion King SarafinaVoice role
2020Celeste's DreamsPenelopeShort
2024 Mufasa: The Lion King SarafinaVoice role

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1983 American Playhouse Jill HatchEpisode: "The Files on Jill Hatch: Part 1"
1984 T. J. Hooker Lisa CodyEpisode: "Anatomy of a Killing"
Hill Street Blues Jackie DeWittEpisode: "Blues for Mr. Green"
1984–86 The Paper Chase Vivian ConwayMain cast: season 2-4
1985 The Jeffersons DanelleEpisode: "Last Dance"
Simon & Simon Hanna McKenzieEpisode: "Out-of-Town Brown"
1986 General Hospital DebbieEpisode: "14 & 15 May 1986"
1987 1st & Ten PhyllisRecurring cast: season 4
Women in Prison PattyEpisode: "Walk This Way"
1988 The Cosby Show NurseEpisode: "The Visit"
Simon & Simon Evelyn JacobsonEpisode: "Zen and the Art of the Split-Finger Fastball"
1989 Tour of Duty Jan HudsonEpisode: "For What It's Worth"
She's the Sheriff DorothyEpisode: "Divorce, Wiggins Style"
Homeroom Virginia HarperMain cast
1990 Freddy's Nightmares Elaine AlamoEpisode: "Life Sentence"
Coach Susan BirchEpisode: "The Day That Moses Came to Town"
Parker Lewis Can't Lose Ms. Miriam DonnellyEpisode: "Teacher, Teacher"
1991 Columbo Maxine JarrettEpisode: "Caution: Murder Can Be Hazardous to Your Health"
1992–98 The Larry Sanders Show Beverly Barnes Main cast
1994 Star Trek: The Next Generation DobaraEpisode: "Homeward"
1995 Sweet Justice Marcy LernerEpisode: "Greener Grass"
1995–99 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Kasidy Yates Recurring cast: season 3-7
1996 Grace Under Fire Bailey AlfordEpisode: "Love Thy Neighbor" & "Pregnant Pause"
1997 Cosby PennyEpisode: "Brave New Hilton"
The Gregory Hines Show ElizabethEpisode: "Pilot"
1998–99 ER Lynette EvansSupporting cast: season 5
2000 Family Law Christine WebberEpisode: "Family Values"
2001 The X-Files Dr. Hellura LyleEpisode: "Medusa"
The Practice Atty. Laura GarrettEpisode: "Awakenings"
Citizen Baines Denise WillisEpisode: "A Day Like No Other"
2001–04 24 Sherry Palmer Recurring cast: season 1 & 3, main cast: season 2
2002 Touched by an Angel EleanorEpisode: "The Impossible Dream"
2003 Frasier CarolEpisode: "Maris Returns"
2005–06 Eve Beverly WilliamsRecurring cast: season 3
2006 Law & Order Ms. BookerEpisode: "Choice of Evils"
2007 The 4400 Rebecca ParrishRecurring cast: season 4
2007–08 October Road Dean Leslie EtwoodRecurring cast
2009–10 NCIS Joanne TorrenceEpisode: "Endgame" & "Flesh and Blood"
2010 Bones Rachel AdamsEpisode: "The X in the File"
Tyler Perry's House of Payne MaxineRecurring cast: season 6
2011–15 Castle Capt. Victoria Gates Main cast: season 4-7
2015 Gods and Monsters Chronicles President Amanda Waller (voice)Episode: "Bomb"
2017–2022 The Orville Dr. Claire FinnMain cast
2018 Sideswiped CynthiaEpisode: "The Rock Star"
2024 Ted PrincipalEpisode: "Just Say Yes" & "Desperately Seeking Susan"

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References

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