Sherry Stringfield

Last updated

Sherry Stringfield
Susan Lewis Dr.jpg
Stringfield as Dr. Susan Lewis
Born (1967-06-24) June 24, 1967 (age 57)
Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S.
Education State University of New York, Purchase (BFA)
OccupationActress
Years active1989–present
Spouse
Larry E. Joseph
​
​
(m. 1998;div. 2006)​
Children2

Sherry Stringfield (born June 24, 1967) [1] is an American actress. She is best known for playing the role of Dr. Susan Lewis on the NBC medical drama ER , a role for which she received three Emmy Award nominations. Stringfield was a member of ER's original cast, but she quit the show during its third season, despite being contractually tied to appear in five. She returned to the role in 2001, and quit once again in 2005. She is also known for her regular roles on NYPD Blue and Guiding Light .

Contents

She has acted mainly on television, but she has also played various parts in films.

Early life and education

The eldest of three children, Stringfield was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Her family briefly relocated to Albuquerque, New Mexico, before settling in Spring, Texas, a suburb of Houston, where Stringfield grew up. [2]

She developed a penchant for acting while attending Klein High School, where she starred in various musicals and plays including Oklahoma, Mother Courage, and Fiddler on the Roof. At 18 she attended the Acting Conservatory of SUNY at Purchase — rooming with fellow actress and student Parker Posey. [3] During that time, she appeared in numerous off-Broadway productions and learned to control and alter her Texan accent with the help of a college speech teacher. [4] Stringfield graduated in 1989 with a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts. [2]

Career

Early career

She got her first role on the CBS Daytime soap opera Guiding Light , playing Christina "Blake" Thorpe from 1989 until 1992. After three years she left the show to spend a year traveling Europe, but soon returned to television on the ABC drama, NYPD Blue . She played Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Laura Kelly, the ex-wife of officer John Kelly (David Caruso) during the first season (1993–94) of the series. Unsatisfied, she was released early from her contract. [5]

ER

Stringfield became one of the original cast members of NBC's medical drama, ER . Her personal success mirrored the show's success — she was nominated for an Emmy Award for lead actress during each of her first three seasons of the show. Stringfield was contractually tied to appear in five seasons of ER; however, a desire for a "normal life" and to escape ER's grueling filming schedule prompted her to leave the drama early in its third season. [5] In order to be released from her contract, Stringfield was forced to sign a no-work agreement, which blocked her from working on television for the remainder of her original contract. Stringfield's decision to quit reportedly angered the show's executive producer, John Wells, because she left just as Dr. Lewis got embroiled in a budding romance with Anthony Edwards' Dr. Mark Greene. [5] Stringfield has commented: "I wouldn't describe the situation as pleasant. The producers were in shock. They tried to talk me out of it. It took a long time to get out of my contract." [6]

Stringfield's much publicized departure reportedly "sent a small shock wave through Hollywood" [7] and her exit episode in November 1996 attracted 37 million viewers, the biggest night of the season for the NBC network. [8] Stringfield quit just as television executive Dick Robertson was closing a deal that guaranteed the ER cast millions in future earnings from sales to cable and syndication, meaning she effectively "walked away from a fortune." [9]

Stringfield claims she was asked to reprise the role of Susan Lewis in ER several times, but turned each offer down. [10] However, following the birth of her daughter, she approached the producers of ER and then rejoined the cast in 2001, the show's eighth season. [10] "I changed my mind," Stringfield commented, "I really want to work now. It just made sense for me to go back to ER." [11] 26.7 million people watched Stringfield's return, placing the show at first place in the ratings. During her second stint in ER, Stringfield's character was featured in a special 'crossover' with NBC's New York City based police drama, Third Watch , which aired in 2002. She remained in the role for four additional seasons; however in August 2005, Stringfield announced that she would be leaving the show again as the 12th season came underway. "I am extremely grateful for the time I spent on ER," Stringfield explained. "It is a wonderful show, and there are so many people I will miss. But I'm ready for new roles and new challenges." [12] In 2009, Stringfield returned to ER for the series finale "And in the End...". [13]

Other work

After leaving ER in 1996, Stringfield taught a script analysis class and directed several plays at her alma mater. She took roles in films such as 54 (1998) and Autumn in New York (2000) and appeared in the television movies Border Line (1999) — produced by her ER co-star Anthony Edwards — and Going Home (2000), in which she starred opposite Jason Robards. She also guest-starred in the CBS drama Touched by an Angel in 1999.

In 2005, Stringfield was cast alongside Michael Michele, Blair Underwood, Esai Morales, Gary Cole and Catherine Bell in the pilot episode of the CBS drama Company Town (created by Elwood Reid; directed by Thomas Carter), playing Angie Amberson, a mother of teenagers and a whistle-blower on the investment firm where she works. Company Town failed to get picked up for the 2006 fall season. The series was produced by Jack Clements and Larry Sanitsky. In 2007 Stringfield starred in the Andrew Shea film Forfeit. She played the role of Karen, the ex-girlfriend of a clinical sociopath who schemes and plots to stage a massive robbery and sets Karen up to take the rap. [14]

In 2007, Stringfield guest-starred as attorney Nora March in the CBS drama Shark . She also played a recurring role in the HBO drama Tell Me You Love Me (previously known as Sexlife), which also aired in 2007. [15] In 2009, she appeared in The Stepfather , a remake of the 1987 American thriller film of the same name.

She appeared in an episode of the USA Network drama In Plain Sight . Stringfield also guest-starred on Law & Order in late 2008 as a ruthless court clerk and Michael Cutter's love interest. She also played Mary Jane Porter, an old girlfriend of Larry David's who runs into and then goes on a date with him in an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm that aired on October 11, 2009.

In 2010, Stringfield appeared in Who Is Clark Rockefeller? playing the role of Sandra Boss.

In addition to acting, Stringfield has done voice-over work, including the voice of Eyeleen in the children's television show Blue's Clues and voicing her ER character for the PC game ER: The Game. Stringfield was also featured in the U.S. Got Milk? advertising campaign, despite being lactose intolerant. [16]

In 2012, Stringfield starred in The Confession , a Hallmark Channel movie and a sequel to The Shunning. [17]

In November 2013, Stringfield guest-starred in the CBS police drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in season 14: episode 8 titled "Helpless", playing swing shift CSI Dawn Banks. [18] In 2014, Stringfield played a recurring role on the CBS mystery Under the Dome during its second season.

In 2017, Stringfield appeared on Criminal Minds spinoff, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders as the wife of Gary Sinise's character, Jack Garrett.

Awards and nominations

In 1991 and 1993, Stringfield was nominated in the "Outstanding Villain/Villainess" category at the Soap Opera Digest Awards for her role in Guiding Light . She has also received multiple awards and award-nominations for her role as Susan Lewis in ER, including three separate Emmy Award nominations in the category "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series" in 1995, 1996 and 1997. In 1995 she was nominated in the category "Favorite Female Performer" at the People's Choice Awards and in 1995 and 1996 she was nominated in the "Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series -Drama" category at the Golden Globe Awards.

In 1996, she won a Q Award for "Best Actress in a Quality Drama Series" and in 1997 she, along with several of her ER cast-mates, won a Screen Actors Guild Award for "Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series". In addition Stringfield was voted one of the "100 Sexiest Women in the World" by readers of FHM magazine in 1997.

Personal life

In the early 1990s Stringfield dated British businessman Paul Goldstein (chairman of Nevica skiwear) for nearly three years, but the pressures of a long-distance romance eventually ended the relationship. [19]

Stringfield married journalist Larry E. Joseph in October 1998; they have two children. Stringfield and Joseph divorced in January 2006 after seven years of marriage. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her two children.[ citation needed ]

Filmography

Film

Film
YearTitleRoleNotes
1995 Burnzy's Last Call Jackie
1998 54
2000 Autumn in New York Sarah Volpe
2001 Viva Las Nowhere Marguerite
2007 Forfeit Karen
2009 The Stepfather Leah
2011 Born to Race Lisa AbramsDirect-to-video
2015Going Clear: Scientology & the Prison of BeliefSara NorthrupVoice
Documentary
2016 The Dog Lover Jackie O'Connell

Television

Television
YearTitleRoleNotes
1989–1992 Guiding Light Blake Marler Contract role
1993–1994 NYPD Blue Laura Michaels Kelly22 episodes
1994–1996; 2001–2005; 2009 ER Dr. Susan Lewis 142 episodes
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (1996-1997)
Viewers for Quality Television Award for Best Actress in a Quality Drama Series (1996)
Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama (1996-1997)
Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (1995-1997)
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (1995)
1999Border LineAllison WestlinTelevision movie
1999 Touched by an Angel Major Josephine SaundersEpisode: "Godspeed"
2000–2001 Blue's Clues Dr. Eyeleen2 episodes
2002 Third Watch Dr. Susan LewisEpisode: "Unleashed"
2007 Shark Nora March2 episodes
2007 Tell Me You Love Me Rita6 episodes
2008 In Plain Sight Marci AllenEpisode: "Who Shot Jay Arnstein?"
2008 Law & Order CarlyEpisode: "Zero"
2009 Curb Your Enthusiasm Mary Jane PorterEpisode: "The Hot Towel"
2010 Who Is Clark Rockefeller? Sandra BossTelevision movie
2010Night and DayElizabeth HollisterTelevision movie
2011The ShunningLaura Mayfield-BennettTelevision movie
2011Criminal BehaviorMolly CollinsTelevision movie
2012Hornet's NestMolly WestTelevision movie
2013The ConfessionLaura Mayfield BennettTelevision movie
2013 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Dawn BanksEpisode: "Helpless"
2014RunawayMirandaTelevision movie
2014 Under The Dome Pauline RennieRecurring; 9 episodes
2016–2017 Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders Karen GarrettRecurring; 4 episodes

Video games

Video games
YearTitleRoleNotes
2005ER: The GameSusan LewisVoice

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khandi Alexander</span> American dancer, choreographer, and actress (born 1957)

Harriet Rene "Khandi" Alexander is an American dancer, choreographer, and actress. She began her career as a dancer in the 1980s, and was a choreographer for Whitney Houston's world tours from 1988 to 1992.

<i>ER</i> (TV series) American medical drama television series (1994–2009)

ER is an American medical drama television series created by Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994, to April 2, 2009, with a total of 331 episodes spanning 15 seasons. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Television, in association with Warner Bros. Television. ER follows the inner life of the emergency room (ER) of Cook County General Hospital, a fictionalized version of the real Cook County Hospital, in Chicago, and the various critical professional, ethical, and personal issues faced by the department's physicians, nurses, and staff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julianna Margulies</span> American actress (born 1966)

Julianna Margulies is an American actress. After several small television roles, Margulies received wide recognition for her starring role as Carol Hathaway in the NBC medical drama series ER, for which she received a Primetime Emmy Award and six Screen Actors Guild Awards, in addition to four Golden Globe Award nominations. In 2009, she took on the lead role of Alicia Florrick in the CBS legal drama series The Good Wife (2009–2016). Her performance garnered critical acclaim, winning an additional two Primetime Emmy Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and a Television Critics Association Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maura Tierney</span> American actress (born 1965)

Maura Therese Tierney is an American actress. She is best known for her roles in the sitcom NewsRadio (1995–1999), the medical drama ER (1999–2009) as Abby Lockhart and the mystery drama The Affair (2014–2019), the latter of which won her a Golden Globe Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Linda Cardellini</span> American actress (born 1975)

Linda Edna Cardellini is an American actress. In television, she is known for her starring roles in the teen drama Freaks and Geeks (1999–2000), the medical drama ER (2003–2009), and the thriller Bloodline (2015–2017), as well as for her guest role as Sylvia Rosen on AMC's Mad Men (2013–2015). Her starring role in the Netflix dark comedy series Dead to Me (2019–2022) earned her a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madeline Zima</span> American actress

Madeline Zima is an American actress. She portrayed Grace Sheffield on the CBS sitcom The Nanny (1993–1999), Mia Lewis on the Showtime comedy drama series Californication (2007–2011), and Gretchen Berg on the NBC series Heroes (2009–2010).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Delaney</span> American actress (born 1961)

Kim Delaney is an American actress known for her starring role as Detective Diane Russell on the ABC drama television series NYPD Blue, for which she won an Emmy Award. Early in her career, she played the role of Jenny Gardner in the ABC daytime television drama All My Children. She later had leading roles in the short lived TV drama Philly, part of the first season of CSI: Miami, and the first six seasons of Army Wives. She also appeared in the second and third seasons as reporter Alex Devlin in Tour of Duty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cynthia Watros</span> American actress

Cynthia Michele Watros is an American actress recognized for her roles in both daytime and primetime television. In 1994, she was cast in the regular role of Annie Dutton on Guiding Light, which earned her the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1998. In 2002, she was cast as Kellie on The Drew Carey Show and in 2005 joined the cast of Lost as Libby Smith. Since 2019, Watros has portrayed the role of Nina Reeves on ABC's General Hospital.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penny Johnson Jerald</span> American actress (born 1961)

Penny Johnson Jerald 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, and the voice of Sarafina in The Lion King and its upcoming Mufasa: The Lion King.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lorraine Toussaint</span> Trinidadian actress (born 1960)

Lorraine Toussaint is a Trinidadian–born actress based in the United States. She is the recipient of various accolades, including a Black Reel Award, a Critics' Choice Television Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tamara Tunie</span> American actress (born 1959)

Tamara Tunie is an American film, stage, and television actress, director, and producer. She is best known for her roles as attorney Jessica Griffin on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns and as medical examiner Melinda Warner in the NBC police drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2000–2021). Tunie also appeared in films such as Rising Sun (1993), The Devil's Advocate (1997), The Caveman's Valentine (2001) receiving Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female nomination, Flight (2012), and Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swoosie Kurtz</span> American actress (born 1944)

Swoosie Kurtz is an American actress. She is the recipient of an Emmy Award and two Tony Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susan Lewis</span> Fictional character

Susan Lewis, M.D. is a character from the medical drama series ER, portrayed by American actress Sherry Stringfield.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharon Lawrence</span> American actress (born 1961)

Sharon Elizabeth Lawrence is an American actress. From 1993 to 1999, she starred as Sylvia Costas in the ABC drama series, NYPD Blue. The role garnered her three Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series, and Satellite Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama. She received three additional Emmy Awards nominations for her later television performances.

Michael Michele Williams is an American actress and fashion designer. She began her career on stage before appearing opposite Wesley Snipes in the 1991 film New Jack City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parminder Nagra</span> English actress (born 1975)

Parminder Kaur Nagra is an English actress. She is known for portraying Jess Bhamra in the film Bend It Like Beckham (2002) and Dr. Neela Rasgotra in the NBC medical drama ER (2003–2009). Her other television roles include Meera Malik in the first season of the NBC crime drama The Blacklist (2013–2014) and a recurring role in the ABC/Marvel series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2016–2017) as Ellen Nadeer for season four. More recently, Nagra has starred as the titular character of the ITV series DI Ray (2022–2024).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archie Panjabi</span> English actress (born 1972)

Archana Panjabi is an English actress. She has had various roles in both UK and US television including as Maya Roy in Life on Mars (2006–07), Nas Kamal in Blindspot, Kendra Malley in Departure (2019–present), and Kalinda Sharma in The Good Wife (2009–15). Her work in the latter earned her a Primetime Emmy Award in 2010 and an NAACP Image Award in 2012, as well as two further Emmy nominations, one Golden Globe nomination, and three Screen Actors Guild Award nominations shared with the cast. Panjabi is the first Asian actor to win a Primetime Emmy for acting. Other notable roles include Meenah Khan in East Is East (1999), Pinky Bhamra in Bend It Like Beckham (2002), Yasmin Husseini in Yasmin (2004), and Asra Nomani in A Mighty Heart (2007).

Klea Scott is a Canadian actress, known for her roles on television. She starred in the short-lived CBS police drama Brooklyn South (1997–98), and was later cast as Emma Hollis on the Fox television series Millennium for its third and final season. From 2005 to 2007, she starred in the CBC Television crime drama Intelligence.

ER is an American medical drama television series created by Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994, to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Television, in association with Warner Bros. Television. The series follows the inner life of the emergency room (ER) of fictional Cook County General Hospital in Chicago, and various critical issues faced by the room's physicians and staff.

Jane McNeill-Balter, professionally credited as Jane McNeill, is an American stage, film and television actress, best known to television audiences for her recurring role as Patricia on the second season of The Walking Dead.

References

  1. ↑ Horoscopes June 24, 2022: Mindy Kaling, invest in yourself
  2. 1 2 "Sherry Stringfield". tvnz. Archived from the original on January 29, 2007. Retrieved February 24, 2007.
  3. ↑ "Parker Posey". superiorpics.com. Archived from the original on September 18, 2012. Retrieved April 12, 2007.
  4. ↑ "The Reluctant Yankee". Soap Opera. March 20, 1990. Archived from the original on December 26, 2004. Retrieved April 12, 2007.
  5. 1 2 3 Kennedy, Dana (October 17, 1997). "Why I left ER, by Sherry Stringfield". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 21, 2009. Retrieved February 24, 2007.
  6. ↑ Kennedy, Dana (October 17, 1997). "Sherry Stringfield, the Goodbye Girl". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on July 30, 2012. Retrieved March 26, 2011.
  7. ↑ "STRINGFIELD YEARNS FOR 'NORMAL LIFE'". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. November 22, 1996. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
  8. ↑ "ER' grabs healthy dose of ratings". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. November 26, 1996. Retrieved April 12, 2007.[ dead link ]
  9. ↑ "Syndication means $$$$ for ER cast". The Virginian Pilot. December 9, 1990. Archived from the original on December 27, 2004. Retrieved April 12, 2007.
  10. 1 2 Wenitraub, Joanne (October 17, 2001). "Actress' love of stories leads her back to ER". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved February 24, 2007.
  11. ↑ "Dr. Lewis' return 'just made sense'". Chicago Sun-Times. October 17, 2001. Archived from the original on November 24, 2007. Retrieved April 12, 2007.
  12. ↑ "Sherry Stringfield quits 'ER' Again". Digital Spy. August 6, 2005. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved April 12, 2007.
  13. ↑ "Sherry Stringfield is Back!". TV Guide. February 12, 2009. Archived from the original on February 18, 2009. Retrieved February 12, 2009.
  14. ↑ "Forfeit: Synopsis". Fandango.com. Retrieved April 12, 2007.[ dead link ]
  15. ↑ "DEVELOPMENT UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 18-22". theFutonCritic.com. Retrieved April 12, 2007.
  16. ↑ "Sherry Stringfield". TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on December 1, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  17. ↑ DeCwikiel-Kane, Dawn (March 9, 2012). "Hallmark movie filming in Randolph County". News & Record . Archived from the original on September 5, 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
  18. ↑ "CSI Brings on ER's Sherry Stringfield as Substitute Investigator". Archived from the original on December 19, 2013. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
  19. ↑ "Stringfield Interview". Lifestyle Magazine. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved April 12, 2007.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.