Amy Acker

Amy Acker

Acker at the Wizard World Toronto in 2012
Born Amy Louise Acker
(1976-12-05) December 5, 1976
Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Alma mater Southern Methodist University
Occupation Actress
Years active 1998–present
Spouse(s) James Carpinello (m. 2003)
Children 2
Website www.amyackeronline.com

Amy Louise Acker (born December 5, 1976) is an American actress. She played Winifred Burkle and Illyria on the TV series Angel and Kelly Peyton on Alias. Since 2012, she has played Root on Person of Interest, having become a series regular in season 3.

Early life

Acker was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, to a homemaker mother and a lawyer father.[1][2] She graduated from Lake Highlands High School in Dallas. She subsequently earned a bachelor's degree in theater from Southern Methodist University.[3]

In her junior year of college, Acker modeled for J. Crew catalog. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in the same year. She worked as a stage actress for several seasons, including a stint at American Players Theatre in Spring Green, Wisconsin.

Career

Acker made her major television debut when she starred as Winifred "Fred" Burkle in Angel (seasons 2–5), and also as the character of Illyria for part of the show's fifth and final season. She won the 2003 Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television for her portrayal.

Acker with husband, James Carpinello, in 2005

She joined the cast of Alias in 2005 for its final season, playing villainess Kelly Peyton. Acker graduated from guest star to fully credited cast member as the show entered the final episodes in April and May 2006. Also in 2005, Acker provided voice acting for the character of Huntress on the animated series Justice League Unlimited. She went on to make a guest appearance on How I Met Your Mother, in which she was reunited with Angel co-star, Alexis Denisof (the real-life husband of HIMYM star Alyson Hannigan), who had a recurring role on the show.

She portrayed Dr. Claire Saunders/Whiskey, a recurring character, on Joss Whedon's Dollhouse.[4] Acker guest-starred in 10 of the 13 episodes of the first season and three episodes of the second.

In 2010, she was a series regular in the ABC drama Happy Town, portraying the character Rachel Conroy. That same year, she starred in the season-one finale of the Fox series Human Target, as the mysterious Katherine Walters. On May 25, 2010, she appeared on CBS's The Good Wife. She appeared in the horror movie The Cabin in the Woods, released April 13, 2012. In 2012, she made guest performances in Warehouse 13, Once Upon A Time, and Grimm. In 2012, she starred as Beatrice in Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing.

Acker appeared in the sitcom Husbands's third season as Claudia, the ex-fiancée of Brady Kelly who unexpectedly shows up.[5] In March 2014, Acker was cast as Audrey, a former lover to Phil Coulson in an episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.[6]

Personal life

On April 25, 2003, Acker wed actor James Carpinello in California. The couple have two children.[7]

Filmography

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1998 Wishbone Catherine Morland Episode: "Pup Fiction"
1999 To Serve and Protect Melissa Jorgensen Episode: "1.2"
1999 Wishbone Priscilla
Venus
Episode: "A Bone of Contention"
Episode: "A Roamin' Nose"
2001 Special Unit 2 Nancy Episode: "The Invisible"
2001–04 Angel Winifred 'Fred' Burkle/Illyria Recurring role (season 2); main role (seasons 3–5); 70 episodes
2003 Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt Bonnie Lindsay Movie
2005 Supernatural Andrea Barr Episode: "Dead in the Water"
2005–06 Justice League Unlimited Huntress/Helena Bertinelli 4 episodes
2005–06 Alias Kelly Peyton Main role (season 5); 13 episodes
2006 How I Met Your Mother Penelope Episode: "Come On"
2007 Drive Kathryn Tully 3 episodes
2007 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Leslie LeZard Episode: "Smile"
2007 Ghost Whisperer Tessa Episode: "Weight of What Was"
2008 A Near Death Experience Ellie Daly Movie; a.k.a. Voices
2008 Fire and Ice: The Dragon Chronicles Princess Luisa Movie
2008 October Road Girl in Blue Uniform Episode: "Dancing Days Are Here Again"
2008 October Road Jenny Bristol Episode: "Hat? No Hat?"
2008 Private Practice Molly Madison Episode: "A Family Thing"
2009–10 Dollhouse Dr. Claire Saunders (Whiskey) Recurring role; 14 episodes
2010 Human Target Katherine Walters Episode: "Christopher Chance"
2010 Good Wife, TheThe Good Wife Trish Arkin Episode: "Running"
2010 Happy Town Rachel Conroy Main role; 8 episodes
2010 No Ordinary Family Amanda Grayson 2 episodes
2011 Dear Santa Crystal Carruthers Movie
2011, 2013 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Sandy Colfax 2 episodes
2012 Grimm Lena Marcenko Episode: "Tarantella"
2012 Once Upon a Time Astrid/Nova Episode: "Dreamy"
2012 Warehouse 13 Tracey Episode: "The Ones You Love"
2012–present Person of Interest Root/Samantha Groves Recurring role (seasons 1–2); main role (season 3–present)[8]
2013 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated Nova 4 episodes
2013 Husbands Claudia
2014 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Audrey Nathan, the Cellist Episode: "The Only Light in the Darkness"
2015 A Novel Romance Sophie Movie
2015 Suits Esther Edelstein (née Litt) Episodes: "No Puedo Hacerlo", "Hitting Home"

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2000 The Energy Specialist Claire
2001 The Accident Nina
2002 Groom Lake Kate
2002 Catch Me If You Can Miggy
2005 Mr. Dramatic Jodi Short film
2006 The Novice Jill Yarrut
2009 21 and a Wake-Up Caitlin Murphy
2011 Vile Whitney Richards
2011 Sironia Molly
2012 The Cabin in the Woods Wendy Lin
2012 Much Ado About Nothing Beatrice
2014 Let's Kill Ward's Wife Geena
2015 The Energy Specialist Claire

Web

Year Title Role Notes
2008 Who Cut the Cake? Ellen Episodes: "Who the Fu@k’", "Thanks For Coming", "2 Girls 1 CupSize"
2015 Con Man Dawn Jones Episodes: "Full Release", "Found and Lost", "Too Much Closure for Comfort"

Awards and nominations

Year Association Category Work Result
2003 Saturn Awards Best Supporting Actress on Television Angel Won
2004 Nominated
2014 Indie Series Awards Best Guest Star – Comedy Husbands Won

References

  1. "Amy Acker Biography (1976–)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
  2. "The Brothers Gililland of Missouri:Information about Amy Louise ACKER". familytreemaker.genealogy.com. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
  3. Kurt Anthony Krug (April 27, 2010). "'Happy Town' star Amy Acker first caught acting bug while growing up in Dallas". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved May 2, 2010.
  4. "Angel Vet Moves into Whedon's Dollhouse!". TV Guide. April 17, 2008. Retrieved April 17, 2008.
  5. Philiana Ng (July 5, 2013). "Amy Acker to Guest Star on 'Husbands' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 6, 2013.
  6. Natalie Arbams (March 26, 2014). "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Exclusive: Amy Acker to Play Famous Role from Coulson's Past". TV Guide. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
  7. "Alias's Amy Acker, Husband Have a Girl". People. September 7, 2006.
  8. Matt Webb Mitovich (July 20, 2013). "Person of Interest: Amy Acker Now Series Regular". TVLine. Retrieved August 14, 2013.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Amy Acker.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Friday, April 29, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.