Loading AI tools
Canadian actress From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jessalyn Sarah Gilsig (born November 30, 1971[1][better source needed]) is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her roles as Meredith Gordon in Heroes, Kayley in Quest for Camelot, Lauren Davis in Boston Public, Gina Russo in Nip/Tuck, Terri Schuester in Glee, and as Siggy Haraldson in Vikings.
Jessalyn Gilsig | |
---|---|
![]() Gilsig at the 69th Annual Peabody Awards in 2010 | |
Born | Jessalyn Sarah Gilsig November 30, 1971[citation needed] Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
Education | |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1984–present |
Known for | |
Spouse |
Bobby Salomon
(m. 2005; div. 2010) |
Children | 1 |
Website | jessalyng |
Gilsig was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the daughter of Claire, a writer and translator, and Toby Gilsig, an engineer.[2] She began her acting in a voice work part at age 12 for a National Film Board of Canada production, Masquerade.[2] She is of Jewish descent.[3][4]
Gilsig attended McGill University in Montreal, from 1989 to 1993, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1993.[5] She later pursued her acting studies further at Harvard University's Institute for Advanced Theater Training.[5]
Gilsig began her career as a voice actress.[2] She has done voices in the films such as Masquerade,[2] and for television series such as Young Robin Hood.[6]
She moved to New York City in 1995 where she appeared in several off-Broadway plays.[7] However, it was her association with David E. Kelley that led to her starring role in Boston Public.[8]
After guest-starring in two episodes of Kelley's The Practice, Gilsig was cast in two episodes of another Kelley program, the short-lived Snoops.[8] Although the series was cancelled before Gilsig's episodes were broadcast, Kelley wrote the part of Lauren Davis in Boston Public specifically for her, a series that premiered in September 2000 on FOX;[8] Gilsig would leave the series after the end of the second season in May 2002.[9]
Following her departure from Boston Public, Gilsig joined the cast of Nip/Tuck in 2003 as Gina Russo, a role she continued until 2008.[10] In 2004, she appeared in five episodes of NYPD Blue,[10] followed by four episodes of FOX's Prison Break in 2005.[11]
In addition to her extensive credits in television and theatre, Gilsig has appeared in film, beginning with a small role in the 1998 film The Horse Whisperer.[8] She then provided the speaking voice for Kayley in the animated film Quest for Camelot (1998), with Andrea Corr performing the character's songs.[8] In 2004 she starred in Chicks with Sticks,[12][13] appeared in See This Movie,[14] and in one of the lead roles in the 2007 film Flood.[15]
In 2007–2008 she had recurring roles in two television series, playing Shelley, the sister of Tami Taylor, on NBC's Friday Night Lights,[16] and Claire Bennet's biological mother, Meredith Gordon, on Heroes.[17] Gilsig went on to play the main role of Terri Schuester on the Fox show, Glee, from 2009 to 2012.[18]
In 2013, Gilsig was a series regular, portraying Siggy Haraldson, wife of Earl Haraldson and paramour of Ragnar Lothbrok's brother, Rollo, on the History Channel series Vikings until 2015.[19][20] In 2017 she joined the cast of Scandal.[21]
On January 24, 2020, Gilsig joined the cast of the Disney+ sports comedy-drama series Big Shot as Holly Barrett with John Stamos to replace Shiri Appleby.[22]
Gilsig met and briefly dated Bobby Salomon as a high school student – he was the football team quarterback she described as a "cool guy". Salomon, a film producer, moved to Hollywood in 2002, and the two began dating again.[3] They were married on January 1, 2005, in a traditional Jewish wedding (Gilsig's father is Jewish).[3][4] Gilsig and Salomon have a daughter.[23]
Gilsig filed for divorce from Salomon on September 8, 2010, citing irreconcilable differences, having been separated since 2009.[4][24] In 2013, Gilsig became an American citizen.[7]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1984 | Masquerade | (voice)[2] | Short film |
1989 | The Journey Home | Short film | |
Jacknife | His Girlfriend | ||
1998 | The Horse Whisperer | Lucy[8] | |
Quest for Camelot | Kayley[8] | Voice | |
2004 | Chicks with Sticks | Paula Taymore[12] | |
See This Movie | Annie Nicole[14] | ||
2007 | Flood | Sam Morrison | |
2008 | Prom Night | Aunt Karen Turner | |
2009 | The Stepfather | Julie King[25] | |
2011 | About Fifty | Jessica | |
2013 | Somewhere Slow | Anna Thompson[19] | |
2020 | Spree | Andrea |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1991 | The Little Flying Bears | Tina | Voice |
1991–1992 | Young Robin Hood | Gertrude of Griswald[6] | Voice; 26 episodes |
1992 | Saban's Gulliver's Travels | Folia | Voice |
1998 | To Have & to Hold | Paula | Episode: "Stuck in the Blizzard with You" |
Viper | Alyssa | Episode: "Family Matters" | |
1999 | Seven Days | Carla Boyles | Episode: "Last Card Up" |
The Sentinel | RJ Shannon | Episode: "The Real Deal" | |
A Cooler Climate | Callie | Television film | |
The Practice | ADA Jennifer[8] | 2 episodes | |
2000 | Snoops | Suzanne Shivers[8] | 2 episodes |
2000–2002 | Boston Public | Lauren Davis[8] | 44 episodes |
2002 | Haunted | Elise Martin | Episode: "Three Hour Tour" |
2003 | Without a Trace | Whitney Ridder | Episode: "Confidence" |
2003–2008 | Nip/Tuck | Gina Russo[10] |
|
2004 | NYPD Blue | Det. Kelly Ronson[10] | 5 episodes |
2005 | Fathers and Sons | Dianne (uncredited) | Television film |
Prison Break | Lisa Rix[11] | 4 episodes | |
2006 | Law & Order | Angela Burquette | Episode: "Heart of Darkness" |
2007 | Backyards & Bullets | Eileen[26] | Television film |
Destination: Infestation | Dr. Carolyn Ross[27] | Television film | |
2007–2008 | Friday Night Lights | Shelley Hayes[16] | 6 episodes |
Heroes | Meredith Gordon[17] | 10 episodes | |
2008 | The Apostles | Christine Rydell[28] | Television film |
CSI: NY | Jordan Gates[29] | 3 episodes | |
XIII | Kim Rowland[30] | TV miniseries | |
2008–2009 | Imaginary Bitches | Jessalyn[31] |
|
2009–2012 2015 |
Glee | Terri Schuester[18] |
|
2012 | Smart Cookies | Julie Sterling[32] | Television film |
2013–2015 | Vikings | Siggy[19] |
|
2013 | The Good Wife | Janie Ludwig[19] | Episode: "Invitation to an Inquest" |
2014 | Angels and Ornaments | Corrine Nelson[34] | Television film |
2015 | Evil Men | Adela[35] | Television film |
2016 | Scandal | Vanessa Moss | 5 episodes |
2018 | The Sweetheart | Samantha | Television film |
2019 | Grand Hotel | Roxanne | Episode: "A Perfect Storm" |
2021–2022 | Big Shot | Holly Barrett | Main role |
2023 | 1923 | Beverly Strafford | Episode: "War and the Turquoise Tide" |
Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2008 | Shanghai International TV Festival Magnolia Award | Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Film | Flood | Nominated | [citation needed] |
2009 | 36th Daytime Emmy Awards | New Approaches – Daytime Entertainment | Imaginary Bitches | Nominated | [citation needed] |
2010 | 16th Screen Actors Guild Awards | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Glee | Won | [citation needed] |
Teen Choice Awards | Most Fanatic Fans | Nominated | [citation needed] | ||
Gold Derby Awards | Ensemble of the Year | Nominated | [citation needed] | ||
2013 | Brooklyn Film Festival | Best Narrative Feature | Somewhere Slow | Won | [citation needed] |
2015 | Golden Maple Awards | Best Actress in a TV Series Broadcasted in the US | Vikings | Nominated | [citation needed] |
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.