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Sara Rue (born January 26, 1979)[1] is an American actress. She is best known for her performances as Carmen Ferrara on Popular, as Claude Casey on Less than Perfect, and as the Attorney General in Idiocracy. In 2011, she hosted The CW reality series Shedding for the Wedding. She had a recurring role in the comedy Rules of Engagement, as Brenda, the softball teammate and good friend of Jeff Bingham.[a] She had a regular role as Kim on the short-lived ABC sitcom Malibu Country, and appeared in the main cast of the TV Land comedy series Impastor. She is also known for her role as Olivia Caliban in the second season of the Netflix series A Series of Unfortunate Events.
Sara Rue | |
|---|---|
 Rue in September 2010 | |
| Born | Sara Schlackman January 26, 1979 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1988–present |
| Spouses | Mischa Livingstone
(m. 2001; div. 2007)Kevin Price
(m. 2011) |
| Children | 2 |
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Sara Rue was born Sara Schlackman in New York City, the daughter of Joan Schlackman (née Rue), a municipal employee and former actress, and Marc Schlackman, a stage manager.[2] The elder of two daughters, she was raised in New York, where her parents were active in Broadway theatre. She is Jewish.[3]
Rue began her acting career at the age of nine, appearing in the 1988 film Rocket Gibraltar as Kevin Spacey's daughter. Rue played a very young Roseanne in the first meeting of Roseanne and Dan at a dance on the TV show Roseanne.[4]
She starred in the comedy Grand, before going on to work on Phenom; Minor Adjustments; Zoe, Duncan, Jack & Jane; ER; The Division and Popular. From 2002 to 2006, she starred in the main role of Claude Casey on the ABC sitcom Less than Perfect. She has appeared in several films, including A Map of the World, Can't Hardly Wait, A Slipping Down Life, Idiocracy, Gypsy 83. She also had a small part as a babysitter in Gore Verbinski's adaptation of The Ring. She impressed director Michael Bay so much that a role was written into the movie Pearl Harbor for her.
Rue appeared uncredited in the 2006 Mike Judge film Idiocracy, in the role of the Attorney General. In 2006, Rue starred in the stage musical Little Egypt with French Stewart, Jenny O'Hara and Gregg Henry at the Matrix Theatre in Los Angeles. She guest-starred in Two and a Half Men as Berta's pregnant youngest daughter. She had a stint on the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory, playing Dr. Leonard Hofstadter's physician girlfriend Dr. Stephanie Barnett for three episodes. Her first appearance on the show occurred on November 17, 2008. In 2009, Rue appeared in the movies Man Maid and For Christ's Sake. She starred on the short-lived 2009 series Eastwick, based on the novel and movie The Witches of Eastwick. In December 2009, she became a spokesperson for weight loss company Jenny Craig.[5][6]
In October 2010, Rue joined the cast of Rules of Engagement in a recurring role as Brenda, Jeff and Audrey's surrogate.[7]
It was announced in December 2011 that Rue would be writing and starring in a new show on The CW called Poseurs, about a young woman named Lucy whose life is upended when her fiancé moves out and her fresh-from-rehab collegiate best friend, Alexandra, moves in. The two friends pose as a lesbian couple and actually get married in order to stay in the nice apartment building that only allows married couples.[8]
Rue starred in the ABC show Malibu Country as Reba McEntire's upbeat trophy wife neighbor, Kim Sallinger.[9] Malibu Country ran for one season (2012–13). Rue had the title role of Deb Dorfman in the movie Dorfman in Love (2012).[10]
In 2014, Rue appeared in a recurring role as Candace, fiancee of Christy's ex-husband on the CBS sitcom Mom. In 2015, she was cast as main character Dora in the TV Land comedy Impastor.[11] The show was cancelled after its second season in 2016. Rue had a recurring role as Nancy Granville on ABC's American Housewife which was canceled after five seasons. [12]
In 2017, Rue was cast in the recurring role of Olivia Caliban on the second season of the Netflix comedy drama series A Series of Unfortunate Events.[13]
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Rue married filmmaker Mischa Livingstone in 2001. They divorced in 2007.[14]
Rue married teacher Kevin Price[15] on May 21, 2011, in a traditional Jewish wedding.[16][17] She gave birth to their first child, a daughter named Talulah, in February 2013.[18] She and Price adopted a second daughter, Adelaide, in November 2016.[19]
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Rocket Gibraltar | Jessica Hanson | |
| 1992 | Passed Away | Megan Scanlan | |
| 1998 | Can't Hardly Wait | Earth Girl | |
| 1998 | Nowhere to Go | a.k.a. Silent Hearts (USA: TV title) | |
| 1999 | A Slipping-Down Life | Violet | |
| 1999 | A Map of the World | Debbie | |
| 2001 | Pearl Harbor | Nurse Martha | |
| 2001 | Gypsy 83 | Gypsy Vale | |
| 2002 | The Ring | Babysitter | |
| 2005 | Barbara Jean | Barbara Jean | Short film |
| 2006 | Danny Roane: First Time Director | Charlotte Lewis | |
| 2006 | Idiocracy | Attorney General "Fun Bags" (Uncredited) | |
| 2008 | Man Maid | Torry | |
| 2009 | Not Since You | Sarah 'Doogs' Doogins | |
| 2010 | For Christ's Sake | Candy | |
| 2011 | Dorfman in Love | Deb Dorfman | |
| 2013 | Miss Dial | Sam | |
| 2020 | American Pie Presents: Girls' Rules | Ellen | Direct-to-video |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Grand | Edda Pasetti | Main role (26 episodes) |
| 1992 | Roseanne | Teenage Roseanne | Episode: "Halloween IV" |
| 1993–94 | Phenom | Monica | Recurring role (14 episodes) |
| 1995 | Blossom | Angie | Episode: "Mating Rituals" |
| 1995 | Family Reunion: A Relative Nightmare | Jacquelyn | Television movie |
| 1995–96 | Minor Adjustments | Darby Gladstone | Main role (20 episodes) |
| 1996 | ER | Jane | Episode: "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" |
| 1996 | Pearl | Bertha Sugs | Episode: "Ticket to Ride " |
| 1996 | For My Daughter's Honor | Kimberly Jones | Television movie; a.k.a. Indecent Seduction |
| 1997 | Ned & Stacey | Amy | Episode: "Prom Night" |
| 1997 | Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | Younger Sister (voice) | Episode: "The Golden Goose" |
| 1998 | Chicago Hope | Rhonda Fritz | Episode: "The Ties That Bind" |
| 1998 | The Simple Life | Melanie | Episodes: "Pilot", "Sara's Ex", and "The Luke & Sara Show" |
| 1999 | Zoe, Duncan, Jack & Jane | Breeny Kennedy | Episodes: "Everything You Wanted to Know About Zoe", "To Jack, from Zoe", and "Sympathy for Jack" |
| 1999–2001 | Popular | Carmen Ferrara | Main role (43 episodes) |
| 2000, 2018 | Will & Grace | Joyce Adler | Episodes: "Lows in the Mid-Eighties" (season 3), "One Job" (season 9) |
| 2002–03 | The Division | Amanda McCafferty | Episodes: "Hide and Seek", "Remembrance", and "Acts of Betrayal" |
| 2003 | MADtv | The Babysitter | Episode #9.11 |
| 2002–06 | Less than Perfect | Claudia "Claude" Casey | Lead role (81 episodes) |
| 2003 | This Time Around | Gabby Castellani | Television movie |
| 2006 | Play Nice | Television movie | |
| 2006–07 | Two and a Half Men | Naomi | Episodes: "Repeated Blows to His Unformed Head" and "Castrating Sheep in Montana" |
| 2007 | Nurses | Chris Korenek | Television movie |
| 2008 | The Big Bang Theory | Dr. Stephanie Barnett | Episodes: "The Lizard-Spock Expansion", "The White Asparagus Triangulation" and "The Vartabedian Conundrum" |
| 2008 | Nightmare at the End of the Hall | Courtney | Television movie |
| 2008 | Spaced | Apryl | Television movie |
| 2009 | Leverage | Marissa Devins | Episode: "The Mile High Job" |
| 2009–10 | Eastwick | Penny Higgins | Main role |
| 2010 | Private Practice | Shira Cole | Episode: "Til Death Do Us Part" |
| 2010–13 | Rules of Engagement | Brenda | Recurring role (12 episodes) |
| 2011 | My Future Boyfriend | Elizabeth Barrett | Television movie |
| 2011 | Shedding for the Wedding | Herself – Host | Regular (5 episodes) |
| 2011 | RuPaul's Drag Race 3 | Herself – Guest Judge | Episodes: "Face, Face, Face of Cakes" and "RuPaul Rewind" |
| 2012 | Psych | Amy Alleris | Episode: "Heeeeere's Lassie" |
| 2012–13 | Malibu Country | Kim Sallinger | Main role |
| 2014–16 | Mom | Candace Hayes | Recurring role (7 episodes) |
| 2014–17 | Celebrity Name Game | Herself / Celebrity player | 15 episodes |
| 2015–16 | Impastor | Dora Winston | Main role |
| 2015 | Don't Wake Mommy | Beth | Television movie |
| 2016–17 | Bones | Karen Delfs | Recurring role (7 episodes) |
| 2017 | All For Love | Jo | Television Film (Hallmark Channel) |
| 2017–2020 | American Housewife | Nancy Granville | Recurring role |
| 2018 | A Series of Unfortunate Events | Olivia Caliban | Recurring role (7 episodes) |
| 2018–2019, 2022, 2024 | The Rookie | Nell Forester | 6 episodes |
| 2019 | True Love Blooms | Vikki | Television Film (Hallmark Channel) |
| 2020–2021 | B Positive | Julia Dunbar | Main role |
| 2020–2022 | 25 Words or Less | Herself / Contestant | 15 episodes |
| 2024 | That Girl Lay Lay | Ms. Hooper | Episode: "School of Rap" |
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| Year | Ceremony | Award | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Indianapolis International Film Festival | Special Jury Prize: Performance (Shared with Lili Taylor) | A Slipping-Down Life | Won |
| 2009 | Ashland Independent Film Festival | Best Acting Ensemble: Feature (Shared with Phillip Vaden, Jane Lynch, Steve Hytner and John Doe) | Man Maid | Won |
| 2013 | LA Femme International Film Festival | Comedic Actress Award | Won |
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