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Michelle Forbes

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In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Forbes and the second or maternal family name is Guajardo.

Michelle Forbes
Forbes at Comic-Con 2009
Born
Michelle Renee Forbes Guajardo

(1965-01-08) January 8, 1965 (age 59)
Austin, Texas, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1980–present
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1990; div. 1999)​

Michelle Renee Forbes Guajardo (born January 8, 1965)[1] is an American actress who has appeared on television and in independent films. Forbes gained attention for her dual role in daytime soap opera Guiding Light, for which she received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination. She is also a Saturn Award winner with three nominations.

Forbes is known for her recurring appearances on genre and drama shows such as Ensign Ro Laren in Star Trek: The Next Generation and her regular role as medical examiner Julianna Cox on Homicide: Life on the Street during the 1990s, while building her career with recurring roles throughout the 2000s in Battlestar Galactica, 24, In Treatment, Durham County, Prison Break and her series regular role as Maryann Forrester on True Blood. She has appeared in significant roles in movies such as Escape from L.A., Kalifornia, Swimming with Sharks and Columbus.

She starred in the 2011–2012 AMC television series The Killing, for which she received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.[2] On June 18, 2019 it was announced that Forbes would join USA Network's action drama series Treadstone, a prequel/sequel to the Bourne franchise.[3]

Early life

Forbes was born in Austin, Texas, of Mexican American heritage.[4]

Forbes hoped to become a ballet dancer. She began receiving formal acting training at the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston. While on vacation in New York City at the age of 16, she found herself auditioning for a film;[5] although she was not selected, she signed with the William Morris Agency and began her professional acting career.

Career

In 1987, at age 22, Forbes landed the dual roles of Solita Carrera and Sonni Carrera Lewis on the daytime soap opera Guiding Light. She performed on the show for two years, receiving a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for her performance in 1990. After this role, she continued in theater, which was an early love of hers, and began appearing in small guest roles on television to raise her profile. She went on to make guest appearances on a few other TV shows (including Star Trek: The Next Generation and Father Dowling Mysteries) before landing the recurring role of Ensign Ro Laren, a fiery, yet reserved Bajoran, in Star Trek: The Next Generation.

The producers of Star Trek invited Forbes to reprise Ro in the spin-off series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, but Forbes declined the offer[6] and decided to focus on a career in films. She received praise, as well as a Saturn Award nomination from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, for her performance as photographer Carrie Laughlin in the 1993 thriller Kalifornia. This was followed with the lead female role in the 1994 black comedy Swimming with Sharks, as well as supporting roles in such films as The Road Killers, Just Looking and John Carpenter's 1996 science fiction/action sequel Escape from L.A.

She continued performing on television during this period, with guest spots on Seinfeld, The Outer Limits, and Star Trek: The Next Generation, to which she returned to tie up the Ro Laren storyline in the series' penultimate episode.

In 1996, Forbes joined the cast of NBC's popular police drama Homicide: Life on the Street, playing chief medical examiner Julianna Cox. She remained with the show for two years, then was let go as part of a major cast overhaul (the series would be canceled after one more season). However, she would reprise her role in the 2000 TV special Homicide: The Movie.

That same year, Forbes became a regular on Wonderland, an ABC series, but it was pulled from the air after only two episodes. Forbes was next seen in a recurring role on the police drama The District.

Forbes at the True Blood premiere party, June 2009

She was subsequently given roles in films such as 2001's Perfume and 2002's American Girl, as well as the 2001 British TV movie Messiah (for which she studied British sign language for a week) and its sequel installments: Messiah 2: Vengeance is Mine in 2002 and Messiah III in 2003. During the 2002–2003 TV season, Forbes played the recurring character of presidential aide Lynne Kresge on the second season of the action series 24.

She followed her role on 24 with a guest spot on Alias, then went on to play Admiral Helena Cain in three episodes of the re-imagining of the classic sci-fi series Battlestar Galactica, as well as appearing in the TV movie Battlestar Galactica: Razor. She followed this up with a recurring role as Agent Samantha Brinker on the drama Prison Break and guest starred on Boston Legal and Lost.

Forbes starred as the lead in the adaptation of the comic-book Global Frequency, the single produced episode of which infamously leaked online the following year, eight months after the series failed to be picked up by Warner Bros. networks.[7]

Forbes returned to British television screens with guest roles in both Holby City and as a Mossad agent in Waking the Dead. In 2008, Forbes starred in two HBO drama series; In Treatment, portraying the wife of the central character, and in True Blood as a Maenad named Maryann Forrester.[8]

She reprised her semi-regular roles in both series in their respective second seasons in 2009, as well as joining the cast of the Canadian psychological drama series Durham County for its second season as Dr. Penelope Verity.[9]

Forbes played the role of Mitch Larsen in the US television series The Killing, a 2011 remake of the Danish crime series Forbrydelsen. Forbes appeared as Retro Girl in the TV series Powers.[10] She also landed a prominent supporting role in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2.

Forbes subsequently played Valerie Edwards in the TV series Berlin Station that aired on Epix from 2016 to 2019. Her character was a no-nonsense administrator who serves as a Berlin Station Internal Branch Chief.

In January 2021, it was announced that she would join the cast of the ABC drama Big Sky as matriarch Margaret Kleinsasser.[11]

Personal life

Forbes married actor Ross Kettle in 1990; the marriage ended in divorce.[citation needed]

Forbes has been a vegetarian since she was a teenager and became vegan in 2011.[12]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1993 Love Bites Nerissa
1993 Kalifornia Carrie Laughlin Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Actress
1994 Swimming with Sharks Dawn Lockhard
1994 Roadflower Helen
1995 Just Looking Mary
1995 The Chosen One The Mother
1995 Black Day Blue Night Rinda Woolley
1996 The Prosecutors District Attorney Rachel Simone Television movie
1996 Escape from L.A. Lieutenant Brazen
1998 Dry Martini Valeria
2000 Bullfighter Mary
2000 Homicide: Life Everlasting Dr. Julianna Cox Television movie
2001 Perfume Francene
2002 American Girl Madge Grubb
2002 Johnson County War Rory Hammett Television movie
2004 Dandelion Ms. Voss
2004 Al Roach: Private Investigator Dede Dragonfly (voice)
2007 Unthinkable Jamie McDowell Television movie
2007 Battlestar Galactica: Razor Admiral Helena Cain Television movie
2009 Diplomacy US Secretary of State
2013 Highland Park Sylvia
2013 The Hunters Jordyn Flynn
2015 The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 Lieutenant Jackson
2017 Columbus Maria
2017 Gemini Jamie
2017 Say You Will Janis Nimitz
2017 The Honor Farm [13]

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1987–1989 Guiding Light Dr. 'Sonni' Carrera-Lewis Unknown episodes
Nominated—Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
1991 Father Dowling Mysteries Gym Instructor Episode: "The Fugitive Priest Mystery"
1991 Shannon's Deal Maren Episode: "The Inside Man"
1991 Star Trek: The Next Generation Dara Episode: "Half a Life"
1991–1994 Star Trek: The Next Generation Ensign Ro Laren 8 episodes
1994 Seinfeld Julie Episode: "The Big Salad"
1996 The Outer Limits Jamie Pratt Episode: "A Stitch in Time"
1996–1998 Homicide: Life on the Street Dr. Julianna Cox 30 episodes
Nominated—Viewers for Quality Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Quality Drama Series
1998 Brimstone Assistant District Attorney Julia Trent Episode: "Executioner"
2000 The District Helen York 7 episodes
2000 Wonderland Dr. Lyla Garrity 8 episodes
2001–2004 Messiah Susan Metcalfe 6 episodes
2002 Strong Medicine Assistant District Attorney Jill Sorenson 2 episodes
2002 Fastlane Lena (uncredited) Episode: "Get Your Mack On"
2002–2003 24 Lynne Kresge 18 episodes
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
2004 Love is the Drug Reena 3 episodes
2004 Global Frequency Miranda Zero Unsold TV pilot
2005 Alias Dr. Maggie Sinclair Episode: "Another Mister Sloane"
2005 The Inside Zoya Petikof Episode: "Thief of Hearts"
2005–2006 Battlestar Galactica Admiral Helena Cain 3 episodes
2005–2006 Prison Break Samantha Brinker 7 episodes
2006 Boston Legal Juliette Monroe Episode: "The Nutcrackers"
2007–2008 Waking the Dead Sarah 3 episodes
2008 Lost Karen Decker Episode: "There's No Place Like Home (Lost): Part 1"
2008–2009 In Treatment Kate Weston 13 episodes
2008–2009 True Blood Maryann Forrester 15 episodes
Satellite Award for Best Cast – Television Series
Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Guest Starring Role on Television
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
2009 Durham County Dr. Pen Verrity 6 episodes
2011–2012 The Killing 'Mitch' Larsen 20 episodes
Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television
Nominated—Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film
2013 Chicago Fire Gail McLeod 10 episodes
2014 Orphan Black Dr. Marian Bowles 3 episodes
2014 Rake Lucy Marks Episode: "Jury Tamperer"
2015 Powers Janis Sandusky / Retro Girl 11 episodes
2015 The Returned Helen Goddard 8 episodes
2016–2019 Berlin Station Valerie Edwards Main role
2019 Grey's Anatomy Vicki Ann Rudin Episode: "Silent All These Years"
2019 Treadstone Ellen Becker Main role
2021 Big Sky Margaret Kleinsasser Recurring role (season 1)
2021–2023 New Amsterdam Dr. Veronica Fuentes Recurring role
2023 Star Trek Picard Commander Ro Laren Episode: "Imposters"

Video games

Year Title Voice
2004 Half-Life 2 Dr. Judith Mossman
2006 Half-Life 2: Episode One Dr. Judith Mossman
2007 Half-Life 2: Episode Two Dr. Judith Mossman
2009 The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena Captain Gail Revas
2011 DC Universe Online Circe
2017 Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus Zofia Blazkowicz

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Production Result
1990 Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Guiding Light Nominated
1990 Soap Opera Digest Award Outstanding Daytime Villainess Guiding Light Nominated
1993 Saturn Award Best Actress Kalifornia Nominated
2003 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series 24 (shared with the cast) Nominated
2010 Saturn Award Best Guest Starring Role in Television True Blood Nominated
2010 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series True Blood (shared with the cast) Nominated
2011 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series[14] The Killing Nominated
2011 Critics' Choice Television Award Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series[15] The Killing Nominated
2011 Saturn Award Best Supporting Actress in Television[16] The Killing Won

References

  1. ^ "Michelle Forbes | Biography". Yahoo. Archived from the original on July 19, 2013. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
  2. ^ Zeitchik, Steven (July 14, 2011). "Emmys: Michelle Forbes on her nomination and the 'Killing' backlash". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 14, 2011.
  3. ^ White, Peter (June 18, 2019). "'Treadstone': Michelle Forbes Joins USA Network's CIA Drama Alongside Patrick Fugit, Michael Gaston, Tess Haubrich & Shruti Haasan". Deadline. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
  4. ^ Yglesias, Matthew (May 22, 2012). "The Myth of Majority-Minority America". Slate. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  5. ^ Nemecek, Larry. Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion, p. 164.
  6. ^ Reeves-Stevens, Judith & Garfield (1994). The Making of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Pocket Books. pp. 70, 105. ISBN 0-671-87430-6.
  7. ^ "Rejected TV Pilot Thrives on P2P". Wired.com. June 27, 2005. Retrieved July 24, 2008.
  8. ^ Biography TV.com
  9. ^ "Michelle Forbes Delves Into The Darkness Of Durham County" Archived January 10, 2010, at the Wayback Machine November 2, 2008, Blogg Critics
  10. ^ "Sharlto Copley Set As Lead Christian Walker In 'Powers', Michelle Forbes Is Retro Girl". Deadline. August 18, 2014. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
  11. ^ "'Big Sky' Adds Michelle Forbes, Britt Robertson, Michael Raymond-James, Ryan Dorsey & Omar Metwally". Deadline. January 28, 2021. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  12. ^ Mateo, Ashley (March 29, 2011). "Eat Like a Star: The Killing's Michelle Forbes". Self. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  13. ^ Dudek, Dani. "SXSW Film 'The Honor Farm' Has So Many Connections To Austin You'll Flip". Austin. Retrieved March 14, 2021. You may also recognize Austinite Michelle Forbes in a supporting role that is very reminiscent of the character she played on "True Blood."{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ^ "2011 Emmy Nominations". Emmys.com. Retrieved March 14, 2012.
  15. ^ "2011 Critics Choice Nominees". Digitalspy.co.uk. June 6, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2012.
  16. ^ "RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES and SUPER 8 lead Saturn Awards with 3 awards each". saturnawards.org. July 26, 2012. Retrieved July 27, 2012.
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