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Chyler Leigh

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Chyler Leigh
Leigh at the Thirst Project Gala Red Carpet, June 27, 2011
Born
Chyler Leigh Potts

(1982-04-10) April 10, 1982 (age 42)
Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1996–present
SpouseNathan West (2002–present)
Children3

Chyler Leigh West (/ˈkaɪlər/; née Potts; born April 10, 1982), known professionally as Chyler Leigh, is an American actress, best known for her portrayal of Janey Briggs in Not Another Teen Movie. She also portrayed Dr. Lexie Grey on medical drama Grey's Anatomy. She currently stars in Taxi Brooklyn as Cat Sullivan.

Early life

Leigh was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. She is the daughter of Yvonne Norton and Robert Potts.[1][2] Leigh was raised in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where her parents ran a weight-loss business.[3] However, when Leigh was eight, the business went bankrupt and at the age of twelve, following the break-up of her parents' marriage, Leigh moved with her mother and brother Christopher Khayman Lee to Miami, Florida where her mother remarried her first husband. Following her parents' divorce, Leigh was estranged from her father for many years, but the two have since reconciled.[3]

While in eighth grade, she started modelling. She soon began acting by appearing in local television commercials and a syndicated teen news show called Hall Pass. In 1999, Leigh and her mother relocated to Los Angeles, California in order for Leigh to develop a career in acting. At age 16, Leigh took and passed the California High School Proficiency Exam.[4]

Drug addiction and recovery

At age 16, Leigh met her future husband, 20-year-old Nathan West, when they both attended auditions for the pilot of an unsuccessful WB series titled Saving Graces.[5][6] The two began a relationship, and Leigh left home to move in with West. Leigh and West, both having had troubled family lives and difficult upbringings, were described by Leigh as being "broken".[3] This led to abuse of drugs such as marijuana and cocaine, which quickly escalated into addiction. The catalysts for change eventually came in 2001, when Leigh, in the throes of addiction and barely eating, was told by the director of Not Another Teen Movie that she looked unhealthily thin.[3] Around that time, she and West also attended a Christian church service, at the invitation of a friend, which helped them break free of their addiction. In 2002, the couple, now clean and sober, were wed in Alaska, surrounded by their closest family and friends.[3]

Career

Leigh started acting at an early age and debuted in the film world at age 15 in 1997's Kickboxing Academy, starring opposite her brother, who played her love interest in the movie. She started hosting in local TV shows and modeling; in 2001, Leigh nabbed the lead role in the box-office success Not Another Teen Movie as Janey Briggs. She also appeared in Marilyn Manson's music video "Tainted Love", a song which appeared in the film. She was ranked #65 on the Maxim Hot 100 Women of 2002.[7] In 2002, Leigh was cast in two short-lived TV series: Girls Club, in which she played lawyer Sarah Mickle, and That '80s Show, in which she played punk rocker June Tuesday. She then became a series regular on the ABC legal drama The Practice, but was let go at the end of the season due to budget cuts. Following that, she joined the cast of Reunion in September, 2005.

In ABC's Grey's Anatomy, Leigh first appeared as a woman in Joe's bar who was noticed by Derek Shepherd while in the third season finale, it was revealed that she was Lexie Grey.[8] She was made an official series regular for season four, and remained so until the eighth season finale.[9] Chyler is starring in the TV movie Window Wonderland [10]

Personal life

On July 20, 2002, Leigh married fellow actor Nathan West. The couple worked together in 2000 on the television series 7th Heaven, playing Mary Camden's (Jessica Biel) troubled friends Frankie and Johnnie. Leigh and West have three children – a son and two daughters: Noah Wilde (born December 2003), Taelyn Leigh (born September 2006),[11] and Anniston Kae (born May 7, 2009).[12]

Her brother is former actor and designer Christopher Khayman Lee.

Leigh has said that she and her husband have a pact in which the person who guesses the baby's sex correctly gets to choose the name. When pregnant with Noah, she guessed she was having a boy so she chose the first name and Nathan gave him his middle name. For Taelyn, Nathan correctly guessed it was a girl, so he named her. Their third child, also a girl, was guessed correctly by West; he chose the name Anniston Kae.[13][14]

Leigh also supports The Thirst Project.[15]

Leigh is a Christian. [16] [17]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1996 Hall Pass Co-Host
1997 Kinetic City Super Crew unknown
1997 Kickboxing Academy Cindy
1999 Saving Grace Grace Smith unknown episodes
1999 Safe Harbor Jamie Martin Main cast member, 10 episodes
2000 M.Y.O.B. unknown 1 episode
2000 7th Heaven Frankie 3 episodes
2000 Wilder Days Rip unknown episodes
2001 Not Another Teen Movie Janey Briggs
2002 That '80s Show June Tuesday 13 episodes
2002 Girls Club Sarah Mickle 9 episodes
2003 The Practice Claire Wyatt
2004 North Shore Kate Spangler 1 episode
2005 Rocky Point Cassie
2005 Reunion Carla Main cast member, 13 episodes, 2005–2006
2007–2012 Grey's Anatomy Dr. Lexie Grey cast member; 112 episodes
2010 The 19th Wife Queenie Alton
2012 Private Practice Dr. Lexie Grey Special Guest Star, 1 episode
2012 Brake Molly Reins
2013 Window Wonderland Sloan Van Doren TV Movie
2014 Taxi Brooklyn Detective Caitlyn 'Cat' Sullivan 12 Episodes
2015-present Supergirl Alexandra "Alex" Danvers

References

  1. ^ "Chyler Leigh Biography". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2014-05-30.
  2. ^ "Virginian-Pilot Archives".
  3. ^ a b c d e Ingrassia, Lisa. "Grey's Anatomy Star: At Long Last, Love". Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  4. ^ Preview Grey's Anatomy's newest intern, Chyler Leigh - Celebrity and Entertainment News | TVGuide.com[dead link]
  5. ^ "Biography for Chyler Leigh". IMDB. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  6. ^ Marsi, Steve. "Addiction to Fulfillment: An Interview With Chyler Leigh". Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  7. ^ "FreeJose.com". Maxim Magazine Hot 100 Women of 2002. Retrieved January 28, 2007.
  8. ^ Ingrassia, Lisa (2007-06-10). "Grey's Anatomy Welcomes New Cast Member - Grey's Anatomy, Chyler Leigh". People.com. Retrieved 2014-05-30.
  9. ^ 'GREY'S' CREATOR DEFENDS FINALE DEATH[dead link]
  10. ^ "Chyler Is Filming A Tv Movie Window Wonderland". Chyler-leigh.us. 2013-03-08. Retrieved 2014-05-30.
  11. ^ Ingrassia, Lisa. "Grey's Anatomy Cast 'Happy to Be Back' - Grey's Anatomy, Chyler Leigh". People.com. Retrieved 2014-05-30.
  12. ^ Ingrassia, Lisa. "Grey's Anatomy's Chyler Leigh Welcomes a Baby Girl, 7 May 2009". People.com. Retrieved 2014-05-30.
  13. ^ Suzanne Goin's Chopped Chicken Salad (2008-12-29). "Grey's Anatomy's Chyler Leigh Expecting Baby No. 3 - Babies, Chyler Leigh". People.com. Retrieved 2014-05-30.
  14. ^ Grey's Anatomy Star Naming Baby Aniston,[dead link] US Magazine, February 7, 2009
  15. ^ Bialas, Michael (June 27, 2011). "Playing Doctor: A House Call From Chyler Leigh of Grey's Anatomy". Huffington Post. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
  16. ^ http://www.tvfanatic.com/2007/09/from-addiction-to-fulfillment-an-interview-with-chyler-leigh.html
  17. ^ http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20238327,00.html
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