Chyler Leigh
Encyclopedia
Chyler Leigh is an American actress, best known for her portrayal of Dr. Lexie Grey
on ABC
's Grey's Anatomy
. She also portrayed Janey Briggs in Not Another Teen Movie
.
, the daughter of Yvonne Norton and Robert Potts. She was raised in Virginia Beach, Virginia
, until the age of twelve when she moved with her mother and brother Christopher Khayman Lee
to Miami, Florida
. During eighth grade she started modeling
. She soon moved on to acting by appearing in local television commercials and a syndicated teen news show called Hall Pass. Leigh did not graduate from high school, instead taking the California High School Proficiency Exam
.
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.
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 rock
er 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
. She was made an official series regular for season four.
. 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), and Anniston Kae (born May 7, 2009).
Leigh has said that she and her husband have a pact in which the person who guesses the baby's gender 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.
Lexie Grey
Alexandra Caroline Grey, more commonly known as Lexie Grey, is a fictional surgeon from the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy. The character is portrayed by Chyler Leigh, and was created by Shonda Rhimes. She was made an official series regular for season four...
on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
. She also portrayed Janey Briggs in Not Another Teen Movie
Not Another Teen Movie
Not Another Teen Movie is a 2001 American comedy film directed by Joel Gallen, released on December 14, 2001 by Columbia Pictures. It is a parody of teen movies which have accumulated in Hollywood over the last few decades...
.
Early life
Leigh was born in Charlotte, North CarolinaCharlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, the daughter of Yvonne Norton and Robert Potts. She was raised in Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay...
, until the age of twelve when she moved with her mother and brother Christopher Khayman Lee
Christopher Khayman Lee
Christopher Khayman Lee is an American actor and martial artist.He was born in Miami, Florida, USA and raised in Virginia Beach, VA. His younger sister is actress Chyler Leigh , who co-starred with him in "Kickboxing Academy" and "Safe Harbor"...
to Miami, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. During eighth grade she started modeling
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
. She soon moved on to acting by appearing in local television commercials and a syndicated teen news show called Hall Pass. Leigh did not graduate from high school, instead taking the California High School Proficiency Exam
California High School Proficiency Exam
The California High School Proficiency Exam is an early-exit exam for high school students in California. Students who pass the CHSPE receive a Certificate of Proficiency from the State of California...
.
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 MovieNot Another Teen Movie
Not Another Teen Movie is a 2001 American comedy film directed by Joel Gallen, released on December 14, 2001 by Columbia Pictures. It is a parody of teen movies which have accumulated in Hollywood over the last few decades...
as Janey Briggs. She also appeared in Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson (band)
Marilyn Manson is an American metal band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Formed in 1989 by Brian Warner and Scott Putesky, the group was originally named Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids with their uniquely theatrical performances gathering a local cult following in the early '90s. This attention...
's music video "Tainted Love
Tainted Love
"Tainted Love" is a song composed by Ed Cobb, formerly of The Four Preps, which was originally recorded by Gloria Jones in 1965. It attained worldwide fame after being covered by Soft Cell in 1981, reaching number one in the UK Singles Chart, and has since been covered by numerous groups and...
", a song which appeared in the film. She was ranked #65 on the Maxim
Maxim (magazine)
Maxim is an international men's magazine based in the United Kingdom and known for its pictorials featuring popular actresses, singers, and female models, sometimes pictured dressed, often pictured scantily dressed but not fully nude....
Hot 100 Women of 2002.
In 2002, Leigh was cast in two short-lived TV series: Girls Club, in which she played lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
Sarah Mickle, and That '80s Show
That '80s Show
That '80s Show is an American sitcom that aired in half-hour long episodes from January through May 2002. Despite having a similar name, show structure, and many of the same writers and production staff, it is not considered a direct spin-off of the more successful That '70s Show, since the...
, in which she played punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
er June Tuesday. She then became a series regular on the ABC legal drama The Practice
The Practice
The Practice is an American legal drama created by David E. Kelley centering on the partners and associates at a Boston law firm. Running for eight seasons from 1997 to 2004, the show won the Emmy in 1998 and 1999 for Best Drama Series, and spawned the successful and lighter spin-off series Boston...
, but was let go at the end of the season due to budget cuts. Following that, she joined the cast of Reunion
Reunion (TV series)
Reunion is an American television series that aired on FOX in late 2005. The series was intended to chronicle 20 years in the lives of a group of six high school friends from Bedford, New York, with each episode following one year in the lives of the six, beginning with their high school graduation...
in September, 2005.
In ABC's Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
, Leigh first appeared as a woman in Joe's bar who was noticed by Derek Shepherd
Derek Shepherd
Derek Christopher Shepherd, also referred to as McDreamy, is a fictional surgeon on the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy. The character is portrayed by actor Patrick Dempsey, who was nominated in 2006 and 2007 Golden Globe for the Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series Drama for...
while in the third season finale, it was revealed that she was Lexie Grey
Lexie Grey
Alexandra Caroline Grey, more commonly known as Lexie Grey, is a fictional surgeon from the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy. The character is portrayed by Chyler Leigh, and was created by Shonda Rhimes. She was made an official series regular for season four...
. She was made an official series regular for season four.
Personal life
On July 20, 2002, Leigh married fellow actor Nathan WestNathan West
Nathan Luke West is an American actor.He married actress Chyler Leigh on July 20, 2002.-Filmography:*D2: The Mighty Ducks as Iceland Goalie*The Adventures of A.R.K. as Sam...
. The couple worked together in 2000 on the television series 7th Heaven
7th Heaven
7th Heaven is an American family drama television series, created and produced by Brenda Hampton. The series premiered on August 26, 1996, on the WB, the first time that the network aired Monday night programming, and was originally broadcast from August 26, 1996 to May 13, 2007...
, playing Mary Camden's (Jessica Biel
Jessica Biel
Jessica Claire Biel is an American actress, model, and occasional singer. Biel is known for her television role as Mary Camden in the long-running family-drama series 7th Heaven...
) 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), and Anniston Kae (born May 7, 2009).
Leigh has said that she and her husband have a pact in which the person who guesses the baby's gender 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.
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 Safe Harbor (TV series) Safe Harbor is an American television drama series that aired on The WB Television Network from September 20, 1999 to November 28, 1999. The series was created and executive produced by Brenda Hampton, who at the time was best known for work on the fellow WB series 7th Heaven, the series was paired... |
Jamie Martin | Main cast member, 10 episodes |
| 2000 | M.Y.O.B. | unknown | 1 episode |
| 2000 | 7th Heaven 7th Heaven 7th Heaven is an American family drama television series, created and produced by Brenda Hampton. The series premiered on August 26, 1996, on the WB, the first time that the network aired Monday night programming, and was originally broadcast from August 26, 1996 to May 13, 2007... |
Frankie | 3 episodes |
| 2000 | Wilder Days | Rip | unknown episodes |
| 2001 | Not Another Teen Movie Not Another Teen Movie Not Another Teen Movie is a 2001 American comedy film directed by Joel Gallen, released on December 14, 2001 by Columbia Pictures. It is a parody of teen movies which have accumulated in Hollywood over the last few decades... |
Janey Briggs | |
| 2002 | That '80s Show That '80s Show That '80s Show is an American sitcom that aired in half-hour long episodes from January through May 2002. Despite having a similar name, show structure, and many of the same writers and production staff, it is not considered a direct spin-off of the more successful That '70s Show, since the... |
June Tuesday | 13 episodes |
| 2002 | Girls Club | Sarah Mickle | 9 episodes |
| 2003 | The Practice The Practice The Practice is an American legal drama created by David E. Kelley centering on the partners and associates at a Boston law firm. Running for eight seasons from 1997 to 2004, the show won the Emmy in 1998 and 1999 for Best Drama Series, and spawned the successful and lighter spin-off series Boston... |
Claire Wyatt | |
| 2004 | North Shore North Shore (TV series) North Shore is an American prime-time soap opera that aired on Fox every Monday at 8 p.m. EST for seven months in 2004 and 2005... |
Kate Spangler | 1 episode |
| 2005 | Rocky Point | Cassie | |
| 2005 | Reunion Reunion (TV series) Reunion is an American television series that aired on FOX in late 2005. The series was intended to chronicle 20 years in the lives of a group of six high school friends from Bedford, New York, with each episode following one year in the lives of the six, beginning with their high school graduation... |
Carla | Main cast member, 13 episodes, 2005–2006 |
| 2007–present | Grey's Anatomy Grey's Anatomy Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in... |
Lexie Grey Lexie Grey Alexandra Caroline Grey, more commonly known as Lexie Grey, is a fictional surgeon from the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy. The character is portrayed by Chyler Leigh, and was created by Shonda Rhimes. She was made an official series regular for season four... |
Main cast member |
| 2010 | The 19th Wife The 19th Wife (film) The 19th Wife is a 2010 Lifetime television film and adaptation of David Ebershoff's novel of the same name.-Plot:Amidst a Southern Utah Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints communuity, BeckyLyn is accused of murdering her polygamist husband... |
Queenie Alton |
Theatre Credits
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Diner Diner (film) Diner is a 1982 comedy-drama film written and directed by Barry Levinson. Levinson's screen directing debut, Diner is the first in his "Baltimore films", which also include the subsequent Tin Men, Avalon and Liberty Heights.-Plot:... |
Ensemble, u/s Beth Schreiber | Original Broadway Cast |