Erika Christensen
Encyclopedia
Erika Jane Christensen is an American actress whose film
appearances include Traffic (2000), Swimfan
(2002), How to Rob a Bank
(2007), and The Perfect Score
(2004), among others. She also co-starred in the short-lived drama Six Degrees
on ABC. She is currently co-starring in the 2010 television series Parenthood
as Julia Braverman-Graham.
) and Brando. She has Swedish, Danish, Norwegian
, Welsh
, and Irish
ancestry. Christensen was raised in Los Angeles
, California
and started out on television in commercials for McDonald's.
Christensen is a member of the Church of Scientology
. Her parents became Scientologists during their 20s and raised her to be a Scientologist as well as home-schooling
her.
, Frasier
, The Practice
, 3rd Rock from the Sun
, and Touched by an Angel
. She was named one of People
magazine's "Breakthrough Stars of 2001." For her performance as a heroin addict in Traffic she received the awards for Female Breakthrough Performance at the MTV Movie Awards
, Female Standout Performance at the Young Hollywood Awards
, and Outstanding Performance by a Cast Ensemble at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. In 2005, she briefly went into music as she recorded a version of "Let's Fall In Love
" with John Stevens
for his debut album Red
. In 2006, she starred in the series Six Degrees, which debuted on the ABC fall schedule in 2006 but low ratings caused its cancellation after one season. She made a cameo in the Joaquin Phoenix
-directed video "Tired of Being Sorry" for Balthazar Getty
's band Ringside
. She is part of the cast of the film adaptation of Veronika Decides to Die
. Christensen is also a regular in the new NBC series Parenthood
. It debuted on March 2, 2010.
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
appearances include Traffic (2000), Swimfan
Swimfan
Swimfan, also known as Fanatica, is a 2002 erotic thriller film directed by John Polson and written by Charles Bohl and Phillip Schneider. Considered a Fatal Attraction for a teenage audience, the film stars Jesse Bradford, Erika Christensen, and Shiri Appleby.-Plot:Ben Cronin is a a star swimmer...
(2002), How to Rob a Bank
How to Rob a Bank
How to Rob a Bank is an American independent film, with as its subtitle: And 10 Tips To Actually Get Away With It. It finished filming in March 2006 and premiered May 20, 2007 at the Cannes Film Market. It was shown at the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 25, 2007. It opened in limited release in...
(2007), and The Perfect Score
The Perfect Score
The Perfect Score is a teen heist film released in 2004 and directed by Brian Robbins. It stars Erika Christensen, Chris Evans, Bryan Greenberg, Scarlett Johansson, Darius Miles, and Leonardo Nam....
(2004), among others. She also co-starred in the short-lived drama Six Degrees
Six Degrees
Six Degrees is an American dramatic television series about six residents of New York City and their respective relationships and connections with one another, based on the idea of six degrees of separation....
on ABC. She is currently co-starring in the 2010 television series Parenthood
Parenthood (2010 TV series)
Parenthood is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Jason Katims and produced by Imagine Television and Universal Media Studios. The first season premiered on March 2, 2010 on NBC...
as Julia Braverman-Graham.
Personal life
Christensen was born in Seattle, Washington, the daughter of Kathy, a construction manager, and Steven, an insurance worker/human-resources executive. She has an older half-brother, Nick, and two younger twin brothers, Dane (who appeared in the film The Upside of AngerThe Upside of Anger
The Upside of Anger is a 2005 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Mike Binder and set in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan...
) and Brando. She has Swedish, Danish, Norwegian
Norwegians
Norwegians constitute both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegian people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in United States, Canada and Brazil.-History:Towards the end of the 3rd...
, Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
, and Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
ancestry. Christensen was raised in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and started out on television in commercials for McDonald's.
Christensen is a member of the Church of Scientology
Church of Scientology
The Church of Scientology is an organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. The Church of Scientology International is the Church of Scientology's parent organization, and is responsible for the overall ecclesiastical management, dissemination and...
. Her parents became Scientologists during their 20s and raised her to be a Scientologist as well as home-schooling
Homeschooling
Homeschooling or homeschool is the education of children at home, typically by parents but sometimes by tutors, rather than in other formal settings of public or private school...
her.
Career
Christensen had several small roles in various television programs before starting her movie career. These include The Geena Davis ShowThe Geena Davis Show
The Geena Davis Show was an American sitcom starring Geena Davis. The show lasted one season on ABC.- Background :Terri Minsky first pitched the idea of a Sex and the City-like character becoming a suburban housewife to ABC in early 2000. Basic plot details were drawn up, and the script eventually...
, Frasier
Frasier
Frasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
, 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...
, 3rd Rock from the Sun
3rd Rock from the Sun
3rd Rock from the Sun is an American sitcom that aired from 1996 to 2001 on NBC. The show is about four extraterrestrials who are on an expedition to Earth, which they consider to be a very insignificant planet...
, and Touched by an Angel
Touched by an Angel
Touched by an Angel is an American drama series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994 and ran for 211 episodes and nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and produced by Martha Williamson, the series stars Roma Downey, as an angel named Monica, and Della...
. She was named one of People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
magazine's "Breakthrough Stars of 2001." For her performance as a heroin addict in Traffic she received the awards for Female Breakthrough Performance at the MTV Movie Awards
MTV Movie Awards
The MTV Movie Awards is a film awards show presented annually on MTV . It also contains movie parodies that used official movie footage with hosts and other celebrities and music performances. The nominees are decided by producers and executives at MTV. Winners are decided online by the general...
, Female Standout Performance at the Young Hollywood Awards
Young Hollywood Awards
The Young Hollywood Awards is an award presented annually which honors the year's biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, as voted on by teenagers aged 13–19 and young adults. The award ceremonies also honor rising and promising young aged performers in Hollywood...
, and Outstanding Performance by a Cast Ensemble at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. In 2005, she briefly went into music as she recorded a version of "Let's Fall In Love
Let's Fall in Love
"Let's Fall In Love" is a song written by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler and published in 1933. The major hit at the time of introduction was by Eddy Duchin. It was originally written in C major with a "Moderately Bright" tempo marking...
" with John Stevens
John Stevens (singer)
John Bassat Stevens IV is an American classic pop singer and was the sixth-place finalist on the third season of the television series American Idol.-Biography:...
for his debut album Red
Red (John Stevens album)
Red is the debut album recorded by American Idol 3 contestant John Stevens. The album peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot Jazz Albums chart, and the song "Come Fly with Me", reached number 27 on the Hot Singles Sales chart.-Track listing:...
. In 2006, she starred in the series Six Degrees, which debuted on the ABC fall schedule in 2006 but low ratings caused its cancellation after one season. She made a cameo in the Joaquin Phoenix
Joaquin Phoenix
Joaquin Rafael Phoenix , formerly credited as Leaf Phoenix, is an American film actor. He was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and his family returned to the continental United States four years later...
-directed video "Tired of Being Sorry" for Balthazar Getty
Balthazar Getty
Balthazar Getty is an American film actor and member of the band Ringside. He is known for the roles of Thomas Grace on the American action drama Alias and Tommy Walker on the ABC drama Brothers & Sisters.-Early life:...
's band Ringside
Ringside
Ringside is an indie rock band from Hollywood, California, originally formed in Los Angeles. They specializing in fusing indie rock with electronic beats. The band consists of Scott Thomas, who does the vocals, guitar, and keyboard, Kirk Hellie , Sandy Chila , Max Allyn , and actor Balthazar Getty...
. She is part of the cast of the film adaptation of Veronika Decides to Die
Veronika Decides to Die
Veronika Decides to Die is a novel by Paulo Coelho. It tells the story of 24-year-old Veronika, who appears to have everything in life going for her, but who decides to kill herself. This book is partly based on Coelho's experience in various mental institutions . It is based around the subject of...
. Christensen is also a regular in the new NBC series Parenthood
Parenthood (2010 TV series)
Parenthood is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Jason Katims and produced by Imagine Television and Universal Media Studios. The first season premiered on March 2, 2010 on NBC...
. It debuted on March 2, 2010.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Leave It to Beaver Leave It to Beaver (film) Leave It to Beaver is a 1997 film that is a remake of the TV series of the same name. There are many in-jokes related to the original series within the movie.-Plot:... |
Karen | |
| 1997 | Nothing Sacred Nothing Sacred (TV series) Nothing Sacred is an American drama series that aired from 1997 to 1998 on ABC. The series was created by a Jesuit priest named Bill Cain and producer David Manson.-Synopsis:... |
Romy Carrol | Episode: "House of Rage" |
| 1998 | Melissa | Episode: "The Pursuit of Dignity" | |
| 1998 | Frasier Frasier Frasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars... |
Teenager | Episode: "Frasier's Curse Frasier (season 6) The sixth season of Frasier originally aired between September 1998 and May 1999, beginning on September 24, 1998.-List of episodes:... " |
| 1998 | 3rd Rock from the Sun 3rd Rock from the Sun 3rd Rock from the Sun is an American sitcom that aired from 1996 to 2001 on NBC. The show is about four extraterrestrials who are on an expedition to Earth, which they consider to be a very insignificant planet... |
Brianna | Episode: "Collect Call for Dick" |
| 1999 | Can of Worms Can Of Worms (film) Can of Worms is a Halloween Disney Channel Original Movie. It was released in 1999, and is based on the novel of the same name, which was a Young Reader's Choice Nominee in 2002 and a nominee for the 2001 Rhode Island Children's Book Award. The film was shot in Vancouver, British... |
Katelyn Sands | TV movie |
| 1999 | Thanks Thanks (TV series) Thanks was a comedic U.S. television sitcom that debuted on CBS television network and ran for six episodes. The program explored the trials and tribulations of the Winthrops, a 17th century Puritan family, in Plymouth, Massachusetts.- Cast :... |
Abigail Winthrop | 6 episodes |
| 1999 | Touched by an Angel Touched by an Angel Touched by an Angel is an American drama series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994 and ran for 211 episodes and nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and produced by Martha Williamson, the series stars Roma Downey, as an angel named Monica, and Della... |
Ivy | Episode: "Voice of an Angel" |
| 2000 | Time of Your Life Time of Your Life (TV series) Time of Your Life is an American drama series starring Jennifer Love Hewitt. The series is a spin-off of Party of Five, and features the character Sarah Reeves Merrin whom Hewitt portrayed on Party of Five.-Plot:... |
Flynn Halloway | Episode: "The Time She Turned 21" |
| 2000 | Movie Stars Movie Stars (TV series) Movie Stars is an American sitcom that aired on The WB from 1999 to 2000. It stars Harry Hamlin and Jennifer Grant as famous Hollywood actors trying to raise their children.-Synopsis:... |
Tawny | Episode: "La Vida Loca" |
| 2000 | Leigh Wright | Episode: "Corn Man" | |
| 2000 | FreakyLinks FreakyLinks FreakyLinks was an American television show that combined elements of horror, mystery, and comedy. It aired on the Fox Network from October 2000 until June 2001, for a total run of 13 episodes... |
Cassie | Episode: "Subject: Coelacanth This!" |
| 2000 | Traffic Traffic (2000 film) Traffic is a 2000 American crime drama film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Stephen Gaghan. It explores the illegal drug trade from a number of perspectives: a user, an enforcer, a politician and a trafficker. Their stories are edited together throughout the film, although some of the... |
Caroline Wakefield | |
| 2001 | Isabel | 3 episodes | |
| 2001 | That '70s Show That '70s Show That '70s Show is an American television period sitcom that centers on the lives of a group of teenage friends living in the fictional suburban town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 17, 1976, to December 31, 1979... |
Stacey | Episode: "Red and Stacey" |
| 2002 | Home Room Home Room (film) Home Room is an independent film starring Erika Christensen, Busy Philipps and Victor Garber. It premiered in the Taos Talking Pictures Film Festival on 12 April 2002, and made its limited theatrical release on 5 September 2003.- Plot :... |
Deanna Cartwright | |
| 2002 | Swimfan Swimfan Swimfan, also known as Fanatica, is a 2002 erotic thriller film directed by John Polson and written by Charles Bohl and Phillip Schneider. Considered a Fatal Attraction for a teenage audience, the film stars Jesse Bradford, Erika Christensen, and Shiri Appleby.-Plot:Ben Cronin is a a star swimmer... |
Madison Bell | |
| 2002 | Hannah Kingsley | ||
| 2003 | Wuthering Heights Wuthering Heights (2003 film) Wuthering Heights was a modern-day adaptation of the classic novel that aired on MTV in 2003 and was later released on DVD. It stars Erika Christensen, Mike Vogel, Christopher Masterson, Katherine Heigl, John Doe, and Aimee Osbourne. The screenplay was by Max Enscoe and Annie deYoung, from an... |
Cate | TV movie |
| 2004 | Anna Ross | ||
| 2004 | Riding the Bullet Riding the Bullet (film) Riding the Bullet is a 2004 horror/thriller film, directed by Mick Garris. It is an adaptation of a Stephen King novella of the same name. The movie, which received a limited theatrical release, was not successful in theaters, earning a domestic gross of $134,711.-Plot:Set in 1969, Alan Parker is... |
Jessica Hadley | |
| 2005 | Andrea 'Andy' Wolfmeyer | ||
| 2005 | Irene Prior | ||
| 2005 | Flightplan Flightplan Flightplan is a 2005 thriller film directed by Robert Schwentke and starring Jodie Foster, Peter Sarsgaard, Erika Christensen, Kate Beahan, Greta Scacchi, and Sean Bean. It was released in North America on September 23, 2005... |
Fiona | |
| 2005 | Robot Chicken Robot Chicken Robot Chicken is an American stop motion animated television series created and executive produced by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich along with co-head writers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root. Green provides many voices for the show... |
Crack-Ho / Debbie Benton / Mom (voice) | Episode: "Toyz in the Hood" Episode: "A Piece of the Action" |
| 2006-2007 | Six Degrees Six Degrees Six Degrees is an American dramatic television series about six residents of New York City and their respective relationships and connections with one another, based on the idea of six degrees of separation.... |
Mary Alice 'Mae' Edwards | 13 episodes |
| 2007 | I'm in Hell | Jennifer | TV movie |
| 2007 | Gardener of Eden Gardener of Eden Gardener of Eden is a 2007 American comedy-drama film directed by Kevin Connolly. It stars Lukas Haas, Erika Christensen and Giovanni Ribisi.- Plot :... |
Mona Huxley | |
| 2007 | How to Rob a Bank How to Rob a Bank How to Rob a Bank is an American independent film, with as its subtitle: And 10 Tips To Actually Get Away With It. It finished filming in March 2006 and premiered May 20, 2007 at the Cannes Film Market. It was shown at the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 25, 2007. It opened in limited release in... |
Jessica | |
| 2008 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced... |
FBI Special Agent Lauren Cooper | Episode: "Signature" |
| 2008 | Struck | Bus Stop Girl | Short film |
| 2009 | Veronika Decides to Die Veronika Decides to Die (film) Veronika Decides to Die is a 2009 drama film directed by Emily Young and starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jonathan Tucker, Melissa Leo, David Thewlis and Erika Christensen, adapted from the novel of the same name by Paulo Coelho.... |
Claire | |
| 2009 | Lie to Me Lie to Me Lie to Me is a 2009-2011 American television series.Lie to Me may also refer to:* Lie to Me , a South Korean drama series* "Lie to Me" , an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer... |
Sophie / Trisha / Jessie / RJ | Episode: "The Core of It" |
| 2009 | Mercy Mercy (TV series) Mercy is a medical drama which aired on NBC from September 23, 2009 to May 12, 2010. The series initially aired on Wednesday nights at 8/7c, as part of the 2009 fall season, but was pushed back to 9/8c in April.... |
Dana Harper McPhearson | Episode: "Destiny, Meet My Daughter, Veronica" |
| 2009 | Robot Chicken Robot Chicken Robot Chicken is an American stop motion animated television series created and executive produced by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich along with co-head writers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root. Green provides many voices for the show... |
Della Dingham Young / Mother (voice) | Episode: "Dear Consumer" |
| 2010 | Melon | Catherine | Video short |
| 2010 | Elise Landry | ||
| 2010-present | Parenthood Parenthood (2010 TV series) Parenthood is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Jason Katims and produced by Imagine Television and Universal Media Studios. The first season premiered on March 2, 2010 on NBC... |
Julia Braverman-Graham | 35+ episodes |