Joanna García
Encyclopedia
Joanna Leanna García (born August 10, 1979) is an American television and film actress. She is known for her portrayal of Cheyenne Hart Montgomery on The CW sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...

 Reba
Reba (TV series)
Reba is an American sitcom starring Reba McEntire, which ran from 2001 to 2007. For the show's first five seasons, it ran on The WB, with the show transitioning to The CW in its last year.-Synopsis:...

. She later starred in the ABC sitcom Better with You before it was cancelled due to low ratings in 2011.

Early life

García was born in Tampa
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....

, 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...

, where she was raised by her mother Lorraine, a Spanish-American homemaker and former elementary schoolteacher, and her father, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...

n-born Jay García, a gynecologist. She has one brother, Michael García. She first started performing at age 10 when she auditioned for a local theater production and landed the lead. She was discovered by the Disney Channel, but her parents put school first and she continued to feed her passion by acting in local plays
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...

. She was the homecoming queen at Florida's Tampa Catholic High School
Tampa Catholic High School
Tampa Catholic High School is a Diocesan, Catholic, coeducational high school located in Tampa, Florida, USA, founded in 1962. It is in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Petersburg. Its motto is "Veritas and Caritas," which means: "Truth and Charity."...

.

While attending Tampa Catholic High School, she was discovered by Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...

 and starred for two seasons as Samantha on Are You Afraid of the Dark?. She commuted from Florida to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...

, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, where the show was filmed.

Career

While in Florida, García guest starred in seaQuest DSV
SeaQuest DSV
seaQuest DSV is an American science fiction television series created by Rockne S. O'Bannon. It originally aired on NBC between 1993 and 1996. In its final season, it was renamed seaQuest 2032. Set in "the near future", seaQuest mixes high drama with realistic scientific fiction...

, Second Noah
Second Noah
Second Noah is a television drama that was broadcast in the United States on ABC television from February 5, 1996 to June 8, 1997-Premise:...

, and Superboy
Superboy (TV series)
Superboy is a half-hour live-action television series based on the fictional DC Comics comic book character Kal-El's early years as Superboy. The show ran from 1988–1992 in syndication...

 and several movies of the week. After briefly attending college at the Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...

, she quit school to pursue acting full-time and moved to 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...

. She was cast on the television drama Party of Five
Party of Five
Party of Five is an American teen drama television series that aired on Fox for six seasons, from September 12, 1994, until May 3, 2000.Critically acclaimed, the show suffered from low ratings and after its first season was slated for cancellation...

, playing the recurring character Hallie. She had a recurring role on Freaks and Geeks
Freaks and Geeks
Freaks and Geeks is an American teen comedy-drama television series, created by Paul Feig and executive produced by Judd Apatow, that aired on NBC during the 1999–2000 television season...

 (1999–2000) portraying the character of Vicki Appleby the popular freshman cheerleader who spent seven minutes in heaven
Seven minutes in heaven
Seven minutes in heaven is a teenager's party game first recorded as being played in Cincinnati in the early 1950s. Two people are selected to go into a closet or other dark enclosed space and do whatever they like for seven minutes. Sexual activities are allowed; however kissing and making out are...

 with the ultimate geek, Bill Haverchuck (Martin Starr
Martin Starr
Martin Starr is an American television and film actor, known for his roles as Bill Haverchuck on the short-lived NBC comedy-drama Freaks and Geeks and as Roman DeBeers on the Starz comedy series Party Down, as well as for his roles in the films Knocked Up, Cheats, and Adventureland.-Life and...

).

García went on to portray the character of Cheyenne Hart Montgomery, Reba's (Reba McEntire
Reba McEntire
Reba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma...

) oldest daughter on The CW sitcom Reba
Reba (TV series)
Reba is an American sitcom starring Reba McEntire, which ran from 2001 to 2007. For the show's first five seasons, it ran on The WB, with the show transitioning to The CW in its last year.-Synopsis:...

 (2001–2007). She was featured on the short-lived CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

 comedy Welcome to the Captain
Welcome to The Captain
Welcome to The Captain is an American television comedy created, executive produced and directed by John Hamburg. Andrew Reich and Ted Cohen also serve as executive producers...

. Beginning in the fall of 2008, she starred as Megan Smith in the CW series Privileged (originally known as How to Survive the Filthy Rich). On the big screen, García was seen in the comedy spoof 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...

. She has also appeared in the original television movies From the Earth to the Moon (1998) and Love's Deadly Triangle: The Texas Cadet Murder (1997). She also appeared in the ABC Family
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...

 original movie The Initiation of Sarah
The Initiation of Sarah
The Initiation of Sarah is a "re-imagined" remake of a 1978 horror film, The Initiation of Sarah. It premiered on ABC Family on October 22, 2006 as part of their "13 Nights of Halloween" special.-Plot:...

, which premiered in October 2006. In 2008, she had a role in A Very Merry Daughter of the Bride, playing Roxanne. She had a leading role in the ABC Family
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...

 TV movie Revenge of the Bridesmaids
Revenge of the Bridesmaids
Revenge of the Bridesmaids is a 2010 ABC Family Original Movie that premiered on July 18, 2010. It stars Raven-Symoné and Joanna Garcia as undercover bridesmaids with a mission to break up a wedding.- Plot :...

.

It was announced on June 25, 2009 that she will have a recurring role on The CW drama Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl (TV series)
Gossip Girl is an American teen drama television series based on the book series of the same name written by Cecily von Ziegesar. The series was created by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, and premiered on The CW on September 19, 2007...

 playing the role of Bree Buckley who is described as a fun, sexy brunette, an irreverent evil Miss America
Miss America
The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...

 type who is politically progressive but hails from a conservative Southern family. She will appear in the first four episodes of the show's third season, and will be involved with the character of Nate Archibald. In December 2009, García guest-starred as Maggie, Ted Mosby
Ted Mosby
Theodore Evelyn "Ted" Mosby is the titular fictional character of the U.S. television sitcom How I Met Your Mother, portrayed by Josh Radnor...

's college buddy on How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...

.

García starred in the ABC sitcom Better with You. The show centers on two sisters who were at different points in their romantic relationships: one was unmarried and in a long-term relationship and the other (García) got married after getting pregnant from a one-night stand
One-night stand
Originally, a one-night stand was a single theatre performance, usually by a guest performer on tour, as opposed to an ongoing engagement. Today, however, the term is more commonly defined as a single sexual encounter, in which neither participant has any intention or expectation of a relationship...

.
Better With You was cancelled on May 13, 2011. She made a guest voiceover on The Penguins of Madagascar
The Penguins of Madagascar
The Penguins of Madagascar is an American CGI animated television series airing on Nickelodeon. It stars nine characters from the DreamWorks Animation animated film Madagascar: The penguins Skipper , Kowalski , Private , and Rico ; the lemurs King Julien , Maurice , and Mort...

 in the episode "The Officer X Factor/Love Hurts" episode, which aired on February 12, 2011. On September 7, 2011, it was announced that Garcia would be appearing in multiple episodes of the USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...

 dramedy Royal Pains
Royal Pains
Royal Pains is a USA Network television series that premiered on June 4, 2009, starring Mark Feuerstein, Paulo Costanzo, Jill Flint and Reshma Shetty. The series is based in part on actual concierge medicine practices of independent doctors and companies...

 as a nephrologist treating Jack O'Malley (Tom Cavanaugh).

Personal life

In 2008, García became engaged to Trace Ayala, co-founder of clothing company William Rast
William Rast
William Rast is a Los Angeles, California based clothing company founded by Justin Timberlake and Trace Ayala most known for their premium jeans.On October 17, 2006 Justin Timberlake and Trace Ayala put on their first fфтл...

 with his childhood friend Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...

. (Ayala was Timberlake's former personal assistant.) The couple dated for nearly two years, before calling off their engagement.

In August 2009, People magazine reported that García was dating New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...

 outfielder Nick Swisher
Nick Swisher
Nicholas Thompson "Nick" Swisher is an outfielder for the New York Yankees. Swisher is a switch hitter who throws left-handed....

. They became engaged in May 2010, and married on December 11, 2010 at the Breakers Hotel & Resort in Palm Beach, Florida
Palm Beach, Florida
The Town of Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The Intracoastal Waterway separates it from the neighboring cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth...

. Bridesmaids for García included friends and fellow actresses Jamie-Lynn Sigler
Jamie-Lynn Sigler
Jamie-Lynn Sigler is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Meadow Soprano on the HBO television series The Sopranos.-Early life:...

 and Reba McEntire
Reba McEntire
Reba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma...

. After her marriage she was credited as Joanna Garcia Swisher on Better With You but in other work she continues to be credited as either Joanna Garcia or JoAnna Garcia.

Causes and interests

García volunteers as a teacher for children who are learning English as a second language. She is involved with the organization Make the Commitment, whose purpose is to raise awareness about cervical cancer
Cervical cancer
Cervical cancer is malignant neoplasm of the cervix uteri or cervical area. One of the most common symptoms is abnormal vaginal bleeding, but in some cases there may be no obvious symptoms until the cancer is in its advanced stages...

. She has an organization called We Reach, a charity which has assembled an advisory board in the entertainment industry to help young girls around the country organize charity events in their hometowns. The charity also has the goal of empowering young women.

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
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...

Sandy Sue
2001 American Pie 2
American Pie 2
American Pie 2 is a 2001 comedy film and sequel to American Pie and is the second film in the American Pie film series. It was written by Adam Herz and David H. Steinberg, and directed by J. B. Rogers. The film picks up the story of the four friends from the first film as they reunite during the...

Christy
2006 A-List Naomi
2008 Extreme Movie Sweetie Pie
2010 Revenge of the Bridesmaids
Revenge of the Bridesmaids
Revenge of the Bridesmaids is a 2010 ABC Family Original Movie that premiered on July 18, 2010. It stars Raven-Symoné and Joanna Garcia as undercover bridesmaids with a mission to break up a wedding.- Plot :...

Parker Wald

Television
Year Title Role Notes
1992 Clarissa Explains It All
Clarissa Explains It All
Clarissa Explains It All is an American teen sitcom that aired on Nickelodeon. Created by Mitchell Kriegman, it aired for five seasons for a total of 65 episodes from March 23, 1991, to December 3, 1994, and then went into reruns....

Fiona Episode: "Take My Advice... Please"
1994 SeaQuest DSV
SeaQuest DSV
seaQuest DSV is an American science fiction television series created by Rockne S. O'Bannon. It originally aired on NBC between 1993 and 1996. In its final season, it was renamed seaQuest 2032. Set in "the near future", seaQuest mixes high drama with realistic scientific fiction...

Iris Episode: "Playtime"
1994–1996 Are You Afraid of the Dark?
Are You Afraid of the Dark?
Are You Afraid of the Dark? may refer to:* Are You Afraid of the Dark?, a 1992 television series* Are You Afraid of the Dark? , a 2004 novel by Sidney Sheldon...

Samantha 37 episodes
1996 Step by Step Chelsea Episode: "We're Going to Disney World: Part 1"
1996–1997 Second Noah
Second Noah
Second Noah is a television drama that was broadcast in the United States on ABC television from February 5, 1996 to June 8, 1997-Premise:...

Katherine Ortega 3 episodes
1997 Love's Deadly Triangle: The Texas Cadet Murder Susie Television movie
1998 From the Earth to the Moon Julie Shepard Miniseries
1998 Any Day Now Martha Montgomery Episode: "It's Who You Sleep With"
1998 Party of Five
Party of Five
Party of Five is an American teen drama television series that aired on Fox for six seasons, from September 12, 1994, until May 3, 2000.Critically acclaimed, the show suffered from low ratings and after its first season was slated for cancellation...

Hallie 5 episodes
1999 Dawson's Creek
Dawson's Creek
Dawson's Creek is an American teen drama television series which debuted on January 20, 1998, on The WB Television Network and was produced by Sony Pictures Television. The show is set in the fictional seaside town of Capeside, Massachusetts, and in Boston, Massachusetts, during the later seasons...

Girl #1 – Tracy Episode: "Be Careful What You Wish For"
1999 Holy Joe Joyce Cass Television movie
1999 Pacific Blue
Pacific Blue (TV series)
Pacific Blue is an American crime drama series about a team of police officers with the Santa Monica Police Department who patrolled its beaches on bicycles. The show ran for five seasons on the USA Network, from March 2, 1996 to April 9, 2000, with a total of one hundred and one episodes...

Leah Chandler Episode: "Lucky 13"
1999 Providence
Providence (TV series)
Providence is an American drama series that aired on NBC starring Melina Kanakaredes. The show ran for five seasons from January 8, 1999 until December 20, 2002.-Synopsis:The show revolves around Dr...

Gillian Episode: "Heaven Can Wait"
1999 CI5: The New Professionals
CI5: The New Professionals
CI5: The New Professionals is a British crime drama that aired on the Sky1 satellite channel from 19 September to 19 December 1999. An updating of the late 1970s television series The Professionals, the series is set in a fictional government agency CI5 .-Synopsis:The original group of three men...

Cadet Susan Episode: "Glory Days"
2000 Freaks and Geeks
Freaks and Geeks
Freaks and Geeks is an American teen comedy-drama television series, created by Paul Feig and executive produced by Judd Apatow, that aired on NBC during the 1999–2000 television season...

Vicki Appleby 5 episodes
2000 Opposite Sex
Opposite Sex (TV series)
Opposite Sex is an American comedy-drama series that aired during FOX's summer 2000 schedule. The series was one of the first teen dramas to primarily use independent artists on its soundtrack by such acts as Elliott Smith and Ben Lee.-Synopsis:...

Cassie Schreiber Episode: "The Homosexual Episode"
2000 Freedom
Freedom (TV series)
Freedom is a short-lived 2000 American science fiction television show on the UPN network. There were 12 episodes filmed, but only 7 were aired. Some episodes were further aired internationally...

Sally Mueller Episode: "Assassins"
2000 Boston Public
Boston Public
Boston Public is an American drama television series created by David E. Kelley and broadcast on Fox. It centered on Winslow High School, a fictional public high school located in Boston, Massachusetts. The show was named for the real public school district in which it takes place...

Susan Potter Episode: "Chapter Four"
2001–2007 Reba
Reba (TV series)
Reba is an American sitcom starring Reba McEntire, which ran from 2001 to 2007. For the show's first five seasons, it ran on The WB, with the show transitioning to The CW in its last year.-Synopsis:...

Cheyenne Hart Montgomery 124 episodes
2001 Go Fish Amanda Episode: "Go P.D.A."
2001 Going to California Jennifer Episode: "I Know Why the Caged Rhino Sings"
2001 Off Centre
Off Centre
Off Centre is an American sitcom that aired on The WB network from October 14, 2001 to October 31, 2002. Created by Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz, and Danny Zuker, the series was heavily promoted as "from the guys who brought you American Pie".-Synopsis:...

Ramona Episode: "Let's Meet Mike and Euan"
2004 What I Like About You
What I Like About You (TV series)
What I Like About You is an American television sitcom set mainly in New York City, following the lives of two sisters, Valerie Tyler and Holly Tyler . The series ran on The WB Television Network from September 20, 2002, to March 24, 2006, with a total of 86 episodes produced...

Fiona Episode: "Three Little Words"
2005 Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...

Liddane (voice) Episode: "8 Simple Rules for Buying My Teenage Daughter"
2006 Corinne Television movie
2008 Welcome to The Captain
Welcome to The Captain
Welcome to The Captain is an American television comedy created, executive produced and directed by John Hamburg. Andrew Reich and Ted Cohen also serve as executive producers...

Hope 5 episodes
2008 Roxanne Television movie
2008–2009 Privileged
Privileged (TV series)
Privileged is an American television drama that premiered on The CW Television Network in the USA and Citytv in Canada on September 9, 2008. The series stars former Reba star Joanna García and is based on the Alloy Entertainment book How to Teach Filthy Rich Girls by Zoey Dean...

Megan Smith 18 episodes
2009 Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl (TV series)
Gossip Girl is an American teen drama television series based on the book series of the same name written by Cecily von Ziegesar. The series was created by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, and premiered on The CW on September 19, 2007...

Bree Buckley 4 episodes (season 3)
2009 How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...

Maggie Episode: "The Window
The Window (How I Met Your Mother)
"The Window" is the tenth episode of the fifth season of the CBS situation comedy How I Met Your Mother and 98th episode overall. It aired on Monday, December 7, 2009.- Plot :...

"
2010 Revenge of the Bridesmaids
Revenge of the Bridesmaids
Revenge of the Bridesmaids is a 2010 ABC Family Original Movie that premiered on July 18, 2010. It stars Raven-Symoné and Joanna Garcia as undercover bridesmaids with a mission to break up a wedding.- Plot :...

Parker Television movie
2010–2011 Better with You Mia Putney Television series
2011 Shauna (voice) Episode: Love Hurts

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK